From dmhartma@students.wisc.eduFri Jan 26 12:46:52 1996 Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 02:11:59 -0500 From: Dorinda Hartmann To: dewshine@eskimo.com Subject: The Ree Situation Subtitle: Ree's Ears Are Burning. ================================= Soulweaver's fur-heap A large pile of warm pelts, tucked back into the shadows against one of the cave walls. White wolf-hair is scattered over the area. You are warm and comfortable in the soft heap of furs. You slip from the pile of furs. Aureole, Briarcatch, and Soulweaver's cave This cave is fairly large, and set far enough back in the side of the canyon to keep out direct wind and bright sun. The craggy rock walls are riddled with niches and outcroppings; underfoot is a smooth packed-earth floor. The air smells faintly of woodsmoke, prairie grass, and wolves. Contents: Keenears Briarcatch Snowcrystal Briarcatch and Aureole's tent Soulweaver's fur-heap Obvious exits: Out Soulweaver yawns widely, running both hands through her tousled mane. Briarcatch sits on his pile of furs, arms draped over his knees, watching Aureole sleep. He doesn't react, if he notices you wake. Soulweaver props herself upright, echoing Briarcatch's position-- long legs drawn up, arms folded over her knees, peering through a tangle of shaggy hair first at Ree and then at Briarcatch. Finally: ** She's lovely when she sleeps. ** Briarcatch startles a little, and then looks over his shoulder at you, smiling lopsidedly. ** ** Soulweaver grins back. ** When she's awake, too. ** She stretches,langorously. ** Tell me, cousin. Now that she's back, but without her new name, what happens? ** One shoulder rises and falls. ** She goes back to her duties. Watch. She hunts, and when the mood takes her, ** he adds, with a wider grin, ** she howls. ** Soulweaver's eyes sparkle. ** When the mood takes her, ** she agrees. ** And lately she seems to have been in the mood. For many things. ** Briarcatch arches an eyebrow. ** She's changed? Again? ** Soulweaver narrows her eyes with a rough snort. ** Cubling, ** she sends with a measure of disgust, though not without definite affection. ** You're the most gullible prey I've seen in a while, and I've seen plenty. ** Briarcatch's second eyebrow joins the first. "How's that?" Soulweaver scoots a little closer, her send radiating a sense of . ** Tell me about you and Ree, cousin. How are things between you? ** Briarcatch looks at his hands, and flexes the fingers a little. ** How should they be, Soulweaver? ** There is a sense of confused uncertainty about him now, that wasn't there a moment ago. Soulweaver waves a dismissive hand, sharply. ** Should. Forget should. How -are- they? Don't think about it, lad, just tell me. Hm? It's -me-. ** A familiar wolfish-warmth pervades the mind-touch. Briarcatch's jaw clenches, and then loosens again. ** I donno... we.. uhm.. well . And then she left for Walkabout. And now that she's back.. I donno. ** Soulweaver smacks both hands over her face for a moment, giving a sound between growl and groan. ** You don't know. ** The send seems almost directed at herself . ** Of course you don't know. Of course. Should have told her long before, just take. Attention's not being paid where it should. ** Her disjointed diatribe trails off and she marshals her clumsy patience, leaning a bit forward. ** Tell me, then. How would you -like- things to be? Any ideas about that? ** Briarcatch gives off a sound like a growl himself, and pushes to his feet, to pace toward the other end of the cave, away from the opening. ** I.. maybe things should go back to the way they were before, cousin. When I was just someone who watched her. Because now.. ** He stops. ** I think I can smell her sometimes. And I hear her voice, on watch. But I feel like I have feet in my mouth. ** Soulweaver watches the Plainsrunner's tense movements. ** Eh. I may be just a wolf, but even I know that things go in order. Was, Now, Will-Be. Can't take them the other way around. ** She shakes her shaggy head, gently. ** Things can't go back, and they shouldn't. I just think maybe you're scared. Why? ** The question, though blunt, is concerned rather than mocking. Briarcatch smirks. "I don't want to do anything wrong," he says aloud. "I can be a guardian, and a teacher. I can be her friend. Those are the easy parts." Soulweaver sends, honestly perplexed, ** Life's not easy. I do things wrong all the time, so do you, so does everyone. That's... <> . Can't stay safe, hiding like that. ** Her mind stirs, on the brink of another thought, but she stifles it, barely. Something about Ree. Her eyes drift to the lithe huntress, and instead, she sends, ** Have you thought about what she might want? ** Briarcatch sinks down on his heels again, and grins wryly. ** All she'd have to do is ask. You know that. ** Soulweaver quirks one dark brow. ** Aye, I suppose I do. ** Her eyes linger on the sleeping maiden still. ** Maybe she's wanted to, but she's been afraid. Like you. ** Briarcatch chuckles. ** Of me? Why? ** Soulweaver's gaze slides sideways to consider her cousin. ** Not of you. Of frightening you off. Of you backing away. ** Briarcatch sits on his heels at the far end of the cave, talking with Soulweaver, and watching Aureole sleep. Briarcatch's eyebrows arch again, as he shakes his head. ** She's not going to scare me away, Soulweaver. Not after .. everything. ** Soulweaver rises in one fluid movement, lean thigh muscles bunching and flexing. Her send is rough around the edges, gruff in her way, but with undisguised relief. ** Well, someone had better tell someone something. Curse you cubs. You make life in this cave a neverending fuss. ** She crosses her arms. ** Almost makes me think I ought to take this into my own hands. ** Aureole, eyebrow deep in her furs, peeks out from under a bang surreptitiously. Not a stir from her, nope... Briarcatch watches Soulweaver rise, curiously. ** We're not -that- bad.. ** Soulweaver crosses the cave in several long strides, to Briarcatch's side. She studies him. ** You know I'm all for the simple life, hm? How simple have things been, with so much wanting but so little telling? ** Briarcatch blinks. ** They've been better! Haven't they? ** Soulweaver spreads her hands, relenting a bit. ** They were, before the Walkabout. Since she came back, though... I tell you, there's been a bit too much wistful staring for me, and a bit too little activity. ** She grumbles in her chest. Briarcatch sputters. "I can't just pick her up and throw her in my furs, Soulweaver." With great concentration, Aureole _refrains _ from giggling, or twitching. But _that_ woke her up, and she listens avidly. Soulweaver's body seems to tingle with almost a skyfire-current. Her send is a flash, a growl. ** I can. ** Without further ado she grabs Briarcatch bodily, strong arms hoisting him into the air and wrapping him tight. Showing little effort, she hauls him toward the lass in the furs. Briarcatch yelps, and if Aureole wasn't awake before, she certainly ought to be now. Flailing for a few moments, he instead concentrates on trying to find the best way not to crush Aureole when dear sweet cousin puts him down again. ** Soulweav.. cous.. CAREFUL! ** Aureole oofs, but distinctly, loudly, giggles. And when Briarcatch comes thumping down, she wriggles, catches him, and flops him down into the furs with her. ** Hi there. ** Soulweaver hoists Briarcatch over her hip, reaching down with one temporarily-free arm to tug back a covering fur. In a slightly clear space up against Aureole, she tumbles Briarcatch down and whips the fur up over him. Her grin is savagely joyful. ** <> ** Soulweaver dusts off her hands and turns archly, stalking back to the cave entrance, surrounded by a cloud of smug self-satisfaction. ** All right. Enough watching. Now there will be understanding. ** Briarcatch blinks blue-ly at Aureole, and grins lopsidedly again. "Erm. Hi there, yourself." He looks out the tunner of fur, at Soulweaver by the entrance, and chuckles, grin widening, before he looks back at Ree. "Didn't hurt you, did I?" Aureole's eyes twinkle. ** Nope, ** she answers cheerfully. ** I'm sturdy. ** Briarcatch nods a few times. ** Good, good. ** With only a moment's hesitation, then, he uncurls an arm, and re-curls it, over Aureole's side and back, giving her a good nudge toward him. Provided she doesn't protest, of course.. Hardly. In fact, Aureole hops over, quite willingly, and beams. Briarcatch sends, sheepishly, ** I'm.. you're not going to scare me away, you know, Ree? No matter what.. ** That has a sense of needed-to-say-that, behind it, and then he curls up even closer, and buries his nose in silvery locks of hair. It is not long before all traces of tension melt from his back and shoulders, entirely. You sense in a locksend, Briarcatch asks, ** Better? ** And then with a wry trace of humour before you can answer, answers his own question. ** Better.. * Aureole's entire face lights up, and she snugs Briarcatch to her. All she sends in reply is, ** Good! **, but the single syllable scintillates. Soulweaver turns and looks at the fur-snuggled pair, her slanted features awash with fond approval. She gives a nod. You locksend, to Briarcatch, Aureole: ** <> Better, denmates. Much better. ** Aureole nudges in closer to Briarcatch, gaze alight, teasing, sly. ** Does this mean you'll help me practice? ** she asks hopefully. Soulweaver chuckles gruffly under her breath and slips from the cave into the chill air. ==================