Log Date: 2/4/96
Log Intro: As Ekuar, Ember, and Rayek prepare to journey back to the
palace, Ember has her own thoughts in mind. Rayek's been troubling her
on more than one account, and it's time for a talk with Papa Ekuar
about the airwalker.....

[Note: This log was taken by Ekuar's player, rather than Rayek's.]
----------
Quiet Valley
Caught in a deep plunge between the mountains, the valley gives notice of
its glacier-born heritage with high rock walls that, though enclosing,
provide a feeling of safety. The valley's floor is wide, mostly flat,
evergreen forest nourished with silt, grown up in thousands of years of
solitude. From the north flows a glacier-fed stream, water murky with dirt,
but pure and sweet when left to settle. The creatures here, undisturbed for
millennia, have grown to enormous sizes and to strange new shapes,
interbreeding and inbreeding taking a certain toll.

Ember appears, silently, from the woods, where she's been the better part
of three days now. She carries no trophies, no kill to prove the point of
her absence, only a faintly disgruntled expression and a handful of berries
that she's chewing on.

Ekuar sits with both legs, true and wooden, stretched out comfortably
before him, the thin back propped against the wall of the rock shelter. His
eyes are open but unfocused as he gazes meditatively into the middle
distance. At Ember's entry he blinks and slowly begins to come back to
himself, clearing his throat. "Eh... huntress?"

Ember walks by, offering you a few of the berries, and nods. She is,
indeed, a huntress. "Ekuar," she replies, and then turns towards the
stream, pulling a twig out of her hair as she approaches it, kicking her
boots off.

Ekuar takes the berries absently and pops them into his mouth, chewing
happily as he reaches for his staff. With a quiet breath of effort the old
elf levers himself upright, moving slowly away from the rock upcropping
toward Ember and the stream. "Mmf," he says, swallowing the mouthful.
"Delicious, child, and appreciated as always."

Ember gestures vaguely. "Big old field of them about a day's run from here.
I didn't have a bag or I'd have brought more back." Tunic, skirt and
armbands join the boots on the ground, and she climbs into the icy
glacier-fed stream, dunking under the water. ** Where's Rayek? **

Ekuar makes his careful way down to the edge of the stream and sits, laying
his staff aside and reaching to splish at the chill water with a fingertip.
** Spending a bit of time by himself. ** Although his send is thoughtful,
there is an underlying tone of affectionate humor threading through it. **
I think perhaps he's trying to put himself back together into his shell,
after spending this time out of it, eh? **

Ember snorts, standing up, water streaming down over her. ** Never met
/anybody/ as closed off as he is. Even /Strongbow/ isn't that bad. **

Ekuar smiles gently. "Brownskin has vulnerabilities, my dear. Loves, hopes,
fears. As do we all." He scoops up a bit of the water and sprinkles it on
his bare head, savoring the refreshing chill.

Ember ducks beneath the water again, scrubbing at her skin with her hands.
** Sure he does. But he won't /admit/ it. ** Pops back up, partway, the top
of her head visible, brown fingers rubbing at her scalp. ** He's
impossible. **

Ekuar watches the huntress fondly. ** Perhaps the stubborn strength of the
outer shell is to protect an even softer inner self, hm? **

Ember comes far enough out of the water to regard you suspiciously, small
waves knocking along the bridge of her nose. ** Strongbow, ** she
disagrees, ** has soft places inside. Rayek is rock through and through. **

Ekuar's limpid brown eyes widen in surprise. ** Rock? ** He leans a bit
forward, his mind's tone growing more earnest. ** Pretty huntress... after
all you've seen, after this walk, you can still think that? ** Perhaps with
his deep knowledge of, and even deeper love for, his Brownskin, the old
rockshaper finds it amazing that anyone else can't see past the thorny
surface...

Ember straightens up again, coming out of the water, and discovers that she
neglected to get anything resembling a towel. With a frown, she grabs her
tunic and begins drying with that. "He doesn't let his guard down, even
now, Ekuar. Not to me, anyway. Even with the shared sending... all right,
he's not rock all the way through. I've seen him scared. But that's losing
control, not relaxing."

Ekuar rests his chin on his hand, one gaunt finger stroking his jaw. "Well,
child," he offers reasonably, "Perhaps you're overlooking-- eh-- more
subtle things . After all, he let you into his mind, waking and sleeping.
Hm? To filter the very way he perceived the world. You were as close to him
as I, in a way."

Ember stares at you a moment, through half-towled hair. ** Wolfriders, **
she sends, with no trace of knowledge of the amusement factor of the
statement, ** aren't subtle. * *

Ekuar bows his head in solemn acknowledgement of that fact, although his
eyes twinkle merrily. "Eh. No, I suppose not." The hairless head tips to
one side, curiously. "Can you tell me, my dear... What is it you'd like
from Brownskin? Why does his shell bother you so?" His tone is guileless,
gently coaxing.

** I didn't, ** Ember sends after a while, ** like him when I was younger.
** Through the sending flashes the brief image of long black hair,
associated with Winnowill, then the sudden chill of a handful of snow down
her back. ** Eventually  I learned to respect him, and I've even come to
admire him ... like him ... on this long walk. ** She pulls her damp tunic
over her head, adjusting feathers. ** I'd like to tumble him, but he's so
wrapped up in himself that it'd probably be like ... ** Her imagination
falters for a moment, and then she finishes, ** Like tumbling a tree. ** A
quick snort, as she bends to pick up her skirt, and then she adds, dryly,
** Or a rock. **

Ekuar lifts one brow knowingly, a soft smile flickering across his lips.
"Mm. Is that what you think?" His good shoulder lifts and drops in a slight
shrug. "There are others who might, eh, disagree with you. Brownskin
doesn't share as often as many others, perhaps, but when he does... his
partners have seen little reason for disappointment."

Ember looks up. ** Most others, ** she points out, ** aren't Leetah's
daughter, either. **

Ekuar's forehead wrinkles slightly. "You think that since Leetah's your
mother, that would cool Brownskin's-- eh-- ardor?"

Ember sits down to pull her boots on. "Ekuar," she points out, "Rayek's
been obsessed with my mother since her birth." She makes a vague gesture at
her form. "The ones he likes tend to be shaped like her. I'm not." Kahvi
is, though Kahvi is more muscled. See?

Ekuar trails his hand through the icy stream thoughtfully. "It seems to me
you're deciding what Brownskin will do already, based only on your body.
Eh-- what about your spirit, hm? He spent a lot of time in Kahvi's furs,
and you know as well as I that joining isn't only about bodies." He flicks
droplets into the air, admiring the flash and glitter. "And who's spirit is
more like Kahvi's-- yours, child, or your lovely mother's?"

Ember mmmphs, reaching for her arm bands. ** Not just body. I don't know
how to get his /attention/. **

Ekuar nods sympathetically. "Ah! Now there's a riddle. You see... sometimes
others think that the best way into Brownskin's shell is to hammer on it
until it cracks. Hard and angry. I've seen people try to, eh, 'shake some
sense into him'."  He sighs ruefully. "And believe me, my dear, that's not
the way." A thoughtful pause. "That's not to say you have to feign
softness, either, where it's against your nature. Kahvi never brought
softness to Brownskin. But neither was she a rock, pounding. She was...
straightforward. Fierce in passion, clear in need and desire, open-armed.
Do you see?" He peers at Ember, earnestly.

"She-softness," Ember chuckles softly. "I'm not like Mother." She rakes her
fingers through her hair, half combing it. "Aye, I see, old one. Maybe I'll
go to him..."

Ekuar smiles affectionately. "Child, I'll do all I can." He lifts his hand
in a conciliatory gesture. "Eh-- that is, if you don't mind my help."

Ember laughs softly. "I don't mind."

Ekuar bobs his head cheerfully. "Good, good! Let Papa Ekuar do his
meddling, hm? " He winks.
You locksend to Rayek, Ekuar's mind-touch, clear and cheerful, brushes
against you. ** Brownskin?**

You sense in a locksend, Rayek is there, off some distance down the valley.
From that distance, he sends back, ** I'm here... **

Ekuar reaches for his staff, glancing up at Ember. "He's a little distance
away.  I'll see if this old foot can get me there."
You locksend ** I'd like to come find you. Chat for a bit, hm? ** to Rayek.

Ember, rather lizard-like, approaches a rock that's been warmed by the sun,
and climbs up on it, pulling her newly donned clothes off again. "All
right. Be careful. Send if there's any problems."

You sense in a locksend, Rayek seems to consider this. ** We should prepare
to go... has Ember returned from her hunt? **

Ekuar nods obediently, climbing to a standing position, leaning lightly on
his staff.
You locksend ** She's here, eh yes. Resting, warming. Which way are you? **
to Rayek.

You sense in a locksend, Rayek offers, ** I'll come there... we should get
ready to go... ** You can tell that his sending, regardless, is off to the
northwest.

Ekuar pauses, as if considering a send, then begins to make his way in a
northwesterly direction. Despite his maimed condition and great age, the
rockshaper seems remarkably easy and steady in his gait, head up and eyes
sparkling.
You locksend to Rayek, Ekuar's send is bright: ** On my way! ** Did he
ignore your offer to come here, or has it simply slid off of the fog in his
mind due to his age? It's hard to tell.

The land turns, after a while, into a mixture of forest and meadow, tall
grasses growing up around scattered trees, though in the distance the
forest grows up again, a not-quite solid wall. Water burbles through,
hitting a fall perhaps a hand and a half in height, creating most of the
noise in the area.

Fish, who have never seen the sight of an elf before, but who are
considerably less interested in Rayek than he is in the waterfall, do
battle against the fall, leaping upwards, only to fall back down again in a
painful cycle. In each foray, one or two of the cold-blooded creatures
makes it over the falls, to work its way further upstream.

Rayek stares at the fish, crouching quietly at the waterside. Ember's told
him they're edible, but if she's returned from the hunt, should he try to
catch any? He fingers the spear beside him, consideringly.

Ekuar makes his lopsided way toward Rayek, and hunter's ears can hear even
from a distance that the ancient elf is humming to himself the way he does
when he's pleased and comfortable, drifting in his thoughts.

For the longest time the airwalker doesn't move, drawn in a way he cannot
describe to the upward dance of the fish. It's... almost as if they can
float, or at least are trying; but why fling themselves up rocks instead of
floating downriver ? He almost admires them for trying such a difficult
path, as he squints into the spray.

Ekuar pauses for a moment to free his hand and wave gaily at the crouching
figure. "Hoo-hoo! Brownskin! I'm here!"

Hormones, Brownskin, hormones. Critters will do the strangest things in the
name  of love. Or sex, anyway. Oblivious to Rayek's gaze, the fish continue
their battle, wriggling madly.

Rayek's amber gaze lifts, and he smiles crookedly at the rockshaper's
approach.  He rises, to move to his teacher's side, leather-shod feet
silent on the rock ground.

It's from across the river that the lumbering step comes, as avidly
interested in the fish as Rayek was not long ago. Not particularly rapidly,
the creature bumbles along through the tall grasses, scenting at the river,
content in the knowledge that dinner will be served shortly. The strange
new scents carried from beyond the river are, for the moment, ignored.

Ekuar sighs happily, looking up into the dark face. "What a wonderful walk,
eh? I feel fine and strong, full of skyfire." Tucking the staff against his
body, the elder pats at Rayek's arm in customary greeting.

Rayek's regard lightens a bit. "The good air you've been extoling all this
time, no doubt," he says, pitching his voice to be heard over the water.

Ekuar nods eagerly. "Eh! Well, old Ekuar still knows a thing or two then,
hm?" He looks the angular form up and down in fond appraisal. "Hasn't done
-you- any harm, either. Nor the huntress. She was swimming, and oh! Isn't
she lovely!"

Rayek's mouth pauses unsurely between a smile to his teacher, and a more
tentative expression. Finally, at least ostensibly calmly, he glances back
to the river, and acknowledges, "Yes..."

The bumbler, for the moment, finds himself distracted by an enormous patch
of berries, and settles down in the middle of it, munching happily. The odd
scent of elves is carried to him every once in a while, and he lifts a
heavy head to peer near-sightedly across the distant stream, before going
back to his snack.

Rayek asks, not meeting his ancient friend's gaze, "She has hunted? We have
food enough?"

Ekuar potters happily on, leaning a little more on Brownskin's arm in
familiar confidence. "The pair of you, I've seldom seen anything more
beautiful. Both lean and strong and brown, muscles moving under your skin."
Rayek's question breaks into his stream of thought, and he blinks absently.
"Food? Food. Ehm. She brought back some berries, but only a handful."

Rayek smirks a bit, but not unkindly. "Perhaps I should catch some of
these, then." He gestures out at the shining forms flopping and flinging
their way upstream. "We'll need the food for the trip back..."

Ekuar grasps his staff again in his hand and hobbles delightedly toward the
waterfall, smiling back over his shoulder. "And you can teach me how, hm?
I've never been much of a hunter. Eh, me, no. Wouldn't that be something?
Ekuar the Hunter?"

Rayek grins a bit at you. "It would not be difficult-- see their numbers! I
could spear one, or many, without much trouble..."

Ekuar peers down at the struggling masses of fish eagerly. "Oh, then let me
try, Brownskin! I'd so love to tell Ember that I did a bit of hunting of my
own! You and she, you've both worked so hard to feed us all, this whole
time, eh yes."

Crunch. All of the berries within easy eating distance are gone, and so he
lumbers to his feet again, padding along through the tall grasses towards
the river-scent and the strange other-scent.

Rayek chuckles, charmed despite himself by Ekuar's eagerness. "Can you heft
my spear, dear one? Or shall we have to make you a net?"

Ekuar looks down at his own arm, consideringly. "I daresay I can try your
spear-- I won't have your grace, of course, but I think this old arm has
supported me through enough to give it a good chance of success." He looks
back up, his eyes shining with anticipation. This idea seems to have caught
his fancy.

Rayek, unable to refuse to indulge the elder's whimsy, picks up the spear,
and moves to press it into the old, gnarled fingers. "You'll have to plant
yourself to throw it... here, like this..." He moves behind you, to make
subtle corrections to your stance, and he sends a feel of where your feet
should be.

Ekuar wriggles and shifts, face clear and intent, settling into the stance,
eyes fixed on the fish. "Like this?" His voice has gotten a little hushed
with suppressed excitement. Ekuar the hunter! Will wonders never cease?

Snurf. Strange smells in the air, indeed. The bumbler sits down again,
still some distance from the stream, and tries to sort out the scents.
Water. Fish. And Something Else.

Rayek nods easily, bracing the spear on Ekuar's ancient arm. "A good
grasp... you won't really want to throw it, but rather, stab with the
point... got it?"

Ekuar holds tight to the shaft of the weapon. "Oh! I don't let go?" He nods
rapidly. "I think I'm ready, Brownskin. Where shall I aim?"

Rayek chuckles, near your ear. "Pick a fish and thrust!"

Ekuar's thin body seems almost to crackle with energy and excitement as he
poises for the jab.

A fish, obligingly, flings itself up into the air, silvery body very close
to the elves at the shore.

Ekuar thrusts the spear downward sharply, eyes wide. He hasn't the sheer
power or finesse of a true hunter, but there is some well of strength
coiled inside the gaunt elder... that's no surprise to Rayek, who knows him
best, but it might be to others who see only the frail outer shell.

Pinned! If a fish can look surprised, this one does, as its cold body is
suddenly struck through. Unwilling to allow that death is at hand, it
struggles wildly on the spear, slapping back and forth.

Unexpectedly, Rayek suddenly laughs out loud. "Well struck!" he cries, and
adds,  "Now, hold on to it..."

Ekuar seems a little baffled, now that his goal has been reached. "Oh!
Wait! Help!" He grips the spear and tries to lever the point around, away
from the water, to keep the fish from flopping back into its native
element.

Whaaa...!? The bumbler's head rises again. Noise. Strange noise. And now
the faint scent of blood carried on the wind. He stands again, and heads
towards the river with a little more determination.

Rayek grins, proudly, and his dark hands are suddenly helping to brace the
spear. "You shall feast well tonight, my friend! Quickly, though -- I have
it -- we'll need a cloak to carry it in!"

Ekuar releases the spear into Rayek's capable hands, fumbling for the tie
of his own light cloak, the one he habitually wears slung over his armless
side for comfort and protection. "Here! Here, we can use this."
Disbelieving joy shines in his face. "I did it! I've fed us, eh Brownskin?"

Rayek flashes Ekuar a fierce, approving smile. "You've helped," he assures,
and deftly grabs at the fish to keep it from flying off the spear in its
death throes. "We can get more, though, if this stream of them keeps up..."

And as the elves are involved in wrapping the fish -- a fine-sized creature
it is, too -- the bumbler reaches the stream's edge, and splashes into it
with one enormous foot, snagging a fish out of the water with a cupped paw,
snapping it out of the air with long, deadly teeth, and then, fish
squirming in its jaws, he looks across the stream. "Brrrrraagh." Gulp. Fish
disappears down the gullet.

Ekuar spreads his cloak on the ground for the fish, beaming up at Rayek
obliviously.
You say "Wait until I tell Ember! Won't she be surprised?"

Rayek starts, then, as his attention is caught by the huge creature
arriving on the stream's other side. "She certa --" ** Ekuar! Look! **

'Bear' doesn't really describe the animal; it is too large and too ugly to
fit that creature, but it is closer to bear than anything else one might
call it. Six, perhaps seven feet at the shoulder, it is obviously *old*,
with grey streaking through its rough brown-black fur, the ivory claws and
teeth curved and long. And he's hungry, is this old man; it's springtime,
and he's slept much of the winter away. "Brrrrrngh." Another fish is
scooped up and swallowed as he stares across the water at the odd new
animals.

Ekuar's eyes are wide, wondering and frightened, showing the eternally
youthful side of this elf who's as old as mountains. ** What is it?! **
Ekuar stares at the creature, shrinking close to Rayek's side.

Rayek's hands tighten on his spear, as he quickly reviews what he's learned
of creatures and their names from the Wolfrider huntress. And this thing,
at least, looks like a snowbear... ** Bear, ** he reports, alert and tense
now. ** It sees us. We'd better move away. Slowly. **

Ekuar's eyes flick back and forth rapidly as he sorts through mists of
information in the depths of his mind. ** Bear... Bear! <<hazy snowbear
image, mostly formed from admiring the skins that the braver GoBacks
dragged into the lodge when  he lived there.>> ** He looks at his cloak
uncertainly. ** What about my cloak-- the fish-- ? **

The old man snorts heavily, scoops another fish up, and takes three
splashing steps across the stream, staring at the elves with beady little
eyes. "Grrrrrrrnnnnngh." This translates as, 'this is my stream, you skinny
little tidbits, and now you're part of lunch'. Normally even this
bad-tempered old man wouldn't attack an unknown critter, but it *is*
springtime and he *is* hungry. And you don't look dangerous.

Rayek, in the process of responding, cuts himself off. And immediately
seizes Ekuar, and takes the best route of escape he knows of: the air.
Rayek sends openly ** Better our skins than the kill, teacher! **

Ekuar yelps, despite himself, but his arm goes instantly and surely around
Rayek's neck, a familiar grip. His send is a little shaky. ** In-- indeed.
Oh, Brownskin, it's huge! **

The bear lets out a hugely offended roar, and reels back up onto his hind
legs, batting upwards at the unexpectly flying snack. Huge, indeed: reared
up like this, the old man stands probably fourteen feet tall, deadly claws
smashing through the air.

Rayek's form glimmers, as he starts to get out of the way, one arm on the
old elf, one hand gripping his spear. His speed is hampered by Ekuar's
slight weight, at least a little, and concern for Ekuar sends him sailing
the fastest, most direct route possible away from the enormous claws.

Ekuar draws his legs up as best he can, holding tight to Rayek, squeaking
out a startled "Oh!"

The old man drops back down to all fours, loping at what's actually quite a
respectable pace after the flying elves. Who ever heard of dinner *flying*
away? "Grrrrrnnnnaaaaargh!" The chase goes on for fifty or seventy yards
before he gives up in disgust and turns back to go eat Ekuar's fish. And
cloak.

Rayek soars away, quickly, carrying Ekuar back to the safety of their camp.
** We'll try again, ** he promises, as gently as he can manage. ** Later,
when the stream is safe...! **

Ember, when you return, is asleep on her rock, flung about on it like a
discarded set of clothes, and snoring faintly.

Ekuar looks back wistfully. ** Oh, Brownskin... and I caught my first fish,
too... **

After a time, with Ember's bare form coming into view, Rayek slows. And for
a moment, hangs aloft with a strange look on his face, before he finally
drifts to the ground.

Rayek smiles wanly to Ekuar, setting him down with care. "It was a
well-struck blow, Ekuar..."
,
Ekuar admires Ember's lithe body without concealment (unlike his
recalcitrant student). ** There, what did I tell you? Lovely, lovely. ** He
slips from Rayek's arms and pats the lean shoulder gratefully.

Ember stirs, faintly, at the sound of Rayek's voice, then turns over on the
roc, propping herself on an elbow as she blinks blearily towards the two of
you. "Nnnghf."
Ember rubs a hand over her face. ** Had a dream about Madcoil, ** she sends.

Rayek turns, after reflexively making certain with another glance that
Ekuar is unharmed, and nods brusquely to Ember. Then blinks. "Madcoil?"

Ember nods sleepily, putting her forehead on her arm, not, apparently,
feeling a need to pursue it.

Rayek shrugs a bit, then, and reports, "Perhaps you sensed the bear....
they are waking up, with the coming of spring."

Ekuar limps more unsteadily than usual toward Ember's rock, his arm
outstretched for balance since there's no trusty staff to lean on. "Oh,
yes!" he adds on the tail of Rayek's statement. "There was a huge one, it
might have eaten us!"
Ekuar's tone is eager, as if there's more to this story that he's aching to
tell.

Ember lifts her head again. "Bear?" She focuses, this time, on Ekuar, and
his cloak-and-staff-lessness. More alarmed, "Bear?! Where?" She sits up,
raking hair back.

Rayek with a jerk of his black-haired head indicates the northwest. "That
way. By the stream, where the fish are running."

Ekuar hitches himself onto Ember's rock, a little awkwardly. "It ate my
first fish. First one I ever caught," he bemoans. "And my cloak, too."

Ember vaults down off her rock, looking for her clothes. "Did it follow
you?" She, obviously, is about to go off and hunt the damned thing, without
her clothes, if she doesn't find them soon. "You caught a fish?"
And then, even .more. alarmed, "It ate your /cloak?/ High Ones, Ekuar,
you're lucky you weren't killed!" Ember glares around. Where'd her clothes
go?

Ekuar bobs his head proudly. "I did!" With a glance at Rayek, and a grin,
he amends that: "Well-- we did. Brownskin showed me how, and I struck it.
Eh, yes, it was exciting! And then there was a bear. It seemed to want my
fish, so..." He shrugs, smiling.
Ekuar ohs, and looks under one of his thin hips, where he has sat on a
piece of leather that looks like it might be Ember's. He squirms it out
from under him, offering it to the huntress. "The fish was wrapped in my,
eh, cloak. You see."

Rayek crosses his arms, and says quietly, "Ekuar did catch a fish, yes, but
we had to abandon it."

Ember pauses, relaxing somewhat. "/You/ weren't in the cloak?"
Ember takes the tunic, absently, and pulls it over her head. "Thanks."

Rayek hangs back, glancing between the two elves, more to Ekuar than Ember.
Ekuar can tell this tale, he thinks.

Ekuar shakes his head, eyes twinkling. "No, no! Don't worry yourself so.
Brownskin caught me up and away we flew! Left the cloak and the fish." He
looks around, and sighs. "And my staff."

Rayek frowns, then. "We'll get that back, Ekuar; you need it."

Ember finds her skirt, abandoned near where Ekuar sits as well, and steps
into it, nodding. "Thank the High Ones you're all right. Both of you."

Rayek pauses, to consider Ember's statement curiously... though perhaps,
more her tone behind them than the actual words. "We are... alright," he
acknowledges, gruffly.

Ekuar looks northwestward, eager now that the fear has faded. "We could go
now-- show the huntress where the, eh, bear was. And fetch my staff. Ember,
child, it was huge! Claws like daggers!" The elder seems to be enjoying his
narrow escape, now that it's well over. "You should have seen Brownskin
leap to save me! Oh, you two, you're a pair of fierce ones, yes. I feel
safe with the both of you."

Ember finds her boots, pulling them on, hopping as she does so. "Find it,
aye, but I'd rather avoid a battle with a bear right now. I've no bow, and
spears are too close a weapon for my comfort. None of us are healers."

Rayek observes, "It'll stay, if it thinks there is food, aye?" He adds,
brows drawing together, "I could scout, from afar. It cannot harm me, if I
remain in the air."

Ekuar suggests pleasantly, "Brownskin... why not take Ember aloft with you?
Scout and hunter in the air together, what could harm either one of you,
hm?"

Rayek, starting to add, "And I could float the sta--", breaks off, and blinks.

Ember cracks a sudden, wicked grin at Rayek. "I'd trust we're not an easy
meal, dark one." She shoots Ekuar a startled look, followed by a somewhat
peculiar expression. "It's been," she says a little randomly, "a long time
since I've flown. "

Rayek allows, somewhat uneasily, " It... would get us back there more
quickly..."

Ekuar turns to Ember, confidingly. "Me, too," he says, blithely ignoring
the ramifications of Ember's statement. "But then we went on the back of a
giant bird to Festival, and eh! It was so wonderful!"

Ember glances, reflexively, at the sky. "I haven't flown on a bird since I
was a cub. Since Tenspan." This is called avoiding the subject.

Rayek says, quickly, "We can also walk. The bear might spot me if I float,
because of the glowing..."

Ekuar gestures at Rayek. "And like he says, pretty huntress, it would be so
much quicker! Any bear with sense would run and hide, my dears, seeing you
two coming from above." He looks from dark face to dark face. "Oh,
Brownskin, he might spot you on the ground, too, hm? In the air, you'd be
away from those-- claws." He shivers happily.

Rayek mutters, admitting, "We cannot lose the staff... none of us shape
wood, either." Warily, questioningly, he shifts his regard to Ember.

Ember shakes her head. "Bears don't look up. No reason to. Very few
predators do. Not even a big cat is /that/ much of a danger to a bear.
Going by air would be faster, less dangerous." She looks from Ekuar to
Rayek, hesitating.

Ekuar bobs his head, as if it's settled. "Excellent! My airborne hunters,
the two of you." He regards the younger elves with paternal pride.

Rayek's stance is stoic, features set in a solemn mask. "So, then. Now?"
His tone entirely businesslike, he regards Ember with a steady amber gaze
that doesn't quite completely divert attention from the slight, very
slight, nervous twitch in his angular cheek.

Nor does it divert attention from the slightly acrid scent of nervousness,
but as Ember is emitting that same scent, it's not something she'd comment
on. "You'll be all right, Ekuar...?"

Ekuar sighs, scooting into a more comfortable position on the rock,
swinging his good leg. "Oh, enjoy, huntress. When Brownskin flies with me,
it's always so--" he beams and nods. "I'll be fine! Resting from my
exciting day, hm? Ekuar the hunter caught a fish and was chased by a bear."
Large, lucent eyes blink mildly. "You two, be careful, eh? And take care of
each other."

Ember chuckles softly. "Don't worry, Ekuar. I won't let your Brownskin come
to any harm." She makes sure, absently, that she's got her dagger, and
scoops up her spear, then looks to Rayek.

Rayek inclines his head, gravely, to Ekuar. Then glances to Ember once
more. His own spear is still gripped in his hand, but he holds out the
other to the huntress.

Ekuar watches his companions indulgently, affectionately, his leg still
swinging with some inner energy, perhaps merriment.

Ember reaches out to take Rayek's hand, her expression faintly bemused.

Rayek draws Ember closer to him, and suggests gruffly, "Arm around my
neck." His own gaze lowered, he slips his free arm down around Ember's
waist.

Ember, for absolutely no apparent reason, shoots Ekuar one suspicious look,
then shakes her head and slides her arm around Rayek's neck.

Ekuar returns Ember's look with a clear, innocent gaze... innocent on the
surface, perhaps, but with nearly ten thousand years of delighted guile in
the depths. Did one eyelid flicker in a wink? Hard to say.

Rayek inquires gravely of Ember, "Ready?"

Ember mmmphs. "Ready as I'll ever be. Don't let me fall." That, almost, is
teasing.

Rayek almost smirks. But then, begins to glow, and the ground drops
suddenly away from beneath his feet, and those of Ember.

Ember's arm tightens around Rayek's neck, briefly, and then she laughs,
looking down, breathless. Softly, "I always forget what this is like..."

Rayek's black hair shifts in the slight breeze of his movement, as the
magic-maker glances down to send a final farewell to Ekuar. Then, he turns,
to arrow off towards the distant stream, and the last known location of his
mentor's staff.

Ekuar watches the two elves as they ascend, eyes following them devotedly
as they recede into the distance.


[End log. Continued in long-walk-9b.log]