Log Date: 1/22/96 Log Intro: Doreel and his helpers have discovered Rillwhisper's rescue of Strongbow from the 'Preservers' in the surrounding forest -- and Doreel has refused to heal Strongbow, as Rillwhisper refused to obey Doreel's wishes about staying out of the woods. But Doreel's helpers have their own plans; Lar and Lira have asked Rillwhisper to help their Master, for fear that if he continues to be lost in his memories, they will all be eaten by the spiders. Lira, too, has revealed to Rillwhisper that she is going to have offspring, and, touched by this, the chieftess promises to provide what help she can. But she knows she needs Strongbow whole first to provide the best help, and so, for now, she focuses on him.... ---------- Rillwhisper, who knows how many hours later, stretches tiredly. Doreel has vanished on his mutterings; the helpers, scurried off on their tasks. Strongbow lies still, perhaps awake, perhaps asleep. His eyes twitch beneath their lids, but his sleep has been so dreamful that there's no telling the difference between dreams and idle thought. Rillwhisper, having squirmed out from under her archer-friend's head, pads off to the stream to splash her face and drink. It's night, and the noise of the distant spiders is all too clear to Wolfrider ears. Curse it, she thinks. Did Fallberry find the others? Will they be coming? Rillwhisper takes stock of herself. She's gotten a bit of strength back, she notes, but she tires easily; Doreel got the poison out of her body, but it got its revenge on the way out. Frustrating as it is to have to sit and do practically nothing in the grove, Rillwhisper can't help but appreciate it, as she limps back over to her prone companion and hunkers down beside you. You locksend to Strongbow, Rillwhisper slips softly in among your thoughts, resuming contact she'd let slip, though she doesn't allow you to sense her irritation at herself. ** Soul-brother? Are you there? ** A moment, and the archer's eyes open, brown gaze full and unreadable. He sends soft awareness to his companion, awareness of who she is and what to him that means. The glade swirls a bit through his eyes. Relieved at that cognizance, Rillwhisper smiles down at you, leaning into your vision. You locksend ** Are you cold? Lira brought a fur.... ** to Strongbow. Strongbow shakes his head slightly. His perception is unclear, seeing several different thoughts of Rillwhisper and Runnel before settling on the 'right' one. Struggling slightly, he communicates the idea that he's been trying to get a grasp on what's happened, what Now is truth. That he could use help at that. Rillwhisper immediately takes your hand in both of hers. Remembering, still, how she felt with the poison in her, she carefully massages each of your fingers in turn -- thinking, maybe, that she can help get the blood moving in your body again, so the venom can be fought off. Rillwhisper frowns a bit, as she thinks, trying to note all the important things she should tell you, to let you know where in Now you are. ** We were looking for Moonshade, ** she offers. ** Do you remember? ** Strongbow's brow creases, and he closes his eyes. ** Moonshade. ** He works on remembering that, first, that she is by that name in this Now. ** Looking for her, ** he manages as a mock-hunt with other cubs of his childhood flies through the woods in his head. Rillwhisper clasps your hand a little more tightly, and shakes her head; you can feel the motion against your fingers, assuming they're reporting sensation properly. ** No, dear one. You're older than that. See... ** Strongbow grasps it, reeling slightly. ** Looking for...Moonshade. Recognized. ** Got that far. And fur...on his chin. For a moment he sees other patches of fur, the pelts he's worn for comfort in-between wolves, to remember a wolf-friend gone. ** She... ** Something in him hurts, hard, for a moment; then it floods through, her melting deep violet eyes, glaring angry at him, glaring _hurt_ at him. And going. Rillwhisper hisses softly, in sympathy. And reaches down to draw you up to her. ** I know... I know. It's after that now. We're going to find her, you and I. We will find her. ** Strongbow shudders slightly. The memory joins the others, and though his mind swirls through all of them, he can grasp now which is true, and for that he sends muted gratitude. Rillwhisper goes on, her sending half-croon, half-plea, ** But you have to get well, first, dear one. You have to be able to walk with me. And hunt. And fight, maybe. Alright? ** Strongbow nods faintly, moving his fingers slightly as he feels sensation return, prickling, to them. ** Here...not always Now...hard to stay. ** Rillwhisper, cradling you against her, promises gently, ** I'll help. If you slip... I'll bring you back. ** As she feels your hand twitch, she smiles, brightly. ** Can you move more? ** Strongbow works wordlessly on moving his wrists, and they reward him with some slight motion, turning. ** Stuck still. ** Rillwhisper assures, watching the feeble bit of movement, ** It's awful, but you can best it... I think I did, I remember running, before Doreel healed me the second time. Try anything you can, though. If you can keep moving, maybe we can get this out of you, alright? ** Strongbow nods slightly, and begins working on moving his feet. Rillwhisper sends warm approval, keeping tiny rubbings going on your fingers. ** We have to get your bow hand working again, dear one, ** she notes lightly. Strongbow considers aloud. ** Fight...him? ** Strongbow wriggles his fingers around in your hand to where he can gently clasp your fingers in his own. Rillwhisper blinks down at you. ** I... hope not. I don't want to fight him, he did heal me, ** she points out mildly. ** I sent Fallberry to find Woodhawk and Trollkiller. Hopefully they'll get here soon, and we can keep Doreel calm enough to allow them to come to us. ** Rillwhisper glances out into the woods, and adds gravely, as she returns her gaze to you, ** Neither of us is up to going back into the forest right now. And I've lost my bow and dagger. I couldn't find your bow, either. ** Strongbow sighs mentally. ** Fight spiders. ** It's almost exhausted, a bit impatient. That brought them trouble in the first place. Rillwhisper nods quietly. ** That's right. The spiders. ** Sheepishly, she admits, ** I'm still wobbly, dear one. If Doreel doesn't want to help us both get over this, my mates -- and hopefully Silversong -- will have to come to us. Woodhawk can probably scare those things with his fire, if it comes to that. ** Strongbow sends quiet assent to that. ** He won't send. ** It comes out of the swirl and is as quickly swallowed; he closes his eyes, tiring as he moves fingers and toes. Rillwhisper, seeing that slight droop in your features, runs her free hand through your hair. ** How do you feel? ** Strongbow lets his extremities rest, concentrating on sending. ** Lost. Stiff. ** Rillwhisper nods quietly, and for a time, works her hand along whatever bits of you she can reach, to try to massage life back into ailing muscle. ** I'm here, ** she promises, in sense as well as word. If you're lost, you can at least be lost with her. Her presence rests against your outer thoughts. Strongbow settles himself, working on his bow arm, tensing the muscles and letting them lie, eventually bending the elbow a bit. ** Wait for lifemate, ** he sends, meaning to indicate your mates, but not so sure by the time he gets to the word. Rillwhisper comments softly, ** I wish I had some of that tea Sweetleaf gave to Talek, ** perhaps more to you than herself, and she wrinkles her nose when she thinks of it. Perhaps not best to dwell on cures she doesn't have at hand. A little more determinedly, she works at massaging you; she's good at it, having picked up tricks of it from Trollkiller. She leaves your bow arm for the nonce, though, and doesn't quite know how to answer your suggestion. Rillwhisper then sends, at last, ** We'll have to wait for them to get here, yes. I'll have to get Lar to bring us meat.... you'll need it... ** The archer's words seem, after a time, to need no answer, to have been merely a statement of truth. He relaxes at the thought of meat, and at your agreement, however, and swirling, nears sleep. Rillwhisper, witnessing a shuddering bend of your elbow, smiles wanly when the arm heavily drops. ** You've done well, ** she sends gently, earnestly, nuzzling your forehead. Strongbow sighs softly, knowing it's not enough. Not yet. A smile tugs at his mouth though, as you kiss his forehead, and he closes his eyes, finding as the adult the safe place of shared cub-memories, green and lush, and rests there, dreamless. You locksend to Strongbow, Rillwhisper adds, ** Very, very well, soul-brother... ** Cool and green, her sending is nevertheless warm, encouraging, very near and present. She knows it's hard to fight the stiffness in your limbs, but she relays her conviction that you can do it. A little bit at a time. [End log.]