Log Date: 2/27/96-2/28/96
Log Intro: Lostholt is celebrating the return of its previously lost
tribesmates, Strongbow and Moonshade. Guests at the Howl have included
the chieftess of the Willowholt, several of her own tribesmates, as well
as Kai and WindStorm, two young elves who have been keeping company with
Ynderra. Lostholt's junior healer has felt some turmoil over both of these
elves, but on this night, she's resolved to put aside her worries and
open herself to both of them. Having eaten a good share of the dreamberries
circulating about the Howl, Ynderra is in high spirits, and as most of
the rest of the elves take off to hunt and howl, Ynderra invites her
two companions on a hunt of their own -- with her as the prey. As it
happens, it's only Kai that follows....

----------
Behind the Father Tree(#650RAJ)
The land of the Abode surrounds you. 
As you walk around the Father Tree, snow covers every open area, thick and 
  white and very cold. There is a large patch of flat ground that is now 
  covered almost totally with ice, something the cubs use to slip and slide 
  on. Off to the north-east lies another large tree, small in comparison to 
  the Father Tree, but quite large enough to house many elves. You wonder if 
  you can trudge through the piled up snows to get there. Evening falls clear 
  and cold over the snow-covered holt. The first stars of evening appear above.
Contents:
Kai
Wrapstuff
Obvious exits:
Path<S>  Den Tree<NE>  Woods<W>  Father Tree<FT>  Around the Tree<SE>  

Kai walks around from the front of the Father Tree.
Kai has arrived.
Kai tromps through the snow, in pursuit.

Ynderra, her slim form darting lightly across the snow, can be marked by the 
  glimmer that plays about her form -- and, by the curl of her breath in the 
  air.

Kai cries out in imitation of a howl, though it comes out a bit strangled.. as 
  if he's not at all used to that noise.

Ynderra, having ducked behind a tree, peeks out and giggles. Only one of them 
  on the hunt? But her eyes glitter in the dark.

Kai continues past, looking around for Ynd..
Kai notices the trail ends.. he stops, huffing a bit.. he looks around, head 
  darting..

Ynderra peeks around the side of the tree behind which she hides, and stifles 
  a giggle. Then blinks a bit to herself, as Kai, too, seems to shimmer in her 
  sight; that makes her quirk her head, for just a moment, baffled. The 
  dreamberries? She isn't sure -- and after a moment, the notion is dismissed 
  as inconsequential, anyway. It just adds flavor to the hunt!
Ynderra, with that, allows herself to release that giggle, as she skitters 
  through the space between her hiding place and another tree.

Kai sniffs at the air.. "Ynderra?"

The maiden giggles, playfully. From somewhere in the night-shadowed trees, her 
  voice answers, "Mmm-hmm?"

Kai jerks hsi head in that direction.. he peers over there..
Kai creeps toward the trees.. "Come out, I'll find you anyway.."

Kai
     At first glance, this elf is not remarkable.. but if one takes the time 
  to look closer, you see that he is a collection of incongruities. Not too 
  tall.. not anywhere near a Glider's height, but somewhat taller than an 
  average Wolfrider.. but then again, not as squat or powerful.. his frame 
  seems to be mostly sleek muscle. His complexion is dark.. whatever flesh 
  might be exposed is of a dark tan, especially on his face and arms.. you 
  also might notice a rather lot of well-healed scars: most of them small and 
  shallow. 
        His eyes are sky-blue, his long hair is sort-of a blue-black, which 
  seems to defy the Daystar's attempts to lighten it.. his hair is long, and 
  most of it pulled back into some semblance of a topknot, secured by a piece 
  of hide.. the rest drops to past his shoulders. His features are more 
  angular than a Wolfrider's.. more like the elves of Blue Mountain, perhaps.. 
  something more like the High Ones.
        For the Whitecold season, he wears a set of leathers under fur.. all 
  of which seem to be technically fine, but with little artistic expression: 
  rather loose knee-high breeches with a draw-string waist, lace-up knee-high 
  moccasins under furry leggings from knee to mid-calf, a fur-trimmed shirt of 
  leather under his loose vest that ties in the front... all topped off by a 
  heavy hooded cloak of white and mottled fur, fastened by a knot at his 
  throat.
        At his waist is a belt of leather, held together by a cunning knot, 
  stained with sweat and other fluids.. from which depends a sheath and a long 
  knife with a leather-wrapped handle, the base of which is wide and blunt.. 
  useful for finishing off prey by crushing their bones. Other than that, he 
  carries no other weapons.
        
There, a telltale green-golden shimmer. And a lithe shadow, as Ynderra 
  scrambles into the branches overhead. Does one bend, to aid her climb? Her 
  laughter ripples down from above.

Kai creeps around the tree.. then leaps, as if to surprise who he expects is 
  there. She's not.. he blinks, and looks around.

** Boo! ** She abruptly dangles off a branch behind you, upside down, blue 
  eyes glimmering in the darkness. And the rest of her... shimmers, strangely, 
  as if her magic has awakened to cast subtle lights about her skin. With that 
  odd light playing about her fingers, she taps you on the shoulder.

Kai jumps a little, and looks up at you. "You!"

Ynderra giggles, the sound like a small waterfall, and flips herself upward 
  into the branches. ** You were expecting maybe Savah? **

Kai follows you into the trees. ** Come back here. **

One of the branches shifts with Ynderra's slight weight. Is that flash of blue 
  her eyes, as she glances back through the leaves? ** I like it here, ** she 
  sends back, her mental tone suggesting she's pouting cutely.

Kai crouches on a lower branch, balancing himself.. he considers the distance, 
  to leap..
Kai muses aloud.. ** Wonder if she'd like a handful of snow down her front? **

With that, the branches rustle -- Ynderra's moving again. ** You have to 
  _catch_ me first, ** comes the teasing reply.

Kai scrambles up to the next branch.. grinning as well. ** I don't have 
  wings.. **
Kai continues to follow you.. ** THough I may have to, if you climb much 
  further. **

Ynderra looks down, balancing precariously on the limb on which she's perched. 
  And giggles, mischievously. ** You don't like to hunt in the trees? **

Kai sends openly ** Not the tops of them. **

Ynderra sends openly ** Well, why didn't you _say_ so? **
Giggling again, Ynderra flips down very near you, a faint gleam and her curly 
  mop of hair marking her passing.

Kai aims at the same branch you're on.. hopping down.
Kai chokes out.. "Awoowooo.. is that better?"

Ynderra allows herself to pause, bouncing slightly on the branch. She studies 
  you as you drop down nearby, eyes overbright, her face flushed with cold and 
  the dreamberries. ** Bold hunter, ** she teases.

Kai peers at you.. "Are you alright?" He laughs.. "bold hunter".

** I, ** Ynderra purrs, ** am _fine_.... ** Her blue gaze fixes on you, and 
  then, she quirks her head again, momentarily looking confused.

Kai sends openly ** I don't even know how to use a bow.. **
Kai stops, eyes narrowing.. he leans forward.. ** What's that? **
Kai shakes his head, as if to clear it..

Ynderra starts to giggle, starts to send, ** I shape bows...! ** But she 
  trails off, then, and blinks once more. Another giggle escapes her, but this 
  one less sure. ** Kai... are you... **
Ynderra lifts her hand, squints at it, then squints past it at you.

Kai sends openly ** Am I.. what? **

Ynderra lowers her hand slowly, and makes a noise that sounds less like a 
  giggle and more like a curious, lupine "Yrf?" as she blinkblinks at you. 
  Then, as if trying to recapture her playful mood, she starts to dart down 
  off her branch -- but, oddly, she seems to glimmer more brightly.

Kai follows. ** You won't get away from me! **

Ynderra drops down to the ground, and looks up at you again. She is still 
  wearing that strange mix of expressions, part smile, part confusion, and as 
  she once more catches sight of you, the latter increases in her face.

Kai leaps down next to you.. ** Am I what? **
Kai cocks his head now.. "What _is_ happening? I didn't take any berries.."

Ynderra protests, perhaps to herself, ** I'm only a LITTLE fuzzy... ** and 
  takes a single step back, frowning between you and her.

Kai sends openly ** Well.. you're making _me_ fuzzy. **

Ynderra blinks several times. "I am?" she mutters. "Haven't touched you..." 
  And again, she lifts her fingers. They glimmer, golden-green.

Kai sends openly ** I.. I haven't felt like this since I was bitten by 
  something.. what..? **
Kai sends openly ** I'm seeing things, Ynderra.. why is this? AM I ill? **

Ynderra starts to step towards you, which sparks the shimmers around her into 
  greater life, and makes the maiden herself jump. "I... I... what...? 
  Bitten?" Her eyes widening, she looks up at you, disconcerted. And if 
  anything, the gleam seems brightest, centered in her face.
Ynderra, at your question, inches to you cautiously. ** You... don't... smell 
  ill... ** Something in her sending seems to glimmer, too, 
  green-golden-green, beckoning.

Kai shakes his head again.. he is dark, where you are bright, he is 
  indistinct.. ** Colors.. I see..**

Ynderra doesn't move anymore; indeed, she seems transfixed. And troubled, as 
  her green-golden glimmers throw your nearby figure into shadowed relief. She 
  tilts her face upward to you, wondering in a daze why her pulse is suddenly 
  racing -- even more than the dreamberries would coax, for she is intimately 
  familiar with the workings of her small slim body, and this is _not_ the 
  same -- why her breath is suddenly caught in her throat. Then, all at once, 
  her wide eyes seem strangely, infinitely clearer, reflecting not only the 
  light of her magic, but something else, from within her:
You locksend ** <Yuri> ** to Kai.

Kai looks at you.. he stops dead, and peeeers at you. "What is..that?" He had 
  lifted his hand, as if to point at you.. he recoils suddenly..
Kai locksends ** in echo.. *Dif* **
Kai gasps.."wha?"

Ynderra's hands fly to her mouth, in bunched fists. Frantically, she bursts 
  out from behind them, "I... I didn't mean... I just wanted..." There comes 
  from her a fragmented sending, intent of teasing play, to lead into 
  pleasures. Perhaps she didn't even consciously broadcast it, but somehow, 
  it's known nonetheless.

Kai withdraws a bit.. "I'm sorry.. I didn't want this to heppen.. not yet.. I 
  know you don't.."
In an open send, Kai sends fear openly.. expecting you to flee.. ** Oh, no.. **

Her face gone white, even with the glimmer of her magic still sparking around 
  her, Ynderra babbles, "I'm not ready! I... I just wanted to join... I..."

Kai lowers his head. ** I know.. **
Kai rubs the back of his hand at the corner of his eyes.. where tears are 
  beginning.. ** I'm sorry. **

Ynderra's eyes well over in tears. Her voice turning strident -- and still 
  slurred, with the berries she's eaten -- she cries, "Should've before now, 
  I-I-I'm sorry, I wanted it to be fun and good and now, I don't know what to 
  do, a-and I-I-I'm not ready for a cub and it'll hurt and you'll go away like 
  Wildoak and... She trails off, sobbing hysterically, and abruptly sits down 
  hard in the snow..

Kai drops to his knees before you.. reaching out physcially, wanting to touch 
  you.. but afraid to. ** Nonono.. I don't know what to do either, but.. I 
  won't leave.. I didn't leave before. I love you, Ynderra.. you're the only 
  one I've loved. **
Kai sends openly ** We.. we could ask someone.. the archer? Moonshade? Leetah? 
  **
Kai sends openly ** I.. I don't want to go away from you.. but I wanted it to 
  be fun too.. not because we had to. **
Kai finally does touch you, softly, on the shoulder.
Kai sends openly ** I promise, I won't ever look. **

Ynderra sniffles, scrubbing a hand across her eyes. As she lowers the hand, 
  she peers at you fearfully -- a look she's never given you before. And at 
  the gentle touch, she bursts out crying again.

Kai sends openly ** sorrysorrysorrysorry.. **
Kai sends openly ** Will you forgive me? **
Kai sends openly ** Will you forgive me? **

Ynderra blinkblinks tearily, owlishly, and sendbabbles without words, a 
  confused torrent of <not your fault>/<fear>/<startlement>/<need>/<panic>.
You locksend ** <Yuri's -- indeed, in her sending, she is no longer Ynderra, 
  but rather, Yuri -- magic surges, making her infinitely more aware of every 
  fiber of her body. And through this sudden powerful link, you can sense that 
  the dreamberries have been completely burned out of her blood, leaving this 
  deeper, stronger, ache of _need_.> ** to Kai.

Kai whimpers at the send.. he rubs his eyes.. ** I.. I didn't want to make 
  you.. I waited so long.. I could have waited longer. **
Kai does his best to guard his sending.. to keep the two entities seperate.. 
  after all, he had just promised never to look without permission.

"I.... I.... " Her voice coming out in a croak, Ynderra seems utterly 
  overwhelmed. Her gaze remains fixed on you; whether in fascination or dread 
  is difficult to say. Or is it? The shaper maiden's expression, as well as 
  the *tug* of her simple presence, broadcast both directly to you.

Kai struggles with himself.. so many things tugging at him, all at once.. he 
  trembles with the effort. He holds out his hand to you. ** _I_ will not 
  leave.. until you want me to. **

Ynderra bleats, frantic, "Don't go!"

Kai relaxes a bit, his exhale a puff of white drifting away.. he whispers: " 
  All I've ever wanted, is to be with you.. but because you wanted me.. not 
  because we had to be. I would never want to make you do this, I know you 
  don't want a permanent mate."

Ynderra stammers, hands first fumbling for you, then away, and back again, 
  "I-I-I don't know I'm scared please don't go I-I-I don't know what to 
  dooooooo....."

Kai settles next to you.. "I won't go anywhere.. maybe we should go to your 
  den.. I could sit outside it, if you want? It's too cold here."

Ynderra squeaks hoarsely, "Cold?"

Kai nods.. "Maybe we'll feel better.. maybe _you_'ll feel better if you're in 
  your den?"

Ynderra mumbles, "Den... alright..." Her voice has gone tiny, meek.

Kai says "If you want."

Ynderra continues to stare wide-eyedly at you, and if she registers that now 
  is the time to get up, she doesn't act on it. Tears still glimmer wetly in 
  her eyes.

Kai holds out his hand to you again.. "I'm sorry."

Ynderra stares at your fingers, then awkwardly and hastily clutches at them. 
  The resultant sudden _shimmer_ between the two claspsed hands _almost_, but 
  not quite, makes her let go. As it happens, her limbs must have turned to 
  water, for you can easily haul her to her feet.

Kai does pull you up, gently.. holding your hand firmly, the other slipping 
  behind an elbow, to support you.
Kai says "I'm sorry to have made you do this.."

Ynderra, still sniffling, dazedly lets you lead her into the tree.

[Kai leads Ynderra up through the Father Tree, and finally to her den.]

You crawl through the door-hide into...
Ynderra's Den(#10161R)
Despite being rather high up in the Father Tree, this tiny den has a certainly 
  solidity of structure which lends it the impression of being deep within the 
  roots of this great living tree. Barely big enough for an elf or two, the 
  den consists mostly of just a pile of soft furs -- mostly those of foxes, 
  red and grey and white -- and a little nook in the wall for storing special 
  treasures. Another nook provides a place to burn a candle for light in the 
  den. And the walls themselves are decorated with fanciful little shapings, 
  images of leaves, or stars, or wolves, or occasionally, the faces of elves.
Only one exit can be seen out of this den, and that is through the 
  green-and-gold leather doorhide.
Obvious exits:
Out  

Kai crawls through the door-hide into the den.
Kai has arrived.

Ynderra, as you at last draw her into her den, curls up in the furs there, 
  weeping.

Kai tries to make you comfortable.. adding furs where he can.. and attempts to 
  be near you, but still give you space.. not that such a thing si possible.. 
  "Better?"
Kai says "Warmer, at least."
Kai smiles a little, in an attempt to lighten the mood.. or at least calm you.

Around sniffles, Ynderra makes something that might be an affirmative noise. 
  She burrows into the furs as if desperately seeking shelter.

Kai sighs.. "Who can I find to help us.. there has to be someone?"

Ynderra curls up tighter under the furs, mumbling something about 'Mother'. 
  And 'Myr'. It's tough to actually _see_ it, but nevertheless, that lingering 
  tingle of _bond_ between you alerts you that Ynderra is trembling, violently.

Kai says "I'll find.. someone."
Kai moves for the exit.
Kai says "I'll be back."
Kai crawls out through the door-hide.
Kai has left.

[End log.]