Log Cast: Suntop, Treestump, Flashfire
Log Date: 11/22/98 

Base of the Lost Holt Father Tree(#765RJ)
A dense grove of grotesquely shaped trees dominated by one immense
 Grandfather of a tree whose age is no less great than its size.
It is obvious that the old tree has survived a terrible tragedy and you
 can see some of the scars left by the terrible blaze on the branches as
 leaves turn yellow as flame and red as blood. Brown weeds and night
 blooming wildflowers lie dead or dying in natural disorder around the
 trees roots. Like old friends, the gnarled trees embrace one another,
 their many branches entwining to form a canopy high above the ground,
 though most of the leaves now decorate the ground and crunch under your
 feet. It is a cool autumn afternoon. The father tree is quiet as elves
 and wolves sleep in their dens.
Contents:
Flashfire
Suntop(#2935PBIJOUcm$g)
Twotoes
Bearpaw
Cobweb
Patience(#6936Jepq)
Skylark
SafeRunner
Obvious exits:
Into the Tree<N>  Around the Tree<AT>  Clearing<S>  

Suntop sits in the crook of two roots, watching the cloud-shapes it
 seems...or half-watching. He seems very still once more, though not
 trance-still. Just...relaxed.

Treestump is perched on a low branch above, his axe drawn out and laid
 out across his lap. A slightly worn and dusty rag is being used to
 clean the trollmetal blade. He keeps half-an-eye on Suntop just in case
 something goes wrong, his attention mostly on the weapon.

A bit of rustling from up in the tree above signifies the addition of
 another one to the pair sitting below. Flashfire's legs drape over a
 low branch, and he peers down at the pair. "Hey." he greets.

The eldest of three glances up briefly, polishing rag posed above the
 axe. With a nod, Treestump returns the greeting: "'lo there, lad," and
 looks back down again.


[Flashfire]
	At first glance, it is apparent that Flashfire isn't at all like
 most elves. One can see a fine layer of fur over any skin that's
 exposed - even his face, but nothing shows on his palms or beneath his
 feet. Its color is a rusty reddish-brown. The 3'4" elf's face is marked
 with larger-than-normal eyes of a golden yellow, surrounded by a mane
 of fire-red hair that darkens a bit as it trails down to partially
 frame the rest of his face. It is a bit darker at the roots and his
 hair rests somewhat wildly on his head, with no rhyme or reason as to
 where it falls. His pointed ears are upswept, and a thickening tuft of
 fur-like hair can be seen around his earlobes. His nose pokes out
 slightly, turning up very faintly at the tip, and when his lips part,
 you can notice his canines are sharp, definitely a telling sign that
 Flashfire is a 'throwback,' wolfen attributes somewhat stronger in him.
 Those attributes are clearly enhanced by his current appearance.
 Flashfire wears no clothing over his fur, though it is thick enough to
 allow him to look decent in the necessary areas. Currently, he also has
 no weapons or other items on his person. The once-lanky lad has now
 filled out, finished growing. He looks to be on the young side, though
 by now it's not an easy task to pinpoint his exact age.

[Flashfire looked at you.]

[Treestump]

	His eyes are a pale blue, yet they darken or lighten with his
 moods. A lupine shade, the blue of his irises calls up memories of
 summer skies or crystal waters, calm and serene one moment, then
 wolfishly flaring with anger, clouded and narrowed. They are set on a
 bluntly chiseled face with a powerful jaw and a nose that slopes
 downwards. His chin sprouts facefur, yellow-blonde curls the same color
 and texture as the unkept hair that curls just over his brow. His form
 is one that whispers of power in brute strength, his shoulders broad
 and his frame muscled. He stands no taller than the average Wolfrider,
 yet he carries himself with a lupine grace and inward pride that gives
 a touch of dignity to the old wolf. He is bound in attire made almost
 entirely of fur and leather. 
	A bear-skin vest serves as his top, open-chest with the shoulders
 lined in thick tufts of shagback fur. The vest tucks into a leather
 belt with a metal buckle, troll-forged, that holds it in place, another
 length of fur-cloth escaping out below to cover his groin and rear. A
 pair of form-fitting breeches bind his legs, leather and a dark brown.
 They disappear as well, into a pair of fur boots, their toes scuffed
 and their heels worn, looking old and well-used. 


Suntop doesn't move his eyes from the clouds lest they change patterns
 while he isn't looking, But he smiles and greets, "Sleep well,
 Flashfire?"

"Yeah..good nap. No bad dreams, either." Flashfire admits, kicking his
 legs back and forth a bit. He certainly sounds better now than he had
 for the last season or so, but who can say for sure how long it'll
 last?

Treestump's head tilts slightly without drawing his gaze from the axe,
 brows furrowed as he concentrates on removing a smudge carefully,
 located near the blade's edge. "Hard time sleeping lately?"

Suntop does turn away from the skies at Treestump's question to look at
 the elder.
Suntop locksends ** Has father spoken to you lately? **

Flashfire brushes a strand of hair from his eyes, back behind a 
 fuzz-covered ear. "Um. Sometimes..before I left and came back."

You locksend ** Not, not lately.. (A thread of curious concern enters
 his sending.) Should he have? ** to Suntop.
Treestump ahs, looking up from his polishing. However, his gaze goes to
 Suntop, not to Flashfire, but his voice addresses the younger of the
 two. "Ah... better now, I hope?"

Suntop locksends ** It's just that...<<He pauses a moment to think of
 the best words to use>> Flashfire has seemed...very wolflike of late.
 He suggested that he needs help in finding a balance...? **
Suntop smiles a bit at his great-Uncle, "Yes, getting there..." he
 answers, meeting his uncle's eyes.

"I think so, for now." Flashfire admits, still looking down at Treestump
 and Suntop below. "But it's hard.." he murmurs, quieter.

The fur-chinned Wolfrider nods in reply to both Suntop and Flashfire. A
 small wrinkle appears in his brow as he regards the older of his two
 companions, his expression shifting with a frown. "Hmm," seems to be
 his only comment.
You locksend to Suntop, Treestump's sending seems to reflect the frown
 on his face. ** Has he spoken to any of the healers? **

Suntop locksends ** No...but I have. If the healers have such a
 difficult time healing me, it might be nigh impossible to heal
 Flashfire...his change is so...complete it seems. Besides, can a healer
 combine both elf-half and wolf-half? **

The fur-covered Wolfrider reaches for a couple leaves nearby, plucking
 them from the branch they connect to. "How're you doing lately,
 Suntop?" he wonders.

You locksend to Suntop, Treestump considers this, the frown on his face
 deepening. ** I don't know. I don't profess to know how healing 
 works. ** The elder pauses a moment. ** This is a result of the Snake's
 work, ey? **

Suntop looks up at the younger elf, wrinkling his nose as a leaf
 loosened by the plucking falls towards him. "I'm doing well,
 Flashfire...thank you. I'm glad you're not having the nightmares
 anymore."
Suntop locksends ** Aye...I think so...but him not finding a balance it
 just what comes naturally from it. Treestump, he reminds me of
 Timmorn...at least he reminds me of what the scrolls have shown me of 
 Timmorn...elf one moment, wolf the next. **

You locksend ** (There's a grim quiet to his sending as he recalls what
 /he/ knows of the old stories.) Aye. And Timmorn left when he could no
 longer control the two halves. ** to Suntop.
Treestump seems to have drifted out of the conversation again, his gaze
 shifted back to the axe on his lap. He rubs the rag against the shiny
 surface, but his expression is distant and pensive.

"Me too. I don't like the bad dreams as much as the fun ones." Flashfire
 admits, stating what could be considered oh-so obvious. "I'm glad I
 found my way back, too." At Treestump's silence, Flashfire looks down
 towards him.

You sense in a locksend, Flashfire wonders, ** Is everything all right? **

Suntop locksends ** Flashfire has already run off once... **

You locksend to Flashfire, Treestump blinks, attention divided. ** Eh? **

You sense in a locksend, Flashfire pauses, then repeats his question. 
 ** Umm, is everything all right? **

You locksend to Suntop, Treestump's attention divides briefly; what is
 concentrated on you falls silent as the elder digests this knowledge,
 then nods quietly in acknowledgment. ** Aye. A problem we have here. **
You locksend to Flashfire, Treestump sends honestly, ** I don't know,
 lad. ** He leaves it at that for a few moments, then sends again,
 realizing that might worry the furcub more than reassure him. ** Don't
 worry about it. **

Suntop rakes some leafbits out of sun-yellow hair and seems to look back
 up at the skies. "No, bad dreams are definitely -not- what I would call
 fun."

You sense in a locksend, Flashfire's send can be felt as something of a
 sigh, but he acquiesces. ** Okay..I'll try not to. **

You sense in a locksend, Suntop's send ripples with a mental sigh, ** I
 don't know how to help him...father suggested you could perhaps help
 him find a balance...? **

You locksend to Suntop, Treestump blinks, startled. ** Me? **
Treestump's chin lifts after a few long moments of not moving, his gaze
 shifting briefly to Suntop with a blink.

Flashfire's eyes go back towards Suntop and the younger elf slips down
 to land softly on the forest floor. "Everyone's quiet." he notes.

Suntop starts to shift his gaze to Treestump again but pauses mid-turn
 to look to Flashfire. With a bit of a smile he asks, "Silence is not
 always a bad thing, is it?"

Treestump comments bemusedly, "Better than noisy, anyway."

Suntop locksends ** Since you and he are close, it might be the best
 idea. You're also the eldest, and therefore the wisest, no? <<A bit of
 a mental smirk is added to the last comment.>> **

Flashfire makes a face. "Quiet's okay, but not when it's too quiet."

Wide blue eyes look about as Suntop asks, "Is it too quiet do you
 think?"

You locksend to Suntop, Treestump seems more than a little amused by
 that last comment, but his sending is dominated more with blue-grey
 threads of concern and uncertainty. ** I'll talk to him. Might not hurt
 to have a healer look at him too, though. **

You sense in a locksend, Suntop nods very slightly and adds, ** Mother
 has, but not lately... **

Flashfire nods once. "Too quiet." For him, at least. He begins to play
 with the leaves nearby, making piles.

Treestump offers in way of filling the silence, tone distracted, but
 nonetheless sly. "Suntop can always tell us a story to pass the time."

That brings the mystic out of his pseudo-reverie. "What? Me? But you've
 probably heard all my stories..."

Treestump points out, arching an eyebrow at the sun-haired elf, that, "I
 haven't heard much about your last visit to the Palace. How's ol'
 Black-Hair doing?"

The edge of Flashfire's mouth curls in a bit of a grin. "Yeah, but I
 forgot all of them." That might be funny were it not so true.


[Suntop]

     Named for the sun-bright golden hair which now falls freely to the
 middle of his back, Suntop, although no longer a child, still retains a
 bit of innocence linked with that past time. But upon a closer, deeper
 look into his brilliant blue eyes, that innocence seems to be
 intertwined with an unlearned, unstudied wisdom and power that seems
 far too old for his seemingly young age. Of late, these eyes seem
 darker, wilder; Not in color, for they still shine brightly,
 contrasting with his dusky skin, nor in intensity, but somewhere deeper
 inside this mystic's mind. That is not the only change this young elf
 has seen. His movements seem sharper, less relaxed than they had been,
 and his slight scent has grown stronger. His clothes are a mixture of
 desert and forest, in the bright colors this elf favors. .


Suntop finds he's out-numbered and sits up a little bit. To both elves
 he answers, "Oh, Rayek is the same as always...but I think he rather
 enjoys having a family. You see, it's something for him to protect...to
 fight for if he has to." His mouth begins to quirk into a smile,
 remembering one instance in particular.

Treestump ahs softly and nods his head, giving his axe one last quick
 wipe with the rag, then reaching beside to sheath it in leather again.
 "Heh! That's good. Finally got something other than the Palace to
 obsess about, eh?"

Flashfire remembers much less of Rayek than Suntop and Treestump do, so
 he just nods along, sorting through the leaves - something Suntop's
 been known to do on occasion. "Family's really good to have, though."

Suntop lets the smile free, "Obsess...I think that may be the word for
 it. Ktai's son, Tyree, poor cub...he's barely been out of the Palace at
 all."

The elder, having set his axe aside, listens attentively. He nods
 slowly, expression sympathetic, but points out with a sad smile, "Not
 much for a little cub to go, really. Palace is rather out of the way..
 though there is Sorrow's End."

Suntop nods to Treestump, "Exactly...and I even tried convincing Rayek
 to come with me when I went there...bringing the cub. But he refused,
 saying the trip was too far, too dangerous...he offered many excuses."

"Was there anybody there for him to play with?" Flashfire wonders aloud.
 "Any agemates?" Red leaves, yellow leaves, brown leaves. All begin to
 be separated.

Treestump blinks, surprised. "Huh! I'd think Black-Hair'd /want/ to take
 him to the Village.. show him off to all the Sun Folk."

Suntop shakes his head in answer to the younger elf's question. "No
 one...Just Rayek, Ktai, Tilia and Eveshka...all elders even to
 Treestump." (Except for Rayek maybe... ) To the ender here he nods,
 "That's what I thought too...but he wouldn't take the cub away from the
 Palace boundaries."

Flashfire frowns, shaking his head at Suntop's explanation. "He's going
 to grow up without any friends." he figures, shaking his head a bit.
 What a bummer.

Suntop's mouth twists slightly, "No...no friends, but he will be safe."
 He says this perhaps as Rayek might think it.

A frown appears on Treestump's face. The Wolfrider sighs and shakes his
 head, fingering the end of his beard. "That's Black-hair for you," is
 all he feels he should say.

"Everybody needs others to grow up with. Friends to play with."
 Flashfire mumbles, poking a finger at those leaf piles, which he runs a
 hand through, messing them up again.

Suntop nods, "I agree, Flashfire...Perhaps one day Rayek's cub will try
 to rebel and then he will see what he has done by denying him agemates
 and friends."

Treestump tries to change the subject gently. "How's those Glider
 friends of his doing?"

Flashfire finds a bit of a smile. "I bet I would, if I was his cub. I'd
 tell him how wrong he was not to let me see anybody else. And stuff
 like that." A few leaves get crumpled up and tossed Suntop's way, just
 'cause.

Suntop sends Flashfire a bit of a 'look' and waves the leaf-bits away.
 "Oh, they're fine. I didn't see Ktai very much...she seemed to keep to
 herself. Eveshka is..." Again the smile starts, "She will definitely
 keep Rayek on his toes I think."

A soft chuckle escapes the old wolf, sensing something more behind that
 smile of Suntop's. "Oh?"

Flashfire flashes a grin at Suntop, then starts to pick at some leaf
 bits stuck in his arms.

Suntop shakes his head, still smiling a bit. "She has been rather upset
 at the loss of her mate...and I asked if I could help. She seemed so
 caught up in the past that I suggested perhaps looking to the 'Now'.
 She was willing to try so I tried to help her meditate and find it..."
 He pauses to get the right words together.

Treestump waits patiently. After a few moments time, he urges, "Aye?"

The Now. Flashfire sure knows a lot about that. "Did it work?" he
 wonders.

"She sort of got lost in the Now..." The mystic continues, "At least I
 thought she did. The problem was, how was, how to hide this from Rayek?
 Remembering what happened last time I tried hiding something from him,
 I decided the best thing was to not try and hide from his...err...wrath
 this time. Meanwhile, Eveshka was just going about as if in a daze. We
 waited to see if she would pull herself out of it, but after a few
 days, there was no change. So I tried to help her find her way
 back...Rayek ended up helping me as Eveshka retreated farther and
 farther away...or so we thought." He has to pause again because the
 retelling has caused his smile to grow to a chuckles, and now it seems
 he needs to stop his laughter before continuing.

Treestump waits a few more moments, then leans forward slightly,
 impatient for Suntop to get to the point. "Well, lad? What? Out with
 it!" Pushy old fart, isn't he?

Flashfire sits there, just listening to the story about how Eveshka
 seemed lost in the Now. He, umm, knows a lot about that, too. He
 manages to keep a bit of a straight face.

Suntop takes in a deep breath which seems to calm him enough to finish
 the story. "It turns out, it was all a trick. Eveshka was just
 pretending to be lost to get us to work together. You should have seen
 the look on Rayek's face...although I think I was just as surprised."

It takes a moment for the surprise to set in, then Treestump slaps his
 thigh and barks out a laugh. "Hah! Clever girl!"

Flashfire lets out a laugh of his own, and a good one at that, rolling
 onto his side in the leaf-pile. "Hahahaha!" Been a while. He'd
 forgotten how good it felt to laugh.

Suntop grins, eyes bright. "She certainly was...I hope it worked
 though...She put a lot of effort into it..."

Flashfire sits back up, rather covered in leaves now. Gah. "I bet she
 did, too!" He starts to rub leafy bits out of fur.

Treestump starts to say something, but stops, looking down at
 Flashfire's... mess. An eyebrow arches and a smirk crawls across the
 old wolf's face. "You got some leaves stuck in your fur there, cub,"
 the elder points out ever-so-helpfully.

Suntop slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Flashfire shoots both elves a look. "Thanks for letting me know." he
 mutters, looking like he really got into something. Feh.

Amusement twinkles in the old wolf's eyes. "Any time, lad."

"We'll remember next time..." Suntop slides a glance to Treestump,
 "Won't we?"

Treestump plays along, his face the picture of innocence. "Aye, of
 course."

Flashfire stews a bit, though it fades quickly because even he realizes
 this is rather amusing. Pick, pick, pick. Slowly, leaf bits find their
 way from him to land on the ground.

Suntop stretches, trying not to smack a Flashfire in the face as he does
 so, "I think it may be time for a rest..." After all, he has been up
 for most of the day...

Treestump tilts his head to one side, casting a sidelong glance up the
 tree, then rises to his feet as well, collecting his axe. "Go rest,
 Suncub. I'm going to go check on Galasia."

Flashfire stands up abruptly, and sees what shaking back and forth gets
 him. Ooh, a few more leaf bits are dislodged. He deftly avoids Suntop's
 hand while probably covering him in a few leaves. Heh. "I'm gonna go
 see if a bath'll get this stuff out."

Suntop wrinkles his nose teasingly, "That's a good idea, Flashfire..."
 He nods to Treestump and to the younger elf. "Shade, you two..."

Treestump can't help smirking at Flashfire's comment, but hides it as he
 nods quickly and reaches a hand to grasp the branch above him and
 clambor up. "I'll see you two about, lads. Sleep well, Suntop." That
 said, the old wolf disappears amongst the treelimbs above.

Flashfire waves to the departing mystic, repeating his farewell. "Shade,
 Suntop." He also waves to Treestump, before jogging off.

Suntop turns to go back to the Den tree and to his sleeping furs for a
 nap.

[end log]