Log Cast: Treestump (logger), Pike, Shay'la, Tightarrow Log Date: 5/26/1998 Log Note: Treestump, after recieving healing from Mender in the Sun Village, has returned to Lostholt with his sending intact. Prior to his release, he had a painful encounter with Malandor and Lrilanya, the female unleashing a terrible burst of pain inside his mind that scarred the pathways. The injury soothed away, he departed as soon as possible for home and has since enjoyed the relative quiet of the Holt compared to the silence weight of the Underworld's darkness.. ---- Shay'la keeps her head low to the ground just watching her step. Blackfox has disconnected. Pike walks in to view, looking quite agile for the first few steps, then he trips. He stumbles a few steps and then looks around, shrugging, and sits down. "Looks nice enough here, thanks Root!" he calls out. Shay'la looks up to see the stumbling Pike and moves in behind Tightarrow, looking perhaps for a place to hide. Treestump trails after Pike, a smirk on his face. Are the 'visitors' in immediate sight? For he doesn't seem to notice them quite yet, watching the howl-keeper amusedly. "Don't hurt yourself, squirrel-cheeks." Tightarrow stands before her, uncertain what their reception will be from other elves. He is also still uncomfortable in this place that is so bursting with life! Pike looks back, "Hey Fuddle-brain! The root here says this is a good place, have a sit if you remember how!" he calls out. Treestump's nose wrinkles in reply, his smirk turning all the more crooked. "I'll pass, thanks. High Ones know the ground is damp enough.." He pauses, finally taking notice of others there, and his gaze lifts with one, two blinks before his eyebrows quirk. "Eh? What's this?" Shay'la steps back, not saying anything as she pulls her cloak tightly about her. Pike hmms? looking up at Treestump, "It's called 'air'." Tightarrow looks up ** Treestump! ** he sends joyously Treestump shoots Pike a glance and snorts softly. "No, that.." He gestures, pointing to the elves. "Them." At the sending, he blinks a third time before his eyes widen. Familiar..? ** Eh? ... Tightarrow? ** Tightarrow grins ** I finally managed to get out... ** Tightarrow gestures back at the cloaked figure ** Blackfox is out too, and... ** Shay'la stands perfectly still, letting Tightarrow do all the talking. You locksend to Pike, Treestump sends distractedly by way of explanation: ** Tightarrow.. he was another lad that was taken captive in the Underworld. Last I heard, he was still down there. ** The edges of the old wolf's mouth stretch into a grin and he moves forward, pausing next to the seated Pike. ** So I see! Glad to see you're all right.. ** He pauses as Tightarrow gestures to the cloaked figure, his expression fading some as well. Tightarrow claps Treestump's arm ** We would never have got away without this one risking her life to get us free. Us and her unborn child... ** The edges of the old wolf's mouth stretch into a grin and he moves forward, pausing next to the seated Pike. ** So I see! Glad to see you're all right.. ** He pauses as Tightarrow gestures to the cloaked figure, his expression fading some as well.'. Shay'la steps forward a bit her head low, **I am Shay'la. I mean no harm.** Pike blinks his berry eyes, looking about, then he seems to frown, "I have to get up, don't I..." Tightarrow looks at Pike, bewildered a moment, then realising a) that this is simple dreamberry intoxication, and b) it has to be Pike, of course... Tightarrow smiles ** Good to see you, Pike ** Treestump's expression has darkened some at this point, but he nods in response to Tightarrow, albeit stiffly. ** Aye, ** he finally offers gruffly and manages a crooked smile for Shay'la before casting a glance back towards Pike. "Oh, you..!" In response, the old wolf's hand jerks down and, unless brushed off, takes the younger elf by the back of his tunic and hoisting him up. "Aye. You do." Pike shakes his head as he's hoisted up, "And I'm supposed to tell stories for these people, too." Shay'la looks at Pike, an eyebrow quirked, not sure what to think of the strange elf. Tightarrow chuckles. He's heard tales of Pike when he was a youngling. And more recently Tightarrow sends openly ** He is just Pike..a storyteller...and fond of dreamberries ** Pike shrugs off Treestumps' hand, "Am not!" Tightarrow sends openly ** Pike...this is Shay'la..my lovemate ** Pike peers at Shay'la, looking her up and down, up and down, and up and down once more, then he says, "Go-back?" Shay'la rests a hand lightly on Tightarrow's shoulder then looks at him, **Dreamberries? ** Tightarrow shakes his head ** Underworlder ** he states flatly. He turns to Shay'la ** berries from bushes that...make you feel good ** Pike hmms, tapping his lower lip, "Didn't know they could drop a cub without recognizing." Shay'la raises a brow at Tight, **Okay. ** She then turns to Pike, **You can if you have the help of a healer.** Pike waves his hands, "Oh I know _that_." Tightarrow just looks confused but shrugs it off Pike idly rocks back on his heels, "So, you're not worried?" Tightarrow looks around at the trees in wonder ** So much green! is this all...forest? The Forevergreen? ** Shay'la raises a brow at Pike, **Worried?** Pike looks about, "Eh, I suppose it would be. Nothing like the old holt, but nice enough. Sure, worried, what with the Sorrow's End thing and all. I ever tell you about that?" Treestump's attention, perhaps wandered, finally returns back to the here-and-now. "Eh? Whuzzat?" Shay'la nods to Pike, **I know all about Sorrow's End. I was there. And yes I am worried about it. But hopefully people will listen before they judge.** Pike grins his wide grin, "So you hope." Shay'la nods to Pike, **So I hope. But then that is all I can do. I can't return to the Underworld so I have to hope the people of the surface can be forgiving. They have to be more forgiving than my people.** Pike thumps Treestump on the arm, "Wake up!" ** They often are. ** Unbidden, a dry note creeps into Treestump's sending. Tightarrow chuckles Treestump oofs! and flinches back from Pike, shooting him a Look. "I am!" he protests quickly. Shay'la nods solemnly to Treestump, **It would not be hard to be more forgiving then my people. They are not known for their forgiveness.** Tightarrow shakes his head in fond amusement ** It's so good to be back to...normality ** he muses to himself Pike hahs! "Right, sure you are. Bet you don't even know where you are, fuddle-head." Tightarrow lays a quieting hand on Shay'la Treestump snorts, muttering, "I know exactly where I am. *I'm* not the one with my head in a dreamberry fog half the time.." He hooks his thumbs along the inside of his belt and glances back to the other two, first to Tightarrow with a crooked grin, then to Shay'la with a faint nod. ** Indeed. ** Again, his send is dry, but not as much so this time. Pike looks offended at Treestump, "_HALF_ the time?!" Tightarrow adds ** Blackfox is off scouting...are we near your Holt then? ** Pike turns and looks behind them, then turns around quickly, shaking his head vigorously, "No! Not at all." Pike adds, "In fact, you're about six days travel from it." "Most of the time!" Treestump amends without looking, a smirk crawling across his face. The smirk doesn't waver, either, even after Tightarrow's query. ** Aye, lad, quite near actually.. ** He casts Pike another look, this time wrinkling his nose at him and adding without looking at Tightarrow, ** Surprised you made it this far in without being seen, actually. ** Tightarrow shrugs ** Me too. This is my first time in the forest....my first time out of Sorrow's End, even. ** Pike shakes his head, "I'm not, guards are sleeping and I locked the preserves in a bees nest." This time, Treestump just blinks at Pike, not even taking time to acknowledge Tightarrow's send. "You.. what?" Shay'la nods, **This is only my second trip out of the tunnels. And I am a bit surprised we were not spotted coming in. We were not hiding our arrival.** Pike blinks his berry eyes and coughs, "I ... uh ... nothing." Treestump returns Pike's blink with one of his own, then shakes his head and turns away, mumbling something about 'dreamberry fogs' before the two sendings from the visitors register. "Eh, well.. Everyone is asleep, so I s'pose you got lucky.." He offers a thin shrug, though his brows knit together and furrow. Pike snickers to himself. Tightarrow smiles ** is there somewhere we can rest undsiturbed? We have a long journey ahead of us ** Shay'la nods to Tightarrow, **Yes, the farther we get from the tunnels the better.** Tightarrow nods ** and towards *home*! ** Pike says "Oh, I don't think there's a further place than this. The underworlders would be stupid to try and come in here." Shay'la nods to Tightarrow and gives him a faint smile, **Yes, towards home....** Tightarrow gives her a concerned look, touching her arm lightly "We have a Guest Den you all can stay in while you're here.." Treestump offers slowly, then pauses, glancing back at Pike. His smile wavers slightly - uneasily? - and then glances back to Shay'la, eyebrows knitting together slowly. "Though.. if memory serves me correctly, lass.. There is an opening from here to there somewhere's about, though it hasn't been used in a while." Tightarrow nods to a send, then to Treestump Shay'la nods to Treestump, **Yes, the entrance is not far from here.** Tightarrow has disconnected. After a pause, Treestump adds, "Though, I don't think they use it anymore. But it is there." Pike ehs, "Wolves would tear them to shreds." Shay'la nods, **It is not often used, but it can be. It is how we left the tunnels.** Shay'la smiles slightly at Treestump, **Actually we tended to limit the number of ways to get in or out of the Underworld. That way we can limit who gets in and who gets out. As I am sure you already knew.** Treestump's head inclines ever so slightly in a nod. He answers simply, blandly, ** Aye. ** Pike shrugs, "What happens, happens. Enough of that! All this talk of the tunnels, we might as well go back in to the tunnels with all we talk about them." Shay'la nods to Pike, **Well they were my home for a long time. It is hard for me not to talk about them.** Treestump's voice is uncharacteristically sharp, all but growling in response as his head jerks around to look at Pike, eyes narrowing to thin, blue slits. "Don't joke about that, lad. Ever." Shay'la steps back a bit from Treestump... Pike grins his grin and shrugs, "As you like it, all the quicker to forget it." Treestump does not, however, return the grin, his eyes dark and brooding before they pale again to their normal blue color. They are blander now, though, like eyes painted on a doll's face than real ones, and he refocuses his attention back on Shay'la. Gruffly, he says, "We should show you to the Guest Den." Shay'la nods to Treestump, **Thank you.** Treestump grins crookedly and offers a faint shrug in reply, then gestures the way from which he and Pike approached. "Eh. S'all right." Shay'la nods and turns to follow you. Treestump hesitates, then moves off southward. You walk south along the path. Path Around the Father Tree(#1106RJ) This path is used mostly by the elves for travel to the woods behind the great Father tree or to lay traps for small game that can be caught farther north, though during the whitecold, game is rarely to be found. The path itself is choked with bright snow, huge drifts piled up, making traveling increasingly difficult as you trave. The loving embrace of the great father tree keeps the sleeping elves and wolves cocooned in warmth. Obvious exits: Path Path Clearing Pike arrives from the northern end of the path. Pike has arrived. Shay'la arrives from the northern end of the path. Shay'la has arrived. You step off of the path and into the clearing. Lost Holt Clearing Here is where the elves of Lost Holt gather for tribe councils, howls and receiving visitors from other tribes. The clearing is now blanketed under a thick cover of cold white snow, and in the center there is a stone fire ring. The cold bites into into your skin and makes you wish to light the fire for warmth. Off to the north lies the massive Father Tree, home to many of the elves of Lost Holt. The loving embrace of the great father tree keeps the sleeping elves and wolves cocooned in warmth. Contents: Denning Tree Obvious exits: Path Hill Approach to the Father Tree Shay'la steps into the clearing from the east path. Shay'la has arrived. Pike steps into the clearing from the east path. Pike has arrived. Treestump's steps slow some, glancing about him for a moment before heading towards the Father Tree, gesturing for the others to continue following. You walk towards the Father Tree. 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 snow covered branches. Snow lies piled around the trees roots and in drifts around the Father Tree. Like old friends, the gnarled trees embrace one another, their many branches entwined and now snow collects atop them, occasionally crashing down to the ground below. The loving embrace of the great father tree keeps the sleeping elves and wolves cocooned in warmth. Contents: Cobweb Rainrunner Patience(#6936Jepq) Skylark SafeRunner Obvious exits: Into the Tree Around the Tree Clearing Shay'la walks up to the Father Tree from the clearing. Shay'la has arrived. Pike walks up to the Father Tree from the clearing. Pike has arrived. Treestump pauses again, but this time by the side of the opening, gesturing for the others to get in first, now watching Shay'la (and her companion?) warily. "In here." Shay'la nods to Treestump and follows, looking around her, her expression as yet unreadable. Pike idly sits on a root, nibbling on a convieniant twig. Shay'la walks up into the rough opening that leads into the tree. Shay'la has left. Treestump glances towards Pike for a moment, then moves in after Shay'la. You walk up into the rough opening that leads into the tree. Inside the Father Tree(#770RA) As your eyes adjust to the dim light, the room around you becomes visible. Steps formed in the wood itself lead up in several directions towards the upper branches of the tree, and it is obvious that this tree can house many elves and their wolf friends. The main opening to the south leads back outside. The living walls of the inner tree offer some warmth from the cold outside. The loving embrace of the great father tree keeps the sleeping elves and wolves cocooned in warmth. Contents: Shay'la(#9063PJUXce) Obvious exits: Into the Roots Up Outside Pike steps into the Father Tree from outside. Pike has arrived. Treestump crawls in after the lass, looking around slowly. A thought that doesn't quite agree with him passes. What if the others disapprove of allowing the three inside the Holt? It *is* daylight and he didn't want to disturb them, but.. With a slight frown, the old wolf shakes his head, then moves towards the opening below one of the roots. "Here we go. Down here it is, I think." Shay'la nods to Treestump and moves on. Shay'la ducks under a giant root that leads into the lower storage room. Shay'la has left. You duck under a giant root that leads down into the lower storage room. Back Storage Room(#645RL) This is one of the small supply and storage dens in the Father Tree. Momentos and relics from before the flight occupy one end of the small den, while more practical supplies take up the majority of the room. A rough opening leads back out to one of the main branches, and you notice a small opening in the back wall that almost looks too tiny to crawl through without considerable effort, so you tend to ignore it. Shelves, shaped by Redlance, cover the walls, and are, in turn, covered by dried meat and greens, carefully packed away during the deathsleep time. Bowls, weapons, tools, furs, and the like are scattered around the den. The loving embrace of the great father tree keeps the sleeping elves and wolves cocooned in warmth. Contents: Shay'la(#9063PJUXce) Dayfire(#5582) Obvious exits: Type "DENS" to see who lives here. Small Opening Out Pike comes down the tunnel from the base of the Father Tree. Pike has arrived. Treestump looks around as his feet touch the ground until his gaze is caught. Moving ahead of Shay'la and Pike, the old wolf pauses by an opening hidden behind a pale leather curtain and reaches to push the leather cloth back, gesturing inside. "Here it is, lass. You and yours are welcome to stay in here." Shay'la nods to Treestump, **Again, thank you for your kindness.** Shay'la nods to you both, **Thank you. I am very tired. I am not used to this sun. I think I shall lie down now, if no one minds.** Treestump nods slightly to Shay'la and gestures inside again. "Don't blame you. Not much of a day-waker myself.. Have a good rest." Pike nods, "Sleep nicely now." Shay'la pushes aside the pale leather and ducks into the visitor's den. Shay'la has left. [End Log]