990606 - Nightfall, Clearbrook, Suntop, ShenShen - Nightfall fletches arrows; ShenShen and Suntop have been having weird/bad dreams. Base of the Lost Holt Father Tree 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 but new growth and thick strong branches cover the worst of the scars left by the terrible blaze. Weeds and night blooming wildflowers grow in a riot of natural disorder around the trees roots, taking advantage of the NewGreen warmth. Like old friends, the gnarled trees embrace one another, their many branches entwining to form a dense canopy high above the ground. As the daystar sets the air turns chilly in the NewGreen evening. Contents: Suntop Bearpaw ShenShen Rialti's Tent Clearbrook Snowsplash Patience Skylark SafeRunner Obvious exits: Into the Tree Around the Tree Clearing *+*+*ShenShen is looking at you!*+*+* Always being compared to her older sister Leetah might explain alot about Shenshen. It could definately explain her appearance. She shares the same dark auburn curls as Leetah, but ShenShen's mass of hair is twisted into two distracting ponytails high atop her head, allowing her curls to bounce and fluff in the most charming and perky manner possible. Indeed, everything about the young-seeming Sun Villager seems effervescent and perky. Her large green eyes flutter and wink constantly, as if there were heads to turn at all possible moments, and every expression on her pretty, round face seems geared towards flirting and smiling. ShenShen's skin is dark, like all Sun Folk, and flawlessly smooth. Her clothes, for once, don't seem suited to her at all. They're muted blue and green and fit tight in all the wrong spots--across the bust, the hips, thighs, etc. Closer inspection reveals that the leathers are probably borrowed from her older sister Leetah, as they seem to fit her style more than ShenShen's. The tight sleeves cap her arms tightly, attatched to a low cut bodice-type front with an attatched skirt of a 'leafy' looking design. Green leggings complete the strange ensemble, only decorated by ShenShen's personal jewelry. Suntop walks in, his footsteps almost silent Clearbrook is quietly napping in the spring calm, curled up on a thick lower branch. Suntop walks in from another part of the forest, his footsteps almost silent against the soft newgreen foliage. He looks a bit out of sorts...the night was not well-spent. Nightfall noisily (?!) erupts through the branches, coming down the outside of the Father tree, and lands lightly on the roots, bow in one hand, quiver in the other... and a mess of feathers follows her, slowly, placidly floating to bedeck the roots of the Father Tree. The expression on her face is an exasperated, 'Don't Ask' kind of grimace as she starts gathering up the wayward feathers. Clearbrook sits up quickly at all the noise, then calms at all familiar faces and scents. ** Ayooah, Suntop, Shenshen, Nightfall... ** She sounds a bit fuzzy from her nap. ShenShen hides a small giggle behind her hand at Nightfall's arrival, her eyes round at the sight. **Sweet water to you, Clearbrook. Tired?** Suntop shakes his head to Shenshen, leaning against the closest tree, looking up at Nightfall's dramatic arrival. That almost bring a smile to his serious expression...almost. Clearbrook stretches broadly, eyeing the floating feathers with a raised eyebrow. ** Just enjoying the newgreen air... so green. ** Nightfall misses the reactions to her precipitous entrance, more intent on gathering up the now-wafting feathers and hiding her furious blush. ShenShen 's eyes are smiling despite the weary set to them. She gives her nephew's somber expression a long look and offers the root to him again. "You sure? It tastes like zwoot dung but it really gives you energy, and you look like you could use some." Nightfall straightens, turns around, and briefly appears dumbstruck. Eating zwoot dung gives you energy? No, wait, that's a root; that's okay. Shaking her head, she finishes gathering her feathers -- and her composure -- and piles her various items neatly around a large, gnarled root. Suntop shakes his head with a weary smile, pushing the foul-smelling root out of the way. "No thank you, Aunt Shenshen. I'll be fine." Besides, does he really need energy today? ShenShen shrugs her shoulders and gives him one last, concerned look before teasing Nightfall. "I'd offer it to you, Nightfall, but you seem to have enough energy as it is. What exactly did you do to that bird?" Clearbrook plucks a bit of feather fluff from her hair and glances at it. ** Or perhaps your arrows need re-fletching? ** Nightfall looks over at ShenShen, startled, then grins and laughs softly, "The bird, I shot a couple of days ago. The feathers don't seem to want to grace the shafts of my arrows." She turns her gaze to Suntop, a look of concern crossing her features, "What is it the Preservers call you? Busyhead Highthing? You look like your head has been busy for a season -- and you haven't slept in longer." Suntop chuckles and rests his back against the tree, "They call me that, I suppose...and it has been. But I did sleep last night...it just didn't feel like it." That and his dream has really left an odd feeling in him. ShenShen suddenly seems extremely interested in her herbs. "Hey Nightfall, do you know if any of that yellow moss grows around the holt? I really could use some. Or how about whistling leaves? Or maybe some burr-grass with the small flowers on them?" She begins to chatter noisily, her hands suddenly busy arranging and re-arranging the already organized dried herbs. Nightfall nods a bit to Clearbrook, responding just to her, pausing in settling down to work on arrows. She walks to Suntop with quick, smooth strides, stopping about arms-length away to look at him. Bluntly, she informs him, "You might have slept, but you look like you got in a fight with a low-hanging branch." You locksend ** That blasted bird made me lose more than just my dignity; half my quiver got dumped when it jumped out of a bush just behind me. ** to Clearbrook. Clearbrook winces at Nightfall. ** I am willing to help... ** Suntop quirks a bright eyebrow at Nightfall's...assessment. "Why thank you, Nightfall. And you are also looking lovely today." All he did was have a nightmare. Honest! Nightfall looks at ShenShen, a bit astonished at the volume of words she can fit in one breath. Leaning towards the midwife a bit, she blinks, surprised. "You don't look much better." She smiles a bit grimly at Clearbrook, nodding her appreciation, ** That would be good; it's going to take a while. ** Nightfall tosses Suntop a wryly amused look over her shoulder as she walks back over to the large, gnarled root she had previously chosen. "Thank you; I slept well yesterday." Settling herself, she ostensibly directs her next statement to ShenShen, "You don't need energy, you need a good night's sleep." ShenShen giggles cheerily and waves a hand. "Don't be silly! I was just up....ah, a bit...late, with a lovemate last night. Nothing to worry yourself over." Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes, and the normally perky Sun Villager seems a bit wilted at the edges. Clearbrook stretches again. ** It seems that all of need to get more sleep around here... ** Perfectly innocent statement. Nightfall eyes Shenshen silently, the droll expression most often given to a recalcitrant cub by an exasperated mother. Suntop turns his gem-blue gaze to Shenshen, regarding her silently. She had a dream last night also? His eyes then shift to look up at the Father Tree...if Leetah did as well, then there might indeed be something. ShenShen turns a rather prim look at Clearbrook and Nightfall. "I don't think sleep is the problem, thank you." Her expression is amused at their concern. Clearbrook raises her eyebrows in mock offense. ** Perhaps you know what is the problem, then? ** She mangages to not sound accusatory, or defensive. Nightfall sorts through her gear; bow goes against the tree, quiver goes to one side, a bundle of straight, pointed sticks to the other, and the pile of feathers goes under one foot. They won't get away again. Suntop chuckles softly at Nightfall's actions but the amusement fades as he looks to Clearbrook to answer her question. He knows his reason, and can probably guess Shenshen's. "Dreams." he finally says softly, looking to his Aunt to see if he's right. Clearbrook looks at Suntop ** Dreams?** Nightfall's hands automatically pick out a feather and start 'mangling' it into the correct shape. ** What kind of dreams? ** ShenShen sighs and seems to completely wilt, even her topknots drooping. "I thought maybe they'd go away once I was around Leetah again." Her head is downturned and she twirls one blade of grass over and over in her fingers, not meeting anyone's gaze. Suntop seems to be using the tree to hold him upright. "Just dreams...some good...some bad..." Last night was a bad one. "But it left a...a residue. I can't shake it." He doesn't know if Shenshen's was simiar or not. Nightfall looks from ShenShen to Suntop, then asks in a soft voice, "Are they like any of the dreams you've had in the past?" Clearbrook frowns. ** And what do you mean, a residue? ** ShenShen crushes the blade of grass in her hands and idly re-straightens it, smoothing it out between her fingers slowly. "No residue for me...I'm just a bit jumpy it seems." The cheerful tone is back in her voice. "Keep seeing things around every corner and such." Suntop shakes his head, twirling his medallion about idly, "Not mine, really...except I'm always a cub in them. But other than that they're all different." Clearbrook hmphs and rubs at her chin - she must have picked that up from Treestump. ** I can't imagine why you'd both be having dreams and keep remembering them... ** ShenShen shrugs again. "Oh, i've had dreams before that I remembered. Like trying to catch someone and not being able to because your feet are too heavy." She giggles at the thought. "But its just a bit weird for me to be dreaming about Gliders and snakes. Brr." She shivers slightly and begins to carefully replace her herbs in her carrying pouch. Nightfall nods to Clearbrook. ** I'm sure I do dream, but I usually don't remember much about them. ** Nightfall eyes ShenShen sharply at her comment about Gliders and snakes. Suntop's eyes flick to the others. "I always remember my dreams..." he comments...but he would. Clearbrook also looks over at Shenshen ** What kind of snakes? ** There's a tenseness to her send. ShenShen winces a bit at Clearbrook's send. "Hey now." She looks distinctly uncomfortable. "Just, well, snakes. You know. The ones with scaly skin and big teeth and black eyes." She puts her fingers to her mouth to make 'fangs' and giggles, making a silly face. "The ones that bite. What other kinds of snakes are there?" Suntop's mutter is soft, "The ones that send..." but he looks off into the forest, not really wanting to add to Clearbrook's and Nightfall's worry. Clearbrook shoots a troubled look at Nightfall and then to Suntop ** This couldn't have to do with... her, could it? ** But she knows she's not the only one who's thinking it. Nightfall nods firmly to Suntop's mutter. "Precisely." Clearbrook shivers as she looks over at Shenshen. Nightfall frowns, a grim look on her square features, ** I certainly hope not; that would be worse than bad. ** ShenShen Hmmphs. "It's just a dream. I feel silly for even letting it bother me in the daytime." She twirls one end of a topknot casually. Suntop shakes his head, "No...I don't think so. It just doesn't 'feel' like her. Besides, I don't know if she'd have enough imagination to do something like this...and why would she choose Shenshen?" As far as he knows, his aunt has never even been near to Blue Mountain. Nightfall blinks, then exhales sharply, releasing her grimness with the air. ** You've got a point. ** She regards Suntop thoughtfully, ** But who else..? ** ShenShen frowns huffily. "Well, thank you very much, nephew." Her lip sticks out in a slight pout. Suntop glances to Shenshen, "Believe me, it's a good thing." Nightfall chuckles softly at ShenShen, pausing her hands' work and looking over it. Setting the trimmed-down pieces under her unoccupied foot, she pulls out another feather to do similarly terrible things to. ShenShen shrugs her shoulders, a still slightly-miffed look on her face. "Well, I don't know." She seems to be at a lack for words and picks up one of Nightfall's feathers, stroking the edges with a thoughtful face. "It's not like dreams can do anything anyways." Suntop picks idly at some of the bark before looking back to Shenshen. "No, except not let us sleep." Speaking of that, "Do any of your herbs help one to sleep?" Maybe if he takes something he won't dream? Clearbrook belatedly reaches over to help with the arrows and fletching. She remains quiet, but listens carefully. ShenShen promptly digs in her bag, happy to be of help. "I think this will help. Sleepygrass." She pulls out some long, stringy strands of dried weeds and holds them up for Suntop. "If you heat some water and steep these for a few hours and then drink the tea--but don't eat the grasses--it should make you sleep relatively well. I wouldn't really recommend anything stronger because then it starts to mess with your heartbeat, and that bothers me. It works better on some than others though, so try it and let me know how it works." Nightfall gives the sleepygrass an odd look, speculating on what it reminds her of. Suntop takes the weeds and peers at them...and yes, he even sniffs at it. Make a tea of the stuff? He looks to Nightfall, "Do you think I could make a small fire?" He doesn't know it would be allowed... Suntop takes the weeds and peers at them...and yes, he even sniffs at it. Make a tea of the stuff? He looks to Nightfall, "Do you think I could make a small fire?" He doesn't know it would be possible right now... ShenShen tilts her head, a confused look on her face. "Why not? They let me make a small fire to cook my dinner all the time." Nightfall looks around consideringly. "That's because you cook dinner about when the humans do, ShenShen." MUSH time (PST): Sun Jun 6 20:40:53 1999 The season is late newgreen (spring). Suntop considers the droopy grass, "Could I put it in cold water and just let it steep longer?" Nightfall stands up -- incidentally snapping some of her feathers -- and scents the air. Satisfied, she settles back down. "It's probably late enough that the humans are all in their village; keep the fire small, though." Suntop nods and sets about to gathering some firewood. "Do you want anything cooked while I'm at it, Aunt Shenshen?" Might as well get two things done while he can... ShenShen gets a rather horrified look on her face. "Absolutely not!" She assumes her best 'authoritative-herbalist' pose and shakes a finger at him. "If you don't steep it in hot water, it won't work. You'd just have wet grass in a cup. You need the heat to cook the grass and draw out the flavoring," and she giggles at the thought of what *that* is going to taste like. Yummy. "So you have to cook it. I can always find something else for you if you don't want the Sleepygrass tea, though." She sticks her hand in her bag and fishes around, shaking her head at Suntop. "No thanks...I'm really not very hungry lately." Well, he would rather keep confrontations with his father at a minimum right now, so maybe something that doesn't have to be heated or steeped might work. Suntop pauses in the gathering and looks over. "Then...I would rather have something else." He hands the Sleepygrass back over. ShenShen takes the grass delicately in her hand, almost frowning at the man-handling of her precious dried herbs and digs in the pouch again. "Okay, let me see..." ShenShen fishes around a few moments more before pulling out a small package wrapped in moth-cloth. She reveals a large, ugly fuzzy leaf curled and folded at the edges. It smells terribly strong, even to an untrained nose, and leaves stains on ShenShen's fingers as she hands it over to Suntop with a slightly wary look. "This is the only other thing I can think of. I found it growing near where the Palace set down again, and I don't think it has a name. I always call it Fever-Leaf because that's when I normally use it. It makes you have a really heavy, undisturbed sleep." Her look is not entirely trusting as she hands over the leaf. "Chew it up like a tough piece of meat and swallow the juices, but not the leaf. Spit it out. It might be too strong if you eat the entire thing." Nightfall eyes the leaf skeptically, "Maybe it's better to have dreams together." Even though he doesn't really have a trained nose, Suntop can smell it from where he stands. He also has his doubts about eating such a thing, but he takes the cloth and leaf carefully. Nodding to the directions he then looks to Nightfall, sharing some of her concern...but if he doesn't sleep, the dreams could get worse. That he's found from experience. "Thank you..." ShenShen wags a finger at him. "Just be -careful-." Wag, wag. "Chew only half of it at first, and if it doesn't make you vomit, then chew the other half." She quirks an eyebrow at him. "It's NOT pleasant tasting at all and stains your mouth a rather horrible brown for several hours. You sure you don't want the sleepygrass?"