Log Date: 11/28/95
Log Intro: Finding Rayek in a disturbingly cheerful and rambling state,
Ekuar has become alarmed -- and fears that his young friend and pupil
is in danger of buckling entirely under the strains being placed on him
from seemingly all directions. Thus, the rockshaper has taken matters into
his own hands, and has smuggled Rayek out of the Palace and off into the
desert night. Ekuar has no fixed destination in mind save Away -- away
from other elves, away from the immense responsibilities with which Rayek has
been struggling, and most importantly, away from the Palace. Coaxing
Rayek northward, persuading the airwalker to occasionally float them
and the supplies they carry through the desert, and working himself to
shelter them from the elements with his own power, Ekuar hustles his
charge on. Rayek is somewhat perplexed by all this, but readily allows
his trusted mentor to lead him, but eventually they both sleep. And
when they do....

----------
Winnowill locksends ** Rayek. **

You locksend ** <He sleeps, you can sense distantly. His slumbering mind is 
  strangely clear and translucent.> ** to Winnowill.

You sense in a locksend, Winnowill sends again in an attempt to wake you.

You locksend ** <His thoughts stir, slowly, strangely dreamily. Who's talking 
  to him? Not fully conscious, he turns his attention to the distant contact.> 
  Hmmm? ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** Rayek. It is I, Winnowill. **

You locksend ** <guilelessly> Oh. Hello. ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** You seem much better, Rayek. **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek answers cheerfully, ** I decided to stop 
  moping; Azeure and Delenbae were quite right, I don't have that luxury. ** 
  <His mind glitters, clearly; there's not a trace of tension or worry 
  anywhere in his head.>

You sense in a locksend, Winnowill seems briefly confused, ** Who is Delenbae. 
  **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek sends back an image, a tall, brown-skinned 
  elf with dark hair, dark eyes. ** A healer, I think. He showed up at the 
  Palace some time ago. With WolfFlame. **

Winnowill locksends ** I see. He healed you? **

You locksend ** Oh, no. He asked, but I told him I ought to just let the 
  bruise heal on its own. <His sending seems oddly paced, a little too rapid.> 
  ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** Rayek, my one. I fear something has been done to you. 
  Something... sinister. You must beware of Azeure. He has become quite mad. **

You locksend ** Has he? How unfortunate. And he was getting so good at using 
  the Scrolls, too. ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** Rayek, have you been given any strange food? I would 
  keep Azeure away from the scrolls. I wouldn't want him to taint the High 
  One's crafts. **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek considers the question, then answers 
  blithely, ** I don't think so. About the food, that is. Ekuar asked me if I 
  was hungry, and I wasn't, and right now we've only got our food. **

Winnowill locksends ** I am concerned Rayek. Can you think of a time when 
  someone might have physically or magically affected your mind? **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek ponders intently. ** Hmm. No, I don't think 
  so. I'm sure I'd have noticed. **

Winnowill locksends ** Hmmm... I fear for you, twin to my soul, although I am 
  glad you seem improved. **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek mentally beams at you. ** Ah, good. Then I'm 
  doing it alright, then. **

You sense in a locksend, Winnowill seem suspicious, ** What do you mean, doing 
  it all right? **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek replies cheerfully, ** Keeping from moping. **

You sense in a locksend, Winnowill seems agitated and almost frightned. ** 
  Rayek. Something has happened to you. I recomend you stay away from this 
  strange healer and Azeure. Bar your door to them. **

You locksend to Winnowill, Rayek seems momentarily confused. ** Should I? I 
  don't have a door... hmm. I'll talk to Ekuar about it, when we get back. **

Winnowill locksends ** Where are you? **

You locksend ** We're talking a walk. ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** who is We? **

You locksend ** Ekuar and Petalwing and me. ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** Okay. Tell Ekuar that you are worried about Azeure and 
  Delbenae and that you should stay away from them. **

You locksend ** Hmm. They're not coming on the walk... ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** That is all right. Tell Ekuar, he can help you be wary 
  of them. **

You locksend ** <peacefully> I'll do that. ** to Winnowill.

Winnowill locksends ** Thank you Rayek. I must go now. Do be careful, twin to 
  my heart. **

You locksend ** Alright... <And, placidly, he drifts off into dreaming.> ** to 
  Winnowill.

[A day, two, begin to pass, as the two elves and the Preserver accompanying
 them across the desert get farther and farther northward. With Rayek
 flying them during the night, and Ekuar's magic shielding them from the
 fierce Daystar during the daytime, their progress is swift. And at last,
 reaching the opposite side of the sands, they come upon a tiny cave,
 and enter it, for shelter....]

Rayek wanders into the cave behind you, gaze tired, eyes absent. He crooks his 
  head and mutters, "Are we going to walk for a while, Ekuar?"

Petalwing oooohs, and flitflits, inspecting the snugdark caveplace.

Ekuar is sitting very still, his back resting against the wall, his eyes 
  closed. Sleeping? No, there's an alert set to his head. Thinking, perhaps. 
  Remembering. He opens his eyes and they are dark and clear. "Yes, my dear," 
  he nods. "Let's walk a bit more, if you aren't too tired." Then he pauses, 
  and seems to rethink his decision. His smile glows warmly, and he gestures 
  at Rayek. "Wait, wait. Eh, first, how about we eat something? Hm?"

Rayek absently drops the wrapstuff bag and the furs, and rubs at one shoulder. 
  "I am tired," he admits. "My... sleep has been strange..."

Ekuar's wise eyes seem to flare in their depths at this admission, but his 
  voice stays cheerful and quiet. "You've done a good bit of work, indeed. 
  Done everything Ekuar told you. I'm proud of you, Brownskin." He pats the 
  cave floor. "Sit, now, and eat something. We'll rest." He reaches carefully 
  for the bag, adding-- seemingly as an afterthought-- "...and maybe you and I 
  can talk about your sleep, hm? Maybe you'll tell me what's been so strange."

Petalwing flits? /Sharpdark highthing not have good nap?/

Rayek gingerly folds himself down to sit on the cool stone, and nods earnestly 
  to his mentor. "Alright... there was a sending, too. Winnowill. She asked 
  strange questions, whether I'd eaten any strange food, or if someone had 
  affected my mind." He frowns to himself. "I don't remember anything like 
  that."

Rayek ohs, and adds, the words beginning to tumble out of him, "She said 
  Azeure's gone mad? Has he? He didn't seem so to me, and she also said I 
  should stay away from him and Delenbae. I'm not sure why she told me that..."

Ekuar retrieves some of the dried meat carefully wrapped by the Sun Villagers, 
  as one of the going-away gifts to the old rockshaper. He selects a choice 
  bit and offers it to Rayek. "Ahh. Hm. Lord Winnowill seemed... worried? 
  About you?"

Petalwing blinkblinks at Rayek, startled, as it's been for the last few days, 
  by the unusual rapid-fire pace of the highthing's speech.

Rayek absentmindedly takes the offering and nods his thanks, noting between 
  chews and swallows, "She did seem awfully worried, and I'm not quite sure 
  why. I mean, I'm much more at ease now, and I ought to be able to return to 
  what we were doing, when we get back from the walk, don't you think?" He 
  suddenly smiles, dreamily. "I think I'm touched, though. I felt... I 
  remember what I felt when I first met her, she really is the other half of 
  my soul, none understand her as I do..."

Ekuar takes a small piece of the meat for himself, nibbling on it delicately. 
  He listens to Rayek's rush of words with care and consideration... he seems 
  to be hearing something else. Something below the surface, and between the 
  tumbling words, in the breathy spaces and the high-strung tonality of the 
  well-loved voice. He doesn't directly answer any of the random-fire 
  questions... instead, he observes with a gentle smile, "Eh, Brownskin. You 
  know what I think?"

Rayek blinkblinkblinks his way to a halt, and tilts his head, eyes a little 
  wide, gaze questioning.

Petalwing crosses its arms and squints up at Rayek, piping, /Petalwing think 
  sharpdark highthing eat dreamjuiceberries!/

Rayek flicks a sudden, huge grin at the Preserver and protests, a 
  near-soundless laugh in his voice, "Oh, no, I don't have any..."

Ekuar chuckles and bites into his food again, speaking with half a mouthful. 
  "I think maybe we need to -do- more, and -think- less. That's what I think, 
  indeed. We can eat, and then we'll rest, and then we'll walk, and you-- eh, 
  you'll do the work I set for you, and you won't pay any mind to anything 
  else." His eyes fix on Rayek's meaningfully, though his voice is still 
  lulling. "Anything, do you see, my dear? Not Winnowill, or Azeure, or the 
  Palace, or... or dreamberries, eh?" His eyes crinkle with laughter.

Rayek pulls in a slow breath and smiles vaguely at his teacher, murmuring, 
  "I'd like that... just do, and not think..." His brow furrows a little, 
  though. "Do you mean I shouldn't talk to anyone, if they send? I-I mean, 
  Winnowill's very good, she can send a great distance, she's even better than 
  I..."

Ekuar pokes the last of his sliver of meat into his mouth and licks 
  thoughtfully at his fingers. "Well, my dear... If you want to hear your 
  Ekuar's opinion, I'd say that you've been doing entirely too much of 
  -this-..." He leans and taps Rayek's temple with his gentle hand... "... 
  thinking and sending and thinking some more. And then everyone has something 
  to send back to you. Like a doorway, when everyone tries to get through at 
  once, eh?" He nods pleasantly. "So I'd say let's keep the sending and all 
  that to a minimum. Mm. Let's try to make it as quiet in there as we can.
  He touches Rayek's temple once more, and then touches his own.

Rayek, as his temple is touched, gazes at his mentor trustingly -- but a 
  strange look flickers in his absent eyes, part yearning, part fright. "I..."

Ekuar reaches out again and pats softly at Rayek's hand. "You can do it, you 
  know," he observes affably, matter-of-factly. "You can do it, because I tell 
  you so. Eh, yes, I'm here to help you, and you'll do the work I set you so 
  the mind can fall quiet."

Rayek whispers, expression oddly vulnerable, "I'm... scared of it being quiet, 
  Ekuar... it was... quiet, for so long, in the Palace, the High Ones' 
  spirits, th-they didn't talk..." A tremor enters his voice, and his gaze 
  shifts from side to side, nervously.

Petalwing offers helpfully, /Petalwing sing for sharpdark highthing? Petalwing 
  make pretty noise!/

Ekuar's fingers slip around Rayek's hand, his touch light and warm. He nods 
  sagely. "You were alone." His statement is not flat, nor cruel, but rather a 
  coaxing and encouraging nudge. His limpid gaze goes to Petalwing, and he 
  shakes his head slightly. "Better not, little one," he says, his voice 
  soothingly low. "Let's save that for a bit later, eh? When there's cause for 
  noise to be made."

Rayek clutches at the old, gnarled hand. Dark face plaintive, he trembles, and 
  nods shakily. "Alone. I-I didn't like that, there was no one at all, just 
  the spirits, a-a-and they wouldn't talk... they wouldn't talk to me, at all, 
  they turned away, they..." His voice starts rising a little, becoming more 
  strident.

Ekuar's voice is still low, but it cuts through the impending hysteria with a 
  subtle, gentle crackle of energy. "You felt a weight on you... a great task, 
  a heavy burden, with no help."

Rayek, gripped by the voice as surely as if Ekuar had two hands to clasp him, 
  blinks. His lower lip trembles a little, as he stammers unhappily in 
  agreement, "N-no help... everyone t-t-turned away from me..."

Ekuar's eyes scan his student's face with patience, wisdom, and an underlying 
  concern that makes his ancient eyes all but glow in the dimness. "It was 
  silent. And... perhaps... you felt you lost your way. In the quiet. Nothing, 
  no one, eh, to tell you where to go, or how to be..." His gnarled thumb 
  strokes steadily, lightly, over the back of the dark elf's hand.

Rayek's head bows a little as he mumbles, nodding unsteadily, "So quiet... I-I 
  didn't dare find other elves... didn't dare... kinder to them to stay 
  alone... I..."

Petalwing awwws softly, and flits nearer, patpatting in attempted comfort on 
  Rayek's nearest knee.

Ekuar lifts Rayek's hand to his cheek for a moment, his eyes seeming to deepen 
  into solemn pools. "Eh, yes. The quiet... it can tear us, and it can heal 
  us. Hm?" He falls silent himself for a moment, letting the pause speak in 
  its own way, before adding slowly, "Dear one. I'd like to-- eh, share 
  something with you, up here." He lets go of Rayek's hand and carefully 
  brushes his fingers against the airwalker's temple again. "Not to make more 
  noise, oh, no. Something for you to tuck away, and perhaps let it settle in, 
  where it might be able to help. Hm?"

Rayek fumbles to touch Ekuar's one knee, as if needing the contact even if the 
  rockshaper's hand isn't clasping his. His sad-child gaze glimmering, he nods 
  uncertainly.

Ekuar drops his hand atop Rayek's own on his knee, sure and steady. "I'll take 
  care of you, Brownskin," he says simply, his eyes finding the amber ones to 
  begin the mind-sharing.

Petalwing flits up to hug Rayek's neck. /Petalwing take care of sharpdark 
  highthing, too!/ With the Preserver's wings ornamenting his disheveled black 
  hair, Rayek looks wide-eyedly back at Ekuar....

You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's thoughts draw you into them, an embrace as 
  gentle and guiding as any physical one, leading you further downward. 
  Immensely ancient pools of thoughts, memories, emotions dwell there... One 
  of them glows as you are coaxed toward it.
You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's sharing is not of a pure memory. It's 
  questionable whether the elder even chooses to relive his own history 
  himself-- and if he keeps the memories, they are still nothing to share with 
  Rayek in their stark, endless entirety. Instead, there is a skimming from 
  the surface of the memories, the elf in question taking the place of any 
  elf, every elf. It begins, simply... <<An elf. Single being. Alone, alone, 
  alone... A sense of isolation, clear and piercing.>>

You locksend to Ekuar, Rayek's mind still holds that odd, glittering 
  translucence, though underneath it are hints of darker uneasier shades, 
  lingering worries and emotions, and the bright and dark places seem to blur 
  in and out of one another in his thoughts. But he's not supposed to worry. 
  Ekuar will take care of him. The relief at these concepts is palpable in the 
  forefront of his mind, and slowly, the brightness overshadows the darker 
  worries, till at last, the touch of his mind feels as if it might have when 
  he was a child, much shyer, lacking confidence, but trusting of this 
  particular elder.
Rayek gasps a little, at the initial sending from his teacher, and his 
  shoulders quiver.

Ekuar's thumb begins to caress Rayek's hand again, a slow stroking, grounding 
  the world of the physical and the now even as his mind leads Rayek into more 
  uncertain territories.
Ekuar locksends ** <<The alone elf, the solitary one, is in the middle of a 
  sort of circle. A conceptual circle, with paths radiating from the center... 
  choices. Destinies. Pathways upon pathways, directions webbing away into the 
  distance of the endless elfin life. All the choices we make, which make us 
  what we are... And now we are within the alone elf, seeing through his eyes, 
  coaxed in more closely to see several of the pathways in more detail...>> **

Rayek's fingers still tremble a bit, in residual reaction to the concept of 
  Aloneness. But he gradually subsides, watching, listening...

Ekuar locksends ** <<One pathway, burning with an uneasy fiery light: The idea 
  of splitting. Becoming Two, or More, within oneself... Always someone there, 
  always company within the mind, never alone. There is a queasy comfort 
  there, in a way. The elf considers this with a frightening intensity. It... 
  is... tempting. But there is enough of a pause, enough silence remains, for 
  the truth of this path to shine through: the company rings false, and 
  hollow, and crumbles into dust the first time it is embraced in a search for 
  a semblance of love, guidance, or reassurance. A false path. The elf moves 
  on to another one... a disturbingly familiar one...>> **

Rayek frowns...

Ekuar locksends ** <<The second path shimmers a cool, deep, icy blue, like the 
  stillest of frozen lakes... bottomless. It can be seen to loop around and 
  rejoin itself-- the one who sets foot on this path will never leave the 
  central circle. No movement. The smooth formlessness of crystal, of rock, of 
  wind-scoured ice, holds all in its grasp. The same formlessness, the same 
  frozen depths, that have been gathering in your own mind. Something familiar 
  here. Something, again, that tempts. Winds blow across the surface, even at 
  shrieking intensity, without ever once touching the frozen core at the 
  bottom of the self. Safe? Indeed. But so cold... so painful in its very 
  immobility. The alone elf stands uncertainly on the brink of this path, but 
  his eyes are drawn to one more... another way, smaller, almost 
  overlooked...>> **
Ekuar locksends ** <<This path is smaller, less dramatic, even shabby in its 
  homeliness. But somehow, this path also shimmers with a cheer, a quiet and 
  homespun energy that radiates up through the very ground into the soles of 
  the feet and upward. The alone elf looks down at himself, in surprise... 
  why, there are -holes-! Literal ones, odd and irregular gaps in his body, 
  his limbs, his hands. Incomplete! He's not whole. What can he do?>> **

Rayek frowns confusedly, beginning to be worried by the implications in his 
  teacher's sendings, but he does not interrupt; he only frowns, black brows 
  knitting now at the oddity of holes in the Self.

Ekuar locksends ** The alone elf seems to steel himself for the greatest of 
  efforts... muscles bunch and knot as if in preparation to move the very 
  earth. The end result of this mighty and exhausting push is simply this: one 
  foot is set along the small and quiet path. And then another. Step after 
  difficult step brings the elf closer to a shadow in the distance. A 
  silhouette. This silhouette wavers, forming and reforming, casting up and 
  down the spectrum... 
  -acquaintance/companion/friend/brother/sister/lover/soul'sbreath-... The 
  other elf, the many elves, all at once... they reach out with willing hands. 
  These hands hold small, oddly-shaped pieces... the pieces that fit, one by 
  one, over the length of the endless path, into the holes in the Self. From 
  stranger and friend and love alike the pieces are accepted and put right. 
  The elf forgets just when he ceased to call himself the alone one.>> **
You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's mind gathers up the memory/tale and gives it 
  to you, a heartfelt gift. He begins to ease you back toward the surface, 
  careful and solicitous, thoughts finding voice again. ** Come, now. Don't 
  puzzle over it, eh? Let it rest within you, in the quiet, and perhaps see 
  what might bloom from it. **

You locksend ** <Something troubles him, another swirl of a worried dark shade 
  in the crystalline glitter of his thoughts.> Ekuar... you... sent about... 
  am... am I... am I mad? ** to Ekuar.
Rayek trembles anew, one hand moving fretfully along his own body as if 
  half-afraid to find some of those holes he saw in the sending.

You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's mind tingles and filters through yours, 
  enveloping and reassuring in the truth of sending. ** Oh, no, my dear one. 
  No. I've known madness in many forms, and you've none of them. I'll just 
  help you find the path, that's all. You might have lost it, for just a bit, 
  on your own. **

You locksend ** <Lost. Yes. He remembers feeling lost, but there's a strange 
  shimmer over the memory, distancing it.> If... if you're sure... ** to Ekuar.

You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's mind is settling, now, into the familiar 
  fuzziness, weary around the edges. Truth is there all the same, with a clear 
  wisdom beneath. ** Sure? Here's what I'm sure of: There are paths all around 
  you. Eh, maybe you're not sure which one to take, maybe one or another is 
  pulling at you so hard you think you've chosen. But trust in this. Listen to 
  me, let me guide you, like you might if you were blindfolded and I was 
  leading you by the hand. Hm? I'll do my best, Brownskin, to help you set 
  your foot down straight. **

You locksend ** <Another echo of that childlike trust, that sounds so odd 
  coming from him, though is no less sincere for that.> Alright... ** to Ekuar.

Ekuar's thumb ceases its rhythmic stroking, and he pats Rayek's hand a few 
  times, benignly. "And that's why you need to do as I tell you for a bit, hm? 
  Let your mind settle. We'll keep on our little walk, get some air." His eyes 
  twinkle.

Rayek nods slowly, uncertainly. The half-vacant look hasn't left his eyes, but 
  neither has the earnest trust. He begins, awkwardly, as if having no idea 
  how to properly voice this question, "What... what should I... do?"

Ekuar lifts his fingers one by one, enumerating. "Eh! Walk with me, so we can 
  find a good place to be quiet... and just to -be-. Talk to me, so I can hear 
  how you sleep, and what your mind says to you. And don't be afraid to-- eh-- 
  let the silence settle in. It's not solitude, no indeed. It's a good quiet. 
  A healing quiet, even when it hurts." He tips his head endearingly to one 
  side. "All right? Can we start with that, my Brownskin?"

Rayek smiles, uncharacteristically shyly. "Just... you and I... I like that..."

Ekuar bobs his head. "Oh, I like it too, eh yes! My idea of a wonderful time." 
  He winks. "But don't forget our friend and-- ah-- caretaker." He gestures 
  very slightly at the iridescent Preserver, a chuckle under the words.

Petalwing giggles, playing with Rayek's hair. /Petalwing here! Petalwing take 
  good care of highthings on walktrip!/

Rayek promises, "I won't forget..." He smiles again, absently, then blinks at 
  Ekuar. The words still sounding quite foreigh coming out of him, he asks, 
  "What should I do now?"

Ekuar glances out of the cave, appraisingly. "Brownskin, are you tired? You 
  could sleep just a bit, eh, if you like. Rest your head on my shoulder, and 
  I can wake you when it's time to leave." He extends his arm to Rayek, 
  welcomingly.

Rayek pauses, remembering. "My... sleep's been strange..."

Ekuar nods thoughtfully. "Yes, hm, so you said." He considers. "Shall I sing 
  to you? Would it help keep the inside quiet, if I were making a bit of soft 
  noise on the outside?" He shoots a gentle but unmistakeable look to 
  Petalwing. "And it'd be, eh, just me singing, this time. We're saving our 
  friend the preserver for a... louder moment."

Rayek murmurs vaguely, "I've... had bad dreams, Ekuar... I... wake up, and I'm 
  so... tense, but I can't remember why..."

Ekuar rubs his chin. "Dreams, eh? Your insides are stirring around, that's for 
  certain, Brownskin. I think maybe when you're ready, they'll be easier to 
  grasp and remember." He glances out of the cave again. "Until then, my dear, 
  there's no point in trying to fight with them. Dreams, mm, they're powerful. 
  Why don't we just keep on, if you feel you can? You can help me through the 
  sandiest parts, and we'll both get so good and tired, we'll be able to drop 
  in the next safe spot and sleep like a pair of stones!"

[Thus, the trio gathers its supplies and sets out again... End log.]