Log Date: 3/17/96
Log Intro: Ekuar, Ember, and Rayek have finally arrived in the woods
surrounding Lostholt. The trip has been somewhat strained, for although
Ekuar is his usual sunny self, and Ember's frustration with Rayek has
been blunted somewhat by the passage of time, Rayek himself remains
in turmoil over how he will face Leetah. Once the little group arrives
at the Holt, Ember goes in to warn her sire and dam that Rayek is there.
And soon....

[NOTE: Here we have a new player for Leetah.]

----------
Ember locksends ** <carefully> Rayek? **

You locksend to Ember, Rayek answers, quietly, tightly restrained. ** ? **

Ember locksends ** There are, it appears, four healers at the holt right now. 
  Leetah, Ynderra, Startoucher -- though he's ... sleeping -- and a lad named 
  Kai. Shall I bring one to you? **

You locksend to Ember, Rayek after a time answers tautly, ** Your.... 
  parents.... know that I am here? **

Ember locksends ** Aye. I've your scent on me, if nothing else, my friend. **

You locksend ** <lowly> And what do they say to... my prsence? ** to Ember.

Ember locksends ** Mother wants to see you. **

You locksend to Ember, Rayek does not answer, at least for a time. When he 
  finally does, it is in a strangely muted, perhaps even vulnerable tone. ** 
  Should... I enter the Holt? **

You sense in a locksend, Ember, after a momentary pause, nods. ** The chief 
  says you may, yes. Come. **

You step off of the path and into the clearing.
Lost Holt Clearing
The land of the Abode surrounds you.
Here is where the elves of Lost Holt gather for tribe councils, howls and 
  receiving visitors from other tribes. This large clearing is fringed by 
  slender saplings that have sprung up after the fire so many turns ago. The 
  ground is packed in tightly and is covered now with multi-colored leaves 
  that crunch under your feet as you walk. Elves have made the best of the 
  leaves, piling them up in huge stacks and using them as something to lay 
  down on and the cubs as well as the wolves enjoy tumbling in them. In the 
  center there lies a stone ring used to keep the fire safely away from dry 
  leaves. Off to the north you see the massive Father Tree, home to many of 
  the elves of Lost Holt. The autumn sun shines warmly down from above on 
  gaily colored leaves.
Contents:
Nightfall
DriftStalker
Startoucher
Cutter
Ynderra
Leetah
Ember
Denning Tree
Obvious exits:
Path<E> Hill<W> Approach to the Father Tree<N>

Startoucher glances at Rayek as he arrives, and smiles somewhat.

Nightfall snorts softly, grinning. She scoops up some leaves at heaves them 
  at Startoucher, ** You state the obvious with ease. **

Leetah smiles delightedly at Rayek.

Startoucher akpthblps! as he is covered with leaves.

Leetah locksends ** Oh, Rayek. My eyes see with joy! **

Without more than a slight ripple of magic feeling to herald his arrival, 
  Rayek floats into the clearing, his stance stiff, wary.

Ynderra's blue eyes widen, as she is distracted by Rayek's arrival.

Cutter can't help but chuckle a little, as the wolf sneezes. The absurdity of 
  the entire thing strikes him all at once, you understand. Until that is, 
  Rayek's scent is carried to his nose, and his eyes are drawn, unerringly, to 
  the airwalker. Then, the chuckle ends and the smile fades from his 
  expression, slowly.

Nightfall greets Rayek with an glance, <then gets linenoise, brb>

Leetah squeezes her lifemate's arm again, reassuringly.
Leetah looks at you for a moment.

Rayek lands, out of arm's reach of anyone, and paling slightly at the number 
  of elves present. His amber gaze goes instantly to Leetah, but his words are 
  directed to Cutter as he says lowly, "Your daughter said I had leave to 
  enter, wolf-chief."

Nightfall looks at you for a moment.

Ember glances up at the airwalker, with a nod; that was what she was waiting 
  for.

Leetah tilts her head, gazing at Rayek.

Startoucher blinks a bit, and his grin fades slightly as he sees the tension. 
  He glances at Nightfall for a second, and then to Driftstalker.

Cutter looks at you for a moment.

Nightfall offers Startoucher a shrug and a slight shake of her head.

You locksend to Leetah, Rayek sends, but almost involuntarily, a flash of 
  tangled emotions.

Leetah locksends ** <<uncompromising pleasure at seeing you>> **

DriftStalker glances around a bit... Elves... tense elves. Tense at each 
  other. Time for a nap.

Cutter straightens up, shoulders thrown back a little, as Rayek, even on the 
  ground, is still taller than he. The faintest dip of his nose is a nod. "You 
  do."

Nightfall reaches one hand out, picking up n old, dry stick; her other hand 
  pulls out her knife of it's own volition and starts flicking the blade with 
  short, precise motions against the wood.

Rayek's gaze slides sideways, then, perhaps as if he is almost afraid to look 
  Leetah or anyone else in the eye. He begins, more or less in Cutter's 
  direction, "Ekuar and I... thank Ember for assisting us. We will be 
  returning to the Palace and will not burden you long..." Then, again, his 
  regard flicks to Leetah, startledly.

Startoucher glances at Ember and chuckles slightly.

Ynderra stifles a low giggle, as she studies Rayek's leather-clad frame in 
  frank appreciation.

Leetah gazes levelly at Rayek.
Leetah locksends ** Your leg... **

Spidersilk walks over from the Father Tree.
Spidersilk has arrived.

Leetah raises her hand, faint glow touching her fingers.

Cutter glances sidelong again at Leetah, and then back to Rayek, giving him 
  another shallow nod. "Stay as long as it takes.."

Leetah locksends ** May I? **

Startoucher smiles as he sees Spidersilk, divorcing his attention from the 
  tension in the clearing. ** Hiya! **

Nightfall glances down at her knife, switches the wood into her knife hand and 
  flicks some shavings off her leg, then goes baack to carving.

You locksend ** <He did not expect this... unveiled joy from you, and you can 
  feel him freeze in amazement.> I... it is nothing... ** to Leetah.

Spidersilk pads in, sheerly curious. The desert elf is at Lostholt, eh? She 
  studies him, without the least bit of shame in her curious gaze. ** Hmm? Oh. 
  Startoucher ... ** Her eyes don't leave Rayek.

Ynderra waves to Spidersilk, and points, surreptitiously, at the red feathers 
  in Rayek's hair.

Startoucher quirks an eyebrow and glances back at Rayek.

Ember looks at you for a moment.

Nightfall looks thoughtfully at the stick, cleans her blade with a couple of 
  deft flicks against her thigh, and smoothly returns it to it's sheath, 
  keping the stick in her hands to look at it thoughtfully.

Rayek stares at Leetah in undisguised shock, then follows her green gaze down 
  to his right leg. Stiffly and mutely, he manages a nod.

Spidersilk nods, still absently, at Ynderra. You're right. Rayek has feathers 
  in his hair. And /boy/ does he look grouchy.

Startoucher grins a bit at Spidersilk. When does he not?

Ynderra leaps nimbly up to run over and whisper in Spidersilk's ear.

Leetah laughs.
Leetah locksends ** If it is nothing, my oldest friend, then let me heal you. 
  **

Spidersilk glances at Ynderra, and grins, with a quick nod.

Ember watches Rayek, and her mother, with regular glances at Cutter, chewing 
  on her lower lip.

As if trying to brace himself against a storm, Rayek remains stiff of 
  carriage, but again manages a nod to Leetah. The look he gives her is oddly 
  wary, and frightened.

Startoucher locksends ** Nice welcome, eh? **

You sense in a locksend, Ember, rather tentatively, offers a thread of 
  reassurance, not knowing at all how it'll be recieved.

Leetah locksends ** <<soothing>> **

You locksend to Startoucher, Rayek, if he notes your sending, doesn't respond; 
  all his attention his focused elsewhere.

Nightfall rubs with her thumb at a section of the stick, tilting her head back 
  to nod a bit to Ember, then glancing around to ascertain just what is going 
  on.

Rayek finally steps, awkwardly, to Leetah.

Leetah holds out her hands to him.

Cutter steps, in counterpoint, away from her, and to gather up a handful of 
  the scattered leaves from the earlier play. He does not watch as hands are 
  taken, but studies the veins in brown-and-red leaves that oddly reflect 
  Rayek's attire.

Rayek, his gaze lowered as though he has become suddenly fascinated with the 
  leaf-covered ground, nevertheless finds Leetah's hands in his field of 
  vision. He stares at her brown fingers, and his eyes turn liquid.

Leetah locksends ** <<acceptance>> **

You locksend ** <Something cracks in his fragile calm, and he struggles to 
  maintain the shell as he sends, completely thunderstruck.> You... are not... 
  angry.... ** to Leetah.

Ynderra giggles lowly, and just to distract her, throws leaves on Spidersilk. 
  *rustle rustle rustle*

Startoucher grins and helps Ynderra bury Spidersilk.

Leetah reaches to take Rayek's hands.

Rayek risks a look at Cutter's lifemate; something can be seen to have 
  shattered in his wary demeanor, for his expression has turned flabbergasted.

Leetah locksends ** There is a time for anger and a time for love. **
Leetah locksends ** And a time for healing. **

Spidersilk bats at the leaves, then chuckles, shaking silvery hair free of 
  them, catching a few to throw back.

You locksend to Leetah, Rayek, utterly unable to fathom a proper reply, cannot 
  manage more than a vague acknowledgement of the sending. ** .... ** There's 
  fear there, shock, disbelief.

Startoucher growls playfully at Spidersilk, bracing himself...

Nightfall grins lightly, leaning over to scoop up a handful of leaves and toss 
  them onto 'Silk's head.

Rayek has frozen, now, as his hands are taken. He remains staring at Leetah, 
  dumbfounded.

Leetah locksends ** Come with me? **

Spidersilk squints around at the group of elves determined to bury her, and 
  grins.

Leetah senses "Rayek's fingers feel, perhaps, rougher than you might remember. 
  Certainly their violent trembling in yours is a new thing, too...."

Ynderra squeals delightedly, and throws leaves everywhere.

Leetah gazes at Rayek's eyes.

Rayek flicks a round-eyed look to Cutter. He supports this?

Startoucher giggles and wonders which elf maiden to tackle first.

Leetah grasps Rayek's hands firmly, reassuringly.

Nightfall chuckles softly, quirking an eyebrow at 'Silk mock-challengingly.

Ember, for her part, manages to ignore the romping elves, all but leaning 
  towards Rayek and Leetah, blue eyes half a-fire.

Leetah climbs carefully up the hill that overlooks the river.
Leetah has left.

Cutter is not looking, remember? Take whatever answer you will, Rayek, from 
  the fact that he hasn't stopped her yet.

Spidersilk crouches, in preparation for being pounced, though now she's 
  watching Cutter.

Rayek is led off more than moving of his own accord.

You climb carefully up the hill that overlooks the river.
Hill
You decide to climb up the hill.
Standing atop the slope, you have an incredible view of the SilverRun river, 
  to the west of the holt and to the Northeast you see the huge branches of 
  the immense father tree in the distance, reaching upward to the sky.. The 
  land here rises softly in a gentle slope, then drops off steeply to the 
  river bank which hems in the western side of the holt. The land around you 
  is covered over with brown and drying grass, dotted here and there with 
  colorful stray leaves from the neighboring trees. The autumn sun shines 
  warmly down from above on gaily colored leaves.
Contents:
Leetah
Woodbiter
Tent(#2391LOVe)
Obvious exits:
Clearing<E>  River Bank<SW>  Along the River Bank<W>  

Rayek shuffles after you, almost dazedly.

Leetah pulls you into an embrace, if you are willing.

Rayek utters a strange choked little sound, the moment he is embraced. 
  Trembling vehemently from head to toe now, he fumbles to return the hug. 
  What has befallen the airwalker? This fright is not like him....

Woodbiter hmrmphfs as he stands up to amble out and leave you privacy.

Leetah continues holding you. Her healing energy rises warmly through the two 
  of you.

Woodbiter heads towards Clearing<E>
Woodbiter has left.

Leetah locksends ** Ah, my friend, what has happened? **

Light engulfs the two, warmth borne of the healing power and love, deep love 
  at its heart. Six hundred years of friendship cannot be erased by three 
  hands of years of anger. That is the deepness beneath the healing energy. 
  Leetah embraces you on many levels, welcoming you back into her heart, and 
  offering apology for the past anger between you.

Rayek .... _feels_ different, as that deep glow inundates him. The old pain in 
  his leg, several eights of days old, is the most noticeable thing about 
  him... but that quickly mends itself, as the light hastens an already 
  half-healed break. But for that, he seems in better health than he has been 
  in years -- fresh air, regular food, and regular exercise have strengthened 
  him. Below the physical layers of him, though, there is something else: 
  lingering damage, born of many layers of anguish. And, you sense, that 
  damage runs deep. His thoughts are slightly scattered, oddly so, as if he 
  shies away from something deep within him.

Leetah's embrace encompasses the physical and the mental hurts you have borne.

You locksend to Leetah, Rayek does not send... at least not consicously. It is 
  easy enough for your magic to read from him a profound amazement that you 
  have so openly welcomed him; this soaks into him like the spring rains do 
  the deserts around the Sun Village. And as it does, you can catch random 
  fragments of memory, both recent and years-old: Rayek, fallen into the ice; 
  Rayek, painfully alone in the halls of the Palace; Rayek, his mind buckling 
  under the weight of... his thoughts spin.

Leetah's love for her friend augments her healing power, shining through the 
  both of them like the sun rising across the sands of the desert. Warmth 
  radiates through the cold, healing light illuminating all the darkness and 
  loneliness, filling it.

Rayek continues to tremble, undone, and buries a suspiciously dampened face in 
  your hair. He allows himself to send at last, garbledly....
You locksend ** <grief/shame/memories, fragmented, only barely healed; the 
  touch of your magic in his psyche is almost as if he is receiving it for the 
  first time.> ** to Leetah.

Leetah strokes your hair, light softening and changing to answer your needs. 
  She listens with every part of herself.

You locksend ** <Slowly, as your healing shimmer floods through him, the story 
  unfolds out of his mind. How your fleeing from him in Sorrow's End convinced 
  him you never wished to see him again. How he sorrows over his failure to 
  restore the Palace to flight. How elves -- Gliders, others -- have all 
  placed their own demands on him to do this thing or that thing with the High 
  Ones' ancient home. How ten years of utter solitude have strangely changed 
  him, taken an edge off his arrogance, leaving in its place an uncertainty of 
  how to face others of his kind. How he still aches over the disappearance of 
  Timmain...> ** to Leetah.

Leetah's healing is partly magical, mostly personal. She sends her faith in 
  him, her love of him. She continues stroking your hair, allowing herself to 
  be wholly vulnerable in her healing, to touch you most deeply, intimately, 
  as you seem to need. She willingly accepts everything you send to her, 
  healing working with the turns upon turns of pain.

You locksend ** <How something... perhaps something he did not let you heal, 
  before, after the Palace fell from the sky... snapped within him, weighted 
  by all this grief. Dazed, rambling, he was led off in secret, from the 
  Palace, by Ekuar... his memory jumbles a little, there. There are 
  recollections of journeying. Of Ember joining their tiny party. Of moons of 
  not-thinking, of allowing the ancient rockshaper and the huntress who is 
  your daughter to lead him, of losing himself in hunting and simply 
  _being_... of even allowing Ember to link with him, for a time, sharing the 
  Now of wolf-thought in her sending. Of his memory, wounded; only now, with 
  you here, does that blow to his spirit finally begin to mend. In the barest 
  of stunned sent whispers, he admits that he'd forgotten you... and he 
  grieves anew.> ** to Leetah.

Leetah locksends ** Ah, my oldest friend, you were ever in my heart. <<love>> 
  **
Leetah's magic banks like the burning embers from a long-burning fire, working 
  through all of the pain. Love and forgiveness combine in her sending, and 
  her magic radiance. Her magic flows through you, filling the cracks, drawing 
  the edges together over the pain, leaching it away, absorbing it and 
  dissolving it through the strength of her love.

Rayek, at last, simply... weeps, his breath ragged, his pulse racing. But his 
  fierce embrace doesn't lessen.

Leetah holds you with equal strength and intensity. She strokes your head, 
  gently, soothingly. She cries with you, for your pain, for all the years of 
  love which had been lost.

Rayek after a time lifts his head, and stares down at you, wonderingly.
You locksend ** I... did not dream.... ** to Leetah.

Leetah shakes her head, eyes still wet with tears. Her full lips are curved in 
  a smile of welcome to you. ** You did not. **
Leetah holds you tightly again. ** My dearest, oldest friend... **

Rayek's right hand twines itself gingerly in your crown of curls; his left 
  curls up to your shoulder, and his grip is still tight, as if he fears you 
  to be about to vanish out of his arms. Had he not dreamed, he wonders, after 
  all? At least of this? He starts to send, but pauses hesitantly, the touch 
  of his mind suggesting that with your magic -- your _presence_ -- dissolving 
  that years-old sorrow, he has no idea what to do, how to proceed.

Leetah pulls back for a moment and smiles at you, eyes still shining.
Leetah locksends ** You are ever welcomed here, my friend. **
Leetah sighs, and extreme tiredness is written in every gesture. But there is 
  a joy there, too, in knowledge of a job done to the best of one's ability.

Rayek staggers a little, and continues to stare at you, stunned. But he sends 
  tinily: ** <Relief, wordless but no less profound for that. And gratitude. 
  His head still reels, but these thoughts, at least, are clear.> **

Leetah smiles and embraces you one more time. ** You will stay here for a 
  little while, won't you? **

Rayek blurts, gruffly, ** The... others. They will not object? Cutter... **

Leetah laughs softly. "Only fears what he can lose. He cannot lose me. Ever."
Leetah squeezes your hand.

Rayek's fingers still tremble, a little; his gaze flicks up and down along 
  you, as if he sees you only truly now.

Leetah smiles and draws you with her back to the clearing. She is determined 
  that your isolation not repeat itself.
Leetah heads towards Clearing<E>
Leetah has left.

You head towards the Lost Holt Clearing.
Lost Holt Clearing
Contents:
Leetah
Redlance
Nightfall
DriftStalker
Startoucher
Denning Tree
Obvious exits:
Path<E>  Hill<W>  Approach to the Father Tree<N>  

Leetah smiles, waving hello with one hand, the othe one holding Rayek's.

Startoucher smiles happily at Leetah. ** Leetah! My eyes see with joy! It's 
  been a while! **

DriftStalker flicks his tail at his elf.

Redlance chuckles and nods, "Well, you -are- at least staying until I get to 
  talk to you. For right now I promised to let Nightfall teach me to hunt."

Leetah smiles benignly. "It's been a few minutes, yes."

Rayek, looking remarkably as if he has had a mountain dropped on his head, 
  mutely allows Leetah to lead him into the clearing. His gaze flicks from 
  face to face, with uncharacteristic shyness.

Nightfall smiles to Leetah, looks at Rayek, then looks 'stermly' at Redlance, 
  "Teach you to hunt? Hunh. You need no help."

Startoucher smiles at Redlance. ** Good choice in teachers. ** he sends. He 
  glances at Leetah and blinks, confused
Startoucher glances at Rayek for a few seconds, frowns to himself, and then 
  nods. ** Oh... yes... I just got here... saw Leetah and Ember and Cutter... 
  Rayek showed up... Yeah... I remember. **

Nightfall smiles again at Leetah, turning to scan quickly across the woods, 
  thinking.

Leetah smiles to Nightfall, one hand touching her head in a tired motion. She 
  turns to Rayek. ** Where would you like to sleep? You must be as tired as I 
  am. **

Rayek's stance tautens, as he eyes the other elves in the clearing, warily. 
  His gaze flicks occasionally off to the east, as if he considers bolting in 
  that direction, but as of yet, he hasn't released Leetah's hand.

Nightfall smiles thanks to Startoucher, then turns back toRedlance, ** Which 
  way should we go? **

Rayek visibly starts, then glances eastward again. "Ekuar," he murmurs, 
  brusquely.

Nightfall has her bow slung over her shoulder, intending to go use it properly.

Startoucher grins happily at Rayek. ** Ekuar? Is he here? **
Startoucher frowns. ** No... wait... he's at the GoBack Lodge. **

Leetah turns to her friend. ** Nightfall? Would you help Ekuar find his way 
  here? **

Nightfall tilts her head, looks at Redlance, then nods.

Rayek frowns briefly in Startoucher's direction, before saying lowly, "Ekuar 
  awaits me outside the Holt... I should not leave him..." Whether he 
  addresses Leetah, Nightfall, or Startoucher is perhaps unclear.

Leetah locksends ** Ekuar could find no better guide than Nightfall. **
Leetah sends briefly to Ekuar, smiling.

Nightfall shifts her bow so it sits better on her shoulder, noding to Leetah. 
  ** We'll go out and find him.** She turns her attention to Rayek, speaking 
  to him for the first time, ** Don't worry, I'm sure he'll understand about 
  you staying here for a while. **
Nightfall follows the path out of the clearing.
Nightfall has left.

Redlance follows the path out of the clearing.
Redlance has left.

Startoucher scratches his chin in thought. ** I think I shall return... Soon, 
  I think. **

Leetah smiles at Rayek, "You are tired, yes?"

Rayek jumps slightly as Nightfall addresses him, and stares at her in some 
  surprise before noting that yes, her tone was friendly. Briefly, he glances 
  off to the east again, sending, and at last he mutters, "He... still needs 
  rest. The journey was long..."
Rayek, as Nightfall and Redlance move off to find the old rockshaper, looks 
  slowly back to Leetah.
You locksend ** I... am... weary. <The admission is difficult; whatever else 
  has happened to him in the past few years, Rayek has not lost all of his 
  pride.> ** to Leetah.

Startoucher smiles to himself. ** Time to go. ** he sends to himself, lightly 
  jumping off of the branch. He takes up his coat and puts it on.
Startoucher dons his coat.
Startoucher ties the coat's cloth belt and turns to Drifty. He sends 
  something, and the cat, grumbling, stands to follow.
Startoucher winks at Leetah. ** Shade. **
Startoucher mumbles something about mountains to himself as he starts to walk 
  off.
Startoucher walks toward the Father Tree.
Startoucher has left.

DriftStalker takes off after Startoucher.
DriftStalker has left.

Leetah smiles to Rayek.
Leetah locksends ** Time to rest then. **
Leetah taps her finger, never having released Rayek's hand.

Rayek pulls in a breath, then nods, cautiously.

Leetah pulls Rayek with her, toward a den.
Leetah walks toward the Father Tree.
Leetah has left.

[Leetah escorts Rayek to....]

You push aside the pale leather and duck into the visitor's den.
Visitor's Den
A warm, largish den, half buried in thick, soft furs. Travel gear lies against 
  the walls, mostly forgotten by other visitors. Candlelight flickers softly, 
  creating the illusion of even more warmth in the den. It is a comfortable 
  place, and often used.
It grows cold as evening falls. Dry leaves whisper in the wind.
Obvious exits:
Out <O>  

[Once Leetah leaves, gently providing furs for the still-dazed Rayek
 to rest in, the erstwhile master of the Palace is finally joined by
 his mentor....]

You sense in a locksend, Ekuar's mind seeks yours from nearby, gently 
  curious. Sharp ears can hear his uneven tread approaching the entrance of 
  the den and stopping respectfully outside.

You locksend to Ekuar, Rayek seizes on the send, quickly, and answers it: ** 
  In here, Ekuar... **

Ekuar ducks into the den, the leather flapping back down.
Ekuar has arrived.
Ekuar shuffles inside, large eyes blinking lucently in the dimness.

Rayek sits in the middle of the den, a fur draped around him; he looks quite 
  stunned, and as you peek in, he looks up quickly, gaze liquid.

Ekuar comes closer, his lopsided gait unhurried. He regards you mildly and 
  intently. "Eh! Brownskin, here you are, indeed." He pauses, and his forehead 
  wrinkles. "Something's... happened. Hm? Have they healed your leg, my boy?" 
  But the tone of the question seems unconvinced that that could be enough to 
  produce this indefinable aura that surrounds the airwalker now.

Rayek mumbles, huskily, "She... Leetah..."

At the sound of that name-- coming from Rayek, after all that has happened-- 
  Ekuar's eyes widen. He carefully lowers himself to sit close to Rayek, 
  absently laying his staff aside to pat softly at the dark elf's arm. "Go 
  on," he says, low and encouraging.

Rayek fixes his gaze on the elder, and breathes, "She... is not... angry..."

Ekuar blinks, looking deep into Rayek's amber eyes and rejoicing at what he 
  sees there. A smile, warm and beaming and jubilant, brightens his face.
Ekuar slips easily and naturally into sending to express the surge of joy and 
  relief he feels. ** Dear one. You faced something you feared... and found 
  forgiveness there. I am so glad... **

Rayek abruptly reaches to embrace you. He is shivering, still, but there is an 
  unmistakable shimmer to him, both of his skin and his mind. Leetah's touch 
  is there.

Ekuar's arm goes around his student at once, holding him close, smiling 
  tenderly into the fall of ebon hair. ** It seems there was more healing here 
  than just a leg, eh, my dear lad? A bit of weight off of those shoulders, 
  and perhaps the prospect of a sound and restful sleep ahead? ** Along with 
  the genuine happiness in the mind's tone is a sparkling, exuberant 
  undercurrent, perhaps best described as 
  <<fondest-hopes-achieved-for-someone-I-was-so-worried-for>>-- a complex and 
  loving layer of feeling.

Rayek shivers, reflexively, and perhaps even cries, a little. ** Ekuar... I... 
  I did not dare to dream that... **

Ekuar strokes the lean back, his hand moving in soothing circles. ** Oh, 
  Brownskin. I know. There is great fear in hoping, especially when the hope 
  is so near and so very painfully longed-for. Hm? Hope leaves us open to 
  vulnerability. Doubt. Pain. ** He twines a strand of dark hair around his 
  gnarled fingers, tugging softly. ** But there is joy there, too. Joy in 
  never being quite left alone in the dark. Seeing a light, even if only a 
  tiny flame far away at the end of a tunnel. And you're proof that even a 
  hope you might think impossible to reach can come true. ** A whispering 
  chuckle. ** Didn't I tell you that you don't always know what's best? **

Rayek admits quietly, ** I feel... strange. **

Ekuar pulls back a bit-- his arm is still around Rayek, but now he can look 
  into the angular face with a benevolently impish grin. ** A -good- sort of 
  strange, I hope? **

Rayek's hand drifts across his right leg, as he sends lowly, ** I... do not 
  know how... **

Ekuar's brows rise, waiting for more. ** How...? **

You locksend to Ekuar, Rayek finally sends, a somewhat disjointed sense of... 
  profound relief, deep enough that he reels with it, unable to grasp the 
  effects as even now they continue to ripple through his thoughts.

Ekuar's eyes sparkle with merriment, but his smile has changed and deepened 
  into something more profound... an expression of sympathy and respect and 
  care. ** So large a burden, for so long, ** his mind murmurs. ** So little 
  hope left. Like being in the dark for such a long time that you're not quite 
  sure what to do with the gift of light. Believe me, dear one, I know. There 
  is something... strange... about having a wish finally granted. It feels 
  like falling. ** Words meld and blur into a stream of memories... a gaunt, 
  ancient elf, near death, in a dank and putrid hole underground, found and 
  brought back to life by you yourself, against all hope. The time it took for 
  this to sink in, the amazement and heady loss of balance within the aged 
  mind so used to pain and deprivation. All of this he shares, reminding you 
  that you once brought the same kind of dizzying flash of relief to him that 
  Leetah brought to you.

Rayek blinks several times at you; he still trembles, and his amber gaze is 
  still wet. But slowly, he gives you a single nod.

Ekuar sends quietly, ** I can't tell you exactly how to handle this change, 
  dear one. But I can always share my own history, our history. The way you 
  brought me to the light. I can tell you that I learned to embrace the gift, 
  cherish it. As I feel you should. **

Rayek, very slowly, lies down. ** I... am going to have to think... **

Ekuar sits back a bit, folding his hand on his own knee. He nods, and then 
  sends with a teacher's gentle reminder, ** Indeed. But please, Brownskin... 
  If I know you, you might spend too much time trying to fill the empty place 
  where the pain was with other kinds of pain. Guilt, perhaps, that you bind 
  on your own shoulders. I ask you-- as your friend, as your teacher-- as 
  someone who loves you-- I ask you to let yourself have some peace. Eh? ** 
  His eyes twinkle lovingly. ** Because you know that's one of the things you 
  seem to deny yourself the most. **

Rayek murmurs, a little dazedly, ** I... think that... perhaps... **
Rayek blinks, reelingly.

Ekuar subsides, his good humor now directed wryly at himself. ** Listen to me, 
  going on and on. As if you didn't have -enough- to think about, eh, 
  Brownskin? **

Rayek almost... smiles. No; he DOES smile, even if it's little more than an 
  upward curve of one end of his mouth.

Ekuar drinks in that sight, his eyes glistening a bit with moisture born of 
  swelling joy, and pride, and relief on his suffering lad's behalf.

Rayek murmurs, in wonder, ** Maybe I can... sleep... ** As if eager to find 
  out... and exhausted from the sudden shock of lack-of-pain-within, Rayek 
  settles back, eyes drifting shut.

Ekuar breathes in deeply and sighs, thin chest rising and falling almost 
  soundlessly, the tensions of the 'long walk' since leaving the Palace all 
  coursing through and out on a push of air.

Perhaps coaxed by the lingering traces of Leetah's magic in his system, Rayek 
  settles back, head slightly turned to the ancient rockshaper, and the 
  faintest of sighs can be heard to drift out of him. The smile doesn't remain 
  on his face -- but then, neither do the lines of strain that have haunted 
  his eyes for moons, as he drops into slumber.

[End log.]