"Farewell to Dawncaller" Log Date: 10/31/2001 (Approximated) Log Cast: Wing, Zotahska, Lifefire Log Intro: Even as the Festival of Flood and Flower gets underway in the Sun Village Wing's wolf dies, and Wing receives comfort for his loss first from Zotahska of the Underworld and then from his tribesmate Lifefire. ---------- Wing's Room(#5180Rh) This large and simple decorated room is kept in soft earth colors. Wing removed almost every memories from Menders, Newstars and his childhood that were still in this room. It belongs to Wing now, his childhood is over and he doesn't see any need in the old stuff that he gave back to his parents. A large and comfortable sleeping pit is filled with blankets and pillows, and a round window with a blue bead curtain lets in the bright light of day and the mellow light of the two moons. Contents: Zotahska Obvious exits: Main room Wing sits at the edge of the sleeping pit, being lost in his thoughts. The sun that shines through the window reflects on his hair as he sits silent, just like frozen. Zotahska rolls over, stretching. She decided this place was as good as any other to sleep. She sits up, yawning slightly. **<>** Wing rarely notices Zo as she awakes, but then he crawls over to Zotahska and strokes her hair, slightly smiling. **Have you rested well?** Then he sits down again, next to Zotahska. Zotahska nods, smiling. **I did.** She looks at you, curious. **Are you alright? You seem...distracted.** Wing bites on his lips. He looks at you with his dark blue eyes and sorrows overshadow his always enlightning expressions. **She went away... Dawncaller... I just awaked when she was gone. I guess she is going to die today...** He sobs, tears filling his eyes. He bites his lips again and looks up to the window to hold back his tears. Zotahska aws, peering out the window. **The poor wolfy.** She doesn't understand being bonded to a wolf, but still, she was sad when her pet wolf died. **Do you know where she is?** Wing sends trembling **No, I don't know, but I suppose that she is still in the village... she hasn't gone out of it a long time ago and I just know that she is somewhere close...** Zotahska mmmms. **Do you think we should go find her?** Wing nods with eyes narrowed. **I just didn't want you to wake up alone.** He sighs and looks at Zo. **Are you hungry?** Zotahska mmms and shrugs slightly. **I could eat.** Wing smiles at Zo and stands up, walking to a shadowed place and gets some fruit. Slowly walking back to Zotahska, he sends **Well, either you become hungry now or later, it doesn't matter... I just don't want you to starve.** He sits down, reaching out the fruit to Zo. **The Festival of Flood and Flower will begin today... how ironical.** Zotahska takes the fruit, looking at you curiously. **The Festival? I don't know....I don't think I was here last time.** Wing makes himself a bit more comfortable in the pit. Sadly he stares through the pillows. **Well, the Festival of Flood and Flower is a ritual to greet the new life. In these days the desert is full of flowers because of the hard rain that came down like a thunderstorm during the last nights. The flowers grow, the trees carry new fruits and usually offspring is celebrated too. Since we know that there are so many elves in this world we send out for them and call them to join us in the Festival. It's the Festival of new life, that is rare in the desert...** Zotahska nods, nibbling on the fruit and looking at you. **Well, it's very pretty here when all the flowers are blooming. It's not so bad here, most of the time though. A lot brighter than where I come from.** Wing smirks at Zo, leaning back a bit and looking at Zo trough his eyes that are narrowed to slits. **As far as I know you are from the Underworld, it isn't bright there at all, or am I totaly wrong?** Zotahska mmms. **Well, my cave is. But I like it that way, I always have.** She shrugs. **I'm odd.** Which is an understatement if there ever was one. Wing touches your cheek softly. He smirks and sents softly **Well, I like your oddness...** Zotahska smiles. **So do I, now that I understand it.** She frowns slightly. **I was sick for a very long time, Wing. Very sick.** Wing raises an eyebrow. His smile slowly fades as Zo sends to him. Looking sorrowed now he sends in the same mood. **How so? Tell me, if you don't mind...** Zotahska frowns, pulling her knees up to her chest. **I...I don't know how to explain it. My mind...my mind didn't work right.** Wing softly brushes through your hair with his one hand. **Just tell me, or try to explain me... I am not afraid of it.** He smiles encouraging. Zotahska frowns. **That's just it, I can't explain it. I just....my mind was stuck. I was fun until I was about two hands old. Or, at least, no one noticed anything was wrong with me. But after about two hands...my mind just got stuck. It wouldn't work like everyone else's.** Wing hrrrms and shrugs slightly. **What does it mean? Work like everyone else?** Zotahska sighs, shrugging. **That's all I can say. It didn't work. I was two hands old forever.** Wing smiles at you and nods slightly. He draws back his hand and stands up. **Well, as soon as you are finished with dressing and eating, send for me, then we can go and search for Dawncaller...** He sighs, a shadow flying over his face. **I need to do something in the cellar, it won't take me too long.** He leans down, softly kissing your hair and turns to walk out of the room. Later on that day, Wing splitted from Zo, so that they have a bigger effort to find Dawncaller: Dancing Square A wide paved square surrounded by brightly colored pavilions and canopied platforms. Gaily colored banners and paper lanterns hang from poles at the corners of the square. Playful spring breezes dip to ground level from time to time. In the warm spring evening the elves gather to rest and chat. Soft laughter is heard from a hut. Flowers are exploding into color and life. The village has been decorated for the Festival of Flood and Flowers, gaily colored lamps strung everywhere. Contents: Lifefire Balancing Game Obvious exits: Savah's House Sun-Touchers House Mender's Hut Suntop's House Garden Canopy Boundary Path Crossroads Lifefire is sitting in the shade of a hut after another hot dance sipping a skin of dreamberries. Wing enters the Dancing Square. His face is overshadowed with a great sorrow and he barely notices the attempts of the elves to dance with him or the offers of dreamberries. His eyes wander of the place and are surely looking for someone, or something, as he stumbles over Lifefire, hitting the dreamberry skin with his knee and making Lifefire spill it. Lifefire args as he is covered in dreamberry wine and that he won't be able to drink that wine, "Hey." He looks at Wing, "Is something wrong Wing? You don't look happy. It's a festival, you should be happy." Wing nods and sighs, as he acted really dorky, what sure rarely happens. "Dawncaller... she left... I guess she is, well, dead... and now I have to find her. Maybe she is still alive, and I just hoped that she would be here, if she still..." He sobs and goes on "I am sorry that I stumbled over you and make you spill your wine..." Then he turns to go on with his search. Lifefire stands up and sets down the skin. It is quickly picked up by another else. "Wing wait!" Stripes comes in from the garden. "Come on we will go look for her together." Wing slowly turns his head back, looking straightly at Lifefire. "Okay, I suppose she is somewhere close to the canyon, somewhere at the bridge... she always enjoyed it to be there." He sighs and waits for Lifefire to arrive which doesn't take long. Lifefire smiles as Stripes comes over to him and licks some of the dreamberry wine off him. Lifefire hops up on Stripes and extends a hand to Wing, "Let's go." He climbs up on Stripes. Wing nods and takes Lifefire hand and climbs up on the wolf. Stripes arrives from the In the Shadow of the Bridge. Stables(#3307RA$) This large, anciently shaped cavern, has been converted into stables for the zwoots of the Sun Village. Fifteen stalls in all have been built in the cavern, all spacious enough for the large creatures. At any given time at least three of the zwoots are in here, milling about in their stalls. Piles of rope, along with harnesses for plowing, and saddles, are scattered about the room. Off to the left as you enter the large opening is an area where five stalls once stood, but is now one large area where wolves and other beasts can be kept while their elves are in the village. A variety of other things clutter up the large cavern, though there is plenty of room between the stalls d the cave mouth for any beasts to work through without getting injured. The seven stars of Goodtree's Rest begin to come out as the dimming red light of sunset fills the warm spring skies. Wing jumps down from Stripes back and starts to cry silently as he sees Dawncaller lying dead on the ground. There she is, dead now. All those years that she was at his side. He kneels down besides her and puts his face into her fur. Lifefire lands easily on the ground by Stripes. Lifefire hops off of Stripes and moves slowly over to Wing. He puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. Wing sobs at the touch of Lifefire and lifts his head, starring with tears in his eyes at the dead female jackal-wolf. "Well, it's the Way, isn't it? It was her time, I have to live with it." Almost without a sound Wing whispers more to himself "But I will never forget you Dawncaller...I'll hold a good howl for you..." Then he stands up, lifting Dawncaller. "She feels like air...she got so thin..." He sobs, but then a sudden seriousness falls on his face. "Let us go... I'll return, but please, tell the others that I have to have some time alone. We'll meet later." Lifefire gives Wing a hug, "Yes it is the Way. It was her time. She died without pain. Remember Kiralee healed her." He gives Wing a reasurring smile, "Yes we will give her the best howl." After Wing 'burried' her: Desert's Edge Dry soil, with traces of sand and broken stones all around. Small clumps of pale dry cactus and dusty scented purple sage are all that grow here. Small creeping and crawling creatures abound, but are active mainly at night. The faint scent of water tantalizes you from somewhere to the south. Stripes looks back towards the hidden village with a sigh, walking from the gateway onto the desert floor. Lifefire lands easily on the ground by Stripes. Wing looks silently at Lifefire. Lifefire takes a deep breath. ** I am here for you Wing. ** Wing looks at Lifefire with a strange emotion, that was never seen on Wing before. A deep pain. Well, it was just a wolf a Sunfolker would say, but every Wolfrider knows that a wolf is comparable to a lifemate. It's not a pet, they love the wolf dearly. The spend their whole life together... and when this life fades, it's like someone of the own family died - the wolves are the Wolfriders family. Wing smiles at Lifefire, noding. **It's okay... we will howl for her tomorrow. Not this eve. Let us celebrate life today, I already 'celebrated' her dead. We will howl tomorrow, before we leave.** Kind of a symbolic gesture, leaving the old behind, looking to the new beginning. Lifefire hugs Wing back, ** I think that some dreamberries and a good dance will be good. ** He gives Wing's cheek a gently lick, ** Maybe afterwards we can celebrate life together. ** [End log.]