[These events happen just after Rillwhisper, Woodhawk, and Rainfire leave Rillwhisper and her mates' den, immediately following Trollkiller and Dawn's Recognition. Rill, 'Hawk, and Rainfire have left that den to leave the newly-Recognizeds alone for a bit... but Rainfire doesn't seem to be dealing well with the Recognition.] Rillwhisper smiles, tugging Woodhawk out after her. You climb outside onto the lookout branch. Woodhawk climbs out of the Old Willow's heart. Woodhawk has arrived. Rainfire climbs out of the Old Willow's heart. Rainfire has arrived. You say "What a season for a Recognition!" Woodhawk grins, leaning against the trunk. Rainfire climbs back out onto the branch where he'd left several ravvits bound together and hanging off the limb. Rainfire says rather absently, "Hunt went well..." Rillwhisper clasps Woodhawk's hand softly. And tells Rainfire: "You have been busy!" Rainfire nods. "Went to see what happened to the humans...and hunted on the way back." Rillwhisper turns to look at Rainfire gently. Rainfire sits on the branch, legs dangling as he unsheaths his dagger and begins to skin one of the ravvits. His eyes are absent however, nowhere near their sparkling, impish normal blue depths. From the clearing below, Silversong emerges from the nearby copse. Rillwhisper sits down lightly on the branch, with Woodhawk watching quietly behind her. She smiles tentatively at Rainfire, watching to see if he says anything. From the clearing below, Silversong looks up at the pair of you for a moment, before sitting down in her normal spot beside the Willow, looking skyward. Rainfire's knife moves deftly and shortly he drapes a silky white pelt over the branch. From the clearing below, Silversong glances up at the movement. ** Hmm? ** Rillwhisper and Woodhawk glance at one another, sending between them the same conclusion: obviously, Rainfire was struck suddenly by this. Woodhawk, however, glances down at Silversong, and with a quiet sending to Rill, he drops deftly down. Woodhawk swings down off the branch to the clearing below. Woodhawk has left. From the clearing below, Woodhawk drops down from the branch above. Rainfire smooths the pelt with one hand and murmurs, "You always liked these furs, didn't you?" From the clearing below, Woodhawk smiles softly to Silversong, moving to her, though keeping an eye upward. Rillwhisper nods earnestly to Rainfire. "It's a good shade. And thick and warm." From the clearing below, Silversong looks rather confused. From the clearing below, Woodhawk moves to clasp the healer's hand... You locksend ** It seems Rainfire hasn't taken Trollkiller and Dawn's Recognizing well... ** to Silversong. From the clearing below, Silversong sets her hand into Woodhawk's... and she suddenly *blinks*. ** -What?- ** From the clearing below, Woodhawk grins lopsidedly. Rainfire folds the pelt in half, skin side inward, and lays it across Rill's lap. "Here...I have long been at my curiosity and at the hunt..." Rillwhisper smiles softly, stroking the offering. ** It is lovely. ** From the clearing below, Silversong seems rather overwhelmed at this. From the clearing below, The croaking of a frog sounds from somewhere close by. Rainfire says "But I am home....I should learn to stay here.." Rillwhisper sends, ** The Holt won't go anywhere, smooth-talker. And it's safer to wander, with the humans gone. ** From the clearing below, Woodhawk at last nods to Silversong, confirming his send. From the clearing below, Silversong looks aside. ** Wonder how Zalen From the clearing below, Silversong looks aside. ** Wonder how Zalen'll take this. ** Rainfire nods slightly. "But I missed...." From the clearing below, A light breeze stirs the Old Willow's branches. Rainfire glances up to meet Rill's eyes for a moment. Rainfire locksends ** I missed Dawn...Twilight...missed you ** Rainfire's eyes drop back down to his hands as his knife flicks smoothly, working at divesting a silver pelted ravvit of it's hide. Rillwhisper watches Rainfire softly, her gaze very gentle. You locksend ** And you, too, have been missed. ** to Rainfire. From the clearing below, Woodhawk sends softly, ** It'll be interesting to see, aye... ** From the clearing below, Silversong nods quietly. ** Aye. ** Rainfire stops, his knife-bearing hand resting against his leg. He leans over slowly and lays his head on Rill's shoulder. Rillwhisper drapes an arm around the hunter, lightly. From the clearing below, Silversong looks up at Rainfire, watching him for a moment. You locksend ** Are you alright? ** to Rainfire. Rainfire nods slightly against Rill's shoulder. Rainfire locksends ** I..did not expect to come back...to find Dawn so...attached... ** Rillwhisper lightly brushes her hair through Rainfire's dark, dark hair. You locksend ** She was already Recognized beforehand, dearheart. ** to Rainfire. From the clearing below, Zalen appears from the nearby pathway. Rainfire sits back up right and sighs faintly. ** I know...so are you. ** From the clearing below, Silversong gazes at the pair of them for a moment, before her lips curl into a slight frown which she quickly hides. She reaches down into her pouch, pulling a small bag from it. From the clearing below, Silversong glances up, and nods at Zalen. From the clearing below, Zalen wanders in. Been hunting ravvits again. Caught a few, again. Rillwhisper pulls in a soft breath, watching Rainfire with a slight look of worry. From the clearing below, Woodhawk glances to Zalen, and smiles affably to him. From the clearing below, Zalen holds up the ravvits with a smile and wanders over by the spring, setting them down to start to work on them. Rillwhisper sends openly ** That's true... ** From the clearing below, Silversong gently takes Woodhawk's hand in her own, opening it, and setting the cloth bag in his palm. Something's in it, it can be seen, but not what. ** Here. ** Rainfire shrugs slightly as if putting the whole matter from his mind and bends back over his knife...but his mind is closed and difficult to sense. From the clearing below, Woodhawk blinks, and looks down at the gift...? Rillwhisper sighs softly... uncertain how to read Rainfire's mood, she opts for the safe course of leaving him be. Glancing down, she spots Zalen, sees that he, too, has been busy on the hunt, and drops down to join the others... You swing down off the branch to the clearing below. Zalen looks up and smiles. ** Rillwhisper. ** Silversong nods to Woodhawk. ** Found that when I found Sorrow, ** she sends, a slight hint of.. irritation, slipping out with her sending. Rillwhisper goes to Woodhawk, clasping his hand again - the free one, at any rate - and she glances to Zalen, smiling back. ** Zalen, ** she replies by way of greeting. ** I've news for you, cousin... ** Woodhawk says, glancing at the bag again, "Looks like a good night for news. What's this, healer?" Clasping Rill's fingers one last time, he opens the bag, to look at its contents. Zalen starts to clean a ravvit and gets back to making sure he doesn't slice his thumb off. ** Yes? ** From the branch above, Rainfire's knife pauses briefly, his eyes following Rill as she drops down, only a pained flicker in his eyes betraying what goes on in his mind before he drops his head and looks back down to his work. Silversong dips her fingers into the bag, pulling out a pinch of its contents to sprinkle onto Woodhawk's fingers. Sand. Red sand. Silversong sends, ** Dawn'll be pleased. I hope. ** Rillwhisper glances briefly up at Rainfire, a worried flicker in her green eyes reflecting worried concern. But it is honest pleasure in her expression as she sends to Zalen, ** Something has happened, to draw me and my mates closer to you and yours. Woodhawk and I are happy - we hope that you will be too. Dawn and Trollkiller have Recognized. ** Woodhawk suddenly grins at the red sand, smiling to Silversong, and as Rill sends, he smiles over to Zalen as well. Zalen continues cutting for a moment, but the smile and rosy color drains from his face. He stops and stares at the dimembered ravvit as though it had just said something to him. From the branch above, Rainfire sighs faintly, his only response to the news from below. Silversong's expression remains neutral, nodding in response to Woodhawk. Zalen takes a breath and glances up at Rillwhisper, sparing a wan smile towards her. "That's nice," he says, a quiet voice and returns to his preparing the ravvit. Rillwhisper's expression falters, at the way Zalen seems to close up. Woodhawk's own expression goes more solemn. Woodhawk turns briefly to Silversong, flicking her an earnest grin and a murmur-sent thank-you, for the pouch of red-hued sand. He draws the pouch closed again, and slips it into a tunic pocket. Silversong smiles slightly in response, and gives Woodhawk's shoulder a gentle scritch. The lame smile still pulling at his thin lips with each motion forward, a stroke of the knife and it wavers. From the branch above, Rainfire works quietly and without pause, soon having five silky ravvit pelts draped over the branched and the skinned haunches ready to be roasted. Rillwhisper sends softly, a little sadly, ** Zalen... 'Hawk and I are going to go to the den in the Starwillow. If you'd like to come be with us... just for someone to be with... we would welcome you. ** Woodhawk nods his assent to this. Rainfire drops down from the branch above. Rainfire has arrived. Silversong stands up, stepping off towards the Starwillow as well, but for a different purpose. ** I need to check in on Sorrow, ** she sends quietly, before vanishing into the tree's cover. Silversong slips into the nearby copse of saplings. Silversong has left. Rainfire lands silently, skinned ravvits in hand. Zalen shakes his head, letting the false smile slip. "I have some ravvits to skin," he says, with slight waver in his voice. "Don't want the wolves to eat our dinner." Zalen smiles boldly then dips his head again, slicing at the skins. Rainfire sends openly ** My den is not crowded...and I have hunted for many. ** Rainfire sends openly ** Zalen...is also welcome... ** Rillwhisper glances between Rainfire and Zalen. Momentarily, she looks as if she's been slapped - at least before Rainfire sends. Zalen locksends ** But my thanks, Rillwhisper. Warmly. ** Rillwhisper glances back briefly to Zalen, and something of her disappointed look fades. She smiles solemnly to him, and nods. Silently, she and Woodhawk melt back, then, into the trees.... [Rillwhisper and Woodhawk retreat to the quiet den in the Starwillow which Rillwhisper sometimes uses. End log... ]