Log Intro: After Winnowill's visit to the Willowholt and the tension that came of it, Rillwhisper quickly determines that she must contact her tribe's friends at Lostholt to not only inform them of Winnowill's recent actions, but to see if her friend Leetah is alright, and to also get any advice she might obtain about how to deal with Winnowill - for she knows that Cutter, Strongbow, and Leetah have fought Winnowill in her own den, and Rillwhisper is fighting a nagging fear that some time in the future, her folk might have to do the same. Wanting to speak with Cutter as quickly as she can, Rillwhisper sends her Preserver Fallberry ahead to Lostholt to find that tribe's chief, then rides for Lostholt herself. After days of hard travel, she finally draws near Lostholt territory..... ---------- You head towards the East Bank of the Silver Run River. East Bank of the Silver Run River The land here, warmed by the silky summertime heat, dips down into the shallows along the edge of the river. The upper portion of the bank is covered with thick grass that disappears over the top of the hill and the part closest to the river is soft white sand. To the west, you see that the river can be crossed by swimming, to the other side. To the south and north, you see that the land curves and follows the rivers course. The shadows lengthen as the daystar slowly approaches the horizon. The holt slowly comes to life as elves wander the holt paths. Contents: Ripple Blackwing Obvious exits: South Along the River Into the River Along the River Hill Fallberry scrambles down the steep hill. Fallberry has arrived. Cutter scrambles down the steep hill. Cutter has arrived. Strongbow scrambles down the steep hill. Strongbow has arrived. Rillwhisper kneels by Sunruff, and inspects the she-wolf's paw thoroughly. Her brow is knitted; where's that thorn? Fallberry bree-dee-deets, audible long before it's visible, and the Willowholt chieftess looks up sharply at the sound. Sunruff's ears flick; she whurfs, and looks up alertly. Fallberry pipes /Brought highthings!/ Cutter lopes in after the flitting Preserver, and he stops with a few short strides. "So, it wasn't the bug's fancy. Welcome, Willowholt chieftess." Rillwhisper looks tired, and solemn, but her eyes brighten, a little, at the sight of Cutter - and the archer accompanying him. "I see the bug found you," she begins without preamble. Fallberry lands on Rillwhisper's hair, and thbptptbptts at Cutter. /Silly chieffriend highthing! Fallberry very smart!/ Strongbow nods, not so much a nod, but a slight rise of his chin. Rillwhisper shoves Fallberry a little, pushing hair out of her eyes, and she then sighs. "Cutter, I need to talk with you... you too, archer. And Leetah. Thank you for coming out to meet me." Sunruff whines a little and licks at her paw; Rillwhisper eyes her she-wolf, and adds gravely, "I'm afraid I override Sunruff trying to get here as quickly as I could. May I enter the Holt?" Cutter shakes his head. "Leetah's not here. She was in the village, although she could well be off somewhere else, by now." He nods. "Of course." Rillwhisper frowns at this news, but nods levelly. She moves to follow the two hunters, and smiles somewhat wanly to Strongbow, unusually reserved around him. [Rillwhisper and the two Lostholters, along with the chieftess's wolf and the Preserver, enter the Holt... ] You head towards the Lost Holt Clearing. Lost Holt Clearing 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 covered with twigs and some fallen branches. In the center there lies a stone ring. It lies unlit now and filled with rocks and leaves as the silky summertime heat brings warmth to the holt. There are many roots to sit on as well as one particularly large branch that may serve to seat more than a few elves. Off to the north you see the massive Father Tree, home to many of the elves of Lost Holt. The shadows lengthen as the daystar slowly approaches the horizon. The holt slowly comes to life as elves wander the holt paths. Contents: Denning Tree Obvious exits: Path(E) Hill(W) Approach to the Father Tree(N) Cutter arrives from the Hill. Cutter has arrived. Sunruff arrives from the Hill. Sunruff has arrived. Strongbow arrives from the Hill. Strongbow has arrived. Rillwhisper turns to scratch Sunruff, and from the stiff way Rillwhisper is moving, it's possible she may well have run half the distance between the two Holts herself. As soon as the three enter the clearing, however, the chieftess is all business. Cutter says "What's going on, Rillwhisper?" Rillwhisper eyes Strongbow, and her eyes darken somewhat. She begins candidly, "I don't know how to put this lightly, so I'll just say it; Winnowill has been at Willowholt." Strongbow's expression darkens, as Rillwhisper's does, and he nods again, once, linking his arms across his chest. Rillwhisper remains standing despite her weary appearance. Watching the archer, she seems to draw into herself a little more, and she turns to focus most of her attention on Cutter as she continues, "How long a story do you want me to make this?" Cutter arches an eyebrow. "Uhm. Start with what she wanted. We can go from there." He getures to a place to sit, and then sits himself. Strongbow remains standing. Goldfire has arrived. Rillwhisper nods briskly, and settles herself. "Well. You know we've got Glider blood in my Holt. When 'Hawk and I met her at the itchgrass circle, she gave me two reasons she had come... " Goldfire stays in the branches of the denning tree, listening in. Strongbow does not miss the cub's arrival, and he glances up, fixing her with a long look, letting her know that at least one elf knows she's there. Then he goes back to watching the Willowholt chieftess, silent as ever. Cutter nods. "I'd almost forgotten, I guess. But go on." You say "First: she wanted Duskshad - ah, puckernuts, I doubt you all know that unless my cub told you when he was here. Duskshadow came back." Rillwhisper sighs, and shakes her head, and goes on. "Never mind; anyway, Winnowill wanted Duskshadow to come to Blue Mountain and do a metalshaping for her. Seems one of their Gliders got a metal thing on him they want removed." Goldfire grins silently at Strongbow, and listens very curiously. You say "The other thing was... she said Blue Mountain has gotten new life in it. And she's looking for anybody of Glider blood, she wants to bring them home 'where they belong'." Cutter sighs, and nods, almost tiredly. "Sar said something about this, I think." Goldfire frowns faintly, in the shadow of the branches. Rillwhisper blinks tiredly at Cutter for a moment, trying to remember - oh. Sar. She then nods heavily. "Right, Ember's Recognized... " She finally notices the cub, suggesting that Rill's tireder than she looks, and adds, "... your father, unless I forget?" Rillwhisper continues to keep most of her attention on Cutter. Her green gaze occasionally rests on Strongbow, but she continues to be reserved, almost as if she's slightly disturbed to be in his presence. Goldfire jumps down from the branch, landing lightly. "My sire." Strongbow smirks. ** The one who'll lead her back here, if she's 'gathering'. ** Goldfire studies Rillwhisper with her lupine golden eyes, then huhs. Rillwhisper regards Strongbow for a moment and seems to decide it's safer to just tell her story. She says to Cutter, "Silversong told me Leetah'd healed Winnowill. Is this true?" Cutter nods. "A few seasons.. Turns? ago? In the Village. At least, that's what she called it." Rillwhisper's eyes go very troubled. "Well, something's not gone right with that healing, then, because Winnowill tried magic against three of my Holt. Duskshadow, Joy... and Woodhawk." Strongbow's eyes narrow. ** Magic? ** Rillwhisper looks from face to face briefly, then includes Strongbow in her direct attention now. She goes on forthrightly, "She's tried this... strange sending on them, cousins. Tried to make them 'need' her, like... well, like green growing things need rain. What does Leetah say of Winnowill's healing?" Strongbow only frowns more deeply, and he 'mutters' something about Winnowill and needing. Cutter takes a deep breath. "Well. She didn't say much about it, Rillwhisper, not really. Not then, and not since. Just that it seemed to be what Winnowill needed, and that she was healed now." Cutter shakes his head. "She didn't understand why Winnowill chose just then, though." Rillwhisper frowns worriedly. "And you say Leetah's not here...? High Ones... " She lets out a tired breath, scrubs a hand across her eyes, and says, "Well. If you've got another healer you trust, and if you can get Leetah to agree, I'd say you might have a look at Leetah's head. After what Winnowill did... " Goldfire scowls. Rillwhisper goes into a terse, concise description: how Winnowill first tried to use this strange 'need' sending on Woodhawk, and how she seemed bent on convincing him to somehow use his own magic on Silversong... how Winnowill used this sending on Duskshadow, and seemed to bewitch her into wanting to return to Blue Mountain without Duskshadow's own free will working in this... how she used it on Joy, causing the young half-Glider to be torn between her two heritages. Rillwhisper finishes, "She claimed she tried this on Woodhawk to make sure he was really mindhealed. Tried to imply Tash's... torture might have not been fully fixed." Cutter scowls as well, and shakes his head slightly. "Maybe Mender, downn in the village.." But at mention of Tash, he looks up again, his gaze sharpening, and his gaze goes to Strongbow. Goldfire says "Liri lives at the Mountain. Where She is." Rillwhisper eyes Cutter and Strongbow, straightening a little, even as she says to Goldfire, "Aye, I think I remember that...!" Cutter says "Tash seems to be coming up as much as Winnowill does." Cutter looks back at Rillwhisper. "Well.. so you think she's bound here, then?" Rillwhisper's brow furrows. "What about Tash....?" Strongbow answers, clearly, and simply: ** His son has been here. ** Goldfire says "Who is Tash?" Rillwhisper lets out a breath, and sighs. "Ah. So this... 'Talek' was here... should have guessed, since Silversong told me about him... " Rillwhisper looks at Goldfire, and considers. "He was rather like Winnowill, cub. He spent a lot of time a long time ago harrying my Holt." Rillwhisper looks back to Cutter. "I don't know, to be honest. She was going back to Blue Mountain with her guards - but she's got our Joy with her. Silversong took that 'need' out of her, but Joy still wanted to go. I didn't stop her." Goldfire ohs at Cutter, then nods gravely at Rillwhisper. She stands with her hands solidly planted at her hips, rocking a little back and forth on her heels. You say "But I had to come tell you of these things. You" - and she includes Strongbow in her comment, here, very clearly - "have dealt with Winnowill in ways I haven't." Cutter nods slightly. "With any luck, you won't have made a wasted journey, and with advance warning, we can keep her from taking any one else. Maybe get a chance to get both Liri and Joy back." Rillwhisper nods wearily, resting a hand on her wolf. "Told Joy if she wasn't back at Willowholt in a turn of the seasons that we'd come looking for her. Frankly, I don't trust Winnowill to not do this 'need' thing on Joy in Blue Mountain. I've been a fool to let her near my Holt at all... " Rillwhisper shakes her head, trailing off. Her gaze has gone bleak. Cutter rises from his seat. "Look.. things might seem clearer, or better if you rest. It's a long ride, from here to the Willowholt, and by the looks of you, you could use it. My den's open, should you want to use it." Rillwhisper smiles lopsidedly to Cutter, once more not quite looking at Strongbow. "I'd appreciate that," she says gratefully. Rillwhisper rises stiffly, scritches her wolf, and admits, "I could use a doze... " Cutter smiles. "Well, then, go and doze, chieftess. We'll still be here when you wake." Rillwhisper grins crookedly. She turns back to Strongbow for a moment; the grin widens slightly, and she says, "Good to see you again, archer... " Goldfire scratches her nose. Rillwhisper asks Cutter, "Show me where...?" Strongbow nods, and his eyes lighten a shade. He might even appear to be ready to smile. Nearly. Cutter nods. "Follow me." Cutter walks toward the Father Tree. Cutter has left. [Cutter escorts Rillwhisper to his and Leetah's den... ] Cutter and Leetah's Den(#2716RFJL) In the seasons since Leetah returned to the SunVillage, Cutter has more or less taken over the den. The silks and brightly colored pillows have mostly disappeared, save one or two for memories' sake. Sleeping furs are piled against the far wall, and extras are piled over Leetah's chest, turning it into a small fur-covered hill, perfect for perching on and thinking. The window has also been cleared and be restored to the perch it once was for Cutter. All-in-all, it is a wolfrider's den again. Contents: Cutter salt Friendly squirrel Obvious exits: out Rillwhisper smiles a little groggily as she accompanies you in, and Fallberry giggles. /Sharpquiet highthing still all sharpquiet!/ Cutter smiles. "Sleep as long as you need, Rillwhisper." You say "Thank *yawn* you...." Rillwhisper settles somewhat gingerly into the nearest sleepfurs, and gives a tired laugh. ** Trollkiller'll be jealous... he likes your shoulders... ** Cutter chuckles. "Erm. Right." Cutter has left. Rillwhisper's green eyes quickly drift closed.