Log cast: (in order of appearance) Joy, Talek, Vale, Jylien, 
Nightwisp, Zalen 
Log date: 12/22/98

Joy sends to the whole tribe ** Is anyone awake? **

In a send to the whole tribe, Talek seems to have only recently 
awakened, his sending a flurry of half-asleep bleariness, but he 
sends back quickly enough. ** I am. **

You sense in a locksend, Joy can't help but be excited, despite her 
weariness. ** Hihi! Come see come see! **
You sense in a locksend, Joy sends gentle thoughts of missing your 
scent.

[Talek makes his way to the Holt Clearing...]

You circle towards the northeast and then to east proper, around the 
massive Old Willow, and into the Holt's main clearing.
Clearing by the Old Willow(#123RHJ)
Here in the heart of the Willowholt, the air is thick with the 
scents of the Newgreen -- regardless of season. Green growing things 
crowd the clearing, from the myriad bright 'mushrooms' hiding among 
tall shoots of grass, to dreamberry bushes sandwiched between the 
trees, to the mighty, massive 'Old Willow' that dominates everything 
in sight. A fallen 'log' under the Old Willow's branches provides a 
place to sit; a gurgling 'fountain' provides a constant song of 
water. Amidst the almost overwhelming weight of Newgreen scents, the 
air, to elfin senses, is alive with magic.
Immediately to the northeast, overlooked by the mighty willow, lies 
a small pond; to the southeast, south, and west, paths to the Holt's 
more secluded parts; to the east, the distant marshes.
The Deathsleep evening grows cool... there's a hint of winter in the 
air. Dry leaves rustle. The starry outlines of the Human Hunter 
begin to come out as the dimming red light of sunset fills the cool 
autumn skies.
Contents:
Vale
Joy
Prowlfar(#39Jaes)
Fallberry(#111IMOQV$j)
Obvious exits:
Branch<Climb>  Old Willow<SW>  Hillside<S>  Path<W>  Starwillow 
Copse<SE>  Marsh<E>  Pond<N>  

Talek steps out into the clearing after an extended pause, shaking 
his head slightly in an effort to wake himself up more. Indeed, the 
silver-haired elf looks as if he just woke up not long ago.

Vale does not notice right away, still getting used to the sense of 
the place, but standing nearby -- indeed, quite close to -- Joy.

Joy is leaning against the log, one hand on her >>very swollen<< 
abdomen. She smiles wearily, noting Talek's presence.

Jylien comes down out of the trees on the hillside.
Jylien has arrived.
Jylien picks his way down the hillside, rubbing at one eye with a 
fist and yawning hugely.

Joy is leaning against the log, one hand on her >>very swollen<< 
abdomen. She slowly pushes off the log and waddles toward Talek, 
"Hihi."

** What's all this, e... ** Talek's sending drifts off unfinished as 
his gaze snaps to the pair. He focuses on Vale curiously a moment, 
brows furrowing, then shifts his gaze to Joy at her sending. He 
starts to return it, ** Joy! How hav.. ** and ends up stopping 
again, blinking, well, rather dumbly at her middle.

Vale smiles kindly, like a stranger bearing gifts that, well, he 
only had some small part in, and really his place is not so grande. 
He knows these things, and remains silent for now.

Joy grins and nuzzles Talek briefly, "I've been well. I missed you."
Joy turns, noting another familiar scent. Her smile turns into a 
grin at seeing her brother, "Pwyll!"

Jylien doesn't get as far as the sending of her name before he 
notices her condition ... and is noticed in return. It's an owlish 
sort of blink as his hand drops to his side and his eyes flicker 
upward from middle to face, before one corner of his mouth lifts 
slightly. ** Jylien, ** he corrects quietly, then continues down the 
hill toward the trio.

Joy waves that off and motions her brother for a hug.

Talek blinks dumbly at Joy again, saying nothing for loss of words. 
_Another cub?_ is the first thing that comes to mind, managing to 
keep from blurting that out aloud as the maiden turns away to greet 
her brother. He follows her grin towards Jylien, brightening 
noticeably, but not losing that dumbfounded expression.

Joy stretches her back a bit, wiggling her toes, waiting for her 
brother to make it to her, having walked far enough with the extra 
weight.

[Joy]
	A calm and thoughtful elf, she has matured before her parents' 
eyes into the maiden you see before you. Her frame is tall like her 
father's, yet a tad on the skinny side. Black hair hangs long and in 
loose curls around her pale face, framing large eyes of a clear 
violet color.
	The gown she wears is dark, almost blue black in tone. The 
fabric soft, velvet to the touch, flows down in a cascade of the 
light stuff, to swirl around lazily about her delicate ankles. 
Remarkably, the fabric of the bodice almost seems to shimmer in the 
dim light surrounding you, until you realize that it's the maiden's 
equaly blue black hair, worn loose about her shoulders that catches 
the light and reflects it back to your eyes. The sleeves hug her 
arms, and tapers down to a snug cuff at the wrist. Looking closely 
you might see where there are slits on the sides of either sleeve, 
lined with a soft almost airy material. On the slits themselves are 
tiny feathers, carefully stitched with silver thread, that same 
pattern reapeating itself on a long slit that goes up to her hip, 
once again, that airy material showing itself under the darker. The 
gown moves with her, becoming one with the lovely young maiden, not 
hampering her motions regarldess of whether she chooses to walk, run 
or dance.

Jylien makes in with only a few more long strides, and hugs Joy 
indeed. It's over her shoulder that he flashes a smile at Talek, 
then peels away from his sister to let his gaze fall on her stomach 
again. ** 'sgood to have you back. All of you, ** he adds, teasing a 
little.

Joy grins a bit, ruffling her younger brother's hair. She then 
glances over her shoulder, her eyes warming as they rest on her 
mate.
Joy sends simply, undertones of deep caring and fondness ** This is 
Vale. **

Talek manages to regain his sleep-bleary senses in time to return 
Jylien's smile, then once again follows Joy's grin with his eyes, 
regarding the now-introduced Vale curiously. After a moment of 
scrutiny, the silver-haired elf dips his head in a nod. ** Welcome, 
** he sends, his smile polite and bemused.

Jylien's attention swings around to Vale again, as well, and he 
likewise nods, though it's a slower nod. ** Any friend of Joy's is 
welcome in our holt, of course. **

Joy glances to Jylien, curious, then glances around idly.

Vale smiles quietly and nods his head.
Vale's send is clear and practiced, a sense of many images lingering 
just behind his thoughts. ** Thank you. I am glad to be recieved 
well into your holt. **

Joy looks back to her two tribesmates, "We met near the mountain. Is 
..is Simmel here?"

The corners of Talek's lips quirk up in a smile, but one seems to 
climb up faster than the other, making it seem crooked. He nods 
again to Vale, smoke-gray eyes friendly, then glances back to Joy. 
The crooked smile shifts downwards into a faint semblance of a 
frown. ** I think he went back to Wolfhaven, Joy. To be with his 
mate and cub. **

Joy furrows a brow, also frowning, "Oh..." She seems to dismiss that 
as temporary, then turns and returns to Vale's side, taking up his 
hand.

Vale glances to Joy and wraps his fingers in with hers, smiling.

Jylien nods agreeably, then says, ** I'm sure he'll come back soon. 
In newgreen, maybe, when it's warm enough to bring the cub. **

Joy noddles and grins, "Just in time to meet mine!"

Vale comments quietly, with some amusement, "She already wants to 
name the cub."

Talek's sending, wordless, echoes Jylien's sentiments, but his 
expression hints that uncertainty keeps him from sharing them. 
Nonetheless, unwilling to spoil the mood, he lets a smile return to 
his face, nodding. ** Heh! Now we'll have three bundles of trouble 
running amuck the Holt... Four, Simmel's cub included. **

Talek raises a quick brow at Vale's comment, glancing in Joy's 
direction curiously.

Jylien blinks twice. He glances at Talek, then back at first Vale 
and then Joy. His eyebrows lift, and he asks a simple -- to him -- 
question. ** Why? **

Joy laughs softly, "I -have- been waiting for awhile. I've had 
plenty of time to think of a name." She grins, "Three cubs?"

Vale seems to misinterpret the comment and looks at Joy's belly 
skepticly.

Talek counts them off on his fingers: ** Dusk's, Rillwhisper's, and 
now, yours. **

Joy blinkblinks, "Rill???"

Vale looks up then alight with growing amusement.

Jylien blinks twice more. ** She Recognized again. Like mother. **

Joy tilts her head, "Wha? When..who?"

Talek looks momentarily startled at Joy's exclamation, his eyes 
widening to large silver saucers. Then he nods once, mutely, as 
Jylien answers, remembering Joy wasn't here. ** While she was away 
for all that time... to an elf named-- ** His brows furrow briefly. 
** -- Lonehowl. **

Joy settles back on the log again, completely taken aback. She keeps 
hold of Vale's hand, "That's a lot of cubs."

Jylien offers, with a lopsided grin, ** They grow up. **

Joy says "So, where is this Lonehowl?"

Talek's lips purse, silver-gray eyes darkening, a crinkle appearing 
in his brow. ** He.. died, before Rill returned home, ** he sends 
quietly.

[At this point Joy disconnected.  She didn't return, so we continued 
without her.]

Vale nods solomnly.

Jylien sends openly ** Where did you travel from, Vale? **

Vale nods, then glances about. He seems to consider the weight of 
the question before he says to Jylien, "Everywhere."

Talek backpedals, finding himself a seat on one of the Old Willow's 
exposed roots, tucking one leg to his chest. He watches Vale as the 
newcomer considers the question, then smiles crookedly and emits a 
soft, not unkind laugh in reply.

Jylien's eyebrows draw together. ** But ... not all at once. I 
meant, where are you from? **

Vale ohs and nods, understanding. "The Palace," he says, then.

Talek's eyes still hold a friendly sort of amusement, but it dims 
slightly with curiosity. He echoes, ** The Palace? **

Vale glances over to Talek and sees his amusement, or at least his 
disbelief, and smiles. ** The Palace, ** he sends, to assure the 
ring of truth.

Jylien frowns faintly in consideration.

Talek's brow wrinkles as he mulls over that. He remembers - dimly - 
the tales of the Palace, where it is now and what's happened in it, 
but not enough to give him any sort of significant opinion on it. 
Finally, he decides to answer with, ** That... must have been an 
interesting place to grow up in. **

Vale considers, still smiling a bit. "It was," he says, then 
considers a bit more. "Cold, mostly."

Nightwisp swings quietly down from a branch as not to interupt 
anything going on in the Clearing.

Jylien continues to frown, perplexed, until he can think no harder. 
This is beyond the elf's comprehension, and so he says with false 
certainty, ** But you didn't /really/ grow up in the Palace. **

Vale nods and says, "I really did grow up in the Palace. Would you 
like to see?"

Talek seems sympathetic, but mostly puzzled, uncertain of how to 
reply. His gaze shifts briefly to Jylien as he sends, then back 
again to Vale, his brow wrinkling further. ** I would, ** the 
silver-haired elf volunteers impulsively.

Jylien's eyebrows unknit and he nods quickly. ** Me too! I mean, I'd 
like to see .. whatever it is. **

Nightwisp tilts her head curiously as she listens on but remains 
silent, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

Vale nods and closes his eyes a moment. His next thoughts are an 
image, flowing from bit and peices of his memory into form. Cold, 
pale sky outlines glaciers and a tall ridge of rock and ice, 
glittering in the sunlight. Only some of it is glittering with the 
effects of a rainbow, much like Vale's shirt. Then, like looking at 
images of clouds where it is one minute just a blob then another 
moment a large, albeit fluffy, running nohump, the outline is the 
Palace. Hidden, disguised, but from Vale's memory very much the 
Palace.

Nightwisp catches herself chewing on the end of her braid and she 
forces herself to stop.

Talek's sending is edged with wonderment; wordless, save for a soft 
exclamation: ** Oh! **

Jylien's next send is very nearly timid. ** Is that ... really what 
it looks like? **

Vale opens his eyes and says, "Not any more. That was because Rayek 
was trying to hide it."

Nightwisp asks softly finally as if her curiousity got the best of 
her, "Does it really come from the clouds?"

Talek unfolds his leg from his chest, fingers lacing together, then 
unlacing. Rayek, like the Palace, is another something-word that 
recalls dim recollections of stories told by others, yet nothing 
specific or interesting enough for him to keep hold of the memory. 
He glances up at the newest voice, hiding his surprise as he sees 
Nightwisp. He missed her entrance, it seems.

Vale looks up to Nightwisp and blinks. He says, "Sometimes. I've 
never been in it while it has been flying, nor have I ever seen it 
fly."

Nightwisp idly plays with the end of her braid as she watches the 
other and nods as if the answer is enough for her.

[Nightwisp]
	Before you, you see an elf who has just recently blossomed 
into maidenhood. Her dark hair is held up away from her face with a 
simple braid, laced with the occasional wildflower or wooden bead. A 
bit of knotted leather holds it in place. A few curly tendrils 
manage to escape confinement, and Nightwisp will often brush them 
away if they start to tickle her nose and eyelashes. Large violet 
eyes catch your gaze, and light up whenever she smiles. 
	She is clothed in purple leathers that match the shade of her 
eyes, but just don't seem to catch the playful glint or the 
optimistic love of life that can be found in her gaze. She wears a 
tunic tucked into a wide-laced doeskin belt. The leggings are tight 
to the skin and stop at mid-thigh. Her boots, dyed a slightly darker 
shade of violet, come up to just below her knee and are laced with 
black leather string. Her posture is relaxed at the moment, but with 
the youthful restlessness that makes you almost sure she's about to 
spring into action.

Talek blinks slowly, eyes alternating between thin, silvery slits 
and wide, round saucers. His expression otherwise thoughtful, the 
silver-haired elf is silent as well.

Jylien nods, and considers his booted toes a moment. ** Then I'm 
sorry. For saying you didn't .. I was wrong. **

Vale smiles and says, "It is difficult to believe unless it is a 
place you've lived for many long years."

Nightwisp looks at you.

>From the branch above, Zalen steps out along the branch and looks 
down to the clearing below, hesitating at the unfamiliar sight.

Talek sends openly ** It's true, what you said.. But still, it's 
hard to believe. Wow. **

Vale says "I do not live there any longer. Now I travel," he says, 
turning to Jylien, "wherever the stars care to lead me."

Jylien looks up again, and one corner of his mouth lifts. ** 
Everywhere. **

>From the branch above, Zalen hunches down to watch in silence, 
trying to get a feeling of the scene.

Vale smiles to Jylien and nods in return. "Everywhere."

Talek relaxes slightly against the Old Willow's trunk, rolling his 
shoulders back to catch an itch on an irregular strip of bark. He 
then leans forward again, hands posed over his knees, as he listens 
attentively. ** Is that how you met Joy? ** he sends, again, 
impulsively. ** Traveling? **

Vale nods to Talek, taking it upon himself to have a seat somewhere 
that is at least down, and makes him visible to the entire clearing. 
"I was nearby the Blue Mountain and curiosities brought be closer."

Nightwisp gazes up at Zalen and grins

Jylien sends openly ** Well, she likes to travel, all right. **

>From the branch above, Zalen smiles a bit from where he's hiding, 
glancing back to Nightwisp.

Talek's sending is wry, more like a thought spoken out loud than a 
real statement: ** Can't seem to keep anyone in the Holt without 
them wandering off at least once anymore. **

Vale laughs quietly. "Is that so. Perhaps you're all related to the 
Cavedwellers?"

Jylien blinks again another few times. ** I ... don't think so. **

Talek looks startled for a moment, as if he hadn't realized he /had/ 
sent that out loud, then relaxes again. His shoulders roll once, 
shrugging, as if to say, "Who knows?"

Vale chuckles and nods. He looks up at the previous small voice and 
says, "My name is Vale."

Nightwisp ahhs softly, "Greetings Vale...I am Nightwisp. What brings 
you to WIllowholt?"

Vale says "Joy brings me to Willowholt."

>From the branch above, Zalen's ears perk up and he leans forward a 
bit. "Joy and goodwill or Joy herself?"

Talek's eyes seem to sparkle silver-grayly at that, a smile making 
its way up to his eyes as he glances briefly up at Zalen.

Jylien had apparently not noticed that Zalen had put in an 
appearance, as that voice startles him into twisting around so that 
he can look up at the elf overhead. ** It's .. um. Joy's back, ** he 
explains, lamely.

Vale looks up at yet another new face. "Both."

>From the branch above, Zalen ohs and hums and herms and stuff. 
"Well," he says, still thinking about this situation, "welcome to 
Willowholt."

Vale smiles and bows his head graciously. ** Thank you. **

Nightwisp blushes, "Yes...welcome to Willowholt. I'm sorry...I'm 
Nightwisp."

Jylien points out helpfully, ** Zalen is our father. Mine. And 
Joy's. **

Talek's head turns to glance over his shoulder and to the side, back 
the way he came, his attention momentarily distracted. The moment 
passes, ending with the dreamer rising to his feet, glancing back to 
those gathered here. ** Dusk needs help with Midnight, ** he sends 
by way of explanation - and farewell. ** I'll be right back. Nice 
meeting you, Vale. **

Vale blinks and glances to Zalen with awe. "You have three cubs?" He 
then nods to Talek.

You sense in a locksend, Jylien's just off-balance all around, but 
he still manages to slip in, ** See you again. Ah. Talek. **

>From the branch above, Zalen's eyes widen.

Talek nods, perhaps to himself, and then disappears back the way he 
came.

You slip into the nearby copse of saplings.


In a locksend to Jylien, Talek's sending hints at the smile on his 
face. ** Aye.. ** And then he's gone.

[end log]