Log Date:
	8/4/99

Log Cast:
	Strongbow, Rillwhisper, Wayfound

Log Intro:
	It's been some time since Rillwhisper has touched minds with
her soul-brother, the archer Strongbow of Lostholt -- but not particularly
surprisingly. Both the chieftess and the archer have been caught up in
concerns of their own tribes, and when one is a Wolfrider, one can easily
lose track of the flow of time. But not even the passage of nearly forty
turns of the seasons can eliminate from memory the connection Strongbow 
and Rillwhisper have shared, and the chieftess lingers in the back of the
mind of the archer even as Lostholt deals with current events. And because
he is much more skilled at the art of long-distance communication than
she, it is Strongbow who restablishes contact between them at last, for
he intends to share news of Sorrow's End and his own tribe with her. But
he isn't quite prepared for some of the news he'll get in return.

----------
Strongbow locksends ** (Whether you are busy or at rest, he does not know. But 
  Strongbow, sitting up in his den in Lostholt's Father Tree, shoots a 
  long-distance send your way, after thinking of you and focusing his thoughts 
  enough to make the connection after deciding there were things worth 
  discussing.) Chieftess? **

You locksend ** <It is a touch Rillwhisper has not felt for nearly five eights 
  of turns of the seasons... and it is enough to stop her cold, right in the 
  middle of trying to explain to her daughter the best way to sharpen a knife. 
  She is rattled, but she responds quickly, dropping everything in her effort 
  to focus her attention inward to grasp the distant tickle of contact 
  brushing against her mind. Like a shout from the other side of a valley, her 
  mental voice strains to bridge the gap.> Archer...! ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow lends some assistance to strengthen the 
  link the two share, much like he did the last time the two had a discussion 
  in this way. There is the hint of amusement as he detects the lesson now 
  paused. ** Been awhile. ** he admits.

You locksend to Strongbow, Rillwhisper's mind grows clearer with the efforts 
  the archer puts forth, tinging her answer with rueful amusement of her own. 
  ** I've lost track, ** she sends, then follows that up with a surge of warm 
  affection that manages to make it clearly across the distance between her 
  and her faraway soul-brother, though it costs her effort that detracts from 
  her ability to send words. ** <sheepishness/surprise/pleasure/more 
  affection> You're sending... from your Holt? The direction feels right... **

Strongbow locksends ** My den. ** He clarifies, and you can detect a bit of 
  his own pleasure that you are able to tell that based on the send alone. 
  There's affection returned as well, and another admission. ** Tried sending 
  some time before, but couldn't reach you. Just forgot until now. **

You locksend ** <A flare of not-quite-contained pride; perhaps the chieftess 
  has been practicing her sending, hey? Conserving her strength, she 
  simplifies her contact somewhat, trying to send no more than she needs to 
  across the vast space of territory between Willowholt and Lostholt.> ** Gone 
  for a while. Walkabout. Looked for wolves, had to bring them home. Sent 
  then...? <A pause, then, a fragilely constructed sense of 
  came-home-roughly-six-turns-of-the-seasons-ago, gone before that for another 
  eight of turns. Then, the sense fades out, a bit much for Rill to try to 
  send for more than an instant.> ** ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** <Practicing, maybe. But if five eights of turns have 
  gone by since the last time the two spoke, that's also time enough for 
  Rillwhisper's sending to improve just by aging, on top of practicing doing 
  it.> ** Must have sent then..heard you were gone, nothing more then. ** he 
  confirms. ** Tried again, same thing. ** Then he just let it go for a while. 
  There's a pause, and he wonders, ** Wolves? Whose? Where? ** 
  <curiosity/faint surprise> **

You locksend ** <There is another pause. Then, tinged with something 
  surprisingly like wistfulness, the chieftess gathers herself together for a 
  single clarion image: a Wolfrider hunter, golden-haired, golden-eyed, saving 
  her when she was chased by the Tall Ones.> His. Brought home. Gave me his 
  pack. ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow's sending flickers for a brief moment at 
  the image, something he didn't expect to be looking at inside his head. ** 
  Why? ** is the question that is perhaps predictable. He is not sure what to 
  make of this Wolfrider.

You locksend to Strongbow, Rillwhisper does not possess nearly the skill and 
  control that the archer does at mental contact, especially not at the 
  distance that currently separates them. There is another pause, before she 
  gathers herself together and achieves a reply, made starkly simple in her 
  need to send it clearly between the Holts. ** Recognized. **

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow conveys understanding at that part, but 
  there is still confusion as to why (even how) this elf came to have a pack 
  of wolves to himself, and what a Recognition had to do with them being 
  passed on to Rillwhisper. ** There is more.. ** he believes, not wishing to 
  press, but wishing to know all the same.

You locksend ** <And Strongbow would be correct. Patience wins him two more 
  pulses of sending, narrowed in and simplified, but perhaps because of her 
  efforts to focus and send with clarity emotion begins to creep into her 
  mind's touch.> Died. Killed. Bonded with chief wolf, pack wandered with him. 
  Talked chief wolf into coming home with me, before dying... <Pause, rueful, 
  resigned, wistful> Have cub now. Listening, here. <An image: a sharp-eyed, 
  tousle-haired girl-cub, with a stunning intelligence in her child's face. 
  Then, the chieftess's contact slumps back again, as that burst of sending 
  taxes her.> ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** <There is a lengthy pause from the archer at the news, 
  both bad and good. He offers support and comfort at the death bit, followed 
  by something closer to a brighter feeling at the news of the cub. Well, of 
  course there's a cub to come from a Recognition.> ** Glad you're well, 
  anyway.. ** he offers, the normally-silent one even more on the quiet side 
  right this minute. He can't help but show pride at the image of the cub, 
  though. ** She looks very intelligent. And pretty. ** <As he notes how much 
  that took out of you, he tries lending even more strength to keep the link 
  up. There are still things he has to discuss, as well.> **

You locksend ** <On the farthest edge of Rillwhisper's contact, another mind 
  brushes into the mix -- young, bright, curious, but no more than a presence. 
  And after a few moments, the chieftess drinks in the proferred strength and 
  rallies herself again, affirming her general wellness -- and a flare of 
  wonder and pride in the cub.> Bright cub. Brace yourself next time you come. 
  <She pauses again, tasting that sense of need-to-talk -- and even if she 
  hadn't, it'd be reasonably obvious you had something to say if you bothered 
  to send to her all the way from your own Holt.> Listening. News? ** to 
  Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow takes that 'warning' with about as much 
  humor as he's apt to let come across, making note of the cub's presence. He 
  doesn't say anything to her, but she may feel his own presence there, just 
  for a moment. As if to say 'here I am.' ** Some news, Chieftess. Some more 
  important, some less. We are well, all of us. Safe...finally. Suntop has 
  returned, Flashfire too. Weren't sure where he'd been. There's been a 
  litter, too. ** At the mention of the litter, his thoughts drift to his own 
  bond, wearing down and of old age. ** May have a new bond again, myself. ** 
  There's more news to come, but he chooses to get the smaller things out of 
  the way and let them sink in and be responded to if you choose.

You locksend to Strongbow, Rillwhisper absorbs the sent morsels of news, 
  waiting until your next pause before she sends a single peal of 
  acknowledgement to the lot. There's relief there that Flashfire is safe 
  home; she remembers, she thinks, Flashfire leaving her own Holt in search 
  of... something. Suntop she has had less news of, but she is pleased that 
  the son of Cutter is well -- as well as the whole Holt at large. New wolves 
  in Lostholt are marked with further pleasure. More than that, though, she 
  cannot easily manage in a single reply, and after a few moments of intense 
  concentration as she takes it all in, she sends back, ** More? **

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow confirms. ** More. Had you heard of the 
  cursed round-ear attack on the Sun Village? ** His send discolors notably at 
  anything and everything having to do with humans.

You locksend ** <A pause. Then, somber acknowledgement, after the chieftess 
  searches her memory.> Yes. Heard, but long after. Sun Villagers well? Savah? 
  <Her words remain short and clipped as she cautiously rations her energy, 
  but the concern behind them is clear -- especially to one who's touched the 
  innermost reaches of her mind.> ** ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** ** She's well..many fled in the Palace, to the 
  Mountains not far away. Many more died. ** he explains, that anger towards 
  the humans still notable, but he manages to keep it from being too much of a 
  focus. ** But it gets stranger. Suntop heard the news..the -wormworlders- 
  drove them out. The SunFolk are home again, finally. **

You locksend ** <Surprise. Shock. That's about all the chieftess can manage, 
  before she finally sends acknowledgement.> ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** <The archer, of course, is suspicious.> There must be 
  something more to it. But knowing the SunFolk, there's sure to be another 
  festival soon. Figured I'd let you know when we do. **

You locksend ** <Gratitude/Relief that the Sun Folk are getting their home 
  back> Good... thank you, archer. More? ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow mulls the question over after acknowledging 
  the thanks. ** ..no. Don't think so. But you are all well? Trollkiller, 
  Woodhawk, Dawn, all the cubs? **

You locksend ** <warmth/affection/assent> Well. All well. Visitor here, quiet. 
  All three cubs strong. Mine, Dusk's, Joy's. ** to Strongbow.
You locksend ** <And again comes that faint young presence, like a flicker of 
  marshlight darting in and out of the edges of one's vision.> ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** <Dusk has a cub? Joy, too? Someone sure knows how to 
  make an archer feel old..in perspective, anyway.> I could swear I was 
  watching Dusk bounce around in the snow so short a time ago.. ** <There's 
  faint amusement there, and an admission.> ** Really should talk more often 
  than once every five eights of turns, you know. ** Perhaps a visit, 
  sometime. <Perhaps that's the sense of a snort conveyed at the other 
  presense there.> ** I'll bet she's a bundle. **

You locksend ** <Rillwhisper's sending clarifies, strengthened by an 
  upswelling of affection.> You're not old. You're experienced! <Another surge 
  of warmth, as the chieftess stretches farther into the link, trying to 
  better meld her thoughts to your own.> Yes. Miss you. <Her sending wavers, 
  as that childish but startlingly sharp presence on the edge of her thoughts 
  sparks enough to send a burst of curiosity.> Two bundles. Sharp as a bear 
  bite! ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow is quite experienced in a great many 
  things, this is true. He's not one to make a big deal out of that, of 
  course. Depends on the situation, really. Another affectionate touch is 
  offered through the long-distance link they maintain. ** Come to Sorrow's 
  End when they have their festival. Heard my grandson is their new jackwolf 
  chief. ** Seems like one thing that'll get him out of Lostholt - to go see 
  Gentlerock and perhaps Dart, too. He 'blinks' at those last few words, 
  though.

You locksend ** <With that, the child-presence coalesces into something 
  clearer, undeniably curious, and attempting to link with the mind of the 
  chieftess to strengthen itself. Rillwhisper fades out, and then, comes 
  back.> Wants to send to you. Too far, she isn't strong enough. Just... brace 
  yourself. <And Rillwhisper sends again, the rather bemusing image of a cub 
  with a scant eight of turns of the seasons to her name holding forth 
  sounding like the sagest of tribal elders.> ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow doesn't anticipate any trouble on his side 
  of the connection, but he is unsure about the cub. ** She should wait until 
  she is older. ** he notes, just to keep things safe. Aside from Suntop, he's 
  not known any cub of that age to be very adept at sending.

You locksend ** Strong mind. Not like Suntop, though. <There is uncertainty in 
  the chieftess's sending, however; clearly, something about this child rather 
  rattles her mother for all that she is quite proud of her.> Will bring her 
  to Sorrow's End, if safe. Will bring tribe. Tell us when? ** to Strongbow.

You sense in a locksend, Strongbow would have to admit he finds himself 
  curious enough to want to see this cub soon, not that he needs any more 
  motivation for it past her being Rillwhisper's. ** Something from her sire, 
  perhaps? Aye..bring her if safe. Will let you know when. When we do. **

You locksend ** <Approval. Affection. All this radiates out of the chieftess's 
  sending, though it begins to tax her strength to relay it between the 
  Holts.> Missed you, soul-brother. Long time. Lost track. Gone in the Now... 
  ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** Not a bad place to be, of course. ** the archer returns 
  with another brief hint of amusement, certainly accustomed to the Now and 
  the Way. ** But missed you, too, soul-sister. Time to catch up, still. ** 
  <He cuts it short at how evident it's becoming that this is taking more of a 
  toll on the Chieftess than it is on him. He returns the affection again, 
  firmly.> Later, though. But soon. You should rest now. **

You locksend ** <There are a number of things that Rillwhisper suddenly finds 
  herself wanting to share with you -- but she doesn't have the strength to 
  send them, not clearly, not now. She settles for sending another pulse of 
  pleasure that you've contacted her, along with a sheepish acknowledgement 
  that you can send rings around her.> Will. Greet your tribe for Willowholt. 
  Lifemate too. ** to Strongbow.

Strongbow locksends ** <Isn't that generally the way it goes, though? 
  Conversation comes to an end, and you realize there was a lot more you 
  wished you'd remembered to say when you could. Another time, though. Another 
  time> It will be done. Will send again when there is more news. <He keeps 
  the contact up for a few moments longer, in case there are any last words 
  from the Chieftess' side.> **

You locksend ** <Words, no. Sent emotion, and another flicker of mind-light 
  from that bright young presence, yes. But Rillwhisper and her cub don't have 
  the strength to reach any farther, and the chieftess's strength is waning... 
  and with that, and a last lingering mental sense of my-mind-sends-with-joy, 
  she fades into silence.> ** to Strongbow.