Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

- “Blackbird,” John Lenon & Paul McCartney

Redlance was far too excited to sleep. He just laid in the cave grinning at the stone walls, and he was so happy he could have sworn they grinned back. Never before could he remember trying to sleep at night, but never before had the events of the past day happened. Nightfall rolled over beside him and yawned. Noticing he was still wide awake she smiled sleepily, flicking a little piece of hair into his face. 

“How will you help Minyah tomorrow if you don’t sleep?” 

“How can I sleep? My powers finally awoke! And when my seedling and Minyah’s garden were about to be trampled we turned the zwoot herd! I know I can only shape little things now, but I can feel this power growing inside me; one day I could maybe shape us a new holt!” 

Nightfall propped herself up on one elbow and smirked, imagining a massive sticker-plant holt growing from the rocky ground. “You should know then, that a tree-shaper once told me growing new Holts is a lot easier after a full day's sleep."

Redlance snorted and poked her gently in the ribs. "That tree-shaper sounds a lot like you."

"That's because this was a very wise tree shaper," Nightfall laughed and dodged another attempt to poke her ribs, catching his hand and wrapping it around her, under the furs they shared. When she spoke again she was more serious, but still smiling. "In the meantime keep an eye out for jackals in the cliffs. Strongbow and One-Eye told me they sighted a pack while hunting last night. And, in the heat of everything that happened I forgot to tell you! Skywise saw Cutter and Leetah going up the Bridge of Destiny. He said he would bet me five ravvits they've become lifemates. Of course I didn’t take the bet, I hope he was right.” 

Redlance’s eyes widened and he had to suppress his gut instinct to howl for joy on his chief’s behalf. It truly seemed the Woldfriders had finally found their sorrow’s end. 

-----

Nightfall did have a point about sleep being important, Redlance admitted to himself ruefully, half-covering a yawn as he left the cave. Most of the Wolfriders had collapsed in their cave-dens, as after the excitement of turning the rampaging zwoot herd and fear for Dewshine’s injury it had been an exhausting day. But he was the only one who chose to rise the next morning while the others dozed on, maintaining their nocturnal habits. Redlance was careful not to wake Woodlock and Pike as he slipped past, out of the cave. 

He noticed the many rows of tilled earth in Minyah’s garden, though the gardener herself was nowhere to be seen. It occurred to him that she likely awoke shortly before dawn to begin her gardening, and by now the sun was directly overhead. To Redlance, getting up at midday was waking up ridiculously early. While he thought he understood the need for a gardener to work in daylight, he couldn’t imagine waking up so early every day, only to try and sleep as the night’s whistles began to sing. Redlance was initially surprised when the village was quiet as he approached, and he couldn’t see anyone working in their gardens or drawing water at the well. He scratched his arm self consciously. The sun was hot, and his skin prickled uncomfortably, but he was also grateful no Sun Villagers were out to look at him curiously and wonder what a Wolfrider was doing out wandering the village, as he made his way towards Minyah’s hut. 

-----

Minyah stepped out of the beaded doorway of her hut to greet the Wolfrider as he approached, noting the pinkness of his skin and how it shone with sweat. Beckoning him inside Minyah continued to bustle around, chiding him all the while. 

“Did you think we would be hoeing and planting when the Day-star is this bright, child? If we did, you would bake to the same shade as your hair! I already have a soon-to-be grandchild on the way to worry about, I don’t need to be worrying about you too!”

“Is it ever not hot out here?”

“The heat is worst at midday, so the villagers rest in the shade of the huts at that time.”

Redlance figured that since the Wolfriders had adapted their lifestyle to the rhythms of the forest it made sense the Sun Villagers would do the same in the desert. But why not then sleep the whole day and garden at night? That was the most logical solution Redlance could think of to escape the heat, but he decided to save that question for later. He smiled sheepishly and was about to reply when Minyah cut him off, sliding a stool out from under her table,

“Sit, child! Keep standing there and you’ll melt into the floor!”  

Redlance sat down gratefully. And Minyah returned to pulling jars off her shelf and setting them on the table. She plunked down the largest one before Redlance could offer to help her, and he nearly jumped out of his seat when it hit the table with a thud. She gave him a funny look, but he cut her off with a question.

“What is all this for, Minyah?” 

Minyah grinned proudly, “Suntoucher confirmed it this morning; Cutter and Leetah are recognized lifemates! The village is hosting a celebration this evening for them, and I will be contributing my famous milk-root rolls to the festivities.” When Redlance looked confused Minyah laughed. “I forgot you’ve never eaten bread before.” She pinched a few kernels of grain out of a jar and dropped them in a stone bowl. 

“To start we take pieces of grain like this-” she grabbed a pestle and ground the grain in slow circular movements, passing the stone bowl to Redlance who peered inside, fascinated. “-And grind them into flour. We mix the flour with a little water and oil to make dough, which is baked in an oven.” 

Redlance couldn’t help but feel skeptical at that last part. He hated cooked meat, so he assumed this cooked "dough" would be equally awful, despite what Minyah said. 

Minyah sat down across from Redlance, fixing him with an intent stare, though she still smiled. Redlance leaned back on his stool, sensing she was about to change the topic, though he couldn’t guess what she was about to say. 

“In all seriousness, dear, I haven’t breathed a word about your gifts to anyone, and I won’t without your permission. However,” Minyah raised an eyebrow, “I think I am correct to assume you want to continue to work with me in my garden. I do not think it will go unnoticed for long when my garden begins to produce fruit in defiance of the rain cycles.” She couldn't help but laugh a little, “When your village has been gardening together for centuries these sorts of things don’t tend to go unnoticed.”

Redlance nodded slowly. The joy of discovering his awakened powers had dominated his thoughts, and though he had considered how he would share the news with the Wolfriders he had not thought about the Sun Folk. He shrugged. “It’s not a secret, so I don’t mind if you tell the Sun Folk. I will be sharing the news with the Wolfriders this evening.” On the walk to Minayh’s hut he had concocted a plan to break the news to the tribe. 

Minyah cocked her head and smiled, “Oh?” 

“Let’s just say we both have very special gifts for Cutter and Leetah tonight.” 

------

Having just said goodbye to Redlance, Minyah hummed to herself as she kneaded the dough in the quiet of her hut. She loved to teach and share her knowledge. After centuries she had never lost her love of gardening, but no longer challenged her the way it once had, as opposed to elves who were a constant source of change. Now she challenged herself to grow by mentoring others; learning how to work with the unique personalities of each of her apprentices. In this way she saw their success as partially her own. The chance, and challenge, of working with a Wolfrider who had lived a very different life from her own excited her, and she was incredibly curious to learn more about the potentials of plant-shaping. 

“What was a Wolfrider doing in your hut, Mother?”

Minyah’s hand shook with surprise, and a palmful of extra flour spilled over her dough. 

“I should scold you for surprising me while I’m baking! High Ones know I’ve already had to scold one elf today.” 

Her son, Killeen, stepped through the doorway and laughed. He hugged his mother. “I’m sure you’ll have to scold me many times more. Maybe in another few centuries I’ll start listening. But you didn’t answer my question.” 

“How is Injah these days? Did she like the herb mixture I sent with you for her pregnancy sickness?” 

Kileen sighed and reached for Minyah’s hand. “Yes she did appreciate them and we both thank you, Mother. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shenshen starts requesting some to aid her midwifery. But you still haven’t answered me; why was there a Wolfrider in your hut?” 

“One of the Wolfriders has… taken an interest… in gardening, and I offered to teach him.” 

Killeen laughed again. “How did you manage that? I hear the Wolfriders prefer to sleep during the day and are very… dedicated… to their carnivorous diet.” Kileen smirked a little. “Did you run out of Sun Villagers to mentor and resort to recruiting Wolfriders?” His smirk grew, “Did you bribe them?” 

“I made a bet,” Minyah couldn’t help but laugh at herself a little. “It was bothering me how little interest the Wolfriders took in eating vegetables, and I figured that if they’re going to be living with us it was in everyone’s interest if they learned to like what was good for them.”

“So you just marched up and told them this?” Kileen raised an eyebrow “A little brazen Mother, though I’ll admit I’m not entirely surprised.” 

“It worked. The Wolfrider you saw has certainly come to like gardening.”

“Apparently.” He sensed a spark in his mother, the kind of excitement he noticed when she found herself a new challenge, though he couldn’t have predicted what she would say next. Her voice dropped to an excited whisper. 

“The Wolfriders have a plant-shaper!” 

Kileen felt an odd jolt. This was undoubtedly exciting for his mother, who had dedicated her life to gardening, and he did share her excitement. But, his mother also had never mentored anyone more naturally gifted at gardening than he, who had always been his mother’s most faithful apprentice. Now an adult with a lifemate, he had secured a respected position in the village and other gardeners vied for his help. Kileen couldn’t predict how the arrival of an elf who had the luck to have been born with magical powers might upset this balance. Feeling frustrated, but not wanting to be rude, he excused himself.   

“Well Mother, I wish you the best of luck with your nocturnal, carnivorous plant-shaper.”   

Minyah pursed her lips thoughtfully as her son left. 

Chapter Text

I-I-I got this feeling in my soul

Go ahead and throw your stones

‘Cause there’s magic in my bones

- “Bones,” Imagine Dragons

“Pike!” Redlance hissed, but Pike kept snoring. Redlance smiled, it was good he had come prepared. He picked up a fresh piece of the ravvit Nightfall had skinned while waiting for Redlance’s return the previous evening, and waved it under Pike’s nose. The snores softened and then stopped abruptly. Redlance stepped back as Pike shot up, his mouth already watering. Pike squinted up at Redlance, who was grinning at him, the sleep-fog in his brain slowly clearing. 

“Redlance..?”

“I need a favour from you, friend, and I’ve brought you something in return,” Redlance tossed Pike the meat. “A taste of the feast yet to come tonight.”

Pike happily tore off a piece of the meat, and smiled gamely. “What kind of favour?”  

“You said you grabbed some dreamberry seeds before we fled the Holt. Do you still have them?”

Pike regarded Redlance hesitantly, not wanting to part with the precious seeds, until he saw Redlance’s scarcely contained grin and realized the implication of what his friend was asking. 

“No… Do you mean…? Can you really..?” Redlance’s smile was all Pike needed, and he scrambled to his pile of trinkets in the cave, finally finding a small brown leather pouch. Nightfall joined the two as Pike brandished the pouch. Carefully they stepped over the sleeping form of Woodlock as they left the cave. Pike leaned down to shake the father awake, sure he would want to witness what they were about to see, but Redlance’s alarmed look stopped him. Redlance cleared his throat sheepishly. 

“I’ve never tried anything this big before. I still don’t know for certain that it will work. I’d rather the others not find out until it’s been done.” 

Pike nodded, and the three elves slipped into the afternoon heat. 

Sticking to the shadow of the cliffs the three skirted the village, keeping an eye out for any sign of jackals, until they found a discreet crevice, near to where the celebration was being prepared, but still hidden. Nightfall noticed Redlance didn’t smile as he crouched down to the ground, but instead concentrated on taking the seed Pike offered him and planting it the way Minyah had shown him. He stretched out his hands and closed his eyes. Nightfall had every confidence in her lifemate, and she was not disappointed. It wasn’t long before a little green seedling lengthened and branched, losing its fleshy green hue for rough bark. Slowly the branches filled out as little leaves uncurled and swelled. Next came little buds that blossomed into pink bell-shaped flowers. The petals stretched out, only to start to turn a crispy brown and curl backwards as little green berries extended from within the flower’s remains. Finally they darkened to indigo, dotting the bush and the three elves eagerly each sampled one. Pike rolled the berry around in his mouth before squishing between his teeth, and his look of fierce concentration bloomed into a grin. He slapped Redlance on the back and let out a long howl. Redlance flinched at the slap, but then grinned and he and Nightfall tilted their heads back to join in. The shaping had taken time, and the celebration would begin soon. Drawn by the howl the other Wolfriders slowly gathered around the dreamberry bush, exclaiming their wonder and delight while Redlance, flushed and beaming, received a multitude of hugs and slaps on the back. The best of all eventually came from Cutter, who nearly knocked him over in his excitement for the treeshaper. 

Redlance waited two days before visiting Minyah again. He remembered to leave his hunting knife in the caves this time. Treestump had told him and Nightfall that the Wolfriders were trying to not bring weapons into the village in order to show their regret over the raid, which was still fresh in the minds of some of the Sun Folk. All agreed it would be better if the Wolfriders presented themselves unarmed as they built new relationships. This time Redlance was also careful to arrive earlier in the day, walking to Minyah’s hut via the long shadows at the cliff bases instead of straight through the village. To his surprise Minyah wasn’t alone in her garden as she usually was; another elf her age hoed the row beside her. Minyah waved as Redlance approached, and smiling she gestured to her friend. 

“Dear, this is Kayrah, an old friend. We often garden together for the company. She wanted to see your plant shaping if you would agree to it.” Redlance nodded; he had figured this would happen eventually. Minyah directed him to a row of newly germinated corn seedlings and Redlance could feel their eyes on him as he sat cross-legged beside the little stems. Pressing his fingertips to the soil he reached deep down and drew up moisture and nutrients to reach the new plants’ shallow roots. Redlance heard Kayrah gasp as the plants began to glow and curl upwards. When they each reached the height of his knee he stopped and turned to Minyah, a tired smile on his face. He didn’t know why he felt embarrassed by the two gardener’s gazes, but before they could object he quietly excused himself, with a promise to return the next day. 

-----

 When Redlance arrived the next morning there were five elves hoeing beside Minyah. The morning after there were ten, the next twelve. Redlance decided to sleep through the following day. Being watched so intently by so many elves unnerved him, and he wasn’t ready to give up his nocturnal habits. But no one could deny that in the last three days Minyah’s garden was clearly larger and fuller than any other. In a season where the child’s teeth should be as long as an elf’s pinky finger Minyah’s stood as tall as an elf’s head, with pale little cobs poking out of the stem. As Minyah had predicted this didn’t go unnoticed by the other village gardeners, especially the older elf-women who had suddenly found reasons to complain about their desperate need for gardening assistance; a need that had apparently become dire now that a plant-shaper was available. Finally Shenshen voiced this unspoken question when she bumped into Minyah and Kayrah on her way to fetch lizard eggs. When Kayrah had made a few pointed comments about sore knees and the difficulties of managing an entire garden herself. Minyah turned to her friend with her hands on her hips. 

“Kileen has been helping you in your garden for moons now. Are you suggesting my son’s hard work for you is insufficient?” 

“No, not at all,” Kayrah waved her hand while Minyah crossed her arms, “But I want to see the Old Powers at work in my garden!” 

Shenshen immediately suggested Redlance could help Kayrah in her garden until it was as large as Minayh’s. Kayrah didn’t say anything but gave Minyah a pointed look. 

“Kayrah, I hope you consider how this could look to Kileen,” Minyah cringed as she considered for the first time the effect Redlance’s presence might have on her son, but she also didn’t have grounds to outright refuse her friend’s request. 

“I’lll speak with him about helping you in your garden,” she promised. “But remember the Wolfriders do things differently than the Sun Folk,” she warned. “They usually sleep during the day, so I never know when to expect him.”

-----

“You wanted to speak with me about something, Beloved?” Nightfall asked her lifemate patiently as he sat before her in their cave. Redlance scratched his ear nervously. 

“This morning Minyah told me other gardeners in the village have been asking when I would help them in their gardens too. I’m worried, Nightfall. I don’t want to ask more of my powers than they can give, or leave the Way to live in the sun. I always thought that when my powers awoke they would bring me closer to the tribe, not draw me away.” Redlance reached for her hand, “And I don’t want you to feel bound to accompany me, or feel as if I’m neglecting you.” Nightfall smiled at the instinctive consideration her lifemate offered her. She squeezed his hand. 

“Time with you is precious to me, especially after I thought it might be cut short. But I think it's natural, beloved, that following the Way in the Sun Village will look different than it did in the forest. And part of the Way means caring for your pack,” She gestured toward the mouth of the cave where the huts of the Sun Village were visible, “including our new pack.” Redlance nodded and smiled. 

“You are wise as ever, lifemate.” 

Nightfall gave him a teasing smile, “Just try not to show off too much, otherwise the Sun Folk might never let you leave!” 

Redlance laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

Chapter Text

Born young and wild

Don’t let them cut your tail

Just a pinch of salt in the wound, you’ll be fine

One last lifeline, I’m hanging high

- “Wolves of the Revolution,” The Arcadian Wild

Dawn still tinged the sky pink as Redlance approached Kayrah’s garden for the first time. Redlance had correctly guessed that Kayrah would appreciate him arriving early, just after sun-up, but he had not considered that she, and the male Sun Villager next to her, would find the chunk of raw, wet meat he was chewing on rather off-putting. Normally at this time Redlance would be going to sleep, so the food was for extra energy. Kayrah waved to him, and Redlance raised his free hand in response. Swallowing the last of the meat, Redlance licked his bloody fingers clean as he stepped into her garden plot, but Kayrah immediately retracted the spade handle she had offered him. The villager beside her, who Redlance noticed bore more than a passing resemblance to Minyah, looked openly repulsed. Self-consciously, Redlance wiped his hand on his pants, but this apparently didn’t satisfy Kayah, who sent him inside her hut to wash his hands in her wash basin. Feeling more than a little patronized as he returned, Redlance noticed the male Sun Villager was gone. When he mentioned it to Kayrah she only said, “Oh, Kileen helps me often enough, but I figured he wouldn’t be needed anymore if you were here.” 

Redlance didn’t reply to Kayrah’s callous answer, but watched Kileen’s fading silhouette stalk back to the village and frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. Despite the rocky start, Redlance didn’t mind the time he spent helping Kayrah in her garden. She was more chatty than Minyah, and often complained of needing breaks to rest in the shade. When Redlance asked if Leetah could use her healing so the sun no longer tired Kayrah as much, she only laughed. “Leetah can heal many things, child, but she can’t block the effects of the sun.” When Redlance didn't comment she laughed again. "But what am I complaining about? You are striped nearly the colour of raw meat, child."

Kayrah had very accurately described the mottled sunburns on his skin, but that didn't mean Redlance appreciated it being pointed out. He let himself raise an eyebrow at her and then turned back to the plants before him, reminding himself that he could always garden with Minyah tomorrow. 

The rest of the day passed better, as Kayrah directed Redlance to the areas she wanted worked on, and he extended his powers as far as he was willing to take them. Later, near the end of the day, Minyah arrived with the same young elf he had seen earlier. With the two of them standing side by side the resemblance was unmistakable.

“Redlance, dear, this is my son Kileen.” Redlance nodded at the elf and used the most respectful Sun Folk greeting he knew, 

“Shade and sweet-water, Kileen.” 

“Good evening plant-shaper.” Kileen’s face remained blank, and Redlance didn’t miss the way Kayrah wouldn’t meet Minyah or Kileen’s eyes. 

Minyah frowned at her friend, but Kayrah only blushed and didn’t meet her gaze. With a resigned look Minyah glanced at Redlance. 

“I need to speak with you, dear. Kileen agreed to accompany me and assure Kayrah she will have help in her garden over the next few days in case you are unavailable.”

Both Redlance and Kayrah frowned. Redlance glanced at Kileen, but Minyah’s son only gave a short nod to Kayrah and then left. Redlance couldn't help but respect the way Minyah’s son continued to help others, despite the elf’s apparent dislike of him. With a wave goodbye to Kayrah he took a few quick steps to catch up to Minyah as she walked towards the edge of the village. 

-----

Kayrah knew better than to interrupt despite her desperate curiosity as she watched the two elves converse quietly, though it wasn’t long before she saw Redlance turn and jog back towards the caves abruptly. Kayrah was about to dash after Minyah, but was pleased when the other gardener turned and came back towards her. The look in Minyah’s eyes, however, was less than pleasing. 

“You should be glad Kileen agreed to continue helping you despite how you’ve treated him,” Minyah said flatly. 

Kayrah paused. She had been so excited to witness plant shaping in her own garden that she had chosen to ignore how that might affect her friend and her son. Seeing the hurt on their faces, however, was much harder to ignore. Kayrah cleared her throat awkwardly. 

“I am grateful for Kileen’s thoughtfulness, and I’m sure you had a hand in him offering his help to me again. I’m sorry my actions made it such that you had to ask him for me.”

Minyah nodded, satisfied. Neither elf-women had ever been interested in the verbal games other Sun Folk played. They preferred to keep things simple and to the point, hence why their friendship had lasted so long. Minyah knew Kayrah well enough to know the elder gardener would apologize to Kileen as well. 

Kayrah’s tone changed and she put her hands on her hips. 

“So, Minyah, are you going to tell me what’s wrong, and what it has to do with our Wolfrider?” 

No, Kayrah certainly didn’t beat around the bush. Minyah raised an eyebrow at her friend. 

“ Our Wolfrider?” 

Kayrah huffed, “Oh, you know what I mean.” 

Minyah laughed and then grew serious again. “Yes, it seems he may be in some trouble. Leetah came and spoke with me today”

“Leetah?” Kayrah was nonplussed. 

“Yes,” Minyah waved her hand, “Anyways, she said Ceilene had marched up to her earlier, in one of her moods,” Kayrah nodded sympathetically. The entire village was familiar with the elderly elf-woman’s “moods.” “Ceilene was upset that I hadn’t sent the “wolf-gardener,” as she put it, to help her with her garden. Clearly she thought I had the power to order him around, and that I obviously should have sent him to her already. Ceilene never even spoke to me about it and I didn’t even know she wanted the help! She usually only tends to a few rows anyways.” Minayh huffed, uncharacteristically annoyed. “Apparently, Ceilene marched into Leetah’s hut and demanded that Cutter order Redlance to help her as the Wolfriders’ chief. Cutter had been confused and shocked that anyone would demand such a thing, but Leetah spoke up before anything her lifemate would have said could escalate the situation. But then Ceilene had turned on Leetah too, and said Leetah could make Redlance help her in her garden, as she had heard he owed the healer his life. Leetah told me it had been her own turn to be shocked and horrified. Without knowing what else to say she had stated clearly that the Wolfriders were free to make their own decisions, and that Ceilene should take her request to Redlance himself. Then Leetah firmly escorted the her out.” 

Kayrah had frowned. Poor Redlance! Ceilene was not easily cowed, and Kayrah felt immediate sympathy for the Wolfrider if she would be stalking the village looking to ambush him. It was no surprise Minyah had assumed he may want to avoid the village over the next few days. 

-----

Kileen was satisfied that he was still getting requests for gardening help around the village, but he noticed they often came midway through the day, instead of days in advance, as they had in the past. It didn’t take him long to realize that this was simply because he had become second choice, only sought out if the Wolfrider’s presence was either occupied with a different garden that day, or he simply could not be found. Despite their apparent keenness to witness the plant-shaper’s powers, Kileen doubted any of his fellow villagers were desperate enough to go poking around the Wolfrider’s caves on days Redlance didn’t show. The partial help he was still requested for was of little consolation to Kileen. The feeling of being cast-aside frustrated him to no end, why would his own people abandon him? A plant-shaper, while he grudgingly admitted was exciting, was simply not needed in the Sun Village to ensure a bounty of food each season. Kileen felt his centuries of faithful service to his village had been replaced by what was new and novel. He expressed as much to his lifemate, Injah, as he helped her settle into her chair one evening. 

“Even the advice of my own mother, the best gardener of the village, is sought less and less!” 

“Has Minyah expressed that it bothers her, Beloved?” Injah asked gently. Kileen sighed. 

“No. In fact I think she is enjoying getting to play mentor once again. It has been a long time since she has had the chance,” he admitted. “But I wish the village understood that putting all their hopes on one elf is misguided. And,” Kileen let his frustration show, “the Wolfrider isn’t even around half the time. Mother told me they usually sleep during the day! He isn’t reliable, and the villagers need to see that before they’re all disappointed. Maybe then they would recognize the faithful years of service my family has offered them.” 

Injah just nodded quietly, unsure of what to make of her lifemate’s statements. Her mind flitted to Rayek, and how the arrival of the Wolfriders had finally driven him to leave the Sun Folk. She felt a spike of fear for her lifemate. But then, she wasn’t lifemated to Rayek. Not by a long shot. While Rayek struggled to work with others, Kileen supported those around him. Perhaps if he had the opportunity to garden alongside the Wolfrider the two might be able to work together…

Kileen dropped his voice, breaking his lifemate out of her musings. 

“I still don’t trust them, beloved, if anything had happened to you” Kileen rested his palm on Injah’s swollen belly, “or our child during their raid I don’t know what I would do.” Injah stayed quiet. Despite herself she had often wondered the same thing, and she was beyond thankful she had remained safely tucked in their hut during the raid. But Kileen wasn’t finished. “They are violent elves, Injah. Not only the raid but-” Kileen paused and then gestured to the length of his arms, “I saw scars on the plant-shaper.” Kileen swallowed. “All down both his arms and his torso where I could see. They showed only faintly in the daylight, and with my mother’s eyes grow less sharp as she ages, so I doubt she has noticed. To imagine my mother alone with such an elf.” Kileen grit his teeth. “I fear for her. I have always trusted her judgement, but now I wonder what secrets the Wolfrider may be hiding.” 

Chapter Text

wake me up inside

wake me up inside

call my name and save me from the dark

bid my blood to run

before I come undone

save me from the nothing I've become

- “Bring Me to Life,” Evanescence 

Redlance shot upright, panting. The sleeping furs below him were sticky with sweat and his heart was racing. On instinct he reached for his neck, feeling the smooth skin to remind himself he was still alive, he was safe in the Sun Village, and that no human dagger had pierced his throat. His hands travelled down over his ribs; no bursts of pain- they were all whole. He felt his wrists; no leather thongs encircled them. He knew it had just been a nightmare,  but he found he couldn’t stop himself from checking over his whole body methodically, to assure himself that he was whole. Redlance could feel the sweat soaking the sleeping furs below that he and Nightfall shared. He swore silently to himself. He had stayed awake for as long as he could the night before, hoping that the more exhausted he could make himself the deeper his sleep would be, and the less likely nightmares would plague him; but it was no use. He didn’t think he had cried out in the night- yet. He was sure Nightfall would have said something if he did, let alone Woodlock, Rainsong, the cubs, or Pike who also shared their cave. Rolling over, trying his best to breathe deeply, he laid stiff and tense on the ground, trying to keep his mind blank. It was strange, the Wolfrider’s unexpected arrival in the Sun Village and the whirlwind of events since then had seemed to offer enough of a distraction that he had been able to stay successfully in the Now and push away any painful memories that ever poked their way to the surface. But perhaps it was now that peace had come from Cutter and Leetah’s lifemating, and the merging of the two tribes, that unwanted memories had begun their violent attack. When he woke up to these dreams it was as if he could feel each scar, each reminder, burning. He wanted to crawl out his skin to escape it. The nightmares had been coming more frequently, and he was glad to have the excuse of avoiding Ceilene to stay away from the Sun Village because he was suddenly afraid and embarrassed at the thought of a Sun Villager noticing his scars. He pinched his arm to give himself something to focus on and keep himself from accidentally falling asleep again. A different thought, unbidden, came to his mind. Will you finally have the courage today to speak to Leetah? And if that doesn’t work, what then? 

-----

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been sleeping much for the last few days.” Nightfall put her chin on her knees and looked at her lifemate across their cave. Redlance shrugged, suspiciously nonchalant. 

“I haven’t felt tired, I do sleep though, just later than you,” He picked up a rock and tossed it a few times. 

Nightfall wondered if he actually believed he looked convincingly casual, and if so he was failing miserably.  She had to suppress a sigh. Redlance had never been a good liar, especially with her, and Nightfall wasn’t interested in wasting time.

“Why don’t you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” 

Redlance immediately dropped the rock and his gaze to the ground. Nightfall could have sworn she saw him shift away from her ever so slightly. “Redlance..?” Confused, she tried a gentler tone, reaching out to touch his shoulder, but he jerked away. 

“I know you’ve thought about them, but haven’t said anything.”

Nightfall didn’t understand, but stayed quiet and let him continue. 

Redlance gestured to himself. “I also want them gone; the scars, the… memories.” He chewed his lip and was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t know if any of the Sun Folk, if Minyah, have noticed, and I don’t want them to. Cutter and Leetah were so mixed up before they lifemated that I didn’t want to bother Leetah about removing them. I was afraid something I said could affect how she would see Cutter. And now Leetah’s hut is in the centre of the village, and I'm afraid if I go and have to wait outside her hut one of the villagers will ask me to work in their garden and I wouldn’t want to offend them by refusing. But I don’t want to right now, not until Leetah has removed the scars.” Maybe if those reminders are gone the nightmares will fade too, Redlance added silently.  

Nightfall nodded gently, but was still confused. “I don’t understand lifemate, why now do they bother you so much? 

Redlance shrugged. “I haven’t thought of it much actually. I only started to feel anxious about the scars recently,” he admitted. When the nightmares got worse , he added silently.

Nightfall rested a hand on his shoulder and this time Redlance didn’t pull away. 

“Well, I think you know what you have to do.”

-----

Sunset’s warm light bathed the Sun Village in a beautiful swirl of pinks and gold, and Redlance, for all his single-minded focus,  couldn't help but stop for a moment to appreciate it. Most of the villagers would be preparing for their evening meal and then sleep, so few were outside, though he could hear laughter and music coming through the huts’ windows as he passed. He kept his eyes fixed on Leetah’s hut as he strode quickly though the village, determined not to acknowledge anyone. In the end Redlance never made it to Leetah’s hut, but to his surprise it wasn’t an elderly gardener who waylaid him, but a pregnant female he didn’t recognize. She was awkwardly lifting a heavy water jug from the well as Redlance passed by, and though he had wanted to avoid interactions, he couldn’t ignore her. Stopping to offer to lift it, he was surprised as she suddenly squinted at him, gave him a once-over, and then her eyes widened with recognition. 

“You are the Wolfrider’s plant-shaper!” 

He nodded slowly and then gave her a confused smile. “You seem to know who I am, though we’ve never met, but I don’t know who you are.” 

She laughed and smiled at him, but didn’t answer his question. “Oh, I’ve heard a lot about you from Minyah and the other gardeners. They seem quite keen to see whose garden they can get you to grow the biggest. And the dream berries have certainly increased your popularity with the lads and maidens.” 

Redlance blushed and didn’t know what to say, but the elf woman had begun to walk and he followed her back to her hut, carrying the water jug. He would have to ask Minyah about the dreamberry comment. 

“Personally, I prefer to stick to weaving and leave the gardening to my lifemate, but still I am grateful to you, Wolfrider, for what you’ve done for the village. It would be an honour to show some token of our gratitude, and I was actually just fetching this water to finish preparations for the evening meal. In the time it will take you to go fetch your lifemate from the caves we will be ready to eat. Truly, you should join us!” Redlance didn’t miss how the maiden’s smile grew as she offered this proposal, and the slightly sly look in her eye. I know she’s planning something, but I haven’t the faintest idea. Not interested in taking any part in another elf’s games Redlance was about to refuse when he saw a Sun Villager approach Leetah’s hut, and be greeted by the healer. Puckernuts. It was nearly dusk and Redlance knew Leetah would be retiring soon, likely after seeing to this elf. It would not be considerate to bother her later tonight. With his excuse gone, he looked at the maiden grinning at him and mustered what he hoped was a respectful smile. 

“My lifemate and I would be honoured to join you tonight.” 

The maiden’s grin nearly split her face in two. 

“Excellent!” she gestured to the hut they had reached. “This is the one, dear. Just set it down on the table.” Redlance did so, and with another nod he was at the door before he remembered to ask, “My name is Redlance, and my lifemate is Nightfall. What is your name?” 

“Injah.”

-----

Kileen stepped through the door and stretched, shoulder muscles popping pleasantly. He saw Injah smile at him from where she leaned by the oven, sliding a clay pan carefully out. but while she usually smiled she was undeniably grinning now, and there was a gleam in her eye that made Kileen frown. He squinted at her, 

“I feel like you’re about to tell me something I’m not going to like.” 

Injah ignored him, and gestured for him to sit. He helped her settle into a chair first, and had barely sat down himself when she said, 

“Guess who I saw when I was at the well tonight.” 

So, this was a game, was it? Unlike his mother, who thought and spoke in straight lines, Injah was almost always smiling, but also more mischievous and loved to tease him. While it was something Kileen loved about her, it was also something he would never quite get used to. Tonight he decided to play along, knowing that it would be the fastest way of getting information. 

“Who did you see, my love?”

“Guess.”

“Um, my mother?”

She grinned at him gleefully and he frowned. “No silly! The elf you can’t stop talking about. And you’ll be seeing him too, any moment now.”

“What?” Kileen decided he wasn’t interested in this game anymore. 

“I think you and the Wolfrider would make good friends, Kileen, if you chose to work together. Besides, haven’t you told me you wish there were more lads in the village who dedicated themselves to gardening as you do?”

“I told you he was dangerous!”

“They all came from a dangerous place Kileen! But I sensed no danger in him.” Injah smiled. “Besides, why would I worry about danger when I have you to protect me?”

She had him. Kileen let out a frustrated snort but had no response. Injah took his hands, and this time her voice was earnest. 

“Trust me in this beloved. I have a good feeling about tonight.”

Chapter Text

I knew you were trouble when you walked in

So, shame on me now

Flew me to places I'd never been

Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground

Oh, oh

Trouble, trouble, trouble

- “I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift 

Redlance and Nightfall stood together outside the hut, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the next. Nightfall knew her lifemate was on edge, after missing his chance to see Leetah, and winding up in exactly the kind of social situation he had wanted to avoid. She herself was extremely curious, if a little nervous, about the new experience they were about to have. When Redlance had shown up in their cave only a short time earlier, she had been dressing a kill she had just made with the wolves. Nightfall had been in the process of scolding Woodshaver for stealing Firecoat’s share of the kill when her lifemate had popped into view, out of breath, and in a confused voice had explained that they had been invited to share a meal with two of the Sun Folk. Not knowing what else to do she had tucked the last skinned leg of ravvit into her hip pouch, so it wouldn’t be stolen by scavengers while they were gone, and then followed Redlance back to the Sun Village as he explained the surprising encounter at the well. Unsure if they were supposed to announce themselves somehow before entering, the Wolfriders waited awkwardly out in the darkening light, trying to see if they could catch the eye of an elf inside through the thick, beaded curtain. They didn’t have to wait long, however, when an elf-maiden’s smiling face thrust itself through the beads and beckoned them inside. 

“Come in Wolfriders, come in!” Injah reached for their hands around her large belly to guide them into the hut. Nightfall hadn’t realized how cozy the Sun Folk’s huts could be. Colourful woven tapestries arced down from the ceiling onto the walls, and the table was covered in multicoloured cloth. 

“Wow,” Beside her, Redlance’s eyes were wide with delight. “Did you make this?” he asked Injah. She nodded, beaming. Nightfall had never met an elf who smiled so freely, and though her own struggles in life had killed her chances of becoming an optimist, it was refreshing to meet an elf who seemed so… light.  

“My lifemate has a gift for weaving. She can see the patterns forming before she’s even begun.” 

Nightfall felt her lifemate’s hand squeeze hers in surprise as they saw a lad straighten from setting a large basket on the table. 

Injah cast a fond glance over her shoulder. “Wolfriders, meet my lifemate Kileen.” 

The elf didn’t seem to share Redlance’s surprise, but Nightfall noted that he kept a carefully blank face when he saw them, though his jaw was tight. The difference between the couple couldn’t have been more obvious. 

Nightfall remembered her manners, “I am Nightfall. My lifemate Redlance and I thank you for your hospitality.” 

Kileen offered a small nod while Injah beamed at her, releasing Redlance’s hand to lead Nightfall to the table, where Nightfall helped Injah sit, and then sat across from her as Injah indicated, gesturing for Redlance to sit next to Nightfall. Kileen returned moments later with a final basket full of vegetables she didn’t recognize, and sat down across from Redlance. 

Nightfall, while still learning the customs of the Sun Village, had pieced together from the impromptu invitation offered to Redlance, the tension on Kileen’s face, and now seating Redlance across from Kileen that there was more than met the eye to this interaction. Injah’s voice stole Nightfall from her musings. The elf-maiden was pointing to the different baskets of burnt vegetables, explaining with words like “roasted” and “herbs” how they had been prepared. Another basket held smelly, brown globes Injah referred to as “bread.” Nightfall’s heart gave a disappointed flip when the lid of the last basket was lifted, revealing a small rack of burnt meat, a thin char of black still smoking around its edges. The only dishes she and Redlance recognized were the burnt meat and a bowl of cactus fruits like the ones Minyah had given them to try days earlier. Kileen reached over and poured a pale green liquid Injah called “nettle tea” into vessels that reminded her of what the trolls used for drinking. She herself had never drunk from anything but a waterskin or her own cupped hands. In a similar fashion she guessed the flat, hard clay disk in front of her was designed to hold her portion of food, instead of eating it straight out of the baskets. 

“I heard that you, Redlance, seem to enjoy gardening with some of the Sun Villagers, so I prepared mostly vegetables for you tonight.”

Injah spoke truly, there was only enough of the burnt meat for each elf to eat a few bites. Nightfall hoped her face was as schooled as her lifemate’s when he responded with a polite “thank you,” though she had lost her appetite at the thought of eating strange, burnt vegetables and meat. She guessed Redlance felt the same, as despite his powers he hadn’t lost his strong Wolfrider preference for meat. Her hand brushed her hip-pouch. At least she could eat the ravvit on the walk back to the caves. Once everyone was seated, and the food placed, Kileen began to reach for bits of each dish and add them to his plate. With an encouraging nod from Injah the Wolfriders did the same, though selecting much smaller portions for themselves, which wasn’t lost on their hosts. Kileen frowned a little too noticeably until his pregnant lifemate kicked his leg under the table. 

Nightfall bit into the first vegetable, holding her breath. The burnt taste wasn’t as awful as she had feared, but it lacked the semi-palatable cold, earthy crunch of the raw roots she had eaten in the forest. She and Redlance both tried to swallow as much as possible without chewing, unfortunately making it difficult to converse. After a few moments of awkward silence Injah decided to speak. 

“So Redlance,” Injah began, “Did you garden much in the green growing place your tribe traveled from?” 

Redlance paused from attempting to inhale bits of his food to reply, “I only discovered the use of my powers since arriving in the Sun Village. In the Holt, uh, our “Green Growing Place” the Wolfriders didn’t tend plants for food as the Sun Folk do. We would only collect nuts, roots, or berries if game was scarce.” Redlance paused, trying to think of how to continue the conversation. “Um, Kileen, have you been gardening with Minyah for a long time?”

Kileen nodded. “Since I was a child my mother has been teaching me the techniques she has learned over her many centuries of service to the village. I, in turn, have served the village as a gardener for centuries since. It takes such long years of service to understand the cycles of rain and sun and how they affect the earth. But now I know them well enough they are like kin to me.”

Redlance nodded. “I can only imagine how much talent you offer to the Sun Folk. It must have been wonderful to be able to contribute your gifts to the Sun Village since you were a cub- I mean- child. As a cu- child I yearned to be able to contribute to my tribe as you have done, it has only been here that I have finally been able to do so. Perhaps when I am as long-lived I will feel the same satisfaction I sense from you.” 

Kileen was taken aback by the genuine honesty in Redlance’s words, free of any backhanded compliments or veiled meanings. 

“Yes, I suppose it would have been a trial to have to wait for your powers to appear in order to offer them to your people.” 

Nightfall noticed the smile hiding behind Injah’s mouth and she gained an inkling of the true reason she and Redlance had been invited that evening. Perhaps she had misjudged the maiden’s optimism for naivete.

Kileen leaned forward, a note of wary invitation in his voice, “Many of the village gardeners seek your help, plant-shaper, but I believe your skills would prove even more fruitful when combined with my knowledge of the soil. I could share this with you, and what kinds of fertilizer are most effective to ensure the soil doesn’t become drained of nutrients as you urge the plants to grow at such a fast rate.”

Redlance nodded, pleasantly surprised that the Sun Villager seemed to have lost much of the animosity he had sensed earlier. Though he had never heard words such as “fertilizer” and “nutrients” he was game to learn what this elf could teach him about gardening. Across the table Injah removed her hand from her mouth and let her smile show. Kileen gently nudged her in a teasing way, and she gave him a tender look. The happy lull left a sudden silence and all the elves laughed awkwardly after a few beats. Injah used one of the glowing candles on the table to light some of the oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, giving the chamber a bright and pleasant warmth compared to the darkness outside. 

“So Redlance, I am getting the impression the Wolfriders prefer meat to vegetables,” She gave a meaningful but compassionate glance to the nibbles taken from their plates. “Can I pass you some of the meat?” Redlance wanted to be polite but his twisting stomach did not. He hoped they had made a sufficiently good impression to refuse and not torture his stomach further.

“You aren’t wrong Injah, but you see, the Wolfriders are not in the habit of burning their meat in fire.” Kileen and Injah both frowned at the word “burning” and Redlance knew he had misstepped. 

“We don’t burn our meat-” Kileen began, but Redlance tried to clarify, 

“I mean that we usually eat our kills fresh.” 

Nightfall nodded, digging in her belt pouch and pulled out the ravvit leg, setting it on her clay disk, “Like this.”

Now it was the Sun Folk’s turn to have their bellies squirm as the Wolfrider huntress casually laid the raw leg in her plate so it touched her food. Pregnant Injah especially began to pale a little as she stared unblinking at the ravvit leg. Nightfall picked it up and tore a little piece of red flesh off between her fingers and stuck it in her mouth to demonstrate, before meeting Injah’s wide eyes. Injah’s eyes followed the little bit of blood that dribbled down Nightfall’s chin to drip onto the baked carrots, and suddenly she lurched forward with a hand over her mouth, and dashed outside, around to the back of the hut. All three elves jumped up immediately but Nightfall put a hand on Redlance’s shoulder and looked at Kileen. 

“Let me take care of it.”  

Perhaps because Nightfall was a female Kileen inexplicably agreed and sat back down, his hands pressed on the table. Redlance glanced at the soon-to-be-father, concerned, but the other elf had his eyes firmly fixed on the table. 

“Injah did not burn the meat.”

Redlance blinked, surprised. It took him a moment to remember what Kileen was referring to. Sensing there had been some kind of miscommunication, Redlance groped for how to reply without unintentionally making the situation worse. In the end he didn’t have to. Killeen had his back to the hut’s entrance, so Redlance, who was seated across from Kileen, saw the ruddy, furry muzzle poke its way through the beaded curtain. Puckernuts puckernuts puckernuts! Firecoat had clearly come looking for his elf-friends. What Redlance didn’t know was that Firecoat hadn’t eaten in two days, and the wolf assumed the scent of his elf-friend, combined with food, equaled a guaranteed meal. Kileen started as Redlance stood up fast enough to send his chair falling back with a crash as a huge wolf nosed its way into the hut. Kileen shrieked as the animal went immediately for the food in front of him, and Redlance leapt over the table a second too late to prevent Firecoat from gobbling up the meat in three swift bites. Licking his chops the wolf eyed the rest of the fragrant food intensely while Redlance shoved himself between the wolf and the table, grabbing at the fur on either side of the wolf’s head, trying to make eye contact for a wolf-send.

“S-stay b-b-back…” 

Redlance looked up and saw Kileen standing with his back to the wall, his cutting knife held out in a trembling hand. Kileen was looking at Firecoat but Redlance was suddenly aware it would be wise if he also didn't make any sudden moves. 

“Get your beast out of my house, and keep it away from my lifemate and our unborn child!” 

Redlance struggled to keep his grip on the wolf’s head and groaned inwardly when Firecoat saw the knife and let out a low growl. Abandoning the food, the wolf ripped its head out of Redlance’s hands and took a menacing step towards Kileen, whose hands were shaking badly now. Knowing he had only seconds to act Redlance threw himself against Firecoat as hard as possible, trying to knock the wolf off course, and then kicked at Kileen's wrist, making him drop the knife. Firecoat’s lupine brain was still debating how much of a threat the Sun Villager was, but just then Nightfall’s head stuck into the hut’s entry. 

“Beloved, I heard a shout- what..?” Nightfall’s question was cut short as her lifemate’s wolf-friend’s head butted her in the stomach with a happy “whuff!” She saw Redlance and Kileen equally staring at her with wide eyes, Redlance’s circlet and hair were in disarray, and Kileen was still trembling. Suddenly Kileen lunged towards her,

“No! The beast must stay away from Injah!” 

Nightfall hugged Firecoat’s muzzle to her and gaped at the Sun Villager who a minute ago had been nearly a friend. Before Kileen could reach her Redlance grabbed his arm and jerked him back.

“Kileen stop! If you scare him you’ll only make it worse! Firecoat won’t hurt Injah, he was hungry and wanted food. Wolfriders often eat together with their wolves, and he assumed he could eat with us in your hut.” Redlance understood Kileen’s reaction, but also knew that the wolves were unpredictable and he needed to deescalate the situation. He tried his best to keep his tone as even as he could, despite his panic that Kileen still might provoke the wolf. Kileen jerked his arm out of the tree-shaper’s grasp. 

“Get the wolf back to your caves immediately. I see now that you are unable to control your mounts and having you in our home poses a threat to everyone inside-”

“I understand that Firecoat frightened you, but he was never a threat to you or your lifemate, it was only because you threatened him with a knife that he growled at you. The wolves understand the importance of protecting lifebearers and cubs-” Redlance was cut off as Kileen grabbed his arm, jerking him close to speak in his ear. 

“Don’t lie to me, Wolfrider. I saw how your people rode your wolves to attack our village. Were they concerned with protecting lifebearers and cubs then? I know you weren’t at their side when it happened, but I also know you hold your own violent secrets, though they would be better kept if their evidence wasn't written all over your flesh. Keep your wolves away from the village, and I wouldn’t be sorry if that means keeping yourselves away too!” 

Redlance flinched. Kileen smiled, seeing he had hit a nerve. Previous fear gone, he let the Wolfrider go as Redlance pulled away. But a low, wolf-like growl broke his confident demeanor.

“You know nothing.” This time Redlance didn’t keep the anger and hurt from his voice and suddenly the Sun Villager felt another twinge of anxiety when he looked at the angry Wolfrider. He lifted his hands, ready to defend himself should Redlance advance on him, but the Wolfrider simply spun around and walked straight out of the hut, his lifemate and the wolf following silently behind him into the darkness of the night. 

“Lifemate, what..?” Injah’s frightened face was suddenly before him and Kileen hugged her as tightly as he dared around her belly. 

“One of the Wolfriders’ beasts came into the hut, Beloved. It nearly attacked me, and I was afraid it would attack you too. The Wolfrider was unable to control it, and then defended its actions when I tried to make it leave.” 

Injah knew her lifemate well enough to know that if he felt her safety was at risk he would do anything, however foolish, to protect her. But if she was honest the thought of one of the wolves padding around her hut with her lifemate inside also terrified her. However, the greatest tragedy of all was the loss of the beginning of friendship she had seen, and the healing she had hoped Kileen would find in using his gifts to embrace a new path with the Wolfriders. Now it seemed they were worse off than when they started. 

“Don’t fear beloved, the Wolfriders know their mounts are not welcome here,” 

And by extension, that they aren’t either. Injah could hear the unspoken thought as clearly as if Kileen had said it out loud. She began to weep and Kileen hugged her close, misunderstanding her tears for tears of fright. 

“Shhh shh. Don’t be afraid, Beloved.” 

A surge of anger filled Injah and she pushed her lifemate away. Kileen was surprised to see frustration and anger replace her usual easy smile. 

“Lifemate, I only wanted to protect you-”

“Why Kileen? We were so close and you pushed them away!”

Kileen felt a stab of frustration because the twinge he felt at her words told him she was right, though he didn’t want to admit it. 

“You should have asked me before you invited them over! You knew I didn’t want them to come-”

Injah looked at him hard and crossed her arms. “This wasn’t just about you Kileen.” Her quiet intensity unnerved him. “Don’t you see that our tribes cooperating affects all of us? This was also about me , and our child! High Ones, even your mother understands that! We’re trying to build something here and you tore it down.” Injah felt her throat get hot and tears burn at her eyes. Frustrated, she turned away, unable to say more. 

Kileen clenched his fists. He felt ashamed. How could he have been so focused on himself that he hadn’t considered how his actions might affect his lifemate or their child? He took a deep breath. He still had too many lingering doubts and bruised feelings wrapped up around the plant-shaper to fully trust the Wolfriders, and if he was honest he didn’t want his pregnant lifemate anywhere near the wolves. But he still owed Injah an apology. 

“I’m sorry, Beloved. You’re right, I was being selfish.” 

Injah knew he was sincere and hugged him immediately. It wasn’t in her nature to hold a grudge, and it was one of the reasons Kileen loved her. He wiped her tears away with his thumb and held her until her breathing calmed. He expected her to suggest they go clean up, or go to bed, but instead she met his eyes solemnly. 

“Promise me, Kileen, that the next time you see the Wolfriders you will try to make amends.”

He didn’t want to, but he knew he owed it to her. Sighing he said, “I promise.”   

Chapter Text

You walk along the edge of danger

And it will change you

Why would you let this voice set in your head?

It is meant to destroy you

- “Ashes and Blood,” Arcane, League of Legends, Woodkid

“Beloved?” Nightfall had waited until they were back in the caves to speak. It was very rare that she saw her lifemate allow himself to show anger the way he had tonight. Redlance didn’t speak, but he opened his mind to her and sent his memories of the events that she hadn’t witnessed. Now Nightfall understood, she winced as she thought of Killeen’s harsh words and how they hurt Redlance, but she also knew that her lifemate was still afraid. Afraid of what could have happened had Killeen unwittingly, and in understandable fear, provoked Firecoat to feel threatened and attack. Neither of them wanted to think of the effect a wolf attack would have on the relationship between the Sun Folk and the Wolfriders, let alone the effect on Killeen and his family. Nightfall’s thoughts turned to what did happen. She knew word would travel fast among the Sun Village, and she had no idea which details might be included or left out, or what kinds of rumors could come of it. Regardless, they would have to speak with Cutter, and ensure no more wolfish misunderstandings took place for the time being, until things could be sorted out. She hugged Redlance tight and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt his hands reach up to stroke her hair, as much to calm her as to calm himself. They stood still like that for a moment, silhouetted in the moonlight, small figures tucked into the shadow of the mountains. If any of the other Wolfriders were still hanging around the caves for the night, they were too far away to notice the lifemates. 

“I’ll go speak to Cutter.” 

Nightfall pulled back to look at Redlance’s face. “Beloved, are you sure you are ready? I don’t blame you for being hurt, but if you go to Cutter too soon before your mind is clear, we both know it could lead to more problems.”

Redlance shook his head, “No, I’m ready. I don’t want to wait, and I-” he paused as if not knowing which words to choose, “I need Leetah to take away the scars. Tonight. I can’t- I won’t- have others think of me as Killeen does.” Redlance hushed her following protests, “I know the truth is what matters most, but I couldn’t bear it, Nightfall.” Redlance didn’t know how to explain that he couldn’t let the ache inside him grow even a little bit more, an ache he didn’t know how to describe, but one that had gone from a small subconscious nuisance to balloon since his nightmares had begun. He wasn’t sure exactly how, but he knew he needed it to stop, and seeing Leetah was the one thing he could think of that might help.

Even though Nightfall wasn’t as confident as he seemed to be, she trusted Redlance and agreed. She thought of offering to go with him, but then stopped herself. He wouldn’t want her watching as he had to point out every scar for Leetah to heal, and the vulnerability it would take to be honest with Cutter would be hard enough without more witnesses. She squeezed his hand, “Take your hunting knife, Redlance,” 

He looked at her, startled. “I have never taken a weapon into the Sun Village-”

But she pressed, “It’s barely past dusk, and that’s when jackals are most active. It’s dark enough, and with any luck the Sun Folk won’t even notice you, let alone that you have it. And even if they do, I would rather you had the means to defend yourself if you crossed a jackal.” 

He nodded and picked it up from his little pile of belongings, stashed between some of the rocks on the cave floor, and tucked it into the green piece of cloth he had found to wear as a belt. He crushed Nightfall to him in one last, spontaneous hug before jogging off back to the Sun Village. 

-----

Redlance could feel sweat on his neck, despite the cool desert night. He couldn’t deny he was afraid, for some reasons he could name, and more that he couldn’t. But he also knew with inexplicable certainty that he needed to act without delay. It was dark, and Redlance knew the Sun Folk’s night vision was much more limited than that of the Wolfriders. Regardless, it was around the time they should be preparing to sleep or already be sleeping. Redlance figured it shouldn’t be hard to get to and from Leetah and Cutter's hut undetected. He thought he glimpsed movement in the cliffs. Jackals? Jackals. His nose answered that question definitively. But they were still far enough away that he wasn’t in danger. Still, Redlance came up to the edge of the village while staying in the darkest shadows. With Wolfrider stealth he darted between huts, and slid under candle-lit window openings. He paused, pressed against the smooth, clay wall of one of the huts and peered around the corner. Leetah’s hut was a stone’s throw away, with only a few more huts between them. He had taken three steps into the open when he froze. 

“Really? Zanthee told you all that?” Ceilene’s elderly voice floated over to him, accompanied by Shenshen’s laughter.

Another maiden’s voice broke in, “No, he didn’t! Vurdah, say it’s not true!” Another chorus of giggles followed. 

Owl pellets! The voices were coming from behind one of the huts, and it was clear the group was moving towards him. In seconds they would be able to see his murky silhouette through the darkness unless he found cover. Redlance glanced back at the hut from which he had come, but no, it was back in the direction of the voices. And to hide around the next closest one was still a gamble; what if the group of Sun Folk split up and came around both sides? The last thing he wanted to do was encounter Ceilene, as well as explain what a lone Wolfrider was doing sneaking through the Sun Village at night. He was sure it would only help confirm whatever suspicions Killeen might spread about him. But there was a third option. In all Redlance’s experience hiding from humans, one thing he had learned was that people who aren’t used to climbing never think to look up. The squat, four-sided roof of the closest hut was only a few short bounds away. Redlance didn’t hesitate, and in moments he was looking down as a group of five Sun Villagers burst onto the spot where he had been standing moments earlier. They paused then, chatting, totally unaware that they were being watched by a trapped Wolfrider, silently willing them to move on with all his might. Redlance sighed and pressed his forehead against the cool roof tiles. He would have to wait. As he pressed himself low to watch until the Sun Folk had left, his nose noticed something new. This particular hut and its scents seemed… familiar. Bat-dung! He was stuck hiding on Killeen’s roof. 

----

Injah was asleep, but her words kept running through Killeen’s head. She had surprised him with her trust of the Wolfriders, but then again she was an optimist. His family’s safety was still Killeen’s first priority, and he couldn’t figure out how to try and make amends without implying the wolves were welcome near their hut. Unfortunately his thoughts weren't the only distraction preventing him from sleeping. Nature’s urging finally forced him up, his bladder uncaring that he wanted to stay next to his lifemate. Curse the nettle tea. Killeen looked out into the cold, black night miserably. He was exhausted, and his pride was still bruised over the perceived rejection he had faced from the other gardeners during the last eights-of-days. And now he had promised to speak to Redlance… The urges became more intense. Killeen shuffled quietly out the hut’s opening, just as a large yelp and a giggle came from outside the hut. Vurdah, Ruffle, Ceilene, Shenshen, and Maleen were giggling wildly a stone’s throw away, and he hoped their racket wouldn’t wake Injah. Normally, he would have told them to quiet down, but he was indisposed to instigating another conflict tonight. He slipped behind one of the cacti growing around the hut and relaxed as the pangs in his bladder faded. He looked up at the stars. They always helped him feel peaceful whenever he was troubled. But then he frowned. As he dropped his gaze, he noticed a large dark shape on the roof of his hut. Killeen blinked a few times to make sure it wasn’t just his imagination. Was it a scavenger bird? But they didn’t hunt at night, and it was the wrong shape. When Killeen squinted, he gasped. It was an elf! And a very familiar-looking one at that. His back was to Killeen, and he noted Redlance seemed to be staring at the elf-women below him. Was he hiding? The moonlight caught a silver flash of metal, and Killeen noticed a knife at Redlance’s side that hadn’t been there earlier during their meal. Had he come back for revenge on Killeen? Then another thought hit him. Would he try to take his revenge on Injah because he knew that would hurt Killeen most? Redlance was perched above the sleeping chamber window. Deep down, Killeen didn’t truly think the Wolfrider would take things that far, but the thought of his pregnant, sleeping lifemate lying defenceless in their chamber, below a dangerous elf with a knife, was enough to convince Killeen it was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Promises forgotten, Killeen felt slightly vindicated that perhaps he hadn’t been so wrong about the Wolfrider’s nature. He was surprised Redlance hadn’t seemed to notice him, as he had heard the Wolfrider’s hearing mirrored that of their mounts. But the elf-women were making enough noise that Killeen figured they were distracting enough. He shuffled his breeches back into place as quietly as possible and scanned the scene for his next move. He didn’t have a weapon but there was no way Redlance wouldn’t notice him if he tried to go back inside for a chopping knife and come out again. He would have to rely on surprise. High Ones help me, he prayed silently. Two steps to the base of the hut, he would use that rock to jump onto the roof, and from there… He took a quiet step out, as Shenshen gave another loud laugh, one more step brought him to the hut's base. He hopped a foot onto the rock, and used it to vault onto the ceiling. Redlance turned as his sandal scraped against the rock, but Killeen was already on the roof beside the Wolfrider, as Redlance’s shocked eyes reflected bright circles back at him in the dusk. This is my one chance! Thought Killeen, and without another thought, he launched himself at the Wolfrider. They rolled off the roof, landing with a hard thump on the ground in front of the astonished elf-women. 

-----

Redlance had been so focused on the Sun Folk and his own inner turmoil, that he hadn’t heard Killeen sneak up behind him until he was nearly on the roof. His moment of stunned inaction had given the Sun Villager the chance he needed. Killeen wasn’t an experienced fighter, but as the Sun Villagers were generally taller than the Wolfriders, he was a little taller than Redlance, and the force of his tackle was more than enough to knock them both off the roof. Redlance landed, winded and stunned, with Killeen on top of him. But his previous hesitation was gone. His body remembered exactly how it felt the last time a taller foe had taken him by surprise, exactly the feeling of being tackled to the ground with the wind knocked out of him. And he knew what came after too; the beating, the blows, the sharp sting of a knife, the drums. Never again, never again, never again. When Redlance looked up he wasn’t in the Sun Village anymore, he was back in that small clearing in the forest, staring into the face of the human they had called Tabak. Never again! Redlance tasted bile in his mouth, but this time Tabak seemed a little more hesitant, a little less certain. Well, Tabak wouldn’t get his chance, not again. With a furious cry he was on Tabak, his knee pinning Tabak’s chest to the ground, his left hand holding down an arm, the other holding his hunting knife over Tabak’s face. 

“Come on, human!” Redlance spat. “Is that all you’ve got?” It was too easy. Redlance blinked. His lungs were heaving, and he could hear blood rushing in his ears. His skin felt hot, and yet he shivered at the same time. But the forest and Tabak’s face were gone, and Redlance was staring into the terrified eyes of the Sun Villager, Killeen. He blinked again, his mind trying to put together the pieces of what happened. Redlance lowered the knife and backed off Killeen, still panting, but slowly realizing with horror what had just happened. A cough on his right snapped his attention to see he had an audience. Shenshen’s eyes looked at him with fear, and the sound of his cry had brought other Sun Folk running from their huts- but no Wolfriders. 

“The Wolfrider’s gone mad! He tried to kill me!” Killeen was on his feet, shaking badly as he backed slowly away from Redlance. 

“No! I- I didn’t know…” Redlance realized he was still holding his hunting knife and dropped it on the ground immediately. 

“It’s true, I saw it!” Another voice from the crowd added

“I swear I-” Redlance put up both his hands in a placating gesture but those who hadn’t witnessed his actions were quickly being filled in. Redlance knew he had to say something, had to explain, had to apologize- but suddenly he couldn’t speak. His ears were ringing, and his throat started to close. Panic filled his body, and without another word, he pushed back through the gathered crowd and fled. 

-----

“Redlance?” Cutter was genuinely confused. “One of the Sun Folk has accused Redlance of attacking him?” 

Suntoucher nodded, solemn. “I’m afraid so, Chief Cutter. Killeen came to me before dawn with the accusation. He also claimed many in the village witnessed the incident. Of course, I can’t claim to have seen it myself…” Suntoucher gave a rueful smile, but Cutter missed the joke. He was still shocked that Redlance was the one accused of such a thing. Though he knew the tree-shaper was certainly capable of fighting, he only used violence as a last resort, which tended to happen rarely, as Redlance had a knack for talking his way out of tough situations. 

“The Mother of Memory and I spoke before coming to you. With such a concerning accusation and so many witnesses, we agreed that it must be taken very seriously. Your plant-shaper must be found to account before myself, the Mother of Memory, Killeen and Injah for his actions, and there Savah will pass out judgment should it be necessary.” Suntoucher paused for a moment to let Cutter collect his thoughts. 

“How many witnesses?”

“Nearly eight-and-four.”

Cutter cursed aloud. 

“And Cutter,” Suntoucher drew a short hunting knife out of the folds of his cloak, “Killeen claimed this was the weapon used to attack him. Can you confirm it belonged to Redlance?”

Cutter knew it was the tree-shaper’s by sight and scent alone, but he reached for the hunting knife anyway, and turned it in his hands for a moment before sighing. “Yes, Suntoucher. It’s his.” 

Suntoucher, to his credit, looked almost as disappointed as Cutter. 

“Did this Killeen say why Redlance attacked him? Or did he describe the attack?” Perhaps the Sun Villager had exaggerated, Cutter thought. 

“Killeen only said that he and Injah had invited Redlance and Nightfall to their hut for a meal, when one of their wolves had come in and attacked him,” Cutter let out a derisive huff at this. “He said Redlance was unable to control the wolf, and he had to defend against it to protect his lifemate, who was with child. He successfully drove off the wolf,” Suntoucher didn’t need to see Cutter’s arched eyebrow to sense it, “But later he found Redlance hiding on his roof, armed with a knife. He was afraid the Wolfrider would take revenge on Injah because Killeen had defended against the wolf, but when he surprised Redlance, the Wolfrider attacked and turned his knife on him.” Suntoucher paused. “This is what Killeen has told me. I have the impression that several misunderstandings took place that night, but Redlance needs to be present to share his side of the story.”

“Did Killeen claim to have bested Redlance in the fight?”

“No, he said Redlance inexplicably backed off after threatening him, and ran away.” 

Cutter was still confused. And frustrated. He had hoped these sorts of messes might become a thing of the past now that he and Leetah had become lifemates, and the tribe was settled in Sorrow’s End. Apparently, he had been wrong. But Cutter had learned a lot about being a chief during the last few eights-of-days, and he brought all that wisdom now, ready to face this new situation head-on, with a lifemate at his side to support him.  

“Suntoucher, I know you have not spent much time with Redlance, but trust me when I say this whole story describes behavior that is very unlike him. As a Chief I understand that you and the Mother of Memory are responsible for protecting your own people and are bound to investigate. I only ask that I also be permitted to bring Redlance’s lifemate and elders from my tribe to witness this council as well, because it involves one of our tribesmen.”

Suntoucher nodded gravely. “Of course, Chief Cutter. Once you have located Redlance, send one of the Wolfriders to alert us, and we will convene in the Mother of Memory’s hut.”

Chapter Text

Bring me out

Come and find me in the dark now

Every day by myself I’m breaking down

I don’t wanna fight alone anymore

-“On My Own,” Ashes Remain

“Redlance?” Treestump was flabbergasted. “They accused Redlance? ” 

Cutter, not wanting to repeat the conversation he had just had with Suntoucher, put up his hands. “I know, I know, I was just as surprised as you. But Suntoucher told me there were witnesses, and he had Redlance’s hunting knife.” 

“That doesn’t prove Redlance just attacked this elf, though,” One-Eye said, “he could have been acting in self-defense.”

“Or perhaps, the Sun Folk interpreted something as an attack that a Wolfrider wouldn’t,” Clearbrook added.

Cutter nodded, “Maybe, but we won’t know for certain until we find Redlance and he can tell us what happened.”

**Maybe he left because he knows he won't be treated fairly,** Strongbow growled mentally. **I don’t care what gets decided, this whole situation is ridiculous. Even if Redlance did rough the villager up a little, he would have certainly had it coming.**

Moonshade nodded in agreement with her lifemate. 

Treestump broke in, and though he kept his voice even, there was an edge to it. “Cutter, did Suntoucher say what might happen if he and Savah find Redlance did attack a villager? Even if a Wolfrider would see it as justified, I don’t know if the Sun Folk would.”

All the elders' eyes turned to Cutter as one, and the chief felt their fear. Not only about what it implied for Redlance, but the fear that they all might unwittingly break a Sun Village law they didn’t know existed, until it was too late. 

“I- I don’t know,” he admitted. “Suntoucher didn’t say anything about that, probably because he didn’t want to discuss it unless necessary. But I trust the Mother of Memory, and I trust Suntoucher. In my bones, I don’t think they would allow Redlance to face an unjust punishment.” Treestump squeezed his shoulder, and Cutter could see varying degrees of agreement on the faces of the rest of the elders. He continued, “But before we can do anything, Redlance must be found, and I’ll need your help. Spread out and search for him. He must be in the cliffs somewhere. Send to the rest of us when you find him, but don’t say anything yet to the rest of the tribe. For now, they don’t need to know unless things don’t go as we hoped. I will speak with Nightfall,” Cutter decided to leave it at that, and with a nod, dismissed the rest of the pack, who split up to look for the missing tribesman. 

-----

One-Eye’s mind was torn between fury and confusion. Redlance? Attack a Sun Villager? It must not be true, he thought, or the Sun Villager must have really done something to deserve it. Sensing his thoughts, Clearbrook squeezed his hand. 

**I trust our chief, and I trust Suntoucher and Savah. They offered the Wofriders shelter after we clearly attacked them, once they learned our story. I am sure it would be the same for Redlance.** 

One-Eye nodded, **You have a gift for wise words, lifemate.** 

Clearbrook smiled but then became thoughtful. **Something occurred to me that could help explain this. Do you remember, lifemate, in the nights after Rain healed the place your eye was?** she gently traced a finger over his rough eye patch. **Sometimes you seemed like yourself, and other times you would leave the Now, and I knew the things you were thinking of. I knew you were angry at the humans for what they took, and I knew you were angry at yourself for not being able to stop them. I remember how, for a full two seasons after, you started at every loud noise, every snapping twig, every loud bird cry. How often you touched your eyepatch, reminding yourself the eye was still gone, and how you twisted and turned in your sleep.** 

One-Eye was stiff. **I prefer not to think of those days, Beloved,** he said shortly. 

Clearbrook kept her voice soft, but insistent. **I know, but think; you experienced that right after you were attacked. The humans were always a threat, but otherwise the tribe was safe, and you weren’t distracted by other major threats. Redlance didn’t get that chance. The tribe has only been safe and whole since Cutter and Leetah lifemated, which was-**

**High Ones, only eight and four nights ago! Eight and four nights after I-** One-Eye swallowed, **after I lost my eye, I had barely left our den, let alone the Holt. I also hadn’t nearly died while crossing a desert.**

**Exactly.** Clearbrook’s eyes were full of compassion. **I wonder if Redlance might be experiencing something similar to how you felt just after you lost your eye, only delayed until now because of everything that has happened.** She paused. **Do you remember what allowed you to heal from that, Beloved?**

One-Eye considered. **Yes. Your support and the tribe, and trying to keep the world calm around me, while my insides were all confused. And,** he smiled sheepishly, **If it hadn’t been for my brother, Longbranch, I don’t know what I would have done. There were some things I needed to be able to share first with someone who wasn’t my lifemate. I felt I could be more honest that way.** 

**Redlance has no family as you did, but regardless, I think you may be the best suited to fill that role because of your own experience.** 

One-Eye nodded. While he wasn’t excited about the prospect of trying to have that conversation with Redlance, honestly he dreaded it, the Way demanded the pack use their skills to support each other. One-Eye had never considered his disability a skill before, but it seemed now it might be the key to reaching his missing tribe member. For the moment, he decided not to worry about that and focus on the task at hand. **Regardless, we still have to find the blasted tracker!**

-----

The stone was warm and solid beneath him. Redlance tried to press as much of his trembling body against it as he could, while forcing himself to inhale and exhale shakily. It was morning now. He had tried his best to stay awake, but he was so exhausted his mind had slyly slipped into sleep not long after he had climbed into the crevice. Hours later, he awoke, again drenched in sweat and panting from the most vivid nightmare yet. Eyes flying open, chest heaving, he frantically groped at his throat, feeling the smooth skin. He methodically went over his whole body: no pain from his ribs as he poked them, no thongs binding his wrists, no bruises threatening to swell his eye shut. Satisfied that he was truly safe, his mind travelled back to the events of the night before. His whole body was trembling, and his raw throat still wanted to close on him, but he wouldn’t let it. His thoughts sped around in circles, too fast to catch and consider logically, but repeating the same accusations he feared. Idiot, you finally had a place in the tribe, and you ruined it! You could have killed Killeen. Why did that happen, how did it happen? The Sun Folk must hate you now, and what will the Wolfriders think? Will they make you leave? You should leave anyway and spare Nightfall the shame. Nightfall… Redlance pressed a hand hard against his mouth to stifle a sob at the thought that he may have hurt her, hurt their relationship. But his mind wouldn’t stop whirring to let him actually think through it logically.

His thoughts forever came back to ask, over and over again, What’s wrong with me? He knew something was wrong. Something had changed. In the desert, he had overheard Cutter whisper that, "The humans had hurt him inside somehow." He wondered now if that was true in more ways than one, in ways a healer couldn’t heal, maybe that never would be healed. He didn’t know why his dreams were suddenly plagued with nightmares, he didn’t know why he had seen a vision of the forest when he was in the desert. He didn’t know why loud noises, or even hugs and unexpected touch made him jump every time, or why that vague, unsettled feeling in his gut never really went away. And he had tried to fix it, he had tried to see Leetah and ask for healing- and look where that had gotten him. He wondered now if she would even agree to finish the work, or if he would have to remain scarred for the rest of his life. He didn’t know how to fix this situation. Usually, this was the sort of challenge he was good at, helping others sort out their problems with a level head. But while that person might still be inside him somewhere, he didn’t know if he would ever be him again. The ringing in his ears returned. He looked down at the stone beneath him, but instead he saw green, twilight-lit grass. He could hear rustling tree branches. He squeezed his eyes shut. No no no no no! You’re in the desert. There are no trees, there are no humans…

"Redlance?"

A solid, concerned voice snapped his attention to the rocks above the crevice where he sat. He was relieved that when he opened his eyes he was back in the desert. One-Eye’s face peered down at him.

**We’ve been looking for you. Will you come up and talk?** One-Eye tried hard to keep his sending as calm and level as possible. He felt the mental brush of Clearbrook’s approval, from where she stood, hidden further back. 

Redlance wanted to reply, but he found he couldn’t move. The thought of standing and hiking up the short distance to One-Eye’s perch was suddenly insurmountable. But with all his might, he also didn’t want One-Eye to go. He opened his mouth to say this- but no words came out. Finally, after opening and closing his mouth a few times, he finally got out, “I’m too tired- I can’t move. Please… don’t leave.”

One-Eye glanced over at Clearbrook, but she looked like she was trying not to cry, her hand pressed over her mouth. **Aye, that’s alright. Can I come down?**

Immensely and inexplicably relieved, Redlance nodded, and One-Eye slid down the short slope until he stood above Redlance, and then awkwardly settled down next to him. Was he doing this right? One-Eye hoped so. Not knowing what to say, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  

“You know that Cutter doesn’t blame you, right? High Ones, all of us were shocked when we heard what that elf had accused you of. Maybe had he accused Strongbow of attacking him, I would have believed it. But you? You’re not exactly known for solving problems with your fists.” One-Eye huffed out a laugh, and Redlance glanced at him, managing a brief smile. “Redlance, all of us trust you. We know you wouldn’t have done anything foolish out of anger, and I think the Sun Folk will understand if you can tell them your side of the story. But to do that, you have to come with me.” Redlance didn’t move, and One-Eye frowned. He was worried about his friend. 

“Killeen wasn’t lying,” Redlance said suddenly. “I did attack him with my hunting knife.” 

“Did he threaten you? Did he threaten Nightfall, or the tribe? Did he attack you?” One-Eye scanned the tree-shaper for signs of injury, but was relieved when he couldn’t see any. He wondered if this Killeen was equally unscathed. A part of him hoped he wasn’t. 

“Not… exactly,” Redlance paused. He didn’t know how to explain, and his head was full of too many jumbled pieces, all jumping around, out of order in his mind. Finally, he caught a thread of thought that seemed like an acceptable place to begin. “I just wanted to try and see Leetah, so she could finish the healing and erase the scars,” Redlance finally confessed. “I tried to go see her, but then I met Injah, and she needed my help lifting her water jug because she was so heavy with cub…” Once he had started, the words started to flow much easier, and with his eyes firmly fixed on the ground before him, Redlance told One-Eye about the fateful meal at Killeen and Injah’s hut, only leaving out the final threat Killeen had whispered in his ear. He relayed the rest of the events, pausing when he reached the part where Killeen tackled him off the roof. 

“That’s when it got a little fuzzy.” Redlance twisted a braid around his finger as he forced himself to make the words come out. One-Eye waited patiently for him to continue. “I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe I’m going mad, I don’t know. But when Kileen and I landed I- I saw the forest around me, not the desert.” One-Eye looked confused, and Redlance struggled to explain, “I saw the spot where,” he gestured awkwardly, “where I met the humans. When we landed on the ground, it felt the same as when the human tackled me there. And when I looked at Killeen, I saw his face.”

“You saw Killeen’s face?”

“No…” Redlance paused. “ His face. They called him Tabak I think, the human who-” Redlance shrugged and didn’t finish, but One-Eye understood. “I felt so scared, I didn’t know what was going on, but I also wasn’t going to let them take me again. So I took my chance and pinned him down. It was only when I was holding my knife over his face that I realized where I was and what had happened. Suddenly I was back in the desert again. I let him go immediately, but I didn’t know what to say. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and though I knew it was unwise, I knew I had to leave right away. Of course, Ceilene, the Sun Folk maidens, and others saw the whole thing.”

One-Eye nodded. Timmorn’s blood, what a mess. He leaned back and let the silence between them hang for a moment. 

“It took me a full turn of the seasons before I stopped seeing those kinds of visions of the past. Another full turn of the season before they left my dreams,” One-Eye spoke simply. They were quiet while Redlance let One-Eye’s words sink in. 

“So… I’m not going mad then?” Redlance felt a weight he had barely begun to be aware of start to lift. One-Eye looked at him with unexpected compassion.

“I wondered the same thing when I started having visions at first. I was afraid to tell the others because I didn’t know what might happen. But one day it happened so vividly, and I had to watch everything replay again. I knew I had to tell someone, so I went to Healer Rain. I was so relieved when he told me what I was experiencing was normal. He said over his years he had seen many elves who had experienced a devastating loss or had felt intense fear for their lives describe a similar experience of seeing bits and pieces, or even the whole incident, play out again, after they were safe. Rain said he thought it was the mind’s way of trying to understand what had happened in order to heal, and that he couldn’t guarantee when it would stop, but that the best way to treat it was to talk to others about what had happened. Not just one time, but," One-Eye gestured in a circular motion, “over and over whenever your feelings start to get… uhh… too big. I wish I knew an easier way, but I don’t.” 

“Hmm,” Redlance made a noise of acknowledgement. 

“Sometimes I wonder if any of the others might get visions of the fire,” One-Eye added thoughtfully. 

Redlance frowned. He hadn’t thought of that, but he supposed it made sense. Particularly for the cubs, as terrifying as it was for the adults, it must have been even worse for them. 

“Have you heard anyone mention anything?” 

One-Eye shrugged. “No, but I’ve wondered.” He turned the subject back to Redlance. “I suppose Leetah never said anything to you about this sort of thing after she healed you?” 

Redlance shook his head. “No. We didn’t speak much after she healed me. I thanked her, and she told me not to walk for a day, not to exert myself, and gave me instructions for eating and drinking lots of water. Aside from that, she didn’t say anything. I think at the time, with everything between her, Cutter, and Rayek, she was quite distracted.”

“Aye.”

“Cutter told me later that Leetah had never healed a deliberately inflicted wound before, so I doubt she would have known about any mental effects the way Rain would have.” 

“Aye.” 

“So who did you talk to?” 

“My brother Longbranch, Clearbrook. Healer Rain, a little, and once Treestump, but mostly Longbranch. He was the one who found me the day I lost my eye and brought me to Rain. I could tell him things I wasn’t ready to tell Clearbrook.” 

Redlance tried not to look disappointed at the answer. He had no family, and the closest thing he had to blood kin was Cutter, as they were both distant descendants of Chieftess Goodtree. But Cutter was not the right person to speak to; there were some things he didn’t need the chief to know. And who else was there? The thought of trying to explain the visions and the need to talk to Treestump, Strongbow, Pike, or Skywise didn’t sit well with him. Perhaps if Rain were still alive, but he was long dead. 

“You look miserable,” One-Eye stated flatly, but then cleared his throat awkwardly, “You could, uh, talk to me, um, if you decide you want to at some point.” He shrugged. “I won’t pretend it’s the same, but some of it I understand.” 

Redlance let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. One-Eye was right; he would understand.

“Thanks,” Redlance hoped One-Eye knew how much the offer meant to him. “Maybe, not yet, but soon I think.” Redlance found he could breathe again, and his throat was no longer intent on squeezing itself closed. For the moment, he felt grounded in the Now, the stone beneath him, the breeze between the boulders. His thoughts had cooled from a whirlwind to a gentle breeze, a steady stream that no longer threatened to overwhelm him. He asked the question he feared, “I’m guessing Cutter sent you to find me? How many others are looking, and how long has he been waiting?” 

One-Eye nodded. “Cutter had all the elders spread out to look for you, but we said nothing to the others yet. He wanted to wait until after the meeting in the Sun Village." 

Redlance nodded, thankful for Cutter’s thoughtfulness. “Do you know what the Sun Folk want from me?”

“Suntoucher and Savah wanted to meet with you, Cutter, Killeen, and Injah, and Cutter asked to bring Nightfall and some Wolfrider elders as well. Savah and Suntoucher want to hear both sides of the story before making any decisions.” 

“So they didn’t say what they might decide,” Redlance tried to keep his voice steady despite his dread.

One-Eye shook his head, but then paused, and his eye turned steely. “No, but I swear to you, tree-shaper, that neither Cutter, I, nor the others will let anyone hurt you or send you away. That you can count on!” Redlance’s surprise at One-Eye’s sudden vehemence must have shown on his face, because One-Eye gave him a bemused smile. “Did you really think the tribe would ever allow you to be exiled? After all we’ve gone through to keep your wayward hide alive?” 

Redlance wanted to laugh, but he still felt those old, deep, insecurities of feeling useless, like a burden to the tribe. The reminder of, in his mind, the trouble he had caused the rest of the tribe, still hung heavy on him. 

-----

One-Eye was studying Redlance. Surely, he must see what was glaringly obvious to everyone else; that the pack wouldn’t only protect him out of a sense of tribal duty, but that he was a favourite friend, his wisdom, strength, and gentleness having garnered a quiet loyalty from all the Wolfriders. This fact was glaringly obvious to One-Eye, an elf who often struggled with reading others’ emotions and the empathetic nature that seemed to come easily to Redlance. It surprised One-Eye that the tracker couldn’t read the writing on the wall. One-Eye was already worried about Redlance’s mental well-being, and if he had somehow worked into his head that the others saw him as a burden instead of a benefit, One-Eye figured it could undermine the healing work that needed to be done. He sent a subtle glare in Clearbrook’s direction, where she still sat, unseen, above them. How had he managed to let her convince him to mix himself up in this? He might be an elder, but he was no counsellor. He fixed broken tools, not broken elves. 

As if reading his thoughts Clearbrook’s lock send brushed him, **It’s not your job to fix him, beloved, just to be there with him. Is there a way you can help him understand?**

**I’ve seen countless examples over the seasons that the tribe values him. If Redlance had missed that, how can I convince him otherwise?**

**I think Redlance is harder on himself than he is on anyone else. He may not see what he isn’t looking for. Perhaps, hearing someone else share an example will help him understand.**

One-Eye scratched his chin. For an elf like him who lived in the Now, trying to pick out a specific memory worth mentioning was a challenge. But then he had it.

“When we realized you were missing from the hunt that morning in the Holt,” One-Eye began slowly, “we spent a long time tracking you. Our best tracker wasn't with us, eh? So it was a little harder,” One-Eye saw the ghost of a smile on Redlance’s face, and he continued. “But eventually, we found the spot where you were ambushed and we put the pieces together. A blind treewee could have interpreted those tracks. As elders Strongbow, Treestump, and myself knew what Cutter had to consider before he chose to lead us into human territory, and we knew there was a chance he would order us to stay behind, the way Bearclaw ordered us not to follow him when he went off to hunt Madcoil. But when Pike fished your vest out from under the grass, and we saw how it and the ground were stained with,” One-Eye swallowed, his low, steady voice catching for a moment, “blood, well I’ve never seen Treestump look so furious in all my life. The roar he gave,” One-Eye shuddered, “it sounded like a long-tooth and wolf combined. There was fury verging on madness in his eyes, and the rest of us felt it too. I knew then that no matter what Cutter said, there was no way anyone would do anything less than head straight into the heart of the humans’ camp to carry you out.” 

Redlance nodded slowly, absorbing what One-Eye had said. Cutter’s words, spoken to him right after the rescue, floated back. You’re lucky you’re so well liked, it was the rest of the pack that wanted to peel you off that rock. Harsh, perhaps, but Redlance now understood the implication of that statement when combined with One-Eye’s testimony. He took a deep breath. Maybe he had been wrong this whole time. Maybe the Wolfriders didn’t secretly blame him for what had happened, but instead felt compassion for him. Despite the dread he still felt at returning to the Sun Village and facing Killeen, he now recognized that he would do it with a group of allies at his back. He turned to One-Eye, 

“I guess we shouldn’t keep Cutter and the others waiting any longer.”

“Aye, tree-shaper.” 

One-Eye climbed slowly out of the crevice, making sure Redlance stayed close behind him. When they were level with the craggy ground, Redlance noticed Clearbrook waiting for him. He should have known she would be with One-Eye, but he still felt sheepish that she had clearly overheard their whole conversation. Clearbrook stood and wordlessly embraced him as he emerged from the pit. Redlance stiffened, but where a day ago he would have felt panic at being enveloped in an unexpected hug, he now was able to receive, and even appreciate it. 

“We care about you a lot,” Clearbrook said simply, and Redlance nodded wordlessly. She blinked rapidly and then let him go to wipe her eyes. Redlance felt suddenly embarrassed seeing her cry, as it was a struggle to register emotions on her face while he only felt numb. He patted her shoulder awkwardly, knowing it was the least he should do, but unable to empathize with her for the moment. One-Eye looked between both of them and then let out a long howl to alert Cutter and the others. Redlance felt a stirring of an emotion he couldn't name as Wolfrider silhouettes crept into view. 

Chapter Text

How do I word this verse?

So much work at first, it goes

How should I word this verse?

So much worse the further, the further you go

Go, take off a load

Letting your wings unfold

And keeping everything down to a minimum

Everything a bit low

Tell 'em what you know

Not all that you know, though

The truth be told you need it more than you thought

But you're managing, that's how you evened out, out

-“Minimum,” Charlie Cunningham

"Ayooah-yah!"

One-Eye's summons of the elders was met within minutes, all nine elves gathered in the shadowy cliffs near the village. Cutter looked Redlance up and down. He seemed shaken and a little off, but the red-braided elf met his gaze squarely and Cutter heaved a sigh. “Clearbrook, go ahead and tell Suntoucher and the Mother of Memory that we are on our way."

Clearbrook gave a short nod and jogged ahead. Cutter turned and wordlessly led the group towards the Sun Village. 

Nightfall came forward from where she stood beside Cutter and reached for Redlance's hand. He let her take it, but shame still kept his gaze lowered. 

**Beloved! Stop hiding from me!**

The pain he felt in her sending jerked his head up, and he met her gaze, which was bright with tears. She stepped close, and her eyes defied him to look away. **Haven't you learned by now that even if you try to hide, I will come find you?  So save me the trouble! I've earned the right to your honesty, don't you think?**

Redlance blushed, but didn't break her intense stare. **I'm sorry, you're right.** She nodded, but not all the suspicion was gone from her face. He tried to explain, **I- I haven't been myself lately. I feel like my mind isn't working properly, and the few times I know what I'm supposed to do, I can't do it.**

Nightfall stepped closer to him. **As long as you let me in to sort this out with you, that's all I ask.** He only nodded. The others sensed their private conversation was over and began to move towards the Sun Village, Nightfall firmly planted by Redlance's side. 

As they walked, Strongbow stepped close and put a hand on Redlance’s shoulder. **Whatever happened, I know he deserved it. Don’t worry, tree-shaper.**

Redlance was both surprised and pleased at the stoic archer’s support. **Thanks, Strongbow.**

Redlance noticed that the other elves had quietly formed a barrier around him, instinctively. For this, he was grateful, as they were nearing the edge of the Sun Village, and the Sun Folk had been under no such orders to keep the incident quiet. Redlance noticed the gazes shot his way varied from openly curious to unfriendly. He squirmed inwardly. He had never liked being the centre of attention, and now he felt more like something strange to be gawked at. Almost against his will, Redlance glanced to see if he could spot Minyah, but Killeen’s mother was nowhere to be seen. Redlance didn’t know if that made him relieved or disappointed. They were nearing Savah’s hut now, and between Cutter and Treestump’s shoulders he could see Clearbrook talking quietly with Suntoucher who waited outside. Suntoucher seemed to sense their approach, because he stopped speaking with Clearbrook, and gestured for the group to enter. Redlance felt all number of emotions as he passed through the beaded curtain, but there was a certain sense of awe as well. He had never been in the centre hut before, as he and Nightfall had rested in Leetah’s hut when the rest of the pack had gone to visit the Mother of Memory the first time. He had only ever seen the Mother of Memory from a distance during the Festival of Flood and Flower, and when the Wolfriders turned the zwoot herd. The Wolfriders tramped through the beaded curtain, and Redlance noticed Leetah stood on one side of the hut as Chief’s mate, while Suntoucher walked to the other side, where Killeen, Injah, Minyah, and some of the elf maidens who had witnessed the fight stood. Killeen’s face was blank, but Redlance's heart twisted at the mix of confusion and betrayal on Injah’s face. He could barely stand to look at Minyah, who simply looked hurt and disappointed. Redlance glanced away, and his attention was caught by seeing the Mother of Memory up close. She was extremely dark and beautiful, seated on a raised dais in the centre of the hut. Her dress of silky green spilled delicately onto the floor, and her head was crowned with a large, golden headpiece that reminded Redlance of the sun. But what he could see now up close was her eyes, and a face that had seen more eights of seasons than any Wolfrider could count. Redlance felt somewhat comforted; anyone as old and wise as she must be a fair judge. The Mother of Memory’s face stayed carefully neutral as she rose when they entered. 

“Let the victim and the accused sit before the council,” Savah’s hands were outstretched toward two benches on either side of her. Redlance, blushing furiously, slid onto the bench on her left side, while Killeen sat on her right, keeping his face impassive and his eyes forward the entire time.  

“We are here today,” The Mother of Memory began, addressing all present, “so all may witness justice in order to acquit the innocent, and protect the safety of this village. As is necessary for true justice, both persons involved will have the opportunity to share their version of events, and any witnesses present will be given the chance to confirm their story. All others are here to witness that true justice has occurred, and all protocols followed. Once all have had the opportunity to speak I will share my decision. Is this clear to all present?” Silence greeted Savah’s words. “Very well. Killeen, as the victim, you may begin.”

Redlance turned awkwardly towards Killeen as the Sun Villager stood to address the Mother of Memory and the crowd. 

“I am Killeen, son of Minyah the gardener, servant of the Sun Village,” Killeen began. 

Redlance gulped inwardly, as he realized there was a protocol to this meeting that he was completely unaware of. 

Killeen went on, “My lifemate and I had hosted the accused Wolfrider and his lifemate for our evening meal last evening. We served them a large number of dishes, but the Wolfriders must have recently eaten, as their appetites were small. At the end of the meal, one of the Wolfrider’s wolves entered our hut, and the accused was unable to control the beast when it advanced on me. I fought it off, in fear it could hurt my lifemate, who is with child, and requested that for the safety of my family the Wolfriders not bring their wolves near our hut again. The accused and his mate disagreed with my concerns and left the hut. Though I was disappointed, I believed I had done my best to care for my family; my first priority. Later that night I was about to go to sleep when I had to,” Killeen paused searching for the right wording, “attend to nature’s summons… and I noticed a figure on my roof. I recognized it as the accused, and noticed he was also now bearing a weapon. I did not know why the accused had returned to my hut, but the circumstances were suspicious enough that I was justly concerned he intended to harm myself and my lifemate. I approached him, and in the following altercation, we fell off the roof. It was at that point that the accused attacked me with his weapon and threatened me. I assume the fact that there were multiple witnesses present is what saved me from further harm, because he fled when confronted and questioned, leaving behind his weapon.” Killeen turned to look at Redlance, his gaze hard. “Perhaps Redlance can explain why he felt the need to exact violent revenge on my family for protecting ourselves against one of the Wolfrider’s wolves.” Killeen leaned back slightly, and the hard gleam in his eye showed that he was finished speaking. 

“Only I will be asking direct questions, Killeen,” The Mother of Memory stated firmly. “Thank you for sharing your testimony of the events. Now, Redlance of the Wolfriders, it is your turn to speak. You stand accused of violent, unprovoked assault against Killeen of the Sun Folk. What is your defense?” 

-----

Savah was doing her best to keep her face impassive but inwardly she felt pity for the redheaded elf seated uncomfortably before her. It was obvious to one as skilled in reading the feelings of others as she, that he was not only embarrassed by the attention of all in the room, but wrestling with something hidden deep inside. The bewildered look on his face reminded her greatly of the look Cutter had given her when he and Rayek sat before her as she declared the terms of the Trial of the Head, Hand and Heart. Indeed, settling disputes here in the desert was not as simple as it had been in the forest. Savah noted all the Wolfriders looked distinctly on edge after Killeen’s speech, in part for what he implied about their tribesman, and in part because they all realized this trial was another new game with rules they didn’t know. Leetah stood tense at Cutter’s side, feeling for the first time the tension between being the lifemate to the Wolfrider chief, and the barrier that could put between her and her people. Cutter’s arms were crossed, and his eyes narrowed towards Killeen. Behind him, the silent archer’s lip was curled, and for a moment Savah wondered if they all might become witnesses to another “violent, unprovoked assault” right here in her hut. Thankfully, she was saved as the Wolfrider slowly, unsteadily, stood up to speak. She could see the anxiety written all over him, but he still raised his head to meet her eyes squarely. 

“I-” Redlance paused, uncertain for a moment. How had Killeen introduced himself again? Did he need to do it the same way? High Ones help me. 

“I…” Redlance tried again but still he had no idea where to start. If he started by explaining the meal at Killeen’s house, then how would the Sun Folk understand why he had attacked Killeen? But did he have to explain, here, in front of everyone, the visions and the real events that had sparked them? Redlance hated the thought of that, but how else could he make them understand? He cursed himself for not planning out what he might say before coming, but how could he have known this would be how the Sun Folk delivered justice? These thoughts began to swirl in his head, faster and faster. He knew he was standing silently in front of the crowd, and he needed to say something. He opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. He looked like a fool. But he couldn’t think, couldn’t make his thoughts slow down fast enough to choose a line of reasoning to begin with. He could feel his breathing picking up, and his palms getting sweaty. He crossed his arms tight to his chest. 

-----

Savah saw the Wolfrider stutter and then simply stare at her, seemingly unable to speak. Behind his eyes she saw panic begin to mount, and she saw his breathing quicken. Savah put a hand over her mouth thoughtfully. She had been right, certainly there was much going on below the surface of this unassuming elf. Still wells run deep. She didn’t let the Wolfrider flounder for long. Gracefully raising her hand, she called for attention in the room. 

“The Wolfriders are not familiar with our ways of carrying out justice, and therefore have not had an equal opportunity to prepare for this meeting. In order that this fact will not unduly affect the ability to represent both sides, I will begin by hearing this Wolfrider’s testimony privately, after which he will have the opportunity to share it again before the group.” Savah glanced at Suntoucher, “Are we in agreement that this is the fairest way?” Suntoucher nodded immediately as Savah knew he would, and she smiled. “Excellent. All but Redlance may leave us, and I will alert you all when you may return inside.” Savah noted the satisfied smile Cutter shot her way, and even the look of grudging respect the archer gave her before the Wolfriders trudged outside. Of all present, only Killeen didn’t seem pleased about this, but he couldn’t deny that Savah’s decree did offer the most just solution. In minutes, the hut was empty but for her and Redlance. Savah noted relieved the slump of his shoulders at being alone, and the slowing of his breathing. Gathering her skirts she stood, and stepped lightly down the dias stairs to sit on Redlance’s bench. She patted the spot beside her, **Come child, won’t you sit with me?** Redlance slid over, surprised but grateful at the gesture. He was reminded of Minyah in the way the Mother of Memory looked at him. **Redlance, hmm, am I pronouncing that correctly?**

**Yes, Mother of Memory.**

She smiled, **You may call me Savah dear, for that is my name. Redlance, that is the name of a fierce hunter.**

**Ahh, well, Mother- Savah, Cutter’s father Bearclaw gave me that name after I did something stupid, that he thought was brave.**

**You saved his life, did you not?** 

Redlance looked at her, shocked, **How did you..?** 

Savah hid a bemused smile, **I still possess some of the old powers of our ancestors. If you will permit it, I can enter your mind and see from your perspective the events that unfolded over the past two days. I suspect this will be easier and clearer for both of us, and I sense you lack the guile to try and mislead me, else you would not have been so self-deprecating about the origin of your name.** 

Redlance felt immediate relief, and nodded.

**Then close your eyes, child, and try to relax.**

Redlance did as she instructed, though he had to stop himself from flinching away when Savah’s fingers brushed his forehead. He could feel her enter his mind, but it wasn’t unpleasant, only a little strange. Vaguely, he could tell what memories she was observing, but he became more of a passive observer, seeing everything through a mist. Savah slowly, methodically, went over his memories beginning with the previous evening, but she had not been observing long before she frowned, and Redlance felt her pull back into herself. Their eyes opened, and he met her gaze with an unspoken question. 

**Child, I sense that I cannot fully understand your actions by simply observing the last two days. I sense a deeper issue at play here. Will you allow me to find its source so I may understand fully?** 

You’re in this far, so you might as well. Redlance thought about what One-Eye had said about opening up to others. Who knows, maybe this will help. He nodded, and closed his eyes again without being prompted. Savah extended her fingers out again, and Redlance felt her go deeper, into the last few days spent helping Minyah and the others in the garden. He saw her see him wake up from nightmares, and probed further back to the desert crossing, back to the troll caverns, and even further back to the fire, further… and then he felt her stop, and he closed himself off from her as she witnessed those memories. Once she was finished he felt her pause, and return to viewing the last two days again. Finally, she withdrew, and Redlance opened his eyes. This time, Savah was smiling at him, though her eyes were sad. 

“I believe I understand now, child. Do not fear, while I take the safety of the Sun Village seriously, I understand the misunderstanding that took place and do not believe you are at fault.” Savah paused. “The Sun Folk present do not have much context to understand the issues you are facing, which triggered the assault, but in order to offer a fair verdict, they must understand. How simple it would be if you could send to everyone, for in sending there is only truth, but most of the Sun Folk cannot receive sending.” Savah stared pensively, eyes wandering over the shaped walls of the hut until her gaze rested on one relief in particular. **I have an idea…**

-----

“They’ve been in there a long time,” Treestump grumbled, kicking a stone with his boot. It was an odd sight for any of the Sun Villagers passing by, a group of Wolfriders lounging on one side of the central hut, and a group of Sun Folk on the other. The tension over them all was palpable.

“Savah knows what she is doing,” Cutter replied. I hope. 

“I know, but I’m worried. If it’s taking this long, that means it must not be a simple misunderstanding.”

Finally the wait was over, and Savah’s hand gracefully parted the beads at the front of the hut. “You may all return, Redlance is ready to give his testimony.” Silently, the elves filed back into the hut, where Redlance sat waiting, though it was obvious to everyone that while he was still nervous, he was prepared to continue. Once everyone was where they had begun, Redlance stood. This time, his voice carried clearly as he spoke. 

“I apologize for my difficulty earlier. I hope that as I share what happened it will become clearer why I initially struggled to speak.” Redlance cleared his throat, and glanced at Killeen, who this time was looking at him. “Killeen and Injah did invite Nightfall and I to eat with them  last evening. They were gracious hosts, and I am sorry I was not able to enjoy more of the food they offered us. I admit I am still getting used to the idea of eating vegetables, and had never tasted burnt- I mean roasted,” Redlance quickly corrected himself, silently thanking Savah for explaining that misunderstanding to him, “vegetables or meat before. Once we had finished eating, my wolf-friend did come looking for us, entering the hut, as Killeen said. Firecoat, the wolf, was hungry and Wolfriders are in the habit of eating with their mounts, so Firecoat assumed he could join our meal. The wolf pack understands that the Sun Folk are kin to the Wolfriders and would never hurt a villager. Killeen and Injah were never in danger, though I understand how Firecoat’s appearance would be startling to someone not accustomed to wolves. Because Killeen interpreted Firecoat’s presence as a threat, he took a cutting knife and made threatening movements towards Firecoat.”

The Wolfriders nearly let out an audible groan when they heard this. Treestump put his face in his hands while not only one unfriendly look was shot Killeen’s way. Redlance turned to address the Sun Folk specifically, “Wolves are only violent if they feel threatened. Firecoat growled at Killeen because he was threatening him with a weapon. I tried to communicate to Firecoat through a wolf-send that Killeen was a friend, not a threat, but Killeen’s noise and movements were too distracting. To prevent a conflict I was forced to disarm Killeen so Firecoat would not attack him,” Redlance hoped he had phrased that as delicately as possible, not to embarrass the Sun Villager. “When Killeen said I could not control Firecoat, he spoke truly. The Wolfriders have a partnership with the wolves, but we do not control them, the way the Sun Folk control the zw-zwoots,” Redlance stumbled a little over the strange word. “I believe because of the misunderstanding, Killeen still felt threatened by Firecoat’s presence, and that is why he threatened to accuse Firecoat of endangering his family, and disagreed with how I had handled the situation.” Redlance left out the second half of Killeen’s threat. “I was…” Redlance smiled a little sheepishly, “displeased with Killeen’s words because of how different our perspectives were, and Nightfall, Firecoat, and I left with hurt feelings on both sides. Nightfall and I returned to the caves, but,” Redlance fidgeted absently with the corner of his vest, “I felt a strong need to return to the village that night. I had been on an urgent errand when Injah had extended her invitation, and I still needed to complete it.” Redlance dropped his gaze for a moment and the Sun Folk were surprised to see him take a moment to centre himself. “I had been on my way to see Leetah, to ask for healing.” 

Killeen frowned, healing from what? The rest of the Sun Folk wondered the same, but from her place beside Cutter Leetah had a feeling she knew what Redlance was about to say, and felt a twinge of guilt for not going to him herself. 

Redlance glanced at the Wolfriders, “As the Wolfriders know I suffered an-” Redlance groped for the right word, “I made a mistake and paid the consequences, back when we were in what the Sun Folk call the green-growing place. It nearly killed me, but Leetah bravely entered the desert and saved my life,” Redlance shot a shy but grateful smile at the healer. “The energy it took for her to save my life was nearly all she had,” Redlance continued, “so some scars remained. I found them embarrassing,” he admitted with a blush, “so I wanted to ask Leetah to remove them. I only took a knife with me because there have been jackals active in the cliffs at dusk. Because of the misunderstanding earlier I did not wish to be noticed, which is why I hid on a roof when I noticed Ceiliene, Shenshen, and the others out walking. I also had been told Ceiliene was displeased with me for not assisting her in her garden, and at that time I was not prepared to discuss that with her. It is only by coincidence that I hid on the roof of Killeen’s hut. Truly, it was the last one I would have chosen,” Redlance glanced at Killeen, hoping the elf could see his earnestness. “I was distracted by waiting for the group to leave, so Killeen surprised me when he knocked me off the roof,” Redlance paused again. He had been standing still up to this point but now he began to move, walking towards one of the large reliefs shaped into the hut’s clay wall. Redlance stopped beside it, brushing his fingers hesitantly over the rough surface. He turned back to the group, forcing himself to speak loud and clear, though his voice trembled a little. “Savah told me the Sun Folk know the legends of the humans who killed the High Ones when they first came to this world. I know them not as legends, but as reality.” He pointed to the wall’s relief of the clay elf lying at the feet of the human. “They gave me the scars I sought to erase.” Redlance saw a flicker of comprehension on some of the Sun Folk’s faces, but there needed to be more than a flicker for them to truly understand his actions. The Wolfriders just looked at him curiously. He took a deep breath, and slowly shrugged his vest off his shoulders. The scars on his arms and stomach were faint, but the ones on his back and ribs, normally well hidden by his vest, glared clearly in stripes of ugly white and brown for all in the room to see.

Redlance couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes as he walked slowly back to the bench and sat down. He fiddled with his vest, now squished in his fists. “Being knocked off my feet, and then landing hard on the ground felt the same as when the humans,” Redlance gestured a little but didn’t elaborate. “When I caught my breath my eyes saw a human’s face. I thought I was back in the forest, the green-growing-place, and that a human was attacking me all over again. That is why I attacked Killeen, I thought he was a human. It was only once I had him in my power that I realized where I was and what had happened. I regret not staying to explain or apologize, but I was completely confused and still felt the fear of being attacked.” Redlance hoped his explanation had been sufficient. He quickly pulled his vest back on. He glanced at Savah, still unable to look at anyone else. “That’s all I have to say,” he finished awkwardly. There was a moment of deep silence in the room before Killeen’s voice broke out,

“I was right! The Wolfrider has gone mad!”

“Hey!” One-Eye jumped to his feet

“Stop this!” Savah commanded, but Killeen protested,

“He’s admitted that he sees things that aren’t there, and he’s implied that this could easily happen again. The Wolfrider clearly can’t be trusted-”

In two leaps One-Eye was nose to nose with Killeen, seething into his face, “You understand nothing!” He was cut off by Savah’s firm grip on his shoulder as her slender hands steered them apart.

“Silence! This is no place to make angry accusations.” She glared sternly at Killeen and One-Eye. “Shenshen, Vurdah, and Ruffle, you witnessed these events. Do both stories align with what you observed?” The maidens nodded. “Good. Then I have made my decision. All of you,” she cast her stern eyes over everyone gathered, before turning back to Killeen, “If you take issue with my decision you may speak with me later, but there is to be no wanton arguing here.” She turned to Redlance, “Redlance of the Wolfriders, you have been accused of unprovoked violent assault on Killeen of the Sun Folk. Based on Killeen’s actions I do not consider the assault to have been unprovoked, but the force you used in response to his actions went beyond what was necessary to simply defend yourself. Therefore, by your own admission I find you guilty of violent assault toward Killeen of the Sun Folk, as described by yourself and Killeen, and confirmed by multiple witnesses. You have admitted the source of this was beyond your control at the time, and therefore might happen again, placing those in the village at risk.”

Everyone in the room stood stock still. Killeen’s mouth was hanging open, and Redlance’s eyes were nearly circles as he stared at Savah. 

“Therefore, in the interest of the safety of the Sun Folk, you must seek counselling from your elders, and not enter the village until I appoint a time when the council will reconvene to determine if this is still a concern. If you enter the Sun Village before that time you will be detained and risk banishment.” 

“Savah, you cannot command this!”

Savah snapped her gaze to Cutter and sent a forceful locksend. **I must do this, for both their sakes. One of my villagers came very close to being significantly harmed. And what of Redlance? I have read his mind and you know him, tell me he wouldn’t have been crushed worse than any sentence I could give if he had accidentally hurt Killeen. He needs more than a gentle nudge to seek healing for his own sake.**

Cutter glared at the older elf from under his bangs, but stayed silent. When One-Eye and Strongbow began to protest behind him he held up a hand for silence. Turning to Redlance he looked at him steadily. **Will you accept this tree-shaper? You are free to choose your response. You know the tribe will support you.**

Redlance returned Cutter’s steady gaze, the support offered there a blessed relief. He glanced over and met Nightfall’s eyes briefly, seeing the same support reflected there. This kind of justice was not a part of the Way, and Redlance didn’t know how to fit it into his way of thinking. But one thing was clear; the Way meant putting the needs of the pack and of peace above your own. Redlance knew that if he chose to ignore Savah’s decree he might pull the recently merged tribes back into conflict, and to ignore the justice system of another tribe would undoubtedly upset the Sun Folk’s sense of safety around the Wolfriders. He knew what he needed to do. Redlance stood and spoke cleary. 

“I will honour your wishes, Mother of Memory.”

Savah looked unsurprised but still relieved. “Good. We will reconvene in two cycles of the greater moon. Until then, you are all dismissed. Redlance, until that day you may not enter the Sun Village.” 

Chapter Text

I'm found out if all I do is hide between the lines

An outsider at the door

I'm unbound, foreign on a path forever mine, 

This outsider at the door. 

- “Outsider,” Blanco White

For once Redlance was sleeping well. It was nearly the middle of the night by the time he felt himself begin to rise back to consciousness lazily, his mind preoccupied with the warm feel of the furs beneath him, and the pleasant darkness of the cave around him. He smiled and burrowed a little further into the furs, trying not to lose the pleasant snatches of warm sleep that flickered around him, only to be distracted by a noise. Not one noise, but many. As he registered this, the final lingering bits of sleep made their escape, and Redlance rolled over. He opened his eyes to see seven pairs of elfin eyes staring back at him in the darkness. 

**You’re finally awake, sleepy-head,** Nightfall sent teasingly, her tone completely mismatched to the immediate awkwardness he felt from the others. Redlance stifled another yawn and ran a hand through his hair to try and smooth it a little, but with little luck. He had removed his circlet and undone his braids to sleep, and now the hair at his temples frizzed out from the sides of his face in little waves, while the rest ran straight but messily down his back. He bit a piece of leather in his teeth as he pulled his hair back, using it to tie most of it off behind his head in an attempt to keep some of his dignity. Pulling on his vest and boots awkwardly while the others sat there, he walked the short distance to join them. 

“How long have you all been here waiting?”

Clearbrook answered, “Not long,” at the same time as One-Eye sent, **Since moonrise.** Clearbrook scowled at One-Eye. 

“You could have woken me.”

“Aye lad, but” Treestump paused and scratched his bearded chin, “Well, we thought it best to let you sleep since you seemed so peaceful, and One-Eye said, um, earlier that you hadn’t been sleeping well.” 

Redlance fought the urge to blush. So his chief and elders had been watching him sleep for half the night, curled up like a newborn cub. Fantastic. He glanced at Nightfall, but despite everything she seemed to be the only one who saw any humor in this and was holding a hand suspiciously over her mouth while her eyes smiled at him.

“Have a seat, lad,” Treestump patted the ground beside him and Redlance paused before joining him, still feeling like a cub. He was taken aback when Treestump seemed nearly about to pat his shoulder but then thought better of it. “I think you might know why we’re here. See, Cutter thought that since you decided to comply with Savah’s request it would be good to discuss a plan for…” Treestump trailed off and cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable, and even Cutter didn’t seem to know what to say. Redlance couldn’t decide if it was more embarrassing to be treated like a cub, or to be stuck in an impromptu counselling-planning-council that nobody wanted to be at. 

Clearbrook, Moonshade, and Nightfall exchanged meaningful glances. It was clear the males would need some help. Clearbrook cleared her throat loudly, and all eyes swiveled to meet hers. 

“We had the opportunity to discuss amongst ourselves, and it seemed like a good idea if you spend some time talking with someone regularly for a bit each day, but also just spend time with the rest of us so you’re not alone.” 

Moonshade nodded. “One-Eye is willing to start, he seemed to think you might want to talk with him first. But all of us are willing to talk as well.”

Nightfall poked Redlance with her finger, “And I’m going to make sure you get enough sleep during the day and don’t try to sneak off.”

Redlance crossed his arms, “I can see you’ve already discussed and come to an agreement without me.” He wondered if he should be upset, instead, he felt a little relieved. 

One-Eye nodded curtly. “Well then, I think that’s all that needs to be said. Redlance, you can spend the rest of the night with Moonshade; she needs the help tanning hides. Treestump and I will see you tomorrow night.” He moved to stand, and the others stood as well. Redlance thought not just a few of them seemed grateful the council was over. Nightfall reached over and squeezed his hand.

“I’m going to join Strongbow and hunt some desert-hare. We’ll be back before dawn.”

Redlance nodded, and she released his hand, but not before she cast a glance at Moonshade who smiled back. What were they conspiring?

They left the cave as a group, the others dispersing to their varying tasks, while Moonshade hung back with him. She seemed deep in thought as he followed her to a small grotto near the caves. She had stretched out the hides she was tanning on zwoot-bone frames, due to the lack of wood, and her scraping tools sat in a neat pile on the ground. While Moonshade handled most of the tanning all the Wolfriders knew basic tanning skills, and without needing instruction Redlance picked up a sharpened stone and set to work scraping one of the stretched hides, whose frame was propped up against a stone. Moonshade began quietly scraping another beside him, though Redlance glanced at her on occasion. Respecting independence was part of the Way, so the others must have been more concerned about him than he realized to suggest he avoid being left alone. Though he knew it wasn’t at all how the others saw it, he felt a little like a wayward cub, sent off to do chores with the elders. Regardless, he had to admit the rhythmic scraping work was nice, and they sat in companionable silence. He couldn’t read Moonshade well enough to see if she pitied him, thought him weak, or was angry at him, or for him. Perhaps she was frustrated to be stuck with him for the night, or perhaps he was overthinking things and she was simply glad for the help-

“When Strongbow and I lost Crescent it took us a long time to grieve.” 

Redlance jumped a little as she broke into his thoughts.

“I would find that some days I felt almost normal, and others I could barely breathe. Strongbow and I would hold each other at night and it took a long time before either of us stopped feeling anxious whenever we were apart. Strongbow told me the fear that he would lose me too could be crushing at times. We talked often with each other about how we felt, for us that was the best thing. I would also talk with Rainsong, and Clearbrook. Clearbrook lost a girl-cub too, you know.” 

Redlance bit himself off from saying, “I thought the talking was supposed to start with One-Eye tomorrow night.” He felt defensive though he didn’t know why. 

“Both of us found it important to create something beautiful and physical to keep, that would honour Crescent’s memory,” Moonshade pulled a piece of leather out of her bodice and passed it to Redlance. “I made this.” 

Redlance caught his breath as he examined it. The leather was cut into roughly a circle a little bigger than his palm. Moonshade had sewn thin, dyed animal sinew threads into the leather backing to create a delicate leaf and flower border surrounding an embroidered grey wolf. It was exquisite and Redlance had never seen such fine artistry before, not even in anything troll-made. He carefully handed it back to her and she tucked it back in her bodice.

“It’s beautiful.” Redlance didn’t know how better to describe his amazement over the artistry, but Moonshade simply smiled. 

“Thank you.” Moonshade laughed softly, “Strongbow is skilled at many things, but creating fine details isn’t one of them. Still, he described to me a wolf design that reminded him of Crescent and I chiselled it into his bow. He feels like it’s the closest he can get to giving her a chance to be a part of the hunt again.” Moonshade kept scraping her hide and her voice softened, though Redlance sensed no pity or frustration there; only compassion. “It’s good to create beautiful things that remind us of what we have lost, or the challenges we have overcome. We all lost our home in the fire, and I can tell that though you survived, the humans killed a little piece of you.”

Redlance glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Moonshade’s words articulated something he hadn’t been able to describe, and it made him uncomfortable.

“I wonder,” she continued, “now that your shaping abilities have grown, what beautiful thing you might make to honour what you’ve lost.” Redlance didn’t reply, but he knew Moonshade knew he had been listening. They spent the rest of the night scraping the hides in thoughtful silence. 

-----

Moonshade’s words stuck to Redlance like a burr he couldn’t pluck off. They were still swimming around his head as he approached One-Eye and Treestump, where they sat on a rocky outcropping the following night. Firecoat trotted beside him and he held his spear, as they had requested. One-Eye shot him a smile and put his hand on the back of his own wolf-friend who stood beside him. “Ready to hunt?” Redlance nodded, but inside he felt anxious. He hadn’t hunted since the zwoots’ stampede, and that was before his nightmares had begun. He tried to push those worries down and hopped onto Firecoat’s back, following the elders down into a canyon, spear in hand. He had thought they would simply talk with him as One-Eye had in the crevice, but it seemed the two elders had other things in mind. The elves rode in silence, all watching for signs of desert-hare. Redlance noticed the string of dust-faint paw-prints and broken twigs before either of the others, and nudged Firecoat to follow the trail. The others noticed and fell in behind him. 

Treestump’s sending hissed through the air, **They're on your right.** 

The hares sunning themselves on a nearby boulder were easy to spot with sharp Wolfrider eyes, and the three elves slid smoothly from their mount’s backs to approach slowly on foot. Redlance lowered his spear to the ground and slid a hand to his hip to grasp his hunting knife. The elves crept up slowly, knives in hand. One-Eye and Treestump slid to the side, blocking the hare’s two burrow entrances and leaving Redlance to approach straight-on for a direct blow. A wolf’s-length away he crouched and then leapt for the stone, knife raised. A fat hare was in reach; one smooth swipe with his knife would give him a delicious prize… and then Redlance saw the hare's eyes. It cowered below him, terrified and helpless as he loomed over it with his knife. Redlance suddenly felt very sick, and he dropped the knife, sailed over the hare, and landed the jump in a smooth roll. Behind him the hare scrambled away, unharmed. Embarrassed and red-faced Redlance slowly turned to face One-Eye and Treestump, who were looking unexpectedly satisfied. Redlance felt a prickle of annoyance. Had they expected him to fail? 

“It’s fine lad, you’ll get another one later,” Treestump said as he slowly walked over to them.

“Aye, there’s lots of desert hares in this canyon,” One-Eye added. The two elves exchanged satisfied glances that were less subtle than they seemed to realize. 

“What’s going on?” Redlance frowned and crossed his arms. “You two are acting tighter than capnuts in a shell.” 

Treestump glanced at One-Eye who shrugged. “We wanted to test a suspicion, is all,” Treestump said. 

“Aye, and it seems we were right,” One-Eye added. 

The pieces fell together and Redlance felt an uncharacteristic anger fill him. They had known he wouldn’t be able to make the kill, and set him up to fail. He had struggled for so long to feel useful to the pack, and the two elders, who he had trusted, had put him in a position to humiliate himself. What were they trying to prove? That he wasn’t enough of a Wolfrider because he couldn’t finish a hunt? Redlance wanted to yell all this at them, but all that came out was a half strangled, “Why?” 

Treestump seemed a little taken aback. He glanced at One-Eye but the other elf didn’t say anything. “Well, lad, we um...” 

One-Eye looked at Treestump but they obviously had decided not to explain their reasoning to him. 

“Why?” This time it came out stronger, as Redlance took a step towards them. “Why did you set me up to fail?” Why the need for this cruelty? Why do you hate me? Redlance pushed the memories of the last time he had asked, “Why?” away. He had been denied an answer once, it wouldn’t happen again. Redlance could look One-Eye in the eyes, but he had to tilt his head up to meet Treestump’s gaze. “You owe me an explanation.” 

“Lad, now is not the time-”

“NO!” Redlance hadn’t noticed that he had clenched his fists at his sides, and his arms were trembling. For a moment Treestump looked worried the usually calm and gentle elf would hit him, and on reflex reached out a meaty hand to close on firmly on Redlance’s arm, holding him still. The shift in the red-braided elf was palpable. All the fight drained from him at once and Redlance felt sick. He couldn’t keep the fear off his face as tried to pull out of Treestump’s grip and the older elf let him go, surprised. Redlance felt even more shame and backed away, eyes down. 

“Lad, I didn’t mean to scare you…” Treestump spoke uncertainly. He hesitated then sighed. “Look lad, One-Eye and I have both had to deal with loss and violence. For us to move on first we both had to be willing to acknowledge how much it had affected us, which can be difficult. We’ve both seen you put up a strong front lately, and we thought it best if we could force you to see that it’s affected you.” 

One-Eye nodded. “Aye, you had to be strong for a long time, and we didn’t think you would admit something was different unless we showed you.”  

Redlance looked at them, speechless. They thought he was strong? So strong they had felt it necessary to set him up to fail? 

“I see,” was all he said. One-Eye sank down to the ground and Treestump followed. Redlance joined them. 

“After the humans took my eye,” One-Eye began, “I wanted a candle lit in our den at night. A Wolfrider should love the night, eh? But suddenly the fact that I was a step closer to living in total darkness made me afraid,” he admitted. “I was embarrassed about it, so I lit them secretly when Clearbrook was out. I also made every excuse not to leave our den for at least three moons.” 

“After Rillfisher died,” Treestump said, "I would catch myself listening for cracks in the trees. Any sort of loud noise would make me jump like I was being swarmed by fire-ants. I would get distracted during hunts because I was scanning the branches above in case one came loose.” Treestump shook his head, “But even though all the others noticed I couldn’t admit it to myself, even after they stopped inviting me on hunts as frequently.” 

Redlance nodded. He could remember often seeing a light from One-Eye and Clearbrook’s den for a period, and that the green-clad elf had made himself scarce. He also remembered how odd it had been for Treestump to have been so distracted during hunts. Now he felt a little guilty for not realizing his tribe mates had been struggling. 

“But once we admitted our fears and talked about them with Rain and the others,” One-Eye went on, “Then we were able to overcome them and move on.” 

“So, Redlance,” Treestump said carefully, “Is there anything you’d like to share with us?” 

The elders were making a little too much sense for Redlance’s liking. He wasn't sure he wanted to share, but he also wasn't sure he didn't want to. 

“I also jump when I hear loud noises,” Redlance admitted, glancing at One-Eye. “And I feel anxious when anyone touches me,” Redlance blushed, but now that he had started it felt surprisingly good to keep going. “I keep having nightmares about what happened, and you saw that I couldn’t kill in the hunt. Anytime I feel threatened I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe and I want to run away. And I feel different,” he pressed a fist to his chest, “On the inside. Like I’m not the same person anymore. I feel more defensive and frustrated, even though I know I shouldn’t, but the worst is that sometimes I don’t even care. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know myself. I feel afraid that this proves that I’m-” he hesitated, “weak.”

Treestump’s hand was on his shoulder in a second. “You’re not weak, lad. You’re one of the strongest elves I know.” Redlance could hear the sincerity in Treestump’s tone, but he could also see that the elder knew he wasn’t convinced. 

“Redlance, look at me,” he did, and One-Eye continued. “How many elves do you know that survived being captured by humans?”

“You.”

One-Eye nodded, “Yes. Any others?”

“None.”  

“I was attacked, like you said. Any amount of time is too long with humans, but they only attacked me for a short period of time, which is why I survived. I received healing from Healer Rain shortly after. Now, you didn’t lose a limb to them, but lad, they had you for a whole day. ” One-Eye let his words sink in. “No one else has survived that. And no one else has had to journey through troll tunnels and then cross a burning waste right after. So why would you think you are weak?” One-Eye’s usually blunt voice was soft. 

“Aye lad, and why think you’d come out unscathed?” Treestump added gently. 

Redlance didn’t know what to say. He stared at them for a moment and then clapped a hand to his mouth but he couldn’t stifle the sob that slipped out. Though he squeezed his eyes shut, tears still leaked through. He tried to hold it in, but they kept slipping out. He felt Treestump’s and One-Eye’s hands on his shoulder, and this time their supportive touch was welcome as he cried. 

-----

It was nearing dawn when One-Eye and Treestump climbed back into the cave they shared with Clearbrook, Strongbow, and Moonshade. Dewshine and Scouter had taken Dart to visit the Sun Village, giving the elders some momentary privacy. 

“Well?” 

One-Eye plopped down next to his lifemate and smiled at her. “You are as wise as ever, lifemate. Your idea worked perfectly.” 

“I think that with all of us working together we can bring him back,” Clearbrook said.  

Treestump nodded. “Aye,” he wiped at the wet spot on his vest. “I was glad to see him finally show some emotion. He cried for a long time.” 

Strongbow shifted against the wall, looking thoughtful. 

“That’s a good sign!” Clearbrook broke in. “Nightfall said he hadn’t cried yet.” 

Treestump nodded and leaned forwards. 

“Aye. So,” he looked around the group, “what next?” 

There was a pause as they considered, but no one spoke up.

**I have an idea,** Strongbow smiled. **Let me take a turn with the tree-shaper tomorrow night.**

Chapter Text

In the night, I hear them call

Move in the dark

Their shapes unfold in these eyes

I quiver, darker still in closed doors

Don't speak like you were there

One is here, I feel its stare

Rumored still

And hidden by the sightless who have seen

If I lay my head down, don't blame the light's power

Or those who claimed it from me

Well, this time I'm torn

Please wake me if I lose that face

Search in these eyes

There's still fire in the darkness and rooms of light

-“El Buho,” Blanco White 

**Isn’t it beautiful?** Strongbow sent as he continued to face out, looking at the sunset as Redlance stepped onto the plateau behind him. Overhead pink, orange, and red mixed, darkening into a sky full of stars as you traced an arc back towards sun-goes-down. **I can almost forget how much I miss the Holt in moments like this.** Strongbow’s bow laid across his lap and his thumb traced a wolf’s head whittled into its side. 

The two elves sat together in silence for a long moment. 

**Do you make time to look for beauty, tree-shaper?** 

Redlance hadn’t expected Strongbow to ask him that, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. That was Strongbow: as straight to the point as an arrow to the target.

**I haven’t exactly been in control of what I do lately,** Redlance was embarrassed by how petty the response sounded, but it just came out. Strongbow didn’t seem bothered though. 

**You know, the elves that can appreciate beauty the most are the ones who have lost something beautiful.**

They both knew Strongbow was thinking of his daughter. 

**When bad things happen you have to take time to look for the good things, to remind yourself that they’re still there. Otherwise the grief could make you go mad,** he continued. 

Redlance looked up at the sky. It was beautiful, but trying to make himself sit and appreciate it felt exhausting. 

**I didn’t say it was easy,** Strongbow was looking at him like he could sense what Redlance was thinking. 

**It’s hard to think about a sunset with so much else going on.**

**Alright then, don’t think about the sunset if it doesn’t feel significant to you. What would be a significantly good thing that you could think about?**

Redlance decided to answer honestly. **Going back to the elf I was before. I’ve changed, and I wish I could go back.**

**Are you sure?**

Redlance was taken aback. He felt a surge of righteous anger but he tried to push it down. Moons earlier he might have been able to squash it, but it wouldn't leave him so easily now. What was Strongbow implying? What did he know to tell Redlance how he was supposed to feel? As unlikely as it was, Redlance thought perhaps he had misheard Strongbow’s sending.

**What do you mean?**

**Are you sure you wish you could go back?**

No, he had clearly not misheard.

**Of course I wish I could go back! I’m not sure I know who I am anymore.**

**And that’s such a bad thing?**

Redlance clenched his jaw tight, and narrowed his eyes at Strongbow. All his poorly concealed anger rushed out and left a sharp edge to his sending. Strongbow was just that, strong, and subconsciously Redlance didn't feel the need to hide his anger with him as he might with others. 

**High Ones curse you, Strongbow, how dare you? Have you ever been tortured to the brink of death? Do you know how it feels to know you’ll never get to say goodbye to the ones you love? And even when, despite all odds, you find yourself alive, only to realize that even a miraculous healing hasn’t meant the end of your pain? That you’ll still have to deal with nightmares, and visions, and a pit in your stomach that doesn’t go away?** Redlance clenched his teeth, glaring at the elder. **When you’ve been torn from your tribe and tortured, then you can tell me how I’m supposed to feel.** Redlance didn’t think about what he did next, letting the sending wash over Strongbow like a wave. It was just a moment of his memories; darkness cut by blazing fire, skin sticky with sweat and blood, swirling confusion, fear, pain, and noise. Cruel laugher, underscored by drums that never stopped beating, getting louder, louder, louder-

**ENOUGH!** 

The force of Strongbow’s sending sent Redlance staggering back. Hands on his knees and panting the red-haired elf looked up at the elder. Strongbow’s hands were pressed against his head and his face was screwed up as if in pain. 

For a tense moment neither elf moved. 

**You have changed, Redlance.** 

Redlance didn’t move, but his eyes stayed fixed on Strongbow. The elder straightened slowly, and shook his head to relieve the tension in his shoulders. He met Redlance’s gaze evenly. 

**Redlance, I never told you how you were supposed to feel. High Ones, I don’t know what that’s like, and I hope I never do. I don’t know how I would react to it.** Strongbow held Redlance’s gaze evenly. **This isn’t about feelings, it’s about a choice you can make. You can choose to leave the Now, staying in the past and drowning in regret and anger and fear, or you can choose to ask if there is even a little good that came out of even the worst of the pain. Believe me, I’ve tried both ways, and you know how far revenge and staying in the past got us back then. After you've started to look for some good in situations, you can choose to try to understand the elf you are today. I know you’re strong enough to do it.**  

Strongbow broke eye contact to survey the cliffs nearby and nodded to himself. 

**Think about what I said. The sun isn’t yet set and I want to finish watching the sunset from as high on this plateau as I can. I’ll come back down once you’ve had some time to think.** Without waiting for a reply Strongbow left, bounding up the slope.

Redlance watched Strongbow go, not knowing how to feel. As had been happening more and more often recently, the things the elders said kept making a little too much sense, regardless of whether he liked them or not. 

Chapter Text

Les mots de ma pensée m'ont parfois dépassé

Pour un fois, viens on efface

Oblions nos beautés, on s'est mis de côté

J'veux qu'on se regarde bien en face 

Je ne squatterai plus les rues de ma peine

Quand j'suis perdu, j'veux que tu me ramènes

J'veux qu'on aille bien

J'veux qu'on aille loin et qu'on traîne

-''Les rues de ma peine'' par Amir

(The words of my thoughts sometimes go further than I can

For once, let's start over 

Forget our ideals, put ourselves aside

I want us to look each other in the face

I won't stay in the streets of my pain

When I'm lost, I want you to bring me back

I want us to be well

I want us to go far, and hang around

- "The streets of my pain," by Amir)

Leetah shivered slightly as she crept quietly up to the caves where the Wolfriders lived. It was dark, and the cliffs loomed as dark shadows, blotting out big sections of the starry sky. But there was also a beauty to the contrast. Cutter had gone ahead, picking out the smoothest path between the massive boulders, and was quick to offer her a hand up even small inclines. She hid a smile, wondering how long her new lifemate’s painstaking show of chivalry would last, as they settled into their relationship. They rounded the last boulder, and the caves loomed up dark before them, Wolfrider and wolfen shapes rustling the tumbleweeds in the night. Cutter had said Redlance had offered to stay up late so she could come during the daylight, but she had immediately refused. As a healer she knew when the patient was comfortable everything went smoother, and she felt a need to make up for the fact that she had not considered offering healing to Redlance earlier, despite all she was sorting out herself at the time. Leetah noticed that one of the cave mouths wasn’t an inky black, and instead the inviting flicker of candlelight cast dancing shadows amongst the dark rocks. She followed Cutter as he angled towards the entrance. The candles were simply thin leather wicks pushed into lumps of animal fat, that flickered in small clay bowls. The bowls, she guessed, were ones Cutter had found in her storage chamber and donated earlier to Nightfall for the candle-making. His Wolfrider mind simply assumed he didn’t need to ask Leetah’s permission to use what she didn’t seem to need, if a need for it arose in the rest of the tribe. She didn’t care much about the bowls, they were easy enough to make. But if the intricately woven blankets she stored for the rainy season started popping up in the Wolfrider caves she might have to have a word with her lifemate about giving away her things. When she and Cutter arrived at the cave entrance, Leetah saw that there were nearly three eights of candles running down both sides of the shallow cave. Her eyes pinched shut at the striking contrast between the night outside and glare inside. Blinking profusely, she saw Nightfall and Redlance looking at her a little sheepishly as the candles glowed around them. 

“We wanted to make sure it would be bright enough for you to see, healer.” Nightfall said. Leetah noticed though both Wolfriders had had time to adjust to the light, they still looked at her through slitted eyes. She laughed, keeping a hand up to shield her eyes. 

“How considerate of you! But it is a little bright, even for me.” Leetah walked over the edge of the cave she blew out a handful of candles around the perimeter before rejoining the others at the centre. She noted that the Wolfriders were no longer squinting as noticeably. 

“I am curious, how many candles would you light if I was a Wolfrider?” 

Cutter shrugged, “Only one.” He met Redlance and Nightfall’s eyes, and Nightfall stood. “Nightfall is going to help me scout out some of the cliffs nearby. Redlance, howl for us when you’re done, and I will return to accompany you home, lifemate.” Cutter brushed Leetah’s shoulder as he and Nightfall quietly left. 

Leetah waited until the two Wolfriders had disappeared into the night before speaking. When she couldn't see them anymore she quietly said, “I am sorry I did not come to you sooner and ask if you would like me to heal your scars. I should have thought of that.” She hoped her sincerity came through in her voice. 

Redlance immediately shook his head. “Oh no, healer! I would not have wanted to be a distraction when you had other important matters to focus on.” 

Leetah was about to contradict him and insist it would have been no distraction, but she stopped herself. Redlance was sincere that he had chosen not to bother her before she and Cutter became lifemates, and she realized that to minimize that would be an insult to his gesture. So she just nodded and moved on.  

“Well, shall we begin?” Leetah offered what she hoped was her most encouraging smile, and lowered herself gracefully onto the rocky floor, spinning her finger for Redlance to turn around. She didn’t miss how his shoulders relaxed a little when he no longer had to face her, but he was still awkward as he pulled off his vest. Leetah had to catch herself before she let out a little gasp, still barely able to comprehend how another could inflict such heinous wounds. She had seen his scars in the desert, but then she had been distracted by saving his life, and Rayek and Cutter, and at the council in Savah’s hut she hadn’t seen them up close. Now the warm flickering of candle light illuminated ugly reminders of hatred. Leetah lifted her hands to hover over the largest scar that drew a jagged brown stripe from Redlance’s shoulder to the base of his spine. 

“This might tingle a bit, but try to hold still.” Smoothing out skin took far less energy than healing actual wounds, and Leetah was able to work relatively quickly. 

Redlance shivered a little at first as she smoothed out his skin over the largest scar, but the knowledge that they were finally disappearing gave him more relief than he anticipated. It wasn’t long before she had finished the worst of it, and then he only had to point out to her the rest of the smaller ones. She was about to heal the final, small white line on his ribcage when he stopped her. 

“Let that one be. I want to keep one to acknowledge that it happened in more than memory.” 

She nodded, pleased. Without warning, Redlance leapt up and stretched his arms high above his head, a large grin blooming on his face, as he felt the pull of smooth skin on his back. He brushed his hands across his ribs and back as far as they would go, as if to confirm the scars were really gone. He turned around to face Leetah, “Thank you healer!” 

Leetah was surprised when his hand suddenly closed over her own, pulling her to her feet, and Redlance led her to the mouth of the cave. Tipping his head back he let out a loud and joyful howl that echoed over the cliffs. It wasn’t long before she saw two elfin shapes appear out of the night towards her. 

-----

Yawning, Leetah snuggled into her blankets beside her lifemate, tucked back in their hut. She blinked sleepily and noticed his large, blue eyes staring back at her, a big smile on his face. He held her close, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. Before she drifted off to sleep, Leetah realized that tonight was the first time she had felt accepted as both a part of the Sun Folk and the Wolfriders, and integrated as the healer for both tribes. Both lifemates fell asleep with matching grins. 

-----

“Mother?” Kileen poked his head tentatively into the Minyah’s hut. The Sun Village was far too small to avoid someone consistently, but his mother had made an admirable effort. Over the last eights of days since the council they had seen each other and exchanged words, but for Kileen they were the words of acquaintances, not of family. In the past if his mother had been upset she would have made it clear to him exactly what was wrong. She had never played this kind of guessing game before, and he was more than a little hurt and frustrated. Kileen called again, “Mother?”

“Out back, dear,” Minyah’s voice curled around the hut’s wall to reach him. Kileen went around the hut’s side to see her signature frilled hat bent sideways as she knelt beside a row of seedlings.

“Mother, we need to talk.”

Minyah sighed, “Alright.” She patted the ground next to her and he sat down, as he had many times during childhood. 

“My son, I shouldn’t have avoided you. I just,” Minyah looked at the ground, confused. “I still don’t know how to feel, and I was afraid to talk to you about the council because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. I’m still not sure what the right thing to say is.” 

It bothered Kileen to no end to hear his mother's voice be filled with uncertainty instead of her usual practical confidence.

“Are you angry with me?” Kileen’s heart twisted. “You always defended the Wolfrider,” he couldn’t keep some bitterness from his words.

“ Look at me Kileen.”

Kileen’s face snapped up at her tone. 

“ You are my son . You come first, before Redlance, before others.” Minyah sighed, “I’m sorry I didn’t show that better.”

Kileen didn’t expect to feel so relieved at his mother’s words. 

“You asked if I was angry,” Minyah paused. “Yes, I am angry. Redlance attacked my son,” She cupped a hand to his cheek, “and no matter the reason I am angry with him for it. But I can tell that you also let your fear lead you to create division that contributed to this mess and, High Ones, I am angry with you too!” 

Kileen was about to speak but Minyah went on in a rush. “And at the council I saw with my eyes evidence of a hatred against our kind I didn’t know could exist, and I am furious that anyone could be so cruel. So yes,” she growled, “I am angry.”

Kileen didn’t know what to say.   

“But,” his mother continued, some of her characteristic confidence returning, “I shouldn’t have allowed my frustration to prevent me from spending time with you. I want to do things together, I may simply need some time to sort out my feelings before we talk of this again.”

Kileen nodded, satisfied. As long as he and his mother could move beyond the awkwardness of the past eights-of-days he was happy, and he also wasn't in a hurry to have deep conversations about the council. Kileen turned the conversation to his second reason for coming. 

“I came to ask for more of your herb mixture for Injah’s pregnancy sickness. She’s used up the last bundle you gave us. 

A couple days after the Wolfriders had turned the zwoot herd, Kileen had caught his lifemate in close conversation with the young, blond-haired Wolfrider maiden. Injah had previously been allowing Leetah's healing to suppress her pregnancy sickness up to that point, but ever since she had become dead-set on handling it herself with only the help of herbs and medicines. Kileen wondered if she was feeling inspired to bring some of the Wolfrider's self-reliance into her own life as she prepared for motherhood. Though, if Kileen was honest, he would rather she continue to see Leetah- he hated watching her suffer. 

Minyah looked at him, suddenly sad. “Dear, that’s all I have left. Poor Injah.”

Kileen didn’t like to see some of her uncertainty return.

“You could try making some from the dried knubroot,” Minyah pointed to a row of squat green leafy heads poking fragile leaves out of the soil. “But they’re still small, and I don’t think it will be as effective. I’m out of goldleaf; the main ingredient in the mix I gave you.” 

Kileen frowned. Injah’s pregnancy sickness had become severe enough, since she ran out of herbs, that he was desperate to find a solution. Her easy smile was replaced by a grimace when she thought he wasn’t watching. He hated watching her lounge aimlessly around the hut, weak and constantly uncomfortable, her eyes tracing the places she wanted to go, her mind counting the steps to see if she could make it. He had tried to convince her to go back to seeing Leetah, but it seemed pregnancy had also lent her an increased stubbornness, and she refused. 

He rested his chin in his hands. “Injah and I eagerly anticipate the arrival of our child, but it’s so hard to watch my lifemate suffer in the meantime. Your herb mix was really helping, but now she’ll be in pain again, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” He seized on an idea, “Do any of the other gardeners have goldleaf? I didn’t even think to ask-”

“No, dear. Goldleaf isn’t in season right now.”

“Then how did you have some- oh.” 

They were both quiet for a moment. 

“Do the herbs grow naturally anywhere around this area? If you describe them for me maybe I could gather some,” Kileen ventured. 

His mother looked thoughtful, “I haven’t done much gathering recently, as my bones weary quickly from climbing, and I haven’t had the need. The few times I have found it were by accident, mid-way up the slopes, but that was closer to the rainy season than it is now. You could try searching, but I can’t tell you exactly where to look. If there are any they'll be too small to see now, though. Suntoucher told me he feels rain coming in the next few days. Wait eight days until after the rains have passed, and the plants will be large enough to find. If you harvest them while they're too small, it will kill them, as you know.” 

Kileen nodded. He had expected her to say it would be difficult. So as long as she didn’t say it was impossible, he would be happy. He had broken one promise to Injah, so he owed it to her to do what he could to ease her discomfort now, and if that meant scouring the cliff sides, then so be it.  

-----

In one hand Nightfall held one of Leetah’s freshly washed skirts, and in the other she maneuvered tiny, wooden pincers that reminded her of bird-beaks, in the way they opened and closed. Her deft fingers were getting ever more frustrated as they kept fumbling the pincers. The wet skirt she held momentarily escaped, making a low swoop towards the dusty ground. The low growl she let out caused Leetah to snap her head around in concern. With a hidden smile, Leetah deftly stepped around the clothesline to hold the dress in place over the string, while Nightfall used both hands to jam the pincers down, bunching the fabric up in her enthusiasm. Nightfall gave a triumphant grin. 

With her lifemate temporarily banned from the village, Nightfall had debated going down herself, as opposed to staying in the caves and mountains for the time being. However, Redlance’s insistence, and her growing friendship with Leetah, convinced her that staying away would be foolish. She reached with both hands for another pincer when she caught a familiar scent on the desert breeze. She brushed Leetah’s shoulder with her hand, and with a quick apology, ran off to catch the elf she was had been hoping to talk to. 

Nightfall reached Clearbrook just as she arrived at the well, her muted Wolfrider tunic standing in sharp contrast to the colourful village-made water jug Clearbrook held at her hip. 

“Clearbrook!” 

The elder spun around, instinctively alert, but then relaxed when she saw Nightfall. 

“Nightfall! You’re awake early.”

Nightfall smiled in the afternoon sun. “Leetah is teaching me how to use ‘clothes-pins’ though I don’t understand why anyone would want to use something so frustrating! They’re worse than the capnut-cracker Treestump invented last turn of the seasons.”

Clearbrook just smiled, and waited for the younger Wolfrider to tell her the real reason why she had come to talk. 

“I want to ask you a favour,” Nightfall began, more serious. Clearbrook suspected she knew where this was going. “I’m so glad that Redlance has been able to talk with the elders, and I’ve seen how much it’s benefiting him. But I feel a barrier between us every time I ask him questions, or he tries to talk to me. I wonder if he might be afraid of saying the wrong thing, or maybe he just wants to protect me. I was trying to think of how to fix it, and then I realized that maybe if you and One-Eye were there you could offer some guidance from your own experiences, and remind Redlance that he doesn’t need to protect me from everything. 

Clearbrook put a hand to her face and regarded the young huntress, impressed. Nightfall’s wisdom to identify a possible solution to her problem, without getting stuck in frustration, showed great maturity. 

“I’m glad you suggested this Nightfall, I’ll speak with One-Eye, but I’m sure he will be pleased to help.”

Nightfall nodded, smiling, and with a nod, returned in the direction of Leetah's clothes line with a skip in her step. Funny how she even felt more optimistic about the “clothes-pins.” 

-----

It was raining. Skywise had told the tribe Suntoucher believed the rain would continue for a few days before the clouds passed by. Redlance wondered how Minyah’s garden looked, and how much his seedlings had grown. It was easier to stare out at the rain and wonder, than look at One-Eye and Clearbrook, who were sitting across from him in the cave. Redlance had been feeling marginally better since Leetah had healed the scars, but the tiny part of his brain that had hoped it would be a magical cure for all his problems was disappointed. He still had a lot of work ahead of him before he felt “fixed,” as he tended to think. Nightfall squeezed his hand and he turned his attention away from looking and towards the group. Rainsong, Woodlock, and Pike had graciously taken the cubs to play with Dart in the elder’s cave, giving the four some privacy. 

Nightfall glanced at him, and decided to start the conversation. 

“I was hoping that having both of you join us might help Redlance share more with me. I thought that maybe you could help guide the conversation, or offer some insight based on your own experiences.” She squeezed Redlance’s hand. “I want Redlance to feel like he can be honest with me, and I thought you both might be able to help us find what’s preventing that in our conversations.” 

Clearbrook nodded easily, looking more comfortable with the idea than her lifemate, but to One-Eye’s credit he gave a nod as well.  

Nightfall continued, “I want you to tell me how you’re feeling, I want to know what you’ve talked about with the others, and I even want to know,” Nightfall turned her head, forcing Redlance to look her in the eyes, “about what happened with the humans. I don’t have to know everything , but right now I feel like I know next to nothing.” 

Redlance frowned, “I understand the first two things you said, but why would you want to know about what happened? If our places were reversed I would want to know so I could better protect you, but you don't have to feel like you need to protect me that way.”

Clearbrook gently broke in, “I think what Nightfall wants is to better understand what happened so she can empathize and feel closer to you, Redlance.”

“But is that really necessary?” Redlance shot back at Clearbrook, “What do the specifics matter? We all know what happens to elves who get caught by humans: the humans try to kill them and they either die or they don’t.” He turned to Nightfall, voice softer. “Isn’t what you know already enough? Would talking about more really make a difference? I’ve been trying to work on the Now, and leave the past behind.” 

Clearbrook jumped in, “I think Nightfall wants to know because she wants to understand you better-”

“-I just want to help you feel better,” Nightfall said. 

Redlance’s eyes were wide, looking between Clearbrook and Nightfall. He opened his mouth to reply, and then shut it. One-Eye gently put a hand on Clearbrook’s arm. 

“Lad,” He looked at Redlance, but his low, clear voice carried clearly. “I didn't want to tell Clearbrook what happened with the humans either, even though she wanted to know. I thought that if my job was to protect her it meant protecting her from my mixed-up emotions until I had everything figured out on the inside, so she wouldn’t feel what I was feeling, or worry that I was less able to protect her.” 

Redlance nodded immediately. “When I thought I was going to die in the desert I knew I couldn’t protect her, and that it would be better to share more of what was on the inside before I was gone,” including my soul name, he thought, “but once I was healed I felt the way you described.” He looked at Nightfall, and she could see in his eyes the hope that she would understand. 

“Clearbrook taught me something very important during that time, lad. She taught me that usually a female lifemate feels more protected and safe when you let them in when they ask. Nightfall will feel closer to you, and more secure, if she doesn’t have to worry that you won’t let her help you figure this out. When you don’t share things with her she feels like she doesn’t know what’s going on and if she should be worried about you or not. Not feeling like she can do anything to help you makes her feel helpless, and all this makes her feel alone and less secure. Lad, if you want Nightfall to feel safe you have to let her in more.” One-Eye leaned back. 

All eyes were riveted on One-Eye, who smirked a little as he regarded them. “What?”

“I didn't realize how you’ve become a master of wise counsel, Beloved,” Clearbrook murmured fondly, leaning a head on his shoulder. 

Nightfall looked at Redlance, “Is that how you felt? Is that why you didn’t want to let me in?” 

Redlance nodded, and she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so glad we understand each other better now.” He just held her, knowing that’s what she would appreciate most. Eventually, Nightfall pulled back. Before anyone else could speak, Redlance broke in,

“Before we talk about the past can we start with the first two things Nightfall mentioned?” 

They all nodded, “Of course.”

Redlance cleared his throat. “Um, I talked first with One-Eye, out in the cliffs before the council…” 

Chapter Text

This one goes out to my closest friends

The ones who make me feel less alien

I do not think I would be here if not for them

"Another Night on  Mars," The Maine 

“Oof!” The ruddy wolf’s paws landed a hair away from his elf-friend's ear, but the elf twisted on the ground before Firecoat’s swipe could connect. With a howl, Redlance-elf launched himself at Firecoat’s side, pushing the wolf to the ground in a cloud of paws and dust. Firecoat spluttered and tried to sit on the traitorous elf. Only partially trapped, Redlance-elf tried to nip at the wolf's hide, and Firecoat had to readjust to make sure his elf-friend was firmly squished. His elf gave an annoyed huff but stopped wiggling. Good. Firecoat's elf-friend was normally happy-quiet, which the mellow wolf liked. But, the foggy days-old memories of Past only contained a sad-quiet version of his elf, though beyond a strong protective instinct and vague memory of long-hot, he didn't know why. Firecoat let out a whuff, his lupine brain shaking off those pesky memories. Back in Now, all Firecoat knew was that he didn't like his elf-friend all sad-quiet. He had tried whining, pawing, and asking for pets but that hadn't worked. However, it hadn’t taken Firecoat long to notice how the other elves suddenly seemed intent on never leaving his elf-friend alone, and the wolf would not be left out of the fun. Firecoat had made this decision eight days ago, taking Redlance-elf completely off guard when suddenly he rammed into his legs, knocking his elf-friend to the ground, and then proceeded to growl and playfully lick his face. With a lot of hard work he had managed to train his elf-friend, and now his elf knew to anticipate their daily wrestling matches. Redlance-elf had even beat him to it on day, sneaking up and tackling him, much to the wolf's chagrin.

Whether or not the wolf knew it, his efforts may have been more effective than those of the elders. The challenge of the contest,  and feeling of fur and dust on his skin brought Redlance back to the Now more than talking ever could. The feeling of sweat on his face, dust in his hair, and the strain in his lungs slammed Redlance fully back into his skin, and for the first time since the humans, he felt connected and fully aware of himself. Firecoat’s muzzle nipped playfully at his ear, and he dodged, nipping back. The wolf surprised him and lunged, and instead of his teeth closing on thin air, Redlance got a mouthful of dusty fur. He shook his head, spitting out fur, as two wolfish eyes silently laughed at him. Redlance felt a grin bloom across his face and lunged at the wolf, ready for revenge. The two tussled over the ground for a moment until Firecoat managed to pin his elf-friend down and started to lick Redlance’s face. He couldn't keep laughter from bursting out, as he halfheartedly tried to push the wolf’s muzzle away. Finally, Firecoat stepped away and laid down beside his elf-friend, both elf and wolf panting happily. Redlance had felt a strange disconnect from his body, after it had felt more like a painful trap since the humans- but now, wrestling with the wolf, he could feel back at home in his own skin, and that brought surprising relief. He wondered if this was why the nightmares had so suddenly stopped. 

-----

**Are you sure this is a good idea?**

**Aye.**

**Treestump, if this goes wrong it will be a disaster.**

**Good thing it’s not going to.**

**The only reason the other elders agreed is because they trust you. But out of all of us, I’m the one who has the best chance of knowing what could work or what might not. And I promise that if this doesn’t work, we will have a problem!**

Treestump stopped walking and turned to One-Eye. 

**Friend, we both know that talking will only take an elf so far. He has to face his fears eventually if he wants to prove to the Sun Folk that he can visit the village again.** One-Eye didn’t seem convinced and Treestump reached to grab his shoulder. **Remember in the troll caverns when we had to choose if we would take the tunnel the trolls offered us? The way I see it, this situation is a little like that: you can either move forward by taking a risk and try the solution that’s offered, or you can stay trapped in a bad spot. Feel free to blame me if this doesn’t work out, but it’s the only path to take right now, and Redlance wants to take it.” 

One-Eye’s gut still wasn’t fully convinced, but he had to admit Treestump made a good argument. He was about to reply when a cloud of dust billowed up from a nearby shelf in the rock, nearly choking him. 

Both elves looked up, One-Eye still sputtering, to see Redlance and his wolf-friend rolling around in the dust. Treestump shrugged as if to say, See?  

One-Eye rolled his eye, and both of them stood at the base of the rock shelf, waiting for the tracker to notice them. Redlance rolled off Firecoat and jumped up, his efforts to brush himself off doing more to smear the dirt on his face than get rid of it. A simple wolf-send sent Firecoat padding off to rejoin the pack. 

“Practicing, lad?” Treestump tried to keep his tone light, as Redlance looked much more sombre now than he had moments earlier. The elders had discussed their plan with him the night before, and though he had agreed, to call him enthusiastic was more than a stretch. 

“I guess.”

Treestump was about to clap him on the shoulder and then caught himself. One-Eye didn’t hide his apprehension. 

**Redlance, you know you can still say no to this, and wait longer if you want to.**

Redlance shook his head, “No, I don’t think waiting would make a difference, and I want to be able to hunt again. Besides, you said,” He looked specifically at One-Eye, “that it took doing something like this to make your visions of the past go away for good.” One-Eye couldn’t argue with his own words, so he only nodded slowly. Redlance paused, and then shrugged, “We could go up to the ledge over there,” he gestured to where he and Firecoat had been wrestling. 

Treestump nodded, and the three elves walked over to the ledge. There was an awkward beat, but after a moment One-Eye stepped back to the side. He stood out of range, but close enough that he was only a few steps away. Redlance looked up at Treestump beside him. He was the most solidly built in the tribe, and one of the tallest. Though by no stretch of anyone’s imagination would he be described as resembling a human, he was the closest they had.

“Remember, lad, you can always tap out. Once I’ve made the first move. I’m going to let you come at me. I promise not to hurt you, and One-Eye is here to step in if needed, too.”

One-Eye had no doubt Treestump would maintain control of himself. He was far more concerned that he might need to step in on Treestump's behalf, depending on how Redlance responded. But both elders kept those thoughts to themselves. 

Redlance nodded. Treestump dropped down into a sparring stance, and Redlance mirrored him. They circled each other a couple of times before Treestump feigned left, then moved in on Redlance’s right, a very controlled shove forcing Redlance barely a step back. Treestump’s next swing was slow, and Redlance ducked easily. Making a quick decision, Redlance stepped back and held up his hand to signal a pause. 

“This won't work if it doesn’t feel at least a little real, Treestump.” 

The elder regarded him skeptically. 

“I’ll let you know if it’s too much,” Redlance held up his hands, “I promise.”

Treestump glanced at One-Eye, and noticed that while the other elf hadn’t stopped frowning, he at least wasn’t frowning more. 

“You’re the one in control of this lad. Let me know when you’re ready.” 

Redlance regained his stance and motioned for Treestump to come at him again. This time, Treestump’s moves were no less controlled, but they came faster and harder. Redlance dodged his first blow, but the second shove sent him staggering backwards, though unharmed. He moved in to counter, swinging at Treestump, and even landing a blow on Treestump’s ribs. He felt a slight spark of triumph, but in that moment Treestump swept Redlance’s legs out from under him. Redlance managed to close a fist around Treestump’s bearhide vest and used his body weight to bring them both down. The two elves let out their breath in a woosh, avoiding being winded just as they hit the ground. The two scrabbled around on the ground, neither able to pin the other. Treestump was undoubtedly stronger than Redlance, but the younger elf was faster and more flexible, drawing out the match. With every move, Treestump carefully gauged Redlance’s intensity and returned it a step lower. In a normal contest, Treestump’s superior size and strength would have likely guaranteed him the win, but that wasn’t the point of this match. 

After discussing with the rest of the elders they figured part of the reason why Redlance was still struggling to find joy in the hunt and any kind of physical affection was because of the prolonged physical helplessness he had experienced when ganged up on by a group of humans nearly twice his size, followed by the tribe ending up violently homeless and at the mercy of circumstance. It was clear he had lost his sense of control and it needed to be restored. Treestump had suggested initiating a sparring match so Redlance could experience an encounter that mirrored part of what had happened with the humans, while being able to fight back, giving him a sense of control. The hope was to instill a renewed sense of confidence in the elf, and that this confidence would extend out to any other physical interactions.

Redlance was too busy trying to pin the larger elf down that he didn’t notice how Treestump engaged him less and less, as the tree-shaper became more intense. Redlance hadn’t known how he would respond, but to his surprise, he felt fully in control of his mind and his body. He could feel his heart pounding, and his lungs heaved, but panic stayed far away. Instead his focus sharpened and he found himself perfectly in the Now and undistracted. Treestump tried to pin his wrist but Redlance quickly rotated his wrist out of the elder’s grip, instead trying to grab the Treestump’s wrist and twist it behind his back. Treestump didn’t resist, and in seconds Redlance had the elder pinned, his knee on Treestump’s back, both hands wrapped around the elder’s thick wrist. Unexpectedly, Redlance felt a howl rise in his throat, and he let it ring out joyfully. A casual onlooker might have found the sight of the smaller elf struggling to use his whole body to try and pin the larger one comical, especially considering both were matted in dirt, but to One-Eye it was one of the best things he had ever seen. He joined in the howl, and Redlance threw him a grin before sliding off Treestump. The larger elf climbed to his feet, rubbing his wrist. Redlance felt a flash of guilt, but the elder’s grin squelched it out. Without thinking he wrapped Redlance in a massive bearhug, crushing the tracker to him. Where this might have made him freeze two days ago, Redlance was able to keep his head, and awkwardly tap on Treestump’s elbow to signal he wanted to be let go. The elder released him immediately, a little sheepish but Redlance smiled at him. 

**I’m not ready for that yet, but soon.** 

Treestump nodded. The three elves glanced amongst themselves for a moment, unsure of what to do.  

"Well lad, we haven't solved your other problem," Redlance whirled to stare at Treestump suspiciously. The elder gestured to Redlance's dirt-matted body. "There's no way Nightfall will let you back in the cave looking like that."

Redlance tried to look nonchalant, "It's not that bad." It might have been more convincing if at least half his hair wasn't so thick with dirt it stuck straight up. 

"Ye've never been a good liar lad."

"Aye," One-Eye added. 

"Why, I think your eyes are the only thing not covered in dirt!" Treestump added, grinning. 

Redlance laughed and glanced down at himself to try and prove the elder wrong, which gave One-Eye the opening he needed to dump his full waterskin in an icy shower over the tracker's head. 

"Hey!" Redlance whirled on One-Eye, turning his back to Treestump, which turned out to be a fatal move- and a second skin was emptied over his head. Wet and shivering, Redlance launched himself at Treestump and One-Eye with a ferocious howl, and the real match began. 

-----

Choose to try and understand the elf you are today, Create something beautiful, honour the loss… Redlance mused, leaning his face on his fist as he sat tucked in the corner of the cavernous mouth of their cave. The rain that had let off for the past two days had returned, and the steady drizzle was predicted to continue another few days before moving on. Nightfall would be returning soon, so now was one of the rare times Redlance was alone. The elders had continued to include him in their daily tasks, and sometimes initiate further conversations, while Firecoat was thrilled to be wrestling daily with his elf-friend. Redlance had a feeling the wolf would make him continue that tradition long after he was allowed back in the Sun Village. He had joined his first hunt the day after the sparring match with Treestump, and it had gone well, though Redlance had purposefully kept to guarding the rear while the others closed in on the kill. He was starting to notice a marked change in the way he felt; less guarded, and stirrings of apathy were rare. He was sleeping better too, and hadn’t had a nightmare since he started wrestling with Firecoat. He had been able to use his increased confidence and security to start to open up to Nightfall in the way he thought she had wanted, and his efforts had been rewarded with her joyful tears and a wet hug. The constant pit in his stomach was fading, and the future seemed a lot brighter. All in all he felt genuinely content at that moment, tucked in a corner, warm and dry, while the wind blew twirling spirals in the rain. 

Snatches of the conversations he had had over the last few days kept turning in his mind. With some distance from each of those conversations, he realized he couldn’t help but think they all worked together somehow. Create something beautiful… see the beauty. What beauty? Ask if anything good has come despite the bad. He could think of more than a few good things about the Wolfriders’ current situation. They had met a new tribe of elves, Cutter was happier than Redlance had ever seen him, well-matched to a remarkable lifemate. The tribe lived in peace, and there were no humans. What about you? Redlance had to admit to himself that it was his brush with death and being called back by elven healing magic that had likely allowed his own powers to bloom. The agony of waiting for his powers to awaken, and the fear they perhaps never would, was finally over. Despite the awkwardness of their conversations over the last few days, he also found he was closer to his tribemates than ever before, and also far more confident about how the others viewed him and his place in the tribe. Redlance had originally been afraid the situation of the past eights-of-days, and the way his emotions teetered between apathy and panic, would prevent him from being able to connect with the tribe and would change how he viewed himself. But those feelings were becoming rarer and rarer, while he instead had a striking realization: he could connect to his tribe mates on a deeper level now. None of the Wolfriders had escaped more than their fair share of loss and pain, and while Redlance had lost both his parents when he was still a young cub, he found that now, after experiencing a different kind of loss, he was tuned into others in a different way. He noticed things that would have never occurred to him before, like the way Skywise’s fist would clench whenever human's were mentioned, or how Strongbow’s thumb would run over the tiny, whittled carving on his bow when he felt anxious or frustrated, while Moonshade watched him tenderly. Now, Redlance and One-Eye would simply share a look whenever humans were mentioned, and no words or sendings needed to be exchanged. And then, of course, there was his bond with Nightfall. 

Her bravery and loyalty in the desert made him wonder how he could deserve such love, and Redlance felt closer to her than ever before. They had faced death together, and won. Redlance let himself, albeit sheepishly, wonder if Strongbow had perhaps been right. Did he really want to go back to the elf he was before and leave everything he had gained behind? The consequences of the trauma he had experienced still haunted him, but he had emerged stronger for it. Remember, this isn’t only about you, Redlance reminded himself. The elders who had supported him during the worst of his struggles had been able to do so because of the pain they had faced and overcome in their own lives. Redlance recognized that his experiences now gave him the unique ability to support others who might go through similar things. 

So how could he fit all this together? He thought of Moonshade’s beautiful leather patch, and Strongbow’s wood carving. If wrestling with Firecoat and sparring with Treestump had taught him anything, it was that elves weren’t only spirit, but equally flesh and blood. He would need something physical to remind himself of what he had learned to keep himself from regressing. Something significant to his own experience. Redlance smiled as the pieces drifted closer together in his mind. 

----

The little grotto had a floor of loose soil that dusted his bare feet. Redlance had found a secluded spot at a low enough elevation to have ample soil, but high enough to still be well-hidden. He had brought with him a handful of carefully selected, large sticker-plant seeds. He thought of the welcoming embrace of the Father Tree as he planted five seeds in a circle around the grotto. Reaching deep into the ground he clenched his fingers, drawing up water from as deep as he could. With the moisture, the plants surged up, their tender new shoots thickening rapidly into spiny trunks. Soon they had reached, and then surpassed, Redlance’s own height. Once they were about three elves tall, he dropped his hands, exhausted. He tipped his head back to see the sticker plants loom straight up in the air. Redlance frowned. Something wasn’t quite right. Drawing on a deep reserve of strength, he let their branches flow and bend, arching into graceful curves, slender branches extending off each main stem to flow with the others. Soon their tops were entwined in a beautiful spiral above him. With a final burst of energy Redlance helped a smattering of bright yellow and red flowers burst forth at the stem nodes. He broke off a sharp quill from the closest stem and stepped into the centre of the circle. There he pierced his palm, holding out his arm so the drops of blood fell onto the dirt at his feet. With each drop he uttered a name. Crescent, Shale, Eyes High. First he named those who had died from the human’s hatred. One-Eye, himself. Next he named those who had survived that same hatred. Redlance smiled at the plants. Beautiful shapes with prickly quills. He thought it was a fitting metaphor. Eventually, he would invite Strongbow, Moonshade, and Skywise to see what he had made- but for now he sat in the middle, alone, thinking about the elves the circle represented, and the pain they had shared. 

Chapter Text

It's close to midnight 

And something evil's lurking in the dark

Under the moonlight 

You see a sight that almost stops your heart

You try to scream

But terror takes the sound before you make it

- “Thriller,” Michael Jackson

Kileen hoped early dawn was late enough that the Wolfriders would have retired to the caves. He knew despite any nuances to the situation, he wasn't exactly their favourite Sun Villager at the moment. He contented himself that while he was travelling into the mountain's foothills, he was at least going in the opposite direction from their caves. He had waited eight days since the last of the rains had passed before beginning his search for sunleaf, but the last few afternoons of searching through the lowest slopes had held no luck. The further up in elevation, the poorer the soil became, and Kileen had to admit the odds weren't in his favour. He was getting desperate. Today he was no longer content to wait until after the surge of midday heat to begin his search, choosing instead to start early and gamble on the fact that he would find a sufficiently shaded crevice where he could wait out the hottest part of the day. It was rare, but not unheard of, that a Sun Villager would find themselves outside the village at the hottest part of the day. He himself had waited out the midday heat from a shaded crevice or cave more than a few times. Kileen thought of his lifemate moaning in their sleeping-pit and sighed. The previous evening he had vowed to begin today's search as soon as there was light, if on the slim chance it meant he might find the plant sooner and spare Injah a few hours of agony. Now the morning waned, and thus far everything he had surveyed in the closest foothills had proven disappointingly barren of the dappled gold of sunleaf. Perhaps, if his single-minded focus had waned even once, Kileen's eyes might have glanced around from surveying the ground to catch the occasional tuft of sandy fur skirting his peripheral vision. As it stood, his eyes never wavered from their duty. Before long, the morning sun loomed bright and hot, forcing Kileen to put all his energy into keeping the patch of ground directly before him in focus. Each step took him further and further into the cliffs, until he tripped over a rock, obscured by the sweat dripping into his eyes. Unable to deny the risk that continuing would pose, he had to resign himself to scouting out a shaded area to rest in until the worst of midday's heat was past. Even an elf driven by care for his lifemate couldn't overcome the consuming brightness of the Day-star. 

Warm soil did little to cushion his hard stone seat, and Kileen's back and rear were beginning to ache. He squirmed, careful to stay within the little square of shadow that sheltered him. Stretching was certainly not an option if he wanted to keep his limbs out of the blazing sun, and Kileen was starting to think getting a bruised tailbone might be unavoidable. Trying to ignore the growing pain in his body, he spent the following hours in a sluggish doze, sipping periodically from the sun-warmed water in the skin at his hip. Though his eyes watered, Kileen couldn't help but keep glancing up at the sun, willing it to move faster. He was stuck waiting, with nothing to distract his obsessed mind. His thoughts were always of Injah, but the heat had drained his brain, and thinking of her only drifted his thoughts into a hazy cloud of guilt mixed with a bit of hopefulness. After what felt like an eternity, Kileen caught himself starting to form cohesive thoughts again, and he took it as a sign that it was late enough to continue his search. His crevice-shelter was far up the cliffs, and he continued climbing higher with determination, moving towards the apex of the peaks. He was exhausted, but care for his lifemate kept him moving, even as he imagined his legs were turning to rock. He was met with the same amount of success he had found that morning. He was becoming desperate now, as evening was approaching and his day of searching had yielded no results. He knew he should turn around and ensure he would be able to climb back down to the village while it was light, but this desperation pushed him to instead edge carefully over the crest of the peaks and drop down on the far side. It grew noticeably darker the moment there was cold stone between him and the light coming from the village. The sun, setting behind the mountains, was also blotted out in a sudden shift from light to dark. Rocky slopes stretched out below him, and beyond that, Kileen looked out into the flat expanse of the cracked, dusty desert floor. A scavenger-bird gave its final evening call, and Kileen shivered in the warm, dry air. He had been fooling himself to think he would be able to see well enough to search this area in the darkness.  

Time to go. 

He needed to return now if he was to avoid alarming Injah and causing her more discomfort. Kileen heaved a sigh and began to hike up the short distance to the tops of the peaks when something soft and wet brushed his heel. The gardener whirled around to find himself facing the golden-brown eyes of a jackal. Its head was low to the ground, its ears turned forward, with eyes not showing a hint of fear. Kileen stifled a yelp and tried to reach slowly to his hip for the small knife at his belt. He had brought it for cutting off sunleaf leaves, and the tiny blade was no longer than his little finger, and barely wider. It seemed the jackal could read his thoughts, because as his heart dropped, Kileen swore its grin grew. He tried to breathe. It's only one jackal, I can take it. Even with this twig of a knife. This was a lot more appealing than telling himself The jackal is going to eat you and then your child will grow up hearing about a father who failed to cure his mother's pregnancy sickness. No, that kind of thinking was best avoided.

Kileen decided the jackal must be telepathic because the moment he thought about the knife at his belt the jackal padded towards him, giving him no time to plan his next move. Kileen instinctively backed up until the jackal paused. He reached behind him for his knife again, only for the point of his elbow to knock painfully against solid stone at his back. He reflexively curled the throbbing forearm against his body as he realized what had happened. The spot where he had climbed down now stood behind the jackal facing him. He was pinned against a flat rock wall. Kileen’s eyes widened. High Ones! There was no longer only one pair of golden-brown eyes staring back at him in the dark. 

-----

“Chief Cutter?” Suntoucher’s shimmering headdress poked through the beaded curtain of his daughter’s hut.

”Father?” 

“Suntoucher?”

The aged elf wasted no time in hurrying inside towards Cutter’s voice. Startled, Cutter reached out and grasped Suntoucher’s hand, placing it on the crook of his elbow. Oriented, the blind elf shifted to face him. 

“Chief Cutter, Kileen has disappeared. Injah, his lifemate, said he left to gather herbs in the mountains at dawn but has not yet returned. This is highly concerning. I will gather a search party from the Sun Folk, and have others remain behind in case he returns, but I came to request that you ask the Wolfriders to search for him too; I am told you see nearly as well as your mounts in the dark.” Suntoucher’s voice was urgent, but his tone held a note of authority he reserved for village councils. 

At the name "Kileen" Cutter hesitated a moment, but as he felt Leetah’s hands curl around his arm, he nodded. 

“Of course, Suntoucher. I will go now to gather the Wolfriders, and we will spread out to search the mountains, beginning near the caves and spreading out towards sun-goes-up,” Suntoucher nodded, and Cutter turned to grasp Leetah’s shoulders. “Wait here, beloved. I pray to the High Ones your skills will not be needed tonight, but I will howl for you if they are.” 

Suntoucher shot a surprised expression towards his daughter after Cutter’s last comment, and she smiled shyly. Cutter had been slowly teaching her the different howls the Wolfriders used and what they meant. It would be a long time before she could distinguish between them easily, but she had finally learned to recognize the one he had created for her. She smiled at her mate, but put some of her father's authority into her voice. 

“No, Cutter. If I am to be chief’s-mate I won’t stay here like a delicate village maiden while Nightfall, Dewshine, Clearbrook, and Moonshade join in the hunt. My place is with you!” Leetah still remembered arguing with Dewshine nearly a moon ago, that the maiden should not join in the zwoot hunt. She chuckled at herself internally. How the tables had turned.

Cutter felt a flare of pride towards his mate, and smiled. “Very well, Cheiftess Leetah.” He turned to Suntoucher. “We will begin searching immediately.”

Suntoucher nodded, still processing what he had witnessed. As a sign of respect, a Sun Folk youth would have taken pains to assure him his daughter would be protected during any potentially risky excursion. But to the Wolfrider chief this was irrelevant, as risk was accepted as the right and responsibility of the risk-taker. As a father, Suntoucher had become ever more proud of how his adult daughter had continued to mature over the last few moons, but his heart still twisted at the thought of her roaming the dark mountains.

Cutter, ready to act, moved quickly, and Suntoucher let go of his arm, to avoid being yanked off his feet. His heart jumped as the village elder heard the young chief stick his head out the hut's window to send a loud tribe-call howl towards the caves. He couldn't describe how he felt as he heard, hesitantly, his daughter’s voice join in. 

-----

Leetah hadn’t questioned her decision to join in the late-night mountain trek until she realized how much of a difference the Wolfrider’s night-sight made. At Cutter’s call, the Wolfriders arrived quickly, easily able to differentiate depth and shades of darkness in what to her was a black void full of tripping hazards. The soft frills of her night gown didn’t help matters much either, and Leetah tried to bunch it up around her hips as much as possible while Cutter spoke with the tribe.

“I see Skywise, Treestump, Pike, Strongbow, Scouter, One-Eye, Dewshine, Nightfall, Clearbrook…” 

“Woodlock and Moonshade are on their way, lad, they were just returning from the village from visiting the potter and tanner,” Treestump called out.

Leetah was about to correct the elder and say that the village had weavers not tanners, but then she thought better of it. Cutter was quiet, and Leetah took a moment to realize he was sending. Nightfall answered him verbally. 

“Redlance went out hunting with the wolves just before sun-down. I already tried sending for him, but he must be out of range.”  

Just as well, Leetah thought. Apparently, Cutter was thinking the same thing because he nodded, and after a short explanation of the situation, the Wolfriders had broken up into small groups.

“Cutter!” There was a call from the direction of the Sun Village and Cutter saw a group of elves approaching, outlined by the light of the lanterns they held. The Sun Villager at their head approached, and the Wolfriders had to blink rapidly to adjust their eyes to the bright lanterns. 

“If you Wolfriders will allow it, we would like to join you.” The Sun Villager hesitated awkwardly, “It is dark, and with ongoing reports of jackals, it seemed wisest if we work together as a group.”

Cutter nodded and smiled, agreeing. Without delay the Sun Folk and Wolfriders broke off in groups, dispersing into the night. Soon, Leetah could only make out the silhouettes of Cutter and Skywise, who still stood with her. She was anxious, but more than a little excited for her first real hunt with the Wolfriders. 

-----

Earlier, Kileen had been worried about distressing his lifemate, but now he prayed fervently that she would be distressed enough to send a party out to look for him. High Ones, even the Wolfriders would be a much more welcome sight than the pack of jackals that surrounded him. Kileen had managed to grab his gardening knife and he held it in a shaky hand. He was the son of a gardener, not the son of a hunter, and he had never once felt a need to try to convince Rayek to teach him to hunt when he could be learning gardening techniques from his mother. But now Kileen wished he had taken one or two hunting lessons. One of the jackals took a few steps towards him and Kileen surprised himself with a burst of courage as he swung his knife out in wide arcs, yelling, “Stay back!” Unfortunately, his courage was what spurred the jackals forward. The moment he swung the knife too far on one side, a jackal on the other lunged and bit him in the leg. It let go, and Kileen managed to hop away before that jackal had a second opportunity to get him. He registered that he should perhaps be concerned about the bite, but adrenaline wouldn't let him feel anything other than his racing heart. Another dove forward on his right side, nipping his hand. Kileen screamed and stabbed at the jackal, his short knife sinking deep enough into the snout for the jackal to let go before lunging in again. Kileen continued to swing and stab wildly with the knife around as best he could, but the tiny blade only managed to scrape and enrage the jackals. In the gaps between their attacks, he managed to grab a few rocks to pelt them with, but the adrenaline that was keeping him upright wasn't doing much for his aim. They, on the other hand, were having much more success and Kileen was covered in bites and scratches. Soon the pack would descend on him. Kileen didn’t know if his mouth was screaming as a last ditch effort to intimidate them or because of the pain his brain couldn't feel. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two jackals crouch low and began to rush him. Kileen braced for the impact; ready to feel the wet brush of a tongue combined with crushing weight of long canines; but it didn’t come. Two large lupine shapes had leapt in among the jackals, bowling over the would-be attackers. The jackals’ focus immediately shifted to the bigger threat, forgetting Kileen for the moment, and they formed a growling circle around the two wolves. For a moment Kileen laid frozen, afraid to move and attract the jackals' attention again. But he knew he needed to try and escape. Gingerly he shifted his weight to his other leg to take a step- and promptly fell over. He stifled a cry and he grasped his leg. He didn’t need to be able to see the damage to know it was bad- his fingers were wet with blood, and though the pain still wasn't registering he knew something inside the leg felt horribly wrong. The wolves continued to fight with the smaller jackals, and seemed to be gaining ground, but Kileen’s fall had attracted the attention of a jackal on the outskirts and it bunched up, preparing to lunge toward him. Kileen scrambled maddly for a rock to smash against it's head, but none were within reach-

WHUMP! Kileen cried out as the impact jarred his leg, and he was shoved to the side. He waited for the feeling of fangs and claws, but, just as a moment before, they never came. He opened his eyes to see a jackal sail through the air towards them, only to impale itself on a long, dark stick sticking into the sky. Kileen’s gaze followed the sharp tip of the stick’s silhouette down to see… oh High Ones, why? It was too dark to see more than an elfin shape and green eyes looking up at jackal on the spear, but that was enough. 

“Take this.” 

Kileen felt an oddly familiar hunting knife pressed into his hand, but he had to admit he was grateful to have something of substance to defend himself with, even if he was stuck lying on the ground. More growls caught his attention, and Kileen saw two more jackals advance on him and Redlance. He gripped the knife with white knuckles, but Redlance stepped smoothly towards the first jackal, surprising it with a sudden spear thrust to the shoulder, just as quickly twisting the spear out so he could thrust it towards the second. But the latter jackal wasn’t ready to let the Wolfrider use the same trick twice. It dodged the spear, and lunged back towards Redlance. Kileen heard Redlance hiss as the jackal’s claws grazed his arm. The jackal lunged again, and Redlance was able to lift the spear in time so the lupine jaws closed around the solid wooden pole. The jackal gnawed ravenously on the spear’s shaft for a moment, as Redlance struggled to shove it away, but it wouldn’t remain distracted for many moments longer. 

This is my chance! Kileen couldn't help but whoop out loud as the rock hw aimed hit the jackal squarely in the head. Not wasting a second, he heaved himself up using the stone wall and shifted all his weight to his good leg. With a fierce yell as he tipped himself towards the snarling jackal's jaws, burying the hunting knife into the surprised animal's shoulder as he fell. Redlance seized the opportunity and killed the jackal with a quick spear-thrust to the heart. The dying whimpers of the jackal faded to an erie silence. The murky night air was thick with dust from the fight, and from where he laid on the ground, Kileen watched Redlance stand up and scan around. Kileen's vision was limited at best.

“I think they’re gone now.” 

Before the words had left Redlance’s mouth more lupine whining filled the air and Kileen shut his eyes, braced for the worst- but it was only the two wolves. They had managed to injure and chase off the rest of the jackal pack, which was likely the only reason both elves were still alive. One came to Redlance, whining and licking his scrapes, but Kileen was surprised as the other approached him. He felt its wet nose butt against his face, and thick fur press up against his side. He nearly jerked away when a wet tongue licked at his wounded leg. Then the wet tongue was shoved away as Redlance pushed past the wolf to reach Kileen. 

“Where are you hurt?” 

Kileen didn’t think to pause before replying. “My leg, and my chest, I think?”

“Can you stand?” 

Kileen saw Redlance was fiddling with the cap on Kileen's own familiar water skin. When had the Wolfrider taken that? Kileen tried to sit up, but his chest seized with pain. 

“No.”

Redlance glanced at him again, and gripped the stubborn cap between his teeth, pulling it off with a yank. He spit out the cap and shrugged off his vest, pouring some of the water on the dyed, green leather. 

“This might sting a little.” 

The apologetic tone of Redlance’s voice confused Kileen until he felt the cold, wet leather touch his leg. Argh! He clenched his fists and jaw as Redlance continued to incessantly dab at the wound. 

The dabbing stopped, but Kileen needed a few seconds to get his breath back. "You got any healer's helper?"

Redlance gave him a confused look, "What?"

"You'll have seen it in my mother's garden, it's got little red-veined leaves, it's partial shade tolerant and has a creeping growth form." Kileen impressed himself by the number of words he managed to get out of his constrained lungs. Redlance only looked bewildered. "Uh, the leaves have red and green, and it grows kind of flat, along the ground instead of standing upright." Redlance nodded, and Kileen continued. "It's one of the few plants that can actually grow up this high. If you could grow some from the seed bank, I mean, if there are any of its seeds lying in the ground, we could make a poultice for my leg." Redlance's eyes widened with understanding. He closed his eyes, and Kileen assumed he was trying to conjure up a memory of the plant.  Redlance spread his hands on the soil, frowning with concentration. Soon, a few seedlings poked through, filling out gracefully, and flowing over the sandy ground. Redlance let his hands drop to his knees as he leaned back on his heels, panting. 

"Is this the right one?" 

Kileen nodded, and Redlance immediately ran his hands over the stem, stripping the leaves off, shoving them into his mouth to chew a few times, and then carefully applying the moist, wadded clump to Kileen's leg. “Got to wrap it…” Kileen heard the Wolfrider mutter to himself. Then Redlance was at his side, slipping an arm around his soldiers to gently nudging Kileen’s upper body up off the ground. Kileen felt a finger poking at his ribs, and he started, trying to shift away. The movement made him gasp. 

“High Ones, what was that for?” 

Redlance remained unfazed. “Looks like you’ve got at least one broken rib. I’ll see what I can do to wrap that too.” 

“I don’t want you touching my ribs again!” Kileen tried to push himself up on his elbows away from Redlance, but immediately winced. Redlance gave him a momentary sympathetic smile. 

“It will hurt worse if I don’t wrap them, and I have to get you back to the village so Leetah can heal your leg,” Redlance pointed to Kileen’s hand, “Pass me my knife.”

“Why?” Kileen startled himself by the aggression that came out in his voice.

“I have to wrap your wounds before we go to the village. I’ll need the knife to cut up our vests into strips.”

Fair enough, Kileen thought, and gingerly reached across to Redlance, trying not to twist his ribs. Redlance grabbed the knife and immediately started cutting his own vest into strips, which wasn’t an easy feat. Eventually, he managed to hold one end with his hand and pin the other end with his foot as he jaggedly sawed at the vest. Soon, he had a set of uneven green leather strips lying around him.

Redlance was about to ask Kileen to pass him his own vest next, but a glance at the elf on the ground stopped him. There was no way Kileen would be able to sit up and take his own vest off, and Redlance wasn’t convinced he could prop the elf up and remove the vest for him without jarring his ribs. He glanced back at the hunting knife. 

“I’ll have to cut your vest off you if I’m going to turn it into strips."

Kileen looked for a moment like he might protest, but then he set his jaw and nodded. Redlance walked over, and as carefully as he could, sawed the vest off Kileen while the Sun Villager watched the knife jerk toward and away from to his skin with bated breath. At last it was finished, and Redlance used the same technique to slice up Kileen’s vest into small enough pieces. Gathering up some of the makeshift bandages, Redlance knelt beside Kileen’s injured leg. He tried to keep his face even, but he honestly had no idea how Kileen could walk back to the village, even with support. 

“I’m going to wrap your leg now. I’ll be as gentle as I can, but it might hurt.” 

“That’s what you said last time,” Kileen groaned, but the note of sarcasm in his voice was promising. Kileen tried not to jerk his leg away as he felt Redlance’s hand close firmly on his ankle, raising it slightly and holding it still, while his other hand slowly wrapped the rough leather around his leg. Kileen bit back a groan as the rough, dyed leather brushed against the fresh wound, but he managed not to jerk his leg away before Redlance had finished. Redlance grabbed a quill off one of the sticker-plants nearby to secure the ends of the bandage. Turning to face Kileen, he offered him a small grimace. 

“Now for your ribs…” 

Kileen watched as Redlance seemed to silently summon one of the shaggy wolves who trotted near enough that Kileen could feel its warm, stinky breath on his face. 

“If I’m going to wrap your ribs, I’ll need Firecoat to help prop you up.” 

Kileen was not enthused by that idea, but he knew his options were more than limited. He felt the wet nose and rough fur of the wolf behind his neck as it burrowed its face beneath him to prop him up until Kileen was partially upright. 

“Nice wolf, Kileen won’t hurt you,” Kileen couldn’t help but blurt out as he saw Firecoat’s yellow canines draw close. Behind him, he heard Redlance laugh.

“I don’t think you’re as threatening as you seem to think,” 

“I just don’t want him to remember that I once tried to stab him.” To Kileen’s annoyance, the Wolfrider laughed again. 

“Wolves don’t remember the past the way Sun Villagers do. They live in the Now. Firecoat has probably already forgotten that incident, unless you do something to remind him of it.” 

Well, that’s a relief, Kileen thought. Redlance knelt near enough beside him that his braids swung into Kileen’s face. He tried not to sneeze as the other elf worked to wiggle the leather strips behind his back and around his ribs, binding them tightly. It hurt less than when he had bound his leg, and Redlance again secured the bandage with another sticker-plant quill that he carefully folded into the leather so it wouldn’t accidentally poke Kileen. Kileen watched as Redlance sat back on his heels and studied him. 

“What?”

“Are you ready to try walking?” 

Kileen was fairly certain he was not ready. His leg throbbed, and his breathing was shallow because of the tight bandage. But he also knew he didn’t have a choice.

“Help me up and I’ll try.”

Redlance scooted over and put his arm behind Kileen’s shoulders, gently raising him up to a sitting position. He grasped Kileen’s nearest wrist, pulling the Sun Villager's arm over his shoulder. 

“Ready?”

“Sure.” 

Redlance slowly started to rise, pulling Kileen up with him, but the moment Kileen was upright enough to put weight on his leg he cried out and sat down hard, nearly pulling Redlance down on top of him. 

“I have a new plan, what if you go and bring Leetah here?”

“So you can be eaten by jackals while I’m gone?” 

Kileen didn’t reply. 

“Ready to try again?” 

Kileen didn’t protest and he felt Redlance tug him up to his feet again. This time he was careful to not put any weight on his leg. With Redlance’s support he was hunched over, but he could stand. Kileen kept his focus on the ground while Redlance looked up, picking out a path for them to take. He knew what he would see if he let his gaze wander: steep crags and cliffs, unending boulders to scramble over. Kileen nearly lost his strength just thinking about it. 

“Once we’ve made it over the ridge and at least halfway down the other side you can ride one of the wolves into the village.”

Kileen was loath to try mounting one of the stinky, flea-ridden wolves, but anything seemed more bearable than walking. 

“I can’t ride it now?”

“No, this section is too steep, even for a Wolfrider. I don’t even think I could stay on if I tried.” Redlance leaned over, careful not to knock Kileen off-balance, and grabbed the spear he had left leaning on the cliff. He passed it to Kileen, and The Sun Villager found that the makeshift walking stick did help him feel a little steadier. 

“Ready to go?” 

Kileen managed a nod.

“Sure.”

The two elves staggered a little ways across the flat shelf until it ran out at the base of their first incline. Kileen transferred his weight off Redlance to lean on a rock while the Wolfrider quickly completed the short climb. From the top he slid on his belly, until his torso stretched over the edge, reaching an arm down as far as possible to grasp the tip of the spear Kileen hoisted up to him. Redlance disappeared for a moment, and then reappeared, spear stashed somewhere behind him. Again, he slid over the edge on his belly to get as close to Kileen as possible. 

“The handholds here are good. Don’t twist your ribs, and push up with your palms so your arms and shoulders bear most of your weight; that will make climbing with one foot easier.”

Kileen just grunted and hopped over to the small cliff. Redlance’s advice turned out to work well and he managed to climb the first few holds with only a few twinges of sharp pain from his leg. Once he was within reach, Redlance grasped his forearms and helped haul him over the edge. For a moment they both lay on the ground, panting. From this vantage point, Kileen had an excellent view of the mountain peak extending far above them. It would be a long night. 

Chapter Text

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust (yeah)

“Another One Bites the Dust,” by Queen

**Who knew there were so many nooks and crannies in the cliffs?** Skywise sent. Cutter only grunted in agreement. Mother and child moon were beginning to inch toward the horizon facing sun-goes-up, and they still had only gotten part way around the cliffs. Cutter had sent the searchers out teams of three, each with two Wolfriders and a Sun Villager. They carefully combed over every nook and crack in the dark, careful not to miss a single one, in case Kileen was unconscious and hidden in some crevice. The work was tedious, and progress slow for their trio. Cutter stayed close to Leetah’s side, as Skywise pressed forward. 

“Seems like every shadow could look like an elf when that’s what you’re looking for- whoa! ” Skywise disappeared from view over a ledge and Cutter and Leetah heard a thump on the other side. 

“Skywise!”

**Ouch… m’fine.** 

Cutter felt immediate relief. More thoughtfully he picked his way over the ledge, helping Leetah down as she climbed carefully behind him. Skywise sat on the ground, rubbing his elbow, and Cutter peered out into the darkness below. They stood on a shallow cleft in the cliff, further drops extending below. It would be a challenging climb and Cutter thought about how he would support Leetah on the way down, as he pulled Skywise to his feet. The height wasn’t enough to make Cutter’s knees weak, but he did feel his palms start to get sweaty. Heights in the Sun Village had one major difference from heights in the forest- the exposure. 

Skywise noticed his friend’s anxiety, and tried to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry Cutter, between the three of us, we all know you’ve got the thickest skull. I doubt falling off the tip of the mountain would be enough to dent it. Good thing for your cub that Leetah’s looks will help balance things out.” 

Cutter snorted, but Leetah conspiratorily met Skywise’s eyes and smiled, grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood. Slowly, the three elves picked their way down the cliff face. Cutter kept his eyes firmly planted on the stone in front of his face, looking for handholds and keeping a close eye on Leetah above him. She was doing surprisingly well in her billowy nightgown. Cutter exhaled as he let himself drop to the next foothold, crimping his fingers on a small piece of stone- except suddenly there was no foothold, and he cried out in surprise as his fingertips strained to hold his body weight. His feet scrambled for purchase against the rough sandstone, and finally were able to dig into the wall. He heard stone crunch again, and felt a spray of pebbles, but the rock under his feet stayed solid. Strange. Cutter took a deep breath. His hands rested on the wall for a heartbeat and he felt the brush of Leetah’s nightgown on his fingers. Odd that she would be so close… He looked up and felt soft fabric flutter over his face as he heard his lifemate gasp. 

“LEETAH!” Cutter screamed, but she had landed on the ground, an elf’s length below, not moving. 

------

“Have you thought that you might get in trouble for this?” Kileen stopped moving, forcing Redlance to stop too. 

“What do you mean?”

“You’re forbidden from entering the Sun Village, but we both know I can’t get back on my own.” Kileen gave Redlance a square look. He was grateful to Redlance for saving his life, but he didn’t thank him and Redlance expected no thanks. Simply put, no elf could imagine leaving another to die when it was clearly within their power to help. But while he still didn’t trust him, he was thankful Redlance had carefully brought him this far to the Sun Village and seemed intent on helping him get all the way. 

“I would understand if you only wanted to help me get me partway, and try, uh, howling for other Wolfriders to bring me into the village proper,” Kileen said. 

Redlance shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to wait, considering the wound on your leg. I’d rather see you healed as swiftly as possible. Besides, I think Savah’s command could be… stretched… considering the circumstances. Especially as you can explain the situation to her.”

Kileen nodded slowly. In his mind the plant-shaper still owed him, for coming within inches of stabbing him and all, but he wanted to make sure Redlance knew Kileen wasn’t making any assumptions.

“I could wait behind for a while, while you looked for someone else to bring me into the village. The night is cool enough and you could leave me in a hidden spot in the cliffs.  Jackals aren’t as active in the middle of the night. I could stand the pain for a little longer and it wouldn’t be that bad." 

Redlance looked at him, deadpan. “It would be ‘that bad.’ I’m not letting you stay out here any longer than needed.”

“How would you know?” Maybe it was the Wolfrider’s self-assured tone, but Kileen didn’t know why he was arguing when the plant-shaper was helping him. Redlance ignored Kileen’s question.

“Let’s keep moving. We’re wasting time.”

-----

The two elves managed to climb the rest of the way using a similar technique, Kileen using the spear as a walking stick, and Redlance helping to pull him up over cliffs as quickly as possible. They hadn’t spoken since, but were far from quiet, panting, along with Kileen's occasional groan. The two paused momentarily, leaning against the stone, trying to catch their breath. Kileen thought Redlance would decide it was time to move again, when the Wolfrider spoke. 

“You know I know we owe you, right?”

Kileen started as Redlance spoke. “Hmm?” was all he got out between his panting. 

“The Wolfriders might have saved the Sun Village’s homes when we turned the zwoot herd, but the Sun Folk saved our lives- and from what I’ve heard we didn’t give you much reason . ”

Kileen thought back to their previous conversation and realized what Redlance was getting at. 

“So, you’re telling me the reason you want to see me to the village is because you feel indebted to my tribe?”

“No, not just that, but it’s one reason.” 

“Trying to make sure I know it’s not personal?” Kileen couldn’t figure out what point Redlance was trying to make, but he was exhausted and in pain, and his patience had run out halfway up the mountain.

“No, that’s not it at all.” Redlance heaved a frustrated sigh that Kileen misunderstood as directed towards him. Redlance eyed Kileen and then looked down. “What I’m trying to say is… “thanks,” you know, for all that.” 

“Oh.” Kileen paused, and surprising himself, said, “uh.. you’re welcome.”

They leaned in silence a little longer. Kileen had thought Redlance was finished, but apparently the Wolfrider had more on his mind. 

“Cutter speaks what he feels with his words, but he says what he means by his actions. I don’t think he ever apologized to the Sun Folk as a whole for leading the raid, but I’ve noticed he’s been trying to apologize with his actions for a while now. But I wanted to say sorry, on my tribe’s behalf, anyhow.”

Kileen hadn’t heard Redlance talk this much in one sitting since the council, and he wondered what had spurred it. Part of him wanted to shrug it off to save them from the awkwardness, but another part of him didn’t. The fear he had felt for his lifemate during the raid had been real. 

“What you said to me, about the raid, before Nightfall and I left your home,” Redlance paused and both elves were uncomfortable for the moment, “You weren’t wrong.” 

There was a long pause. Kileen thought very carefully before he replied. 

“No, I wasn’t. But I might have been wrong about… some other things.”

-----

By the time they had reached the mountain peak they were both utterly exhausted. Kileen felt a surge of pride as he tipped his head up to look out over the Sun Village in the centre of the valley. But shifting his focus out and back to the rocks around him made Kileen feel suddenly woozy, and he sat down hard, painfully jarring his ribs. He pressed a hand to his sweaty face, and squeezed his eyes shut. Redlance was down by the Sun Villager’s side in a moment, 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Ughhh…” Kileen found he couldn’t speak. Redlance moved away and Kileen heard him give a frustrated growl. Then he felt tugging on the bandages on his leg. 

Gently Redlance unwound the makeshift bandage around Kileen’s leg. The last layer stuck to Kileen’s skin and Redlance didn’t want to reopen the wound by pulling it off. Even without doing that he could see crusty puss on the edge of the wound, and the green leather over the wound had changed to a dark brown. 

“Owl-pellets!” Redlance muttered. They needed to be moving faster, but he didn’t know how. He wasn’t sure Kileen’s strength would hold out even at their current rate. But they couldn’t afford to stop for much longer. He knelt down again beside Kileen. 

“Can you walk?” Kileen tried to nod but the small movement of his head made him nauseous and he rolled to the side and dry heaved. They only had to get down the last half of the top of the slope before it would become level enough for Kileen to ride one of the wolves. Redlance, mostly sure that Kileen wouldn’t be puking on him anytime soon, put his arm behind the injured elf’s back and lifted him up. But Kileen was too dizzy to support himself and was a dead weight in Redlance’s arms. Redlance knew there was no way he could move Kileen like this. He couldn’t drag him across the stony ground, injuring the leg further, and Kileen still needed to climb down the cliffs. Redlance himself was still little adjusted to the desert heat, and he knew he would start feeling dizzy soon, when the dawn’s warmth would add to his exertion. He eyed Kileen’s water skin. Redlance felt guilty drinking it when Kileen was in such dire straits, but he also didn’t think the other elf would be able to keep any of it down, and he shuddered at the thought of Kileen spitting watery bile over him. It was important that he himself stay as strong and alert as possible to get them both down the mountain. Kileen barely responded as Redlance pulled the waterskin’s loop off the Sun Villager’s shoulder and took a few deep swallows. Then, Redlance carefully poured a little into his palm and wiped it over Kileen’s face and neck, hoping it would cool him. Kileen didn’t open his eyes, though Redlance could see a faint smile on his face when the water touched him. But what to do now? Redlance’s hazy memory reminded him that the others had carried him in a sling when he had been too weak to ride while they crossed the desert, but he didn’t have a sling. Redlance was afraid to let Kileen’s wound fester and It was still too dark to leave the elf alone and wounded to try and get help. Jackals were most active around dusk and dawn anyways, and it was growing closer to dawn each moment. Was there a third option? Redlance clenched his fist in frustration. Was this how Cutter felt, dealing with me in the desert? Cutter, with Treestump’s help, had found a solution and so could he. Redlance glanced down at Kileen again. Perhaps…

He crouched down in front of Kileen, taking his hands to draw his attention. “Can you hold on to me if I carry you?” Kileen nodded, barely, so Redlance turned around and awkwardly tried to guide Kileen’s arms onto his shoulders from behind, and then grasp under Kileen’s thighs to support him. The injured elf seemed to respond just enough to hold on to Redlance with his dwindling strength, and Woodshaver helpfully grasped Redlance’s spear that Kileen had left leaning on the ground, trotting behind them happily, the long spear in his jaws not preventing him from maneuvering expertly down the mountain. Redlance painstakingly picked his way down the slopes. Each time he came to a rocky ledge he would tell Kileen to hold on tightly, and then carefully climb down while Kileen gripped his shoulders and locked his ankles around Redlance’s chest. Redlance was worried Kileen wouldn’t have the strength left for this, but it seemed the gardener understood on a subconscious level that he simply had no other option. Redlance didn’t have enough energy to worry about what would happen if he slipped while climbing with Kileen’s extra weight. Finally, as the sky was just lightening in the direction of sun-goes-up, they reached the lower, gentler slopes of the mountain. Both elves were soaked in sweat, but Redlance nearly whooped with joy anyways. Firecoat nudged up beside him, turning so Redlance could hoist Kileen’s weight off his back and onto the wolf, keeping a firm grip on the injured elf while he climbed onto Firecoat’s back behind him. 

“Kileen, we made it! Firecoat will take us to the village now; you’ve done it!” 

Kileen didn’t answer. Redlance, alarmed, leaned over to look down at his leg. The little he could see was enough to tell it was becoming infected. The skin around the bandage was ruddy and swollen. Redlance reached with his free hand to feel Kileen’s forehead. It was hotter than it should have been, despite the exertion they had faced. Puckernuts! On the wolf they would be moving fast, but they still had a ways to go. Redlance didn’t know much about healing but he knew he needed to keep Kileen as alert as possible until they made it to Leetah. I’m sorry, he thought as he jabbed a finger into Kileen’s ribs. All he got was a hitch in Kileen’s breath, but the elf didn’t open his eyes or speak. Redlance couldn’t waste anymore time. Praying fervently to the High Ones he urged Firecoat to run as fast as possible. 

By the time the village was in sight it was bright enough that the Sun Folk were out about their daily tasks, making the most of the cooler morning. It was also bright enough that more than a few noticed the oddly shaped figure drawing closer and closer, the dust billowing out behind signaling its approach at an alarming rate. 

This meant that when Redlance arrived at the garden plots outside the village, holding Kileen unconscious in his arms, there was already a crowd of Sun Folk waiting to greet them- but no Wolfriders. Wanting to avoid any delays, he quickly veered Firecoat away from the field to enter the village at a different point. He wondered vaguely if any of the Sun Folk would run over to try and stop him from entering, but it seemed a Wolfrider and his wolf were a large and fast enough deterrent that none of the villagers tried to block him, though they did shout at him, running over as he burst past. Redlance did his best to ignore him, focusing on not accidentally bowling anyone over as he aimed Firecoat straight to the centre of the village, and Leetah’s hut. The familiar beaded curtain came into view, and Redlance hastily slid from Firecoat’s back, Kileen still in his arms, and ran, bursting through the doorway. 

“Healer! Kileen needs your help!” But neither Leetah or Cutter appeared. In fact, Redlance noticed the hut was empty, things neatly put away as if the occupants had left a while ago. He stopped, panting, and looked around. The beads at the entrance rattled, and Redlance was hopeful until he saw it was only Firecoat trotting into the hut behind him. The taller elf in his arms suddenly felt painfully heavy. 

“What's the meaning of this?” A tall Sun Villager Redlance had seen a handful of times before, entered the hut, and as Redlance turned he could see a crowd had gathered just outside. The Sun Villager caught one look at Kileen at blanched. “What happened?”

“Kileen was attacked by jackals while he was alone in the mountains. By luck, I and the wolves found him and brought him here to see Leetah.” Redlance glanced around the hut again. “It seems like she’s not here, please, can you send someone to get her?” Redlance’s heart dropped at the pained look on the Sun Villager’s face. 

“She’s not here. She, and some of the Wolfriders went into the mountains to look for Kileen after sundown last night. They haven’t returned yet. I’m assuming because you didn’t know this you weren’t part of that hunt?” 

Redlance shook his head slowly, digesting what the Sun Villager said. 

“We will send for them,” The Sun Villager glanced around the hut, his uncertainty suddenly showing. “Um, I will help you set Kileen there,” he pointed at the sleeping pit in the floor. Redlance took an awkward step towards the pit and would have stumbled, had the Sun Villager not rushed over to lend his support. Kileen groaned a little as the movement jostled his leg, but still didn’t show any signs of waking up. Both elves looked at each other for a moment, uncertain of what to do next, but the Sun Villager stood suddenly. 

“While lacking the old powers, Leetah trained a few apprentices in basic healing skills. I will gather them now to treat Kileen as best we can until Leetah returns. There is nothing more you can do for him now.” The villager glanced at Firecoat, but bravely ignored the wolf and met Redlance’s eyes. “I am Halek, fellow gardener with Kileen, and if what you say is true then I am grateful to you Wolfrider, for returning Kileen to us. But…” he cleared his throat, “we both know that you are forbidden from entering the village, and until Kileen wakes up there is no way to confirm your claims. Therefore I am bound by Sun Folk law to detain you until your story can be confirmed. Will you comply with this?” 

Redlance blinked. He wasn’t surprised, but he also hadn’t spent much time thinking about what it might mean for him to bring Kileen back, once unconscious. Redlance glanced out at the crowd outside the hut and noted many were still holding the gardening tools they had been using when he had arrived. If he refused, would they try to fight him? Would he risk fighting alone against so many? And would he even be able to get away, and how many might he hurt while trying? Redlance was certain that would end in his banishment and the ruin of his relationships with Nightfall, the tribe and himself. Besides, Woodshaver still had his spear, and was out on the edge of the village. All Redlance had was his knife and a wolf. You gave Savah and everyone else your word to comply with Sun Folk law, a little voice reminded him. These consequences were clearly outlined for you. Redlance suppressed a sigh. 

“I said I wanted to honour the Sun Folk ways before, and I still do. But what does the word ‘detain’ mean?”

Halek blinked, and then replied, “it means to put a person in a secure location until a decision is reached.” 

Redlance nodded slowly, not surprised but also not thrilled at the idea of letting the Sun Villagers keep him somewhere ‘secure’ until Leetah returned to heal Kileen. But he had no other option. He turned to Firecoat, locking eyes with the wolf for a wolf-send. ** Go, find-Woodshaver, go ** Firecoat gave him a doubtful look, but when Redlance reiterated the sending the wolf snorted, then dutifully turned and left the hut, parting the crowd of villagers outside faster than even Savah could. Redlance watched to make sure the wolf was going in Woodshaver’s direction, and then turned back to the Sun Villager. 

“Alright. Where will you ‘detain’ me?” Redlance thought Halek looked relieved at his compliance, though he hid it well. The gardener paused for a moment, considering, and Redlance wondered if this situation had occurred before, and if, perhaps, there was no specific place designated for ‘detaining.’ 

“Wait here,” Halek abruptly left the hut. “Zanthee!” Redlance heard him call into the crowd from outside. He figured they trusted him not to try and escape out a back window. Redlance crossed his arms, hugging himself, trying not to dwell on his questions and instead remind himself of the few certainties. 

Cutter and the others will return in less than a half-day with Leetah. I can wait anywhere they want until then. 

Halek reentered the hut, another, nervous-looking elf at his side. 

“Zanthee and his hut-mates have agreed to lend us their cellar for now. They will temporarily stay with other villagers until Leetah returns.” Halek paused, glancing at Redlance’s side. “Please surrender your weapon as well.” Redlance pulled the blade out, and both Sun Villagers’ faces darkened when they saw it was crusted with blood. Redlance tried to explain.  

“It’s jackal blood, ask any Wolfrider and they could confirm that by scent.” 

Neither Sun Villager replied, but Halek simply took the blade by the hilt, careful to avoid the blood. 

“Please follow me, Wolfrider.” 

Redlance silently followed the two Sun Villagers out into the crowd, which parted as they moved through. Redlance noticed that aside from Halek and Zanthee, three other male Sun Villagers had quietly come to flank his sides and back as they left the crowd. It was less than a minute until they reached Zanthee’s hut. Redlance expected they would simply want him to wait inside the hut, but instead they followed him in, stopping beside a series of steps descending into an underground chamber. The others shifted when Redlance didn’t enter. 

“The cellar is the most secure spot in the hut,” Halek explained. “It should not be too different from the caves you Wolfriders are living in,” he added with what Redlance thought was supposed to be an encouraging smile. 

Redlance didn’t say anything but sent the elf a reproachful look. The Sun Villager sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Look, Wolfrider. I want to believe what you say is true and that you did save Kileen’s life. But you have to understand; you returned to us carrying a wounded elf you’ve already attacked once, claiming that he was attacked by jackals, and conveniently there were no witnesses. I would be a fool not to consider all the possible options in this scenario. And considering those possibilities, I also have to recognize that we are detaining you within the Sun Village itself, near other huts.” 

So make me wait in a cave then, outside the village, Redlance thought. He would have much preferred that, but he also understood that the Sun Folk assumed safety in numbers. Halek was probably concerned the other Wolfriders might decide they didn’t want one of their own detained, and could harm any Sun Folk sent to guard him, were they alone, out by a cave. 

“I have to do what I can to keep my tribe safe and honour our laws,” the elf continued, “which includes…” He fished in the pocket of his shirt for a moment, before pulling something out. Redlance, already on edge, openly balked. 

“ All the precautions, Wolfrider. You know no harm will come to you, and it’s only temporary. Likely it won’t be more than a quarter-day until Leetah and the others return. Until then, I am only doing my duty.” 

Redlance glared at the piece of rope the elf held in his hand. It was the kind Minyah used to tie together bundles of vegetables, and was made of braided root-bark. It wasn’t as sturdy as the leather sinew rope the humans had used, but it would hold. Redlance felt his throat constrict, but he forced himself to speak. 

“I’ll stay in the,” he gestured at the hole, “‘cellar,’ but there is no need for rope.” 

The other elf shook his head. “I have to. I won’t let the Sun Folk think that all that stands between them and a potentially dangerous threat is Zanthee and Ohler.” 

Redlance noted Zanthee and Ohler had the grace to not look offended at this comment.

“This shows we are taking things seriously. Besides, I thought what started this in the first place was that you were having violent… episodes… and how am I to believe you won’t feel so inclined to cooperate should one happen again?”

Redlance grit his teeth. He wanted with all his might not to be able to see the logic of what this elf was saying, or better yet, to be able to convince him that that particular issue was no longer a concern. But, with all the elders away he had no one to vouch for him. Could he allow himself to be bound though? The ‘cellar,’ as he assumed it was called, was dark and quiet, but for a night-sighted elf that wasn’t a problem. It also bore no resemblance to anything from the humans’ camp, which had been filled with noise, torches, and the large central bonfire. Despite this he could barely stomach the idea of feeling the restraint of rope on his wrists again. He knew the Sun Folk wouldn’t be cruel about it, but he felt sick and angry at the thought, and dare he admit it, shamefully afraid. But as he had kept asking himself today, what other choice did he have? He could read Halek well enough to know there would be no talking him out of it, and intimidation was not an option. With a pit in his stomach Redlance realized complying with what the Sun Folk asked was the best evidence he could offer to prove to them he was well again. Not trusting himself to speak, he walked past the Sun Villagers, down the steps, and into the cellar. Halek trudged down behind him. The cellar was smaller than the upper chamber, but it wasn’t as small as it could have been. There were some sturdy, woven baskets Redlance could sit on, and the walls were lined with shelves, full of unfamiliar things. He stepped down the last step, and continued to the center of the chamber, facing its back wall. Redlance heard Halek step down behind him, and, jerkily, trying to hide the shaking in his hands, he brought his wrists together behind his back. The elf tied them quickly and securely, but Halek was very careful to keep them loose enough so the rope didn’t dig into his skin. 

“I’ll return soon with some food and water.” 

Redlance nodded shortly, still staring at the wall, and the elf left. He stood alone in the dark cellar. It was awkward to sit with his hands tied, so Redlance decided simply to lean against the wall. 

He could do it, he could wait. 

Chapter Text

Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

“Eye of the Tiger,” Survivor

“The Wolfriders are back!” 

Halek raced out of the hut at the exclamation from outside, just in time to see the Wolfrider chief, Cutter, and his companion in blue, arriving at the village with their wolves. But his relief was dampened as he saw Cutter draw near with Leetah in his arms. The Wolfrider’s face was grim, but that was not nearly as frightening as the blank look on Leetah's, her eyes closed. Halek noted Cutter’s powerful mount padded slowly and carefully, trying not to jostle the riders. His heart in his throat, Halek came forward to meet them. 

“Leetah..?”

Cutter glanced at the Sun Villager, but kept moving towards his and Leetah’s hut. He felt the tug of additional foreboding as the Sun Villager fell in beside him, hands trembling a little as he looked into Leetah’s slack face. He answered the villger's question. 

“She fell and hit her head. Her heart beats steadily, but I don’t know when she will awaken.” 

Cutter’s voice was low and controlled, but Halek felt cold. He didn’t know what to do, and the Wolfrider chief’s intensity unnerved him. How was he to explain that their plant-shaper was currently waiting in a cellar for Kileen to be healed? Something gave Halek the feeling the Wolfrider’s chief might not be as receptive to the Sun Folk’s ways as their plant-shaper had been. He was saved by Suntoucher and Toorah bursting out to join them. 

“My daughter!” Suntoucher’s hand left Toorah’s, and he reached out to brush it from Leetah’s arm to her face, lightly feeling her slack features. He stiffened but masterfully regained control of himself after a few moments. His voice was steady as he spoke, “Lay her in the sleeping pit in her hut. We will set a watch until she wakes. The others must continue to search for Kileen.” Toorah stood beside him with a hand over her mouth, clearly holding back her shock for the other's sake. She didn't speak. 

“Actually, that won’t be necessary,” Halek said, “as Kileen is currently lying in Leetah’s sleeping pit.”

Cutter’s face was completely confused. 

“What are you saying Halek?” Suntoucher spoke sharply. Halek jumped quickly to explain, 

“Kileen was found and brought back shortly before you arrived. But, he had suffered an injury which had caused him to become unresponsive, though it was not immediately life-threatening. We were waiting for Leetah to return and heal him.”

“Who found him?” Cutter butted in, “All the Sun Villagers and Wolfriders were out searching together. We would have known if someone saw him…” Cutter trailed off as he put the pieces together. “Redlance found him, didn’t he?” 

Halek nodded, and Suntoucher looked surprised. 

“Yes, he brought Kileen back and claimed that his wounds were the result of a jackal attack.” 

Cutter nodded sharply and craned his neck around to look in the direction Halek had come from, as if he was assuming the plant-shaper would be running to join them at any moment. Cutter’s gaze scanned around the whole village for a moment, and then he frowned. He was about to open his mouth, when he noticed Halek’s eyes wouldn’t meet his, and the Sun Villager’s hands trembled again. Cutter’s eyes narrowed. 

“Halek, where is Redlance?” 

“We had to ensure the safety of the village,” Halek began, but Suntoucher cut him off, his voice steady and firm. 

“Halek, where is the Wolfrider’s plant-shaper?” 

“We detained him in one of the hut’s cellars to await the confirmation of his claims by Kileen.” Halek looked defensively at Cutter, “I did exactly as our agreement before Savah stated. Everyone knows he’s already attacked Kileen once, and when he arrived with Kileen wounded I couldn’t ignore the possibility that he was lying, especially when there were no other witnesses to the claimed jackal attack. I had to follow Sun Folk law, which he agreed to cooperate with.”

“What do you mean, ‘agreed’? You’re saying that you gave him the choice to either let himself be… detained-” Cutter spat out the word, though he didn’t know what it meant, “or fight his way through the lot of you, after he saved Kileen’s life? Did you check if he was injured by the jackals, or do you mean to punish him for eights of days…” 

Suntoucher put a firm hand on Cutter’s arm and interjected, 

“Halek, was Redlance injured?”

“No. I would have attended to any wounds if he was.”

“Good,” Suntoucher turned to Cutter. “Chief Cutter, your plant-shaper is fine. To detain simply means to keep an elf in a secure location. No Sun Villager would have harmed your tribesman, and Halek said Redlance agreed willingly to wait in the cellar." Suntoucher paused, "the below-ground room in each hut that is used for storage." Cutter's eyes narrowed slightly less at the explanation. Suntoucher continued, "Halek simply performed his duty to the village and Savah, just as you Wolfriders follow your… Way.” 

Cutter nodded slowly, unconvinced. But nevertheless, he trusted Suntoucher. 

“I want to see him.” 

Halek glanced at Suntoucher, but the blind elf nodded, sensing others’ gestures as usual. Halek offered Suntoucher his arm and led the Sun Folk elder and the Wolfrider chief into Zanthee’s hut, where Zanthee and two others continued to stand watch above the stairs. Cutter pushed brusquely past the makeshift guard, and headed straight into the cellar, his eyes adjusting easily to the gloom. It was small and he saw Redlance perked up immediately when the tree-shaper saw him, though there was something strange about his friend’s posture… 

“They bound you?” Cutter’s voice was outraged. Redlance blushed. 

“They insisted, and to not allow them to would have caused… more problems,” Redlance shrugged, though it looked awkward with his hands behind his back. Redlance looked at Cutter, hopeful.

“If you’re here, does that mean Leetah’s healed Kileen? Has he confirmed what I told the Sun Folk?” 

Cutter’s heart twisted, and he didn’t reply for a moment. “Leetah fell and knocked herself unconscious when we were searching for Kileen. She isn’t in danger, but I don’t know when she will wake up and be able to heal him.” 

-----

Redlance’s heart sank. He had been holding on to the hope that he wouldn’t have to wait more than half a night for the mess to be sorted out, but now it looked like it might be nights until Leetah woke. He felt his throat begin to constrict again, and he forced himself to focus on breathing. Cutter’s sharp voice pulled his attention back to the Now.  

“Puckernuts, this shouldn’t have happened! We won’t let you wait down here. I’ll speak to Savah and Suntoucher-”

“No,” Redlance cut Cutter off, surprising himself by the certainty in his voice. “I’ll wait here. I gave my word to follow the Sun Folk’s ways, and a few nights is not long to wait if it means this mess could be resolved fully.” 

Cutter gave him a long look, and Redlance surprised himself again by meeting Cutter’s gaze evenly. Eventually, his chief nodded. 

“Alright, if that is what you have decided.” He paused, “The others won’t like it.” 

Redlance nodded. “Tell them it was my decision, and that I don’t want them to give the Sun Folk any trouble over it. If they’re not convinced they can come speak with me. No one said anything against visitors.” 

Cutter nodded again, as satisfied as he could be. He was about to leave when Redlance’s voice stopped him, though there was a bit of a plea in his tone this time. 

“Could you tell Nightfall I would like to see her?”

Cutter smiled, “I doubt I could keep her away.” With that, he left. 

-----

**Beloved?** 

Nightfall’s mind reached out to brush his, and instantly Redlance felt himself relax. 

**I missed you, I’m glad you’re here.** 

In a few short steps Nightfall’s arms were around him in a fierce hug. She looked at him, surprised, when she didn’t return his embrace. Then her fingers felt the rough rope around his wrists. 

**Redlance, what?!**

He couldn’t tell if her sending was angry or confused; perhaps a bit of both. Her hand went to the hunting knife at her thigh. A quick sending stopped her hand. 

**I’ll explain everything, beloved. But first, would you just… sit with me a bit?** 

Nightfall leaned into him, **Of course.**

They both sank to the floor, Nightfall cuddled up next to him, while Redlance let out a deep breath, resting his chin on her head. Despite the cramped cellar he felt like he could finally breathe. 

They were both exhausted. Redlance blinked himself awake blearily. Nightfall’s head was on his shoulder, and her hair was in his mouth. His shoulders ached from propping himself up against the wall at such a strange angle, and his leg was asleep. Not wanting to wake Nightfall, he leaned his head back, shook his head, and did his best to spit out her hair. Feeling about as far from dignified as possible, Redlance was incredibly glad they were alone in the cellar. He had nearly fallen back asleep when he heard soft footsteps descending the steps. A muttered curse died on his lips as Savah’s golden crown cast a shadow on the wall and Redlance straightened up immediately, causing Nightfall to stir with a groan. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes, and blinked a few times before registering the sudden brightness from a candle, and the face of the elf who held it. Nightfall immediately jumped to her feet, her lifemate rising awkwardly beside her. Redlance watched Nightfall self-consciously smooth out her hair and top, and silently prayed to the High Ones he didn’t look as rumpled and bleary as he felt. Savah looked at the two Wolfriders kindly.         

“I hear you saved Kileen’s life, child. And you have honoured our ways, even at your expense,” Savah cast a discerning eye at Redlance and he knew she understood the challenge it was for him to allow himself to be detained in this way. 

“Because you have complied willingly with all of this, and honoured your word, I want to extend the option to you to return to the caves and stay with your pack until Kileen and Leetah are well. Both Suntoucher and I have spoken with Halek, and we both agree that we do not sense any dishonesty in your story.”

Nightfall looked at her mate, delighted, and Redlance felt a wave of relief at Savah’s words. To rejoin the Wolfriders… he had only spent one night in the cellar, but it felt like an eternity. And yet, Redlance knew he was so close to earning back the Sunfolk’s full trust. What were the chances it would cause mistrust between the Sun Folk and the Wolfriders to take Savah’s offer? And would leaving give the appearance that he didn’t respect the Sun Folk’s system of justice, even if Savah had said she and Suntoucher would explain to the villagers? No. Redlance knew it wasn’t worth the risk. He was this far in, and needed to follow this through all the way. If that meant waiting in the cellar for another few nights, then so be it. 

“You are generous Savah, and I am grateful. But I cannot accept your offer; I gave my word to honour all the Sun Folk ways, and that includes waiting here until Kileen wakes up.” Redlance’s heart twisted at the disappointed look in Nightfall’s eyes.

**Beloved, you have honoured your word. You can trust Savah and Suntoucher to take care of the rest!** She silently pleaded. 

**I won’t risk being the source of any more misunderstandings between the Wolfriders and the Sunfolk. I’m too close, beloved.** 

Nightfall looked at him for a long moment, but sighed when she could see he was determined. 

“Alright,” she whispered softly. 

Savah hid a smile behind her hand, secretly pleased to see how seriously the Wolfrider took reconciling with her tribe. 

“Very well then, but if you change your mind you can always send for me.” Savah left her still-burning candle on a shelf and straightened to leave. “There is someone else who wishes to see you.” 

As one shadow with a large headdress ascended the stairs, another began to descend. 

“Hello, dear.”

“Minyah!” 

For a moment the three elves just looked at each other awkwardly. Redlance hadn’t seen Kileen’s mother since the council nearly a moon ago, and he didn’t know what to make of her presence now. Did she believe that he had helped her son, or did she think he was a liar who had attacked him once again?  

“Minyah, I…”

“My garden is no longer the envy of the village, since you’ve been gone, dear,” Minyah cut in. Her face was sad, but not angry. “I hear that soon we shall find out if you will be returning to remedy that.”

Redlance didn’t know what to say. “Yes, I guess we will.” 

“You don’t believe the rumours that Redlance attacked your son, do you?” Nightfall broke in, “You should know he wouldn’t lie about that!” 

Minyah looked uncomfortably at the floor. “I realized at the council that there were a number of things I didn’t know about you, Redlance,” she paused, and looked up at them. “But I still don’t take you for a liar.” 

Redlance let out a long breath. He had surprised himself at the pain of the thought of losing Minyah. It had been so long since he had lost his own mother, and he hadn’t anticipated how good it would feel to have another elf show him the care Minyah did, even if it wasn’t the same. 

“I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t angry with you for attacking Kileen the first time,” Minyah continued.

Redlance felt his heart go cold for a moment. 

“But, I also know how stubborn my son can be; he comes by it honestly,” Minyah smiled. “And I fear that some of the conflict between the two of you was partially my own fault. I did not consider how I, in a way, was training you to fill the same role my son already held, or have the foresight to recognize the potential conflict I was creating.” Minyah sighed. 

Redlance simply nodded, unsure of what to say. 

“How is Kileen?” Nightfall asked quietly. 

“The same,” Minyah said, sadly. “His breathing is even, and the maidens have done what they can for his leg. Their poultices have reduced the swelling and infection, but his head still burns. I can only pray to the High Ones now that Leetah wakes up soon.” Minyah paused and then came closer to the pair. “But if you did, as I believe, truly save my son’s life, then I will be forever grateful.” She gave Redlance a genuine smile, and he felt his breath hitch for a moment. Minyah patted his shoulder maternally, noticing that while not wounded, he was also scraped and scratched, and she saw his bound hands. She uttered a frustrated cry.

“Oh dear, it burns my heart that this has happened, and to see you this way!” Minyah pressed a hand to her temples. “Kileen is my son and will always come first for me, but-” She gave Redlance a sad smile, “I would be lying if I said I had never thought of you in a similar way.” She hugged him unexpectedly, and while Redlance’s eyes were wide with surprise, Nightfall felt tears burn in her own. Minyah cleared her throat. “Well!” She pulled back, about to speak. Though he hated it, Redlance couldn’t let her change the topic without asking one more question. 

“How is Injah?” 

Minyah’s face grew solemn again. “She… is well. She is weak from pregnancy sickness, and grows heavier with child by the day, so you cannot blame her for not coming to see-” 

“I would never blame her, that's not what I-” Redlance interjected immediately. Minyah sighed. 

“That’s not how I meant it, Redlance.” She pressed her hand to her temples again and didn’t reply for a long moment. Finally, she said, “I cannot tell you what you want to hear.” 

Nightfall looked grim, and Redlance felt the pit in his stomach grow. But how could he not understand Injah's choice not to see him? 

 Minyah gave herself a little shake, and took a breath. She smiled again, and set her hands on Redlance’s shoulders, inspecting him. Her tone was lighter when she spoke. “Dear you must be freezing down here, with no shirt or vest!” 

Redlance was about to assure her he had never been cold since entering the desert, but Minyah cut him off.

“I’ll get Zanthee to bring some blankets for both of you.” And with that, she hurried back up the stairs. Redlance and Nightfall could hear her calling loudly for Zanthee from the hut’s upper chamber. 

-----

“Steady beloved,” Cutter gently helped his exhausted lifemate sit down on a chair. Beside them Kileen stirred from where he lay in the sleeping pit. Leetah smiled, still weak from healing her own concussion before healing Kileen, but pleased as ever after she finished her work. Her lifemate’s strong arms were a welcome support, though. 

“What..?” Kileen slowly pushed himself up, had to his head, and blinking rapidly as he registered the hut’s interior and the two elves before him. He put a hand to his ribs, but felt no pain. Registering Leetah’s smiling face, he put the pieces together and quickly pulled off the blanket to inspect his leg. Flawless! The skin was perfectly smooth. Kileen jumped up, but then sat down again immediately, feeling more than a little faint. 

“You may be healed, Kileen, but you still haven't eaten or drunk for three nights.” Cutter rose and fetched a small plate of food and a cup of water, which Kileen accepted gratefully. His eyes closed in pleasure as he felt chewed and felt his focus return. Then, as if remembering something, he looked up sharply. 

“What happened?”

“Redlance brought you to the village unconscious. The Wolfriders and the Sun Folk were out looking for you in the cliffs, but by the time we learned you had been found Leetah had fallen while climbing and was unconscious too. She healed you only a little after she woke up herself. You’ve been lying here for three nights.”

“Your mother has barely left your side,” Leetah added kindly. “We sent her to fetch Injah. She would have been here too, if not for her pregnancy sickness.” 

Kileen nodded slowly, “And what of Redlance?”

“The Sun Folk made him wait in a ‘cellar’ until you awoke and could confirm that he saved your life,” Cutter said shortly. Leetah put a hand on Cutter’s arm and raised an eyebrow at her lifemate.  

Kileen’s eyes widened as he realized how Redlance’s arrival with him unconscious would have looked to the Sun Folk. “Yes, he did save my life,” he blurted earnestly. 

Cutter glanced at Leetah. “He is well now?” 

She nodded. “Yes, Kileen, you will need to rest and not exert yourself-” 

Cutter didn’t wait for her to finish, he was already up behind Kileen, pulling the surprised elf to his feet. The moment Cutter let go Kileen trembled, but Cutter’s arm caught him before he fell. Cutter made a frustrated noise, and before Kileen or Leetah knew what was going on, he scooped the Sun Villager into his arms and charged out the hut. 

Cutter burst out the beaded curtain, nearly running into Minyah, who supported an unsteady Injah. 

“Cutter, what..?” 

But Cutter didn’t pause to answer either elf’s shocked look. Instead he headed straight towards the centre hut. With much less decorum than he usually used before Savah, he burst into the hut and unceremoniously plopped Kileen down on the floor. 

“Kileen is ready to confirm Redlance’s story.”

Savah’s usual composure was rocked for a moment by surprise, her mouth falling open. 

From the floor, Kileen rose unsteadily to his feet, shooting a frown at the Wolfrider chief. But turning to Savah he said, “Yes, it is true. Redlance saved my life by helping to drive off the jackals that attacked me, and then assisting me back to the Sun Village.”

Savah smiled, “Excellent!” She rose gracefully, regal composure regained. “Cutter, please take Kileen back to Leetah, he looks nearly as pale as you! I will go speak to the Sun Folk and collect your plant-shaper. We will meet in the healer's hut.” Cutter nodded, and let Kileen lean on him as they made their way much more slowly back to his hut, while Savah hurried in the other direction. 

-----

Redlance felt more than a little surreal as he ducked through the curtain to Leetah’s hut behind the Mother of Memory. Nightfall’s hand reached for his, and he saw that inside the hut Kileen, Injah, Minyah, and Suntoucher all waited. Nervously he glanced at Injah, and was beyond relieved when she offered him a small smile in return. On the other side of the hut, Cutter and Leetah stood with the Wolfrider elders. Cutter squeezed his shoulder with a grin as they approached. Savah stood, regal in the middle of the makeshift gathering. 

“I believe all who must be are present?” She glanced around the room. “Kileen has confirmed that Redlance and the wolves did save his life by defending against the jackals who attacked him, and then sought to care for his wounds and return him to the Sun Village. Redlance honoured his word to fully respect Sun Folk law and allowed himself to remain detained, even when offered an alternative. Based on this, and testimony from the Wolfrider elders, I believe there is evidence enough that Redlance may be allowed to return to the Sun Village.” Savah looked Redlance straight in the eye, “Do you confirm that you no longer experience regular visions of the past, and that if you do you know how to respond to them safely?” Redlance nodded quickly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Suntoucher also watching him intently, who then gave Savah a short nod. She smiled. “Based on this evidence and Suntoucher’s and my own perception, we agree that this matter is now settled.” 

“OOOooowwwww!” Cutter let out a loud howl that Redlance and Nightfall immediately joined. It echoed loudly in the small space, and the Sun Folk couldn’t help but wince a little. 

"I'd like to see you put that energy into growing my tomatoes!" Minyah laughed with her hands over her ears "I should expect to have enough to make soup for you all season." She glanced at her son, "You too, Kileen, don't think you're off the hook. I have high expectations for what the two of you can do together." She squeezed her son's shoulder. "You'll be in high demand soon enough, but I expect you to keep your priorities straight." She wagged a finger at him, and Kileen laughed.

"Mother, everyone knows your gardening skill is unmatched, but I'm sure Redlance and I can assist where needed, and your soup is always welcome," Kileen turned to smile at the Wolfrider, and was caught off guard by the look of horror on Redlance's face. He cocked an eyebrow, "Plant-shaper..?"

"I hate tomatoes."

Chapter Text

Oui, our guest, be our guest

Beef ragout, cheese soufflé

Pie and pudding, en flambé

"Be Our Guest," Disney's Beauty and the Beast

“Do you even know which of the caves is theirs, Minyah?” Kayrah hissed. The two tired and panting elf-women peered out at the cave entrances, over the thick blanket each held in their arms. 

“You know, I never thought to ask…” Minyah squinted, but in the dusk light she could make out neither a red head of hair nor a green bandana. Beside her Kayrah sighed.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to start checking.” They made their way awkwardly over to the entrances, and Minyah peered into the first cave, only to come face-to-face with a surprised Strongbow.  

“Uhh,” she began awkwardly, “Are Redlance and Nightfall in this cave?” 

Strongbow sighed and then pointed to a cave mouth a few down, as if this wasn’t the first time a Sun Villager had popped by and asked that question. Kayrah raised a curious eyebrow at Minyah, but Minyah simply thanked the silent Wolrfrider. They hadn’t gone far when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, surprised to see the archer had followed them. He looked pointedly at the heavy blankets in her arms, and Minyah understood. 

“Oh no, dear, it’s fine I-Oh!” Strongbow didn’t listen to her, and scooped her blanket easily into one arm, turning to extend his other arm towards Kayrah. She smiled and easily surrendered her load with a giggle not at all befitting her age. Strongbow frowned. The Wolfrider hiked silently up behind the two elf-women towards the mouth of the cave he had pointed to. When they arrived, Strongbow waited outside as Minyah stuck her head inside. 

“Redlance dear, Nightfall, are you here?”

-----

**Tree-shaper, there’s another one for you.** 

Redlance caught Strongbow’s sending and hurried toward the mouth of the cave, Nightfall behind him, just as Minyah’s call echoed towards them. He had to suppress a laugh when he saw the archer's arms filled with silky blankets, and standing beside the two elf-women. Nightfall was less successful and he heard a poorly supressed snicker behind him. 

“Minyah, Kayrah, what a surprise to see you here..?” Redlance said as he and Nightfall each took a blanket from Strongbow, so the elder could return to his cave. The two elf-women followed the Wolfriders into the cave, looking around curiously. Redlance felt a little self-conscious as he thought about how sparse the cave must seem compared to the Sun Villages’ well-decorated huts; Minyah's son's not the least of those. He and Nightfall reached the back of the cave and set the blankets down beside several baskets of vegetables and herbs, clay jars of oil, a set of clay plates, and two loaves of bread wrapped in cloth. Minyah whistled, impressed. 

“You both have quite the stores amassed!” 

Behind her Kayrah burst out laughing. 

“No wonder the archer looked so cross! It seems we aren’t the first elves to come visit you here!” 

“Yes, the gardeners Redlance has helped have been incredibly… generous…” Nightfall said carefully. Kayrah burst out laughing again. 

Minyah leaned down and inspected the bread. “Dear, you really should eat this right away. It’s far less delicious once it’s gone stale.” 

Nightfall sniffed, “It’s made out of plants. It probably tastes like vegetables.” 

Minyah laughed, “No child, I promise that it’s much better than vegetables.” She broke apart a loaf and handed a half to each Wolfrider. “Just try it, I promise you’ll like it.” She almost thought she heard Redlance mumble, That’s what you said about the brussels sprouts, but they both obediently took a bite of the warm bread. She laughed as Redlance’s eyes widened and met hers. Nightfall made a noise of delight and both of them devoured their portions in seconds, glancing down at the remaining loaf and eyeing each other with a clearly competitive stare. 

“Do you even know what half these things are?” Kayrah pointed to the clay plates, oil, and herbs. 

Nightfall shook her head. “No. We tried eating a little of the golden liquid and the leaves, but they tasted,” her face twisted, “strange.” She pointed at the plates. “And Wolfrider’s don’t normally eat off clay disks as the Sun Folk do.” 

Minyah nodded, eyes twinkling. “You could offer them to Kileen and Injah, I hear her collection has diminished once my grandson began to walk." Injah’s cub was nearly a full turn of the seasons old, and his current joy in life was grabbing at anything he could close his chubby fist around before one of the adults noticed. 

Redlance nodded gratefully, “That’s a great idea.” He had been stressed about not having much to offer the Sun Folk in return for their generosity, and at least this was a first step. Kayrah shot him an appraising look. 

"More dreamberry bushes would always be appreciated."

Redlance started that she had read him so well, "Thanks." Kayrah just winked at him conspiratorily as Minyah muttered under her breath about the number of bushes already growing in the village. 

Kayrah sighed, “Well, we should go, but Ceilene asked us to bring you the blankets, and to send her thanks for your help in her garden last moon cycle.” 

Redlance smiled. He had finally summoned the courage to work with the elder gardener, and it had not been as unpleasant as he had expected. Her gift was also a welcome and extremely generous surprise, for their furs had begun to get worn from lying on the rough cave floor. 

“I’ll go back with you, and bring the disks to Kileen and Injah now,” Redlance said. In truth he wanted to make sure the elder Sun Villagers made it safely back down the steep path from the caves to the village. He dumped the vegetables unceremoniously out of one of the baskets, and slid in the stack of clay disks before leaving with the two Sun Villagers.

Minyah eyed him. "You Wolfriders' bad example had better not turn my grandson into a carnivore."

"Mmhm."

True to character she huffed good-naturedly, but had to content herself that Rainsong's shy daughter had begun to hang around her garden. She would ask the girl soon if she would like to learn to tend the earth, and perhaps Rainsong's daughter would have more hope of appreciating the taste of vegetables than her current apprentice.

Redlance offered Kayrah a hand around a boulder, and as they passed Strongbow’s cave, he noticed a large, flat stone leaning against the entrance, and saw the elder carrying a bunch of ripe dreamberries out towards its mouth. Interesting. 

-----

Redlance returned from the Sun Village feeling happy. He would never understand why an elf would want to eat off a clay disk, but Injah had clearly been glad to receive the gift, and he had been able to see little Maekal. He was passing Strongbow’s cave on his way back, when something caught his eye. The large, flat stone still leaned against the entrance and smeared across its surface was a crude drawing of a series of circles, which Redlance assumed were the cave mouths, and inside the one that corresponded to his and Nightfall’s, there was an odd symbol which he guessed was supposed to represent his face. Using Wolfrider stealth he crept up to the stone, not wanting to let Strongbow know he was inspecting his drawing. His face was a lopsided circle, framed by two lines, which Redlance supposed were his braids, and two uneven triangles emerged from the side of his head, representing ears. Redlance couldn’t tell if his dreamberry smear of a mouth was supposed to be smiling or frowning; it could be generously described as a slanted wiggle. Unable to help himself, he let out a snigger and immediately gulped as some pebbles skittered down the slope above him. He looked up and met Strongbow’s eyes as the elder slid down the slope. 

**Blasted Sun Folk come during the day and keep interrupting me while I’m sleeping,** Strongbow grumbled mentally. **Now they’ll be able to see which cave you’re in and leave me in peace,** Strongbow glanced down at the drawing and Redlance’s very poorly concealed smile. **It’s the caves, and your face in your cave,** he clarified, unnecessarily. 

Redlance nodded slowly, trying very hard not to laugh. Strongbow looked uncharacteristically embarrassed and reached for the stone to roll it into the cave, **It’s not finished yet, this was only a sketch,** he sent hurriedly. Redlance quickly put out an arm to stop him. 

“I think it’s a great drawing,” he said, valiantly keeping a straight face. He gestured to the smeared face-blob, “It looks, ah, just like me.”  Strongbow fixed him with a square look, but then smiled. **If you insist.** He paused, still smiling. **You know it’s better to send.**

**In sending there is only truth.**

Strongbow smirked, **I know.**