By Brightfire and Gwen
"Should we break camp?" Jen'l asked. The tribe looked at each other. Humans had been spotted near the camp. It was time to leave.
"If we leave now, where will we go? The world is covered in ice this time of year and thaw isn't for at least four turns of the greater moon." Brightfire said.
"We could pay the Go-Backs a visit. We haven't changed blood in a while." Sharp Claw said.
"Changed blood? What does that mean?" Skyfire asked.
"Well, a lot of elves in both tribes are part Go-Back and part Wanderer. "Changed blood means we haven't had any whelps of both blood in either tribe." Dreambrook explained.
"Well, do we pay them a visit or not?" Seashell asked.
"I vote we do. We haven't traded blood. And They always have a war or something going on." Wolffang said. A few warriors grinned. War! Sweet battles!
A few days later the Wanderers were heading north.
Brightfire walked with Wolf Fang and Skyfire, buried deep in thought. she remembered how the trolls had captured her lifemate, ~his~ pain in her mind. she wanted to kill trolls! it wouldn't bring Kite back, nothing would, but she wanted revenge! she half-growled and stared to walk faster.
Wolf Fang touched her arm and looked into her eyes as her head snapped back. "not yet, Brightfire. not good to exhaust yourself before the enemy is in sight."
she bared her teeth but slowed down. "I hurt them like they hurt my Kite. no mercy arrows to trolls." her voice was a low growl as she fingerred the hilts of her swords
"So how far is it to the Gp-Back lodge?" Skyfire asked.
"A few weeks." Jen'l murmered. For some reason he appeared to be deep in thought.
"A few weeks! The white cold will be over by then!" "In this part of the world yes. In the Frozen North, it's always winter."
"Sun can't walk forever! He's not strong enough."
"Carry him." Whisper harshly suggested.
"Who are the Go-Backs by the way?" Skyfire asked Dreambrook.
"They're our northern cousins. Every time we go there, they're always in some kind of crazy war. We like to fight a good battle, so we help them out."
Three weeks later...
There was a sudden loud horn blow from across the mountain. Sharp Claw grinned and takeing out a bird whistle blew three short blasts. Everyone knew what the horn blow meant...the Go-Backs had spotted them!
Brightfire let out a low half-purr, half-growl. soon it would be time to kill trolls again. she had spent the last few weeks examining her mind and and concluded that she didn't mourn Kite's death as much as she had. that meant by no means she hated trolls any less, she had just survived Kite's death, maybe enough to change blood.
Wolf Fang was aware of his soul sister's struggle and walked beside her. "it's easier now, sister?"
"you're right. the pain made me unwary in battle. remember, brother? only rage kept me alive couple of times." she ran her fingers along her cheekbones and stared at empty air. "I think I'll change my warpaint."
There was a loud war whoop and from behind rocks came the grubby faces of the Go-Backs. They immediatly began running down the side of the mountain cat calling and war whooping. The Wanderers grinned and let out cat calls.
One of the Go-Backs took one look at Jen'l and began running toward him. He took one look at her and began running away.
"Jen'l you bastard! Get back here!"
Skyfire looked at Dreambrook. "What's up with that?" He shrugged.
"Old lovemate. Long story. She says it was his kid she had but thats uncertain."
A Go-Back turned to Wolf Fang. "How you world trampling nutcases end up here?"
"We put one foot in front of the other!" The Go-Backs laughed.
Before long the Wanderers were settled in the Go-Back lodge eating bearfat and drinking stag milk. Leor, the Go-Back chief stood up.
"I got one question for the lot of you...how'd you like to butcher some trolls!" Everyone, especially Brightfire let out the telltale war whoop. "In that case lets shed these old furs and show each other what we're made of!" Leor yelled as he grabbed the nearby Whisper.
A few hours later....
The Go-Back kids were a little wary of Sun at first but they warmed up soon. After all... he knew some really cool games that Skyfire had taught him!
Treemoss and Newleaf were also playing around. Redbird and a Go-Back teenager named Slayer were talking about whether they would be allowed to go into war. Jen'l was hideing from his one-time Go-Back lovemate, who was the mother of Slayer. It was rather complicated.
Dreambrook staggared up the steps to where the kids and Jen'l were and half collapsed. Sharp Claw clutching his leathers followed him. Jen'l turned to look at them.
"Is Sora down there?" Slayer looked up.
"You know my mother?"
"Sadly yes. Guys...is she down there?"
Dreambrook raised his head a little. "Who?"
"Sora!" Jen'l sounded exasperated.
"Yeah she's down there."
"Then I'm staying up here." Jen'l leaned back against a stone and put his feet up. He noticed the Go-Back cub looking at him. "What?"
"Are you Jen'l?"
"Who wants to know?"
"My mother says he's my father. I want to go with him and be a Wanderer. I'm tired of staying one place. All we do is fight trolls. I wanna go..." Jen'l cut him off.
"You talk to much and I am Jen'l."
Yarrowsharp looked around in the lodge, searhing for two particular face. he spun around as a short go-back female tapped his shoulder, laughing. "hello, old buck!"
he turned to meet the gaze of dark brown eyes, so similar to his own. he smiled back, noticing his daughters grewn belly. "fawn on the way, eh Miry? is this your second?"
she nodded and her eyes grew colder. "Aken was killed last thaw."
Yarrowsharp sighed. he had liked his eldest grandcub and feared something like this would happen. "where's Feyra? off scouting?"
Miry nodded. her half-sister, off an age, had the best stealth among go-backs, and brains to match. "I so sorry for her missing this party!" Miry chuckled.
Slayer nodded and turned back to Redbird continueing their conversation. Dreambrook and Sharp Claw fell down the stairs trying to get back to the Go-Back women. Brightfire thought of sweet revenge on the thrice cursed trolls that had killed her lifemate. Leor the Go-Back's mind was partly on battle plans, partly with his current lover.
Everyones mind was on the forcoming battle.