Re: Goldsand Beach~Harvest Festival

[WolfCandy]

After the daggertooth passed, Tern continued to push down on his spear, eyes shut tightly. Why won't you die?! he silently asked again. But then, he realized that it wasn't struggling any more.

His eyes flew open and he stared at it, not yet able to process that they had won. He stayed there for moments as the body slowly began to sink. It was his cousins sending that brought him back to reality.

Tern started, as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone. **Uh- yes,** he sent back, dazed.

He looked again at the body, this time truly seeing it. Immediately, he moved into action, trying to burn off his disbelief. He reached for his spear, placed his feet on the daggertooth's skin, and pulled up. It wouldn't budge.

He quickly abandoned the idea of retrieving it and swam to help Snaketwist with Serpent Fang. **I guess I'll have to make a new spear,** he managed to force out lightheartedly.

[Silence]

Swirling was one of the first elves to return. She was so happy that she danced along the waterline, jumping in and out the water, her dress swirling around her.
Out of breath she came to a stop and saw the High One sitting in a chair. Tidemist was just leaving. For a moment she watched Tidemist's elegance then she turned towards Kaimeta.


Swirling hesitated, she had so many questions about the missing cubs but perhaps the Highone wanted to rest.
Shyly she went a little bit closer. "Greetings Kaimeta" Swirling made a little reverence.


"Can I join you for a moment? I'm so happy that the cubs are found, are they in good health? Ridge looked so worried, I'm glad he's the one that found them, it is, isn't it? I heard they were sleeping, they wandered very far! Maybe they followed a butterfly, I did that once,and my parents were so worried, I ....."

Suddenly she stopped talking, realizing that she was babbling, her cheeks turned red when she apologized." Sorry, I talk to much." Too ashamed she concentrated on her feet in the sand.

[Ember Robinwood]

Serpent Fang's head swam as Snaketwist grabbed him and powered towards the surface. He couldn't open his eyes for the pounding of his head, but he feared the blackness that threatened to consume him.

"I told you to go. Leave me." He whispered, the words almost lost in the rush of the water. His never used voice rasped in his throat, the salt water burning it.

He forced his eyes open. What he saw was dark and distorted, but he took shaking breaths, the water passing painfully through his gills. There was something he had to get out before he died. Something he had to tell Tern. He lock-sent to Tern, closing his eyes again, **Father... Spearshaft would be proud of you, Tern.**

--

Ridge settled the cub and pip under a tree on the beach, careful not to disturb them. They'd had a taxing day. He sat down, counting off the cubs and pips to ensure they were all there. With a sigh of relief, he sat down, looking towards the water. He could see the SeaFolk chieftess Tidemist gliding over the water.

He furrowed his brow, where was Tern. He wanted to tell his new friend that the cubs were safe and sound. Ridge cast a backwards glance at the sleeping cubs before he stood up and walked over to the High One where she sat and where a SeaFolk stood looking at her feet.

"I wonder if everything's okay," Ridge said in a quiet voice. The ocean was a vast and mysterious place full of unknown dangers.

[Kaimeta]

Kai smilec at the young elf. "No dont't apologize." She always loved it when others could be themselves around her. "Yes the younglings were found by Ridge, and yes they are in good health." She smiled at the young elf again. "Never apologize for being yourselves."

She sat wondering if Swirling would start talking again, it was soothing to hear the girl's every thought. She was so open, it gave the High One hope.

Kia didn't look up at Ridge. " Tidemist thinks they might just be out of sending range. So she's gone to find them." Her voice filled with worry. " I'm sure things are fine, they just wondered to far."

[Silence]

Swirling was startled by the soft words from Ridge.
When she turned and saw him, her cheeks became if possible even more red then they already were.
She wanted to say hello but it sounded more like mumbling.
She tried to compose herself and concentrated on what Kaimeta had said.

"Didn't everyone came back already? Who is still out there? Swirling was suddenly very worried.
 She sighted "Oh, I hope they are alright." She stared at the ocean, hoping they would suddenly appear.

She looked again at Ridge but the words still stuck in her throat, so she smiled at him, wondering if he had overheard her conversation with Kaimeta.

Swirling chastised herself, she was being impolite. She coughed and finally managed to say" hi, it was you who found the cubs, wasn't it ? I'm glad you did, are you alright, ...." what the hell was she saying, of course he was alright.

[Ember Robinwood]

Ridge followed Kaimeta's gaze across the water. Tern still wasn't back yet... Hopefully everything was alright. Tern had been so kind to him that morning, he couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him.

Ridge looked at Swirling when she mumbled something. Worry knotted in his stomach at her question. "Tern is still out there, as well as a couple others," he told her in a quiet voice.

Ridge smiled at Swirling as she coughed and greeted him. He hated taking all the credit for finding the cubs. "Yes, I found them, but I couldn't have without help." He flushed a little, thinking of the shallow cuts all across his body from dashing into the forest to find the cubs. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."

Ridge titled his head and smiled apologetically, "I sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

[Tidemist]

Tidemist continued as fast as she could, though she could feel herself beginning to tire a little. But that didn't matter. She quickly got to where her inner sense of direction had told her Snaketwist was from his sendings. She whirled around in the air, looking over the surface of the water quickly. “Snaketwist! Where are you!” She called out, vocally and in sending. *Hurry! Bring Serpent to me, and I'll get him to the High One! There isn't any time to lose!*

[Leanan]

**We can afford the loss of a spear. It was way too close that we would have lost a tribemate**. Snaketwist sent back to Tern.

Helped by his cousin, he continued heading towards the surface. **We have no intention of leaving you now.** He assured Serpent Fang. **For one thing, Tidemist would be very cross with me if I did that.**

He had hoped Tidemist would sense location from the sending, but as that turned out not to be the case, he sent to her what he hoped was a clear enough guidance to their current location. **We are right here!** Were the words that went along with the sending. **And Tern says he is fine. Just one brave fighter for the High One to heal.**

[Silence]

Swirling smiled:" My name is Swirling and yours is Ridge wright? I was just telling that I was so happy that the cubs are safe and sound. And that when I was young, I worried my parents when I wandered off to follow a butterfly.
I think every cub does it at least once in their life." Swirling looked at both, Ridge and Kaimeta for confirmation. "I think that watching and tutoring children is a very challenging job."

Swirling smiled again, "I loved being a child and I find it still important to be able to admire the simple things like a flower or a butterfly." She made figures in the sand with her feet. "I loved to play with sand, to make castles and to search beautiful shells" A little embarrassed she looked at Kaimeta and Ridge." Sorry I'm babbling again."

[Ember Robinwood]

"That's right, my name is Ridge," he said, inclining his head by way of greeting.

Ridge smiled slightly at the thought of Swirling wandering after a butterfly as a cub. He'd never seen a butterfly beyond the edge of the forest and wondered how one had ended up all the way by the SeaFolk's Holt. Just because he hadn't seen it didn't mean it couldn't happen, Ridge reminded himself.

"The cubs aren't too difficult," Ridge assured Swirl. Though, he conceded silently, they could be a handful at times.

"You're not rambling," Ridge assured Swirling. "I like listening to what people have to say."

He turned his attention back out to the ocean, hoping that his worry didn't cross his features. The sea-elves knew the ocean better than anyone and could protect themselves against the dangers out there. He couldn't drive the anxiety away, though.

[WolfCandy]

Tern's head turned sharply from Snaketwist to Serpent Fang. There was no hostility in the sending, no annoyance. It was genuine. If killing a daggertooth wasn't enough to shock him, this certainly pushed him the rest of the way.

After the initial shock passed, Tern began to worry. Serpent Fang normally wasn't anything more than civil with him; for the elf to send something so intimate and meaningful, he had to be in a poor state. If Tern hadn't known that in sending there was only truth, he wouldn't have believed it. He could only assume it was an apology for their rivalry over the years.

The dropping of 'your' didn't escape his notice either. The fact that Serpent Fang was so weak that he had to shorten his sentence, in case he didn't get it out in time made Tern worry even more.

**I hope so,** he lock-sent back softly, still not completely himself again.

With a glance to Snaketwist, then up to the surface where Tidemist was, he sent openly. **Hurry! We may not have much time.**

[Leanan]

Stormcloud returned to the beach with the others. She was carrying some of the tusk pig meat, safely wrapped in the Preserver's silky secretions. She left the meat near the tables where the remains of the festival food had also been wrapped up. It was difficult to tell what was in any bundle. However, since Stormcloud realized she was rather hungry - she had been looking forward to having something from the table - she decided to cut open a cocoon at random and eat whatever was inside. She chose a round cocoon and cut it with one of her daggers. It turned out to contain a ripe red fruit, which she ate with much appreciation. It was good to know the cubs were safe - and it was good to find herself safe too, still alive after the dangerous encounter with the tusk pigs. She had the random thought that if she had gone and got herself killed, her mother would have been angry with her. She saw at once the fault in the logic of that thought, and it made her smile at her silliness.

[Tidemist]

Tidemist spun around at the sending, and finally spotted them bobbing among the waves. She hadn't realized they had surfaced already! She glided over to them and scooped up Serpent carefully. She wavered a little at the sudden extra weight, then turned, flying in a straight line directly back towards Goldsand beach, and the High One there. *Don't linger too long! Bring your kill if you want, we can roast it, but get your rumps back to shore as quickly as possible! I don't think I can float like this to retrieve a second wounded! I'll keep eyes high for your return. Be safe, both of you!* She sent to Tern and Snaketwist as she glided away.

[Ember Robinwood]

The wind blown up from the water froze Serpent Fang to the bone as it hit his soaked skin and clothes. His breath rasped painfully in his throat as his lungs took over from his gills. His addled mind was painfully aware of the emptiness below him and Tidemist as his chieftess glided with him back towards shore. His working hand held gripped Tidemist with all the strength he could muster.

**Just leave me, Chieftess,** Serpent Fang sent as vehemently as he could. Despite his weakened state, he tried to put bite behind his sending. **It's useless.**

His eyes were closed and blood ran freely down his mangled arm and torn leg, though, not as heavily as when in the water. His head hung and his black hair clung to his face which was even paler than normal (if that was even possible).

[Silence]

Swirling followed Ridge's gaze and looked also  at the ocean. Without looking at him she said: " When everyone has returned, we should celebrate that the cubs are safe and sound. We should sing and dance throughout the night." She swirled around."I'm so happy that everything turned out to be alright." She smiled at Ridge and Kaimeta.

" I think that what happened today brought our two tribes closer together. We worried together, we searched together, and we found the cubs together, so it's logic to celebrate together. If we worked together, I'm sure that in no time, everything would be ready to start a mega party."

Swirling looked back to the ocean, she hoped that all search parties would return safe and sound quickly. She started humming one of her favorite songs.

[Ember Robinwood]

"Let's just hope everyone is okay," Ridge said seriously. The hunting parties had been gone a long time, too long. Ridge took a deep breath, smelling only the ocean, sand, and the other elves. His stomach writhed with worry.

Putting on his calm, cub-minder face, Ridge said,"I'm sure they'll be fine."

Ridge wasn't sure he'd even convinced himself. Resigned to waiting, he crossed his arm and thought to himself, Hopefully, there will be something to celebrate. The cubs are safe, but what about the search parties. Oh, by the High Ones, please be safe!

"I hope that the evens of today have brought the tribes closer together," Ridge agreed with Swirling.

[Tidemist]

Tidemist frowned at Serpent's sending, and the lack of bite it usually had, though she could tell he was trying. She continued gliding as fast as she could with the extra weight, but it was becoming taxing on her. She was starting to dip a little lower and lower, but she kept going anyway. Serpent's life might depend on it. And it was with immense relief when she saw the beach in the distance, nearly yelling in her sending.

*Kaimeta! High One! Serpent's been hurt badly by a daggertooth, and he needs a healing quickly!* She finally reached the beach, her toes touching the sand and she fell carefully, laying Serpent down in the sand and collapsing on her hands, panting hard from the exertion of her magical abilities.

[Leanan]

Snaketwist watched as Tidemist departed with Serpent Fang in her arms. He had absolute faith in her. Their tribemate would reach the healer in time. Everyone was safe.

As safe as anyone could be, that is. There was a lot of blood in the water. Other daggerteeth would come to investigate. He and Tern should get out of here. But not without their kill.

*Let's take this big fish to the shore*, he suggested to his cousin. *it will make a nice addition to the festival foods.*

He took hold of the daggerteeth on one side, and waited for Tern to do the same on the opposite side. Since they were in their tailed shapes, the swim home would be a fast one.

[Delhya]

Straystar walked up to the table were Stormcloud was taking a second bite out of an odd fruit. “Is that even edible?” he joked in reference to it’s odd appearance. Setting the cocooned pig meat he was carrying on the table next to hers.

Brooksong followed her father and Stormcloud out of the woods. She was still achy but not light headed anymore from healing Silences arm. Back into her normal spirits she spoke up to the others. “ I am going to go look for the highone in regard to healing Silences arm the rest of the way, since I could not.” She gave her father a reassuring smile when he looked like he was going to say something in relation to it, and was already walking down the beach to wear she saw a cascade of the Highones red hair.

“You may want to go with her or she will just find you later.” Straystar said to Silence with a chuckle. Lock sending to Silence ** The cub is feeling a little guilty she could not heal you completely but considering this is a surprise for all of us, she just needs to come into this gift as it decides to bloom. She does not want to hear this from me but maybe she will hear a fellow tribemate **

[Ember Robinwood]

Serpent Fang felt the sand beneath his back. His arm was shredded down to the bone and blood stained the sand red. His leg was bleeding less so, but it didn't help the situation. Finally, he gave up fighting the darkness at the fringes of his mind. The darkness wrapped around him, muffling the sounds and smothering his breath. He had to fight to take in each breath, his chest rising and falling in shallow gasps.

He was too weak and exhausted to fear the darkness any longer. He'd told Tern what he had to, but he'd been unable to protect his tribe-mates from the daggertooth. He'd failed. The guppies...! As far as he knew, they'd been eaten. Burning tears slipped freely from his eyes as he let go and finally fell into the embrace of unconsciousness.

--

Ridge leaped forwards, he was no healer, but he knew a serious situation when he saw one. The uptight elf from earlier was badly injured. He crouched beside Chieftess Tidemist of the SeaFolk. She was on her hands and knees panting.

"Are you alright, Chieftess?" He asked. He knew there was nothing he could do for the wounded elf, not without direction, but he could try and help Tidemist. "Is there anything I can do?"

[Kaimeta]

Kai jumped at Tidemist's sending. She rushed to the landing cheiftess and her tribe mate, the High One's hands already working to heal and close the wounds as Serpent Fang was laid on the sand. She didn't speak, her hands moved slowly over the torn flesh, knitting the edges back together. Her brows knitted together as she worked. This was bad, some of the worst injuries she'd seen in a long time. Her palms where cover with Serpent Fang's blood, though that was the furthest thing from her mind. He has lost a lot of blood, Kai could tell just by looking at him. Thousands of years of healing the injured Kai knew that Tidemist had gotten him to her just in time. It took every effort she could muster to heal the elf's arm. It was so shredded, but with any luck he would not long keep the arm but with a little time would regain complete use of it. Kai was sure that it would be as if nothing had happened, the only reminders might be faint scars. As she closed the flesh she found that she couldn't stop the skin from scaring completely leaving pale veins across his skin. Maybe after she rested she could remove them. The High One was so focused on the job at hand she didn't hear Ridge's voice or anything more than the sound of Serpent's heart beat as she worked.

The wounds on his arm and leg closed, the High One sat back, she was tired those wounds were deep. She was light headed too, but that would pass quickly she would be careful of drink tonight but she would be fine.

"He'll need rest, and lots of it too." She said. "He wont like it I'd wager though." She smiled lightly. "Make sure he eats when he wakes. " She instructed the elves taking over the care of Serpent Fang after her healing."As for when he wakes well that's up to him." She said,"With the amount of blood he lost it could be that he wont wake till tomorrow. Someone should sit with him till he wakes though." Speaking of eating she should eat too. She'd used a lot of energy healing the sea elf and she felt the drain of it, but that aside she was glad that the young to her elf would be ok.

She stood a little wobbly at first, and in little effort started towards the festivals food tables, wondering if there were any scallops left.

[WolfCandy]

Tern took hold of the other side of the daggertooth and began swimming in the direction of shore. He hoped Serpent Fang was okay, but the longer he swam and had time to think, the more he became himself and the less he worried. His dominant optimistic side trusted the skills of the SeaFolk chief and High One, and he knew that in their hands Serpent Fang would live.

As the cousins passed over the place where Tern had found the shell, the memory of it returned to him. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take it back to shore, but the thought of returning with the daggertooth lightened the disappointment.

[Silence]

Silence came as last to the beach, the bright light made him blink, he protected his eyes for a moment until they adjusted.
He looked at the tables and was glad that someone had thought to preserve the food.

He joined the others and watched how Stormcloud ate a red fruit. Suddenly he felt a little hungry too. While he studied the wrappings, trying to find out what it could be, he vaguely heard Brooksong saying something about Kaimeta.

The locked sending from Straystar got his attention. He put the package that he held in his hand, back with the rest and locksend back :** She completely surprised me, I didn't know she had healing hands, it was like a welding fire. She was very effective, I will tell her.** He sending was warm and grateful.

He nodded as a greeting and followed Brooksong.
With a few quick paces he was beside her. He locksend ** Hey, Brooksong, wait up. I wanted to thank you again for your healing. I didn't know you could do that, it was very impressive.  I know I should have said something earlier but are you alright?**



Swirling gasped as Tidemist gently laid Serpent Fang on the sand.**No! Serpent Fang! ** Her sending was open full of worry and panic.

She gave Kaimeta and the other helpers space to work around him. She fell on her knees. With her eyes closed, she murmured "Let him be ok, let Tidemist be on time, let the High One be able to heal him, let Serpent Fang accept the healing, protect the others, let them return safely,....." The others?

The thought made her eyes open wide ! She looked for eye contact with Tidemist, when she found it she asked in open sending still full of panic and worry ** The others, are they alright?**

[Leanan]

Stormcloud looked up from the fruit she was eating. "Not only edible, but delicious! I'd say try one but I have no idea in which bundle you'd find it." She told the chief.

Hearing Brooksong mention Silence's injury, she nodded in agreement. "I was thinking about that too. You made him a lot better, but it's best to be sure in matters like this." She paused, and finished the fruit, then added to Brooksong: "I am glad we will have another healer now." She herself had no magic, nor any reason to expect ever having any - her parents, after all, had not been Recognized to each other. So she had no idea how it would feel to change the world with a touch and a thought.

--

Snaketwist swam towards the shore. He did not know Tern's thoughts about the shell, but by coincidence, his own were on a similar trail. His pearly decorations had come apart during the fight, and a lot of the pearls had been left behind at the location. Perhaps later today he could swim back and retrieve those that were still visible on the seafloor? It had taken him a long time to collect so many.

As they neared the shore, he open-sent: *can anyone lend us a hand? We caught quite a big fish out there*. So far, the buoyancy of the water had aided them in transporting it to the shore, but lifting it out of the water would be beyond their joined strenght.

[Delhya]

Brooksong gave a nod a a smile to Stormclouds comment not sure how to reply before she started her walk up the beach. 'I don't know if I can be relied on for such a role if I don't know how I did it' she thought to herself. Momentarily lost in her thoughts she became aware Silence was there beside her.

She blushed at his thanks and comment, "I just wish I had done a better job but I am sure the Highone can heal you all the way." She looked towards the open water, " I am well enough just some bruises, minor scrapes for me and I think I need a bath. I probably look like I rolled in some leaves with the pack. It's okay that was all such a blur of events."

She looked back up the beach to see the Highone walking towards them now but there was still a cluster of elves where she had been. "I wonder what's going on up there?" She wave to the Highone forgetting her bruised side from the sapling and wrinkled her nose at the dull ache letting her arm rest once more by her side. "I guess we don't have to go far to find her after all."

[Sponsored content]