Nymirni's Beach

Lace didn't know if Serpent Fang could still hear her, but something had happend to her in the void and she felt her sending growing stronger and stronger. **My sweet Reef. Farewell, I hope one day you will return to us..... to me. You carry my heart, my love and a piece of my soul with you. I....I will miss you more then you'll ever know!!** She walked into the ocean in the same direction as Serpent Fang had dissapeared. Tears filled her eyes again as she faintly felt his presents in her heart. She fell to her knees, not carring that the ocean was now to her waist. **Farewell my love!**

Was it only this night they planned on making a journey together? Be alone, just the two of them? So much had changed in such a short time.
Lace found the strength to stand up again and slowly she started to walk back to her cave.
"I...I need to rest, my chieftess, I will return to my cave now." She looked in Tidemist's eyes. Her heart was full and yet felt so empty. Softly she touched Tern's arm, letting him know she knew what had happend.

---
Oakroot was stunned by what happend. The Sea-elf left! What had happend that made him decide to do so?

When Ridge looked at him, he was reminded of what they had spoken about. To teach the cubs how to hunt... but in all fairness, he didn't know if he could set his mind to it. On the other hand, it would be a good way to lett this disturbing event rest a little, maybe think it over....
Not sure on what to do, he simply waited untill some one made a decision.

He saw Lace walk into the ocean and felt a warm tingling, she must be a strong sender as well. When she fell to her knees, he barely could withold himself so walk to her and help her. Poor girl and he was to blame too...

Kaimeta's sending intensified his need for her. He stiffened, calling on all of his willpower to stop him from responding. He tried to ignore the unspoken feelings in the sending. He was only reading to far into it, right? The High One had made it clear that he was not her lifemate.

"I guess we just wait then," he murmured to Snaketwist, "And find out what happened once it is sorted out." He fell into silence as he watched with the rest of the crowd.

He watched as his recognized suffered, and in turn, suffered with her. Tern wanted so badly to reach out and give her comfort, but knew he could not. when her eyes flitted to meet his, he looked away, too afraid to find what was in them. Pity? A mutual need, but with only the intention of fulfilling it once? He didn't want to know.

The pained elf avoided Kaimeta's gaze as she passed, fighting the urge to chase after her. Tern opened his mouth as he watched her walk away, but couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Then, Serpent Fang was suddenly swimming away. Tern was almost envious of him; how he wanted to run away from his troubles in this moment. As he watched the elf getting smaller, he felt a sudden panic. What if he wasn't coming back? There were too many things he needed to know. One thing that he needed to do. He almost ran in after him, almost sent a plea for reconciliation, but something stopped him.

Turning, his eyes met the back of Ridge. The sending the wolf elf had sent him fed the flames of yet another fire burning within him. He felt drawn to this elf, in an almost deeper way than his recognition drew him to Kaimeta. What could he say, though? How could he tell him?

He looked between the three elves. Two moving farther and farther away, another so close he could reach him in a matter of steps. But, instead of pursuing any, he was given the perfect means of escape.

Tern felt Lace's hand on his arm and furrowed his brow. It spoke of something, something he had a strong feeling had to do with his possible half brother. Tern took a last look at the retreating Serpent Fang and Kaimeta, and then at Ridge. Then, he fell in behind Lace, wondering if he was following the key to a truth that he desperately wanted to find.

Kai stopped some where between the beach where the others had gathered and her hut. She fell to her knees and for the first time in so long she cried. She wasn't sure why the tears came but they did flowing like water from a pitcher they poured out of her freely.

There was so much more to her life now than she had ever expected and now she was loosing so much. She wondered and not for the first time since last nigh if she were to run now, could she get far enough away that Tern wouldn't suffer the effects of a un requited Recognition. While she wanted nothing more than to be with him, her heart knew now that they would never been more than what they were. Strangers forced to mate for the sake of the species.

"Oh my Xareth." She muttered to the wind. She missed him yes, but she knew that it was beyond her time to move on, and she had and lost the chance to do so with Tern all in the same night. By the suns why was this so hard? it hadn't been with Xareth. That had been easy, but that was a different time. She felt more than saw Tern leaving the beach, and she wondered how long she was going to let this keep them apart, her past wasn't going to be a factor anymore.

Standing wiping the tears from her eyes, the High One did something she'd never even thought of before. She ran. She went after Tern, as she should have done last night.

"I'm done playing this game." She spoke and she stormed off after her recognized. Kai didn't know were she was going, and she no longer cared. She was going to wait, but fortune favored the bold, and Kai was indeed bold.

A dull hope flared in Ridge as Tern met his gaze for a single moment. However, Tern turned away before Ridge could do so much as send. The dousing of the hope was more painful that Ridge could have dreamed. He knew there was no hope, but that knowledge couldn't extinguish the flames entirely.

With a shaky exhale of breath, Ridge turned away from the group of gathered elves. He had no reason to stay standing there under the cruel sun while predestined things seemed to be unfolding before his very eyes. Recognition, he hated the thought.

The sun was unbearably hot on his exposed back as Ridge retreated into the cool shade of the trees. Pathfinder let out a low growl of greeting as Ridge approached, hoping for a hunt.

"Perhaps another time," Ridge said tiredly, sending to Oakroot as he spoke. Even his lock-sending seemed exhausted by the sudden events, **Uncle, shall we hunt another time...?**

He stopped, looking back at his uncle from beneath the trees, hoping his expression, body language, and sending would say what he hadn't put into words.

Stormcloud breathed a deep sigh of relief when Lace returned to her body. She could sense, and even scent, that a lot of emotional chaos was happening around her. But none of it particularly concerned her. She hesitated, feeling nervous, and then finally spoke to Tidemist: "Are we still going to swim in the ocean today?" She asked the sea chieftess.

--

Snaketwist was relieved to see Lace return to normal. He wondered, once again, what was going on between Serpent Fang and Tern. Something very important, it must be, for Tern to go chasing after Serpent Fang instead of staying with his Recognized.

There was nothing in particular to keep him here, but there was nothing in particular to do anywhere else, either. Pearls... he had almost forgotten. He was going to work on the pearls today. But he did not walk away from the small group. He was curious to see what might happen next.

Before entering the main entrance of the cave, Lace looked at the ocean again.. 'My sweet Reef.... will I ever see you again? Will our bodies meet and join again? I hope you'll find the answers I couldn't give you!'. Tears filled her eyes again, but Serpent Fang would want her to be strong. Needed her to be strong! 'I promiss you I will keep our people save for you, in your name! Untill you may return!'
She looked over the people who were still on the beach. Saw the Wolffolk and made a decision. No one of her people would dare to do it, but it had to be done if she wanted to keep her promiss to Serpent Fang.
---
Oakroot watched every thing...
Stormvloud still wanted to swim in the ocean and why not. Everything seemed to be slowly going back to normal.

Ridge sending had a sadness to it. **Yes. We will hunt another time. But maybe we can talk? So much has happend in such a short time. I need to... I would like to just walk into the forest and... would you mind if I kept you company?**

**I would appreciate it, Uncle,** Ridge lock-sent. He was oddly relieved to have the chance to talk to his uncle. He stood waiting in the shade of the trees at the edge of the beach, but his gaze followed Tern. Was this just some obsession or something more?

Ridge's heart beat painfully fast and hard when he stared at Tern's back. He couldn't understand this longing, this desires, this...need. But Tern was Recognized to the High One. Even after Tern finally got through the pains of Recognition and join with the High One, there would be no place for him.

Ridge watched Tern from a distance before he tore his eyes away. Everyone knew about Tern and Kaimeta, but did they see what others were going through too?

Ridge shook his head, he was being selfish. He couldn't do this to Tern, they needed to talk. As though our talk last night went so well, Ridge thought bitterly. He wanted to go to Tern, but instead waited for his uncle. He had cubs to look after and a tribe, he couldn't go chasing after someone from another tribe who was Recognized to another!

Oakroot walked to the tree-line where Ridge waited with his wolf, Pathfinder. As he walked towards them, he could not help but felt an envy for the bond they had. His wolffriend died several seasons ago and he had not been ready to bond to another wolf.
He knew some wolfs had cubs. Maybe he should visute their dens and see if one of them wanted to be his friend...

"Would you mind to accompany me to the dens of the wolves? I like to greet some new born cubs." It would be a nice walk and created some distance between the beach and them. "I left your siblings in good hands and they don't expect us to be back for any time soon."

Ridge nodded silently as he turned his back on the beach. It had been a long time since he'd been to the wolves' dens, not since he'd bonded with Pathfinder. He regarded his uncle for a moment before he said, "So you're ready to bond with another wolf?"

Ridge scratched Pathfinder behind the ears, remembering when they'd bonded four years ago. It had been many, many turns of the season since his first wolf friend, Fur, had passed away. The pain had almost ceased to be, but he still hadn't intended on bonding with another wolf.

One of the cubs he'd been minding was coming to the age of bonding with a wolf and had asked Ridge if they could go to the dens and meet the new born cubs. Ridge, of course, had agreed to go. The she-wolf had been lying in the cool den, her eyes glittering through the darkness at Ridge when he warily approached the den entrance. To enter the den of she-wolf with cubs wasn't a good idea.

However, when he crouched at the den's entrance, he'd seen the she-wolf and the cubs had come barreling out of the den, still unsteady on their paws. Ridge had immediately noticed three cubs before the she-wolf grudgingly padded out of the den. It was then that Ridge saw perhaps the most aloof cub ever.

The cub had sat down beside the den entrance and watched his siblings playing, swatting them away whenever they tried to play with him. The cub looked up into Ridge's face. Ridge remembered reaching forward mechanically, as though he had no choice, and picking up the cub.

The cub had stared unwaveringly into his face. The cub was absolutely fearless. There had been no laughter or excited yip from the cub, but the bond had formed as the cub nosed Ridge's cheek.

Ridge had named the cub Pathfinder because the cub was so independent and seemed to know exactly where he stood in the pack.

Ridge mused to himself, scratching Pathfinder's forehead. Their relationship wasn't built on warm affection, but a respect based affection.

"Who knows, we can't force it, I tried that once after I lost my first Wolffriend. She died after birthing 4 cubs, 3 died. I loved her so much that I thought the cub just had to bond with me, to honor the bond his mother had with me......" Swiftrunner had been his wolf since cubhood and he had been suprised that she had another litter at her age.

"Thundercloud tried to bond, but he just wasn't a wolf to ride on. He was too free-spirited and when I asked him if he wanted to go, it was like we finally truelly bonded. He left, but returned many times and the last time I saw him, he'd even let me ride him, we said our farewells and then he left, never to return." He walked beside Ridge and Pathfinder, the urge to scratch his neck made his fingers tingle, but he wouldn't do it. He wasn't his wolf.

Oakroot started walking in the direction of the dens, they weren't close to the Holt so it would be a good walk.

Ridge nodded silently, he'd heard the story of Swiftrunner and Thundercloud before and he'd been able to sympathize. The loss of Fur had been his first, and only, real blow. However, he frowned as he walked. Pathfinder certainly wasn't cuddly, but their bond was strong. To hardly bond at all... He couldn't imagine it.

Changing the subject, Ridge glanced at Oakroot, "You wanted to discuss something, Uncle?"

He had an idea he knew what his uncle want to talk about, but he would allow Oakroot to pursue the subject directly.

Tidemist could only stand by as she watched Kaimeta working on Lace. She could vaguely hear Oakroot explaining aloud what had happened and she frowned quietly to herself, clenching her hand a little. But there would be time later for blame and punishment of the involved parties. The important thing now was Lace, and whatever had happened to her.

It was with relief, and a feeling of half expecting Kaimeta's success, that she saw Lace rise up again. She had faced the ocean before retreating back to the coves to rest, something Tidemist acknowledged with an understanding nod, though she was concerned by what she saw in the female elf's eyes. But Tidemist sighed a little in relief. “Kaimeta, thank you. What in the tides-” but when she had turned, the High One had gone. She frowned in bafflement, but then saw a glimpse of Tern, and decided that was surely the reason for her abrupt absence.

Then Stormcloud was there, and Tidemist managed a half smile of friendliness. “I'm not sure. It seems our tail giver has taken her leave. When she will return, I’m not sure...But in the meantime if you like, I can show you our Coves. It's still a sight few WolfFolk have had the opportunity to see.” She smiled, hoping it would suffice until she could deliver on her promised adventure.

Kai headed down the beach with a purpose in her steps. As she neared the others she was reminded that she had promised to shape Brooksong and others so that they might go exploring out in the waves. Mentally kicking herself, she hoped they would forgive her in running off. She wasn't really thinking right as of recent and it seemed that everyone knew why.

Kai wished other elves would leave well enough alone, she'd started to feel like a child, every one trying to guide her. She was a damned High One! She knew very well what was going on and what to do about it. That didn't mean that she wouldn't try to lessen the blow on both sides.

Shaking off her fowl mental state, she walked over to the girls, right were she had left them.

If there was one think Kai did it was keep her promises.

Kai smiled from behind them. "Sorry about that." She said lightly. "I needed to clear my head." She wasn't sure if they girls would still want tails or not but she was here. Her work at home could wait a little while. "If you want to see the Coves, I can wait." She smiled and hoped she was being helpful.

An after thought crossed her mind. Being sober sucked.

Kai smiled. "Come down by the water and we'll get started." She said making her way towards the shallows. "I will warn you that it may feel strange having a tail shaped for the first time." Kai usually shaped tails for the sea folk with there were still rather young. "Gills might give you some trouble too but don't fight it, you'll be find."

Kai now stood in the shallow water, the waves gentle pulling at her skirt. One day she really should give swimming a try.

Kai smiled and kept her giggle back. "You might want to sit down." Kai said kneeling to start shaping. "First I think we should do your tail and then your gills, since they will take a little more getting used to." She said.

Kneeling by Stromcloud, she gently laid her hands on the wolf elf's legs, slowly they started to merge and become one. Kai went slow to prevent anything from going off, since usually shaping for wolf folk was more mending bones and less shaping tails, she didn't want to rush the experience for the girl. "It might tingle that's normal but if it hurts I need you to tell me right away." Kai was knitting nerves, muscle and bone from two limbs into one, while she'd never messed up a shaping, it has and can happen, and since this was Stormcloud's first shaping it was possible that, since she wasn't used to this, something might go wrong. But Kai trusted that the elfess knew herself well enough to know what was or wasn't right.

"How you feeling?" She asked when she reached the other elf's knees. She smiled as the pink purple tail took shape slowly under her hands.

Kai smiled. "That's good." She said as she finished Stormcloud's tail. The fins took their shape as they wished, and Kai sat back on her heels. "You had quite a lovely tail hiding in you." Kai said with a smile. "Now for the gills." She said. "Relax and try to remember you can breath the water like air once you've got them." Kai moved to Stormcloud's head. Sitting behind the girl, Kai took deep breath. "Lay back with your head in my lap." She instructed the younger elf. "This part will be harder." She said, gills for those that didn't have them were never really easy the first time but Stormcloud was a unique young elf maybe she would have an easier time of it that most.

“Oh Kai! I thought you had...” She trailed off, not really sure how to say what she had thought. Either she had run off to avoid Tern, or run off to get to Tern. And she surely didn't need reminding. Thankfully, Stormcloud had spoken and Kai had went with her to the shore line. She followed after them, wading easily into water and watching with a smile as Kaimeta began her work. She smiled at the tail, mildly surprised by the color. She wouldn't have pegged the wolf maiden for such a color and she couldn't help a mild giggle.

But she sat down, watching as Kaimeta began shaping the gills. It still surprised her that WolfFolk had no such features, which many of the SeaFolk had been born with. She moved reflexively as Stormcloud began coughing, but relaxed when it subsided. “Did you get air in your gills? I do that sometimes when I surface too quickly. You know it's strange watching you being shaped with gills..I was born with mine.” And she drew her dress up on the side, revealing one of the three slits on the side of her ribcage, near where the lungs would be.

Kai smiled. "Yup. You're all ready for under sea adventures." Turning to Tidemist. "You're turn." she said with a grin. They were false in a way she wasn't sure if her plan would work or if she should even try but she had promised these girls she would shape tails for them so she would. The best thing after was to probably return to her hut and finish thatching her roof, but part of her, a rather big part, thought it might be best to just go wait in Tern's cave for the elf to come home. Maybe they would finally figure this out, but beside that he wasn't looking to good. He was so young. Her thoughts drifted and soon she was done with Tide's tail.

"There all set." She said. She looked around, "I thought Brooksong was going to?" She asked not seeing the girl anywhere. "Was I mistaken?"