This story came to mind while I was.. um.. well, I forget what I was
doing.  Anyway, what -was- Lord Voll's impact upon the World of Two Moon,
life and death?  What would have come to pass if he had survived, and what
wouldn't have?  At first, the changes may appear minor, but I garantee, by
the time I'm finished with this baby, the ripples in the Worldpool that were
small will have become much.. much.. larger..
        Comments, feedback, and suggestions are welcome at jrorr@exis.net.
Please no flames.

                       	'What If Lord Voll Had Never Died?'
                          	             by Jessica Orr
                        original scripting by Richard and Wendy Pini


       The smile spread across Voll's face as his fingers dug small impressions in
the leather-bound saddle of Tenspan.  "There it is, my young friends..." he
whispered softly, gentle gray eyes flickering with suppressed emotion.
"Don't you see it?"
       Cutter's arms encircled Ember tightly, his wolf blue eyes dark with worry,
but a'flicker as well.  Awed, voice slightly edged, he answered, "I see
nothing, but I-I know something's there!"
       At first, Lord Voll did not seem to notice Cutter's hushed reply, then his
commanding voice came as an answer, awed in itself and light with
excitement.  "The power I spoke of -- the magical aura of the Palace!"
Laugh lines creased the edges of the elder's face, wisps of snow white hair
framing his face as they fell over the feather headdress that crowned his
head.  "It is there, it is!"  He almost turned around to see the Wolf
chieftain and daughter, but he did not stop in his words, digging his heels
into Tenspan's side to urge the bird forward.  "The Palace!  Is this not
worth the small discomforts I have caused you?  Soon we shall be home and
nothing!"  His eyes liquified.  "No one.. can drive us away from it again!"  
       They did not hear the subtle clicking of a spear being drawn back, nocked,
but the dreadful 'twang' of a weapon being fired as heard by all.  The
heart-splitting death cry of the great hawk, Tenspan, as the spear split his
chest, Voll's own, softer moan of pain and surprise before Cutter's stomach
lept to his throat, his arms hugging Ember to him tighter than before, as
they fell.  Falling, falling, then stopping, thrown off the saddle into the
colorless, icy snow flying up around them.  Ember started crying and Cutter
held her protectively as they stumbled up, only to see the Chosen hovering
around the fallen bird.
       Aroree's cry shattered the silence.  "Voll!  Oh, Voll!"
       Lord Voll lay in a heap, blood seeping from a wound in his midsection,
crumpled within himself.  Leetah ran forward, snow-dust flying up around her
Glider-altered traveling coat, its bright reds and yellows vibrant against
the white.  She knelt beside him, fingers lightly touching the wound.   She
held her breath.  Cutter's heart seemed to pause.  The Chosen's faces turned
bloodless.  Then, a hoarse whisper, "He's alive."
       Leetah's beautiful green eyes looked up at them, dark with worry, but
faintly relieved all the same.  "The spear.. did not pierce.. he -- oh!"
She jumped back as a metal bolt churned up snow inches from her, her eyes
wide with fright as she stared past Cutter..
       He turned, pushing Ember behind him, New Moon flashing.  Trolls, bigger,
uglier, and grinning horrible grins.  They've changed, those trolls from the
frozen mountains.  Picknose's ominous voice echoed in Cutter's head as he
gripped New Moon's hilt until his knuckles showed white.  The trolls, their
grins betraying craggy teeth and bulging muscles rippling beneath green,
leathery hides.  Troll swords arched high, their blades jaggedly forged and
painful even to look at.   The Chosen hovered around Lord Voll and Leetah
like vultures, fingering their talon whips with expressions of bewilderment.
       ** We should flee.. **
       ** Lord Voll is injured-! **
       ** Those things.. what are? **
       ** Lord Voll can't be moved.  ** Leetah's unfocused send was terse,
interrupting the flurry of more fluid, Gliderish sendings.  Her hands were
glowing softly, but the glow was dullened somewhat, eyeing the approaching
trolls with disgust and fright.  **  I have to stay here and heal him.  If
he moves.. ** Her sending was heavy and thick.  ** ..he dies. **
       A collective gasp rippled through the crowd of Gliders and Wolfriders
alike.  Strongbow was already nocking an arrow and Treestump was unsheathing
his axe.  The Gliders hovered helplessly, then Aroree reaches hesitantly for
her talon whip, turning in midair to face the approaching trolls, hoping the
others would follow her lead..
       Faster than the eye could follow, a bolt fired from one of the strange
crossbows the Northern Trolls held, then another.  Cutter dug his heels into
the ground, his stance firm as he stood over Lord Voll and Leetah
protectively, the cubs Suntop and Ember yanking their  wide blue-green
stares from the fallen Lord to the approaching death in the form of trolls. 
       Leetah tried not to pay attention to the chaos that surrounded her.  Tried
to concentrate on the gaping wound in Voll's midsection even as the
Wolfriders started to fall.  First it was Moonshade, the sharp-tongued
tanner, as a flash of metal wrenched a slash from her side to her ribcage.
She fell, snow spraying around her, as her lifemate, the silent Strongbow,
struggled valiantly to fend off trolls even as his catch of arrows started
to slighten.
       Then it was Oroleed, the somewhat gentler Chosen.  Side by side with his
lover, Yeyeen, their talon whips screamed through the air, slashing troll
flesh and troll swords from their owners.  But a crossbow sung as two bolts
were fired, one hitting his shoulder, the other burying itself deep into his
chest.  His eyes widened as he wobbled in his flight, then fell, hitting the
snow limply.  Leetah squeezed her eyes shut, holding in the tears of
frusteration as she blocked out Yeyeen's cry of grief.
       Leetah escaped into a trance, falling into the deepest of healer's trances
since she had healed Redlance those long turns ago.  Her cheeks were slick
with tears, snow, and blood, and she lost herself in the healing, knitting
flesh and bone together, and as she started to slowly withdraw, Cutter's cry
sliced through her mind like a knife.
       Her head jerked up.  Tam?
       A troll stood triumphantly over her fallen lifemate, but his expression
twisted as, from the swirling snow-dusted winds, an elk appeared out of
nowhere.  Shouting something she couldn't hear, the elk's rider scooped up
Cutter, limp as a doll.  Then, more and more elk-and-riders appeared.
Leetah found herself being scooped up as well.  Bewildered, the healer found
wit enough to shout, "No! Lord Voll--!"
       ** Eeerff! He's a big one, aye? **  A sending even less practiced then her
own dug into her mind with its crudely shaped words and she could dimly make
out Lord Voll's slender form thrown over the back of an elk.  Leetah smiled
with exhausted relief, then closed her eyes, falling against the coarse
brown fur of the elk she rode on, trusting her strange, unknown savior to
keep her from falling.. and everything went black..

       "Forget it, troll!"  Rayek drove his dagger deep into the troll's
collarbone as it lept for him.  The troll fell back with a strangled choke,
clutching at its wound. Rayek turned away, looking down at the scarcely
alive Wolf chieftain.  A bitter smile took over his face.  "You've killed
your last elf!"  Digging his heels into the elk's side, he urged his mount
forward and it thundered back to the GoBack Lodge.
       Halfway there, Cutter awoke with a start, but Rayek kept him still until
they came to a stop.  He said nothing, not wanting to betray his presence
until this chaos was ended.  A silver-haired Wolfrider darted forward to
catch Cutter as he slipped from the elk's back - Rayek dimly remembered him
as Skywise - shouting, "Give him to me, quickly!"
       Skywise cradled Cutter's limp body, salty tears stinging the cuts on his
cheeks.  "Leetah!!  Where are you?"
       "I'm coming!"   Awake, the healer slipped off of the elk she rode upon and
darted towards the two brothers.
       Kahvi, as if nothing was wrong, barked orders. "Take your wounded inside!
Vaya!  Get your scouts to their perches!"  She gritted her teeth, fingers
digging into her palms, then whirled around to face a trio of passing
GoBacks.  "Yif! Skot! Krim!  Sniff around for new tunnels!"  She turned away
from then abruptly, muttering to herself more than them.  "It'd be just like
those reeking trolls to worm their way under our floors while we were out
kill their kin.."  She paused, moving towards Leetah, Cutter, and Skywise.
She peered at him, then sniffed disdainfully.  "Hmph!  That one's bled
white!  Better dump him!"  A somewhat crooked grin took her face.  "He'll be
dead before you get inside anyway."
       Skywise whirled around and snarled, "He's our chief and my friend, you
cold-hearted.."
       "He is my lifemate!"  Leetah cut Skywise off, turning pleading green eyes
on Kahvi.  "I can heal him!!"
       Kahvi's nostrils flared. "You.. a healer?  Phaugh!"  She turned away,
moving towards the Lodge. "That's all we need."  She gestured for them to
follow her.  "Well.. all right. We can lie on -my- sleep furs.  The Great
Ice Wall knows they've been stained before with warriors' blood!"

       Already in the Lodge, groups of Wolfriders and Gliders alike huddled,
counting their wounds.. and their dead. 
       Dewshine cradled Scouter carefully, her eyes on him even as she blocked out
the pain she was recieving from her Recognised, Tyldak, who was crumpled in
a corner.  She touched her lovemate's cheek gently, her blue eyes dark.
"Lovemate...?"
       Scouter groaned and shifted in her arms, his voice hoarse.  "Wh-what..?"
His eyelids cracked.  "Where are we...?"
       "Safe," Dewshine reassured him, a weak smile on her face.  "I think."
       "B-But the trolls...!  How did we-" Scouter started to ask, then collapsed
in a fit of coughing.
       Dewshine's eyes closed, burying her face in his soft brown locks of hair.
"Your poor throat!" she whispered.  "Don't speak. Rest."

       Tyldak's eyes were dark and moist as he looked at Dewshine from across the
lodge.  A bolt from a crossbow had torn one of his wings nearly in half, yet
it was not pain from his wound that he felt, but the worry and grief that
emitted from Dewshine.  Recognition was so much deeper than making children,
he realized bitterly, then shifted his brown gaze to the Chosen that tended
to him.
       Yeyeen's Chosen attire was shredded, but a thoughtful GoBack had wrapped a
fur about her shoulders to keep her from freezing.  Her own expression was
bland; her eyes, dull, as she tended to Tyldak's wounds, ignoring her own.
The GoBacks had made her leave Oroleed's body back on the  scene of the
battle and she had been moving about in a daze ever since.  Her fingers,
bloodied, pressed the bandages against his wing to stop the bleeding.
       ** Yeyeen.. ** Tyldak started to reassure her, then trailed off, not
knowing what to say.  
       For what could a being, who had known only immortality until now, know of
death?
       
       "Clearbrook?" Treestump's fingers were tight around the hot bowl, ignoring
the burn of the heat.  The silver-haired huntress stared blankly into space,
her fingers digging small holes in the blue fabric of her blanket.  The
grizzled elder swallowed.  "This hot brew tastes of bear-fat.  Its not bad."
He started to push the bowl into her hands.  "Won't you drink...?"
       In response, Clearbrook shifted her gaze slightly, then looked away from him.
       Treestump bit his lip.  "The grief... I know it can make you want to die."
He lowered his head slightly.  "Rillfisher... when I lost her I.."  He
swallowed as he looked at his friend, so blank and unaware of him, knowing
that words were lame, useless.  Meaningless.  He remembered how he felt when
he lost Rillfisher and, after a moment, he simply say next to her.  He wound
an arm around her shoulder and hugged her gently.  Like a rag doll, she
simply fell against him, her eyes staring unblinking into the fire.

       Aroree knelt next to Lord Voll's body, tenderly wrapping the nearly healed
wound that scared his midsection.  She longed for her silver-haired lover,
but knew that to be near him now would be to intrude, so she concentrated on
her appointed task at hand.  Reevol assisted her and she could sense his
tight-lipped disapproval at the entire situation, but she chose to ignore it
for the time being. 
       She also chose to ignore the curious looks they were earning from the Snow
Elves that had rescued them from the attack by those awful green monsters.
There were whispers going around them and she had long since tried sending
to them; any attempt she made was met with a blink, then a wince, and the
elf that she had sent to would scurry away.
         But one set of eyes disturbed her most.  Amber-gold, the color of a
serpent's eyes, had settled on her, Reevol, and Lord Voll some time ago.
Something about him made her skin prickle.  The curiousity towards them
wasn't as unfocused as the surrounding elves and it disturbed her.  What
about those strange yellow eyes made them so different from the eyes that
were all around her?
       Aroree bit her lip and brushed away the thoughts, looking down to Lord
Voll.  Tenderly, she touched his cheek with a sort of reverence.  "Please,
my Lord," she whispered.  "Please don't die."

        "Did you see Cutter?  Did you see what the trolls -did- to him?!"
       Nightfall's voice was nearing a shriek, her golden eyes bright with tears
and fright. She pointed a shaking finger towards the leather flap that shut
out the rest of the Lodge, where she knew Cutter lay on his deathbed.  She
pushed away Redlance's gentle hand as he mopped at the blood staining her cheek.
       "Nightfall, you musn't worry," her treeshaping lifemate soothed, green eyes
soft.  "Leetah saved me and with far less reason than she has to save him!"
       Nightfall hid her eyes in her hands, curling into a ball.  "Please,
Leetah.. please!  If a healer can draw power from love, then add all of mine
to yours!"  Her eyes squeezed shut.  "Make Cutter live!  Make my friend live!"

       Ignoring Nightfall's cries, Rayek's eyes lingered on the two slender elves
that tended to the one they had identified as Lord Voll.  There were five
others of their breed, tall and impossibly slender, and one more that he
assumed was kin to them as well who was grotesquely shaped.  The only way
Rayek could identify him as an elf was to ignore his body completely and
gaze into his large, forlorn eyes.  Even in this time of fear and pain,
their movements were graceful, beautiful.  Not High Ones, Rayek marveled
silently.  But close to it. What were they doing with savages like the
Wolfriders?  And gentle Leetah?  Quietly, Rayek brushed away the thought.
       A hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts.  "Enough gawking,
Black-Hair," Kahvi's gruff voice spoke.  "Tall or not, they're elves and
fairly decent fighters for that, for all the meat they're missing on those
bird-bones of theirs."
       "They're like Savah.  Nearly High Ones," Rayek breathed.  He spoke more of
their 'Lord' then the rest of them, but they all seemed to possess an
ancient sort of fluidness to their movements.
       Kahvi snorted.  "I doubt it, 'cept maybe for that old 'un over there."  She
squeezed his shoulder, drawing his attention away from the Gliders. "Look,
you muck with magic, eh Black-Hair?"  She jerked her head in the direction
of the enclosure where Leetah tended to Cutter.  "Maybe you can help that
healer with her lifemate, eh?"
       Rayek's eyes darkened.  He started to answer, then trailed off, shifting
his gaze away from the rough-spoken War Chieftess.

       If only he has let me begin the moment he was hurt!  Leetah's thoughts were
running wildly, even as she struggled to calm them as she fought to keep her
lifemate alive.  So much time and blood.. lost!
       "He's worse!  Barely breathing!  Why can't you--?"  Skywise's frightened
words cut through her thoughts like a fish through water.
       "Quiet!!" Leetah snapped, her voice sharp.  His heart aches to die! It is
all I can do to keep it beating!  The healer felt tears escape from her
emerald green eyes.  Tam, I must lose you someday.. but not so soon!  Not now!
       Ember and Suntop clung to Skywise, afraid that they might lose him too as
they seemed to be losing their father.  The grim obsession in Leetah's eyes
terrified the twins, as did Cutter's deathly pallor.  They didn't dare to
wonder which would win - healer or hurt?
       The rustle of leather drew Skywise's attention away from the desperate
healer to the leather curtain that shut the rest of the Lodge away.  A
figure, covered in so much cloth and fur it was hard to see the elf beneath,
stepped in, a pair of serpentine eyes peeking out from beneath the fur cap.
Skywise rose to his feet quickly.  "Huh?  What do you want...?"  When no
answer came, he gritted his teeth and snarled, "Go away!"
       But the stranger ignored Skywise, moving to kneel across from Leetah,
holding his hands a handspan over hers.  Golden energy trickled down from
those fur-mittened hands and a small, relieved smile flew across Leetah's face.
       Skywise blinked.  "Leetah, what-?"
       "Hold him, Skywise!"  Leetah cut him off, commanding.  "Don't let him go!"
       Skywise moved forward quickly and grabbed Cutter's hand, squeezing it.  "I
won't!" he answered, looking down at his brother's face and his eyes dimmed.
He promised, "Not ever!"

       "Dead?"  Scouter's face drained of color, choking on the words.  "My
father...? -Dead-?"    
       Dewshine stepped forward, her blue eyes dark.  "Scouter.."
       "N-No," Scouter pushed her away, raising a hand to his forehead, brushing
aside some unruly locks of brown hair.  "He can't be.  I-I didn't see.."
       "..I did."  Treestump, the eldest of the Wolfriders, stepped forward,
reaching to take Scouter's arm.  "It was quick.  There's no good way to die,
but I've seen plenty worse.  One-Eye fell lik--"
       "DEATH!!!"  The scream cut the bearded Elder off and all eyes turned to a
single Glider, her helmet discarded and her gray-silver hair trailing down
to reach her ankles as she levitated into the air.  "Death, death!  We are
not supposed to die, we should not die!  We are forever!  Where are you,
Oroleed?!  My love, I cannot find you!"
       Tyldak started to rise unsteadily, extending a taloned wing to her.  **
Yeyeen.. **
       "No!"  Yeyeen started towards the door, her eyes wild.  "We left him there!
We left him outside!  Outside with monsters!"  Elves pawed at the air,
trying to catch her as she flew over head.  "I must find him!  I will find
you, my love! Oroleeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....!!"  Her cry got lost in the wailing
winds outside as she disappeared through the door and into the swirling white.
       Kahvi jumped to her feet.  "Rotten fish guts!" she swore vehemently.
"She's gone crazy!  Go get her before the trolls go!"

       Clearbrook watched the whole proceedings with silence, then curled into a
ball.  She sensed her son stood next to her, but she did not look nor speak
to him.  As Cutter's cry cut through the smoky air, a howl of pain as he
struggled to conciousness, she bent her head, resting her forehead on her
knees and wept.

       Lord Voll... hurt.   There was a dull, dry ache in his chest and his head
pounded fiercely.  He felt cold and tired, and voices came at him from all
sides, mental anguish and sorrow.. and -pain- escaping from elven minds,
controlled or not, pounding and wreaking havoc on his own powerful mind.  It
had been a long time since Voll had truly felt physical pain and his lips
parted as he whispered hoarsely the name of one he knew could quiet it.
       "Winnowill...?"
       "My lord?"  A female voice.  But not the female he wanted.  His eyes opened
and he gazed into the silver depths of Aroree's worried eyes.  The worry
vanished as relief sped across her face, a small smile beginning to show on
the edges of her lips.  "You're all right!"
       "That.." Voll started to sit up with a grunt. "..is a matter of opinion, my
dear." 
       Aroree smiled a bit, kneeling next to him.  She clasped his hand in hers.
She whispered, "Alive then." 
       Lord Voll smiled up at her, his smile shaky.  "Yes," he agreed.  "Alive."

       Leetah opened her eyes, looking down at her hand. It covered the hole where
she knew Cutter's wound to be.  Dare she lift it?  Would the wound be
healed?  Would her lifemate live?  Hesitantly, she lifted her hand, closing
her eyes for a moment, then looking down.
       A smooth, slightly scarred, bit of skin returned her gaze.
       "Done," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.  "He will live!  He
will -live-!"  She held her lifemate's tired body in her arms, burying her
face in his mane of wheat-blonde hair, inhaling the familiar scent of fur
and woodsmoke.  
       The stranger behind her smiled, turning away as he started to slip off his
mittens. "Strength and courage you may have, Wolfrider.."
       Leetah's eyes widened at the familiar voice, jerking her head up.
       "...but wits?  Never!"  
       Leetah turned around, biting her lower lip.
       The stranger pushed off his white fur cap, midnight black hair coming to
view, then a familiar yellow-black-and-red stripped headband.  Golden-amber
eyes looked down on Leetah fondly and a smile crept across his face.
       Leetah stared numbly at the face of her long-ago lover,  and felt something
in the pit of her stomach begin to ease.  She whispered, "Rayek..?"
       Rayek merely gave her a knowing smile and reached for her hand.  "Come,
Leetah.."
       Leetah hesitated. "Oh.. no!  You.. I cannot leave!  I.. I.."
       Rayek's voice was surprisingly gentle.  "There are others who need your help."
       Dazed, nearly exhausted, Leetah hesitated one moment more, then fell into
Rayek's arms, her tears falling freely.  Long ago, she had found what she
had thought to be her lover's remains in a cave in the Canyons in her native
desert.  She had mourned him, these last moons, for she still loved him.
Now he was here, -alive- and she was exhausted.  Quietly, Rayek supported
her and led her out of the enclosure.
       Skywise watched them leave, then looked to his brother, still laid out on
the furs.  Some color was to his skin now, at least.  Quietly, holding one
twin in each arm, the stargazer bowed his head and prayed to the High Ones
that Cutter would be all right.

       Yeyeen found the place where the trolls had ambushed them.  The howls of a
wolf mourning its rider led her here and he paused a moment by the
frightened animal, then turned away.  In vain, she sent and she sent,
extending her mind as far as it would to touch the mind of her lover, but no
answer came.  Not even his body was to be found.  Exhausted, Yeyeen sunk to
the ground where a patch of snow had melted away, leaving only a crimson
stain in its place, her head bowed.
       The sound of wolf and elk did not make her look up.  Two Wolfriders, Pike
and Scouter on one wolf, Treestump and Clearbrook on another.  On the elk, a
GoBack named Yif and the youngest Chosen, Eresir rode.  "There she is!"
Scouter shouted.  "I see her!"
       Pike squinted through the snow, commenting, "Only you could, sharp eyes."
       The wolves and elk came to a stop.  Scouter and Clearbrook slid off and
Eresir glided towards Yeyeen.  ** Yeyeen, ** he sent gently.  ** Did you
find..? **
       ** He's not here, ** she sent numbly in reply.  ** Not.. anywhere. **
       Clearbrook did not pay attention, wandering away, her eyes searching.
After a moment, she merely stood there, the wind catching her cropped hair
and blowing it in her face.  Scouter looked over at her and his eyes
narrowed slightly, swallowing.  "She's.. she's searching for Father's body."
       Treestump's lips thinned, urging his wolf towards Clearbrook.  One-Eye, he
thought.  My friend.  How you're missed!  
       Yif smirked, digging his heels into the elk's side as it trotted forward.
"Trolls!" he commented, looking amused.  "They don't waste time.  Or
anything else.  But then, neither do we!"  He added with a chuckle, then
blinked, looking down at Pike, whose wolf was circling the elk.  The elk
snorted and backed away a few steps.  "Hey!  Call off your wolf!"
       "Why?"  Pike's berry-purple eyes danced.  "If that deer's healthy, what's
your worry?"
       Treestump guided Clearbrook back towards the wolves, touching her shoulder
gently.  He looked at Yeyeen and Eresir, retreating back as well.  "Come."
Their eyes lifted to him and he cleared his throat.  "Come with us.  Forget
this place."  He smiled bitterly, squeezing Clearbrook's shoulder
supportively.  "At least its warm in the strangers' camp... come."

       Cutter wasn't quite sure when he really woke up, but when he was aware of
when he was awake, he found himself talking. "...crying.. someone's
crying.."  He woke up with a  jolt.  "One of us is gone! Who is it?  Leetah!!"
       Her gentle voice was in his ear.  "I am here, beloved."
       Cutter swallowed.  "Suntop?  Ember?"
       Leetah smiled, brushing some hair from his face.  "Look there beside you.
They are asleep.."  The smile took a shade of amusement to it.  "And so is
Skywise, finally.  He would not leave your side until he knew you would be
well."
       Cutter started to sit up, then gasped, doubling over.
       Leetah darted forward.  "You're still in pain?"
       Cutter ventured a smile. "Y-Yes.. but its good pain!  It tells me I'm
alive!" He reached to take her hand.  "Alive.. because of you!"
       Leetah relaxed and only gave him a smile in return.  "The healing was..
difficult.  You had prepared yourself to die!  But I had help.."
       Cutter tilted his head.  "Help?"
       "Yes, Wolfrider.."
       Rayek's voice interrupted them as he stepped into the enclosure, closing
the leather curtain behind him.  "We worked on you together, Leetah and I."
       Cutter gaped.  "Rayek!?"
       Rayek smiled slyly.  "You saved my life once.  I owe you nothing now."
       Cutter started to splutter. "I-I don't understand!  How did you-?  We
thought you were.."
       "Well, now!"  Another voice interupted them as a fur-clad snow elf wandered
in, her brown eyes bright.  Twin pairs of braids marked her as chief of her
tribe, but Cutter only stared blankly.  "How are you this day, Wolf Chief?
Back among the living? Heh heh.." She chuckled, looking amused as she hooked
her thumbs over her belt.  "Spear holes all closed up, are they?"
       Cutter boggled. "Who-?"
       "She is Kahvi," Leetah explained, winding an arm around Cutter's shoulder
as she introduced the strange maiden.  "Chief of the Go-Backs, the elves who
rescued us!"
       Cutter shook his head, trying to sit up.  "Elves?  We found more elves?!" 
       "More like we found you, pretty face!"  Kahvi tilted her head, cocking an
eyebrow at him.  "Have to grant you, though.  Your folk fight like three
times their number.. all save a few.." 
       Cutter bowed his head.  "One-Eye.. he's dead, isn't he?"
       "And Oroleed."  Yet another voice interrupted them, but this one was
familiar.  Ducking his head, Lord Voll stepped in.  Twice the size of most
of the elves there, he did not look uncomfortable as he looked down upon the
Wolf Chief with gentle gray eyes.  "Oroleed is gone as well."
       "So?  Cheer up!"  Kahvi pushed forward again, spreading her hands in fornt
of her.  "Considering the odds, I'm surprised any of you made it!  Then
again.."  She started for the leather curtain again, pushing it aside.  "The
way you fight, I should feel sorry for the trolls!" She paused, looking
back. "Hmm.. your lifemate, eh healer?"  A sly smile crept across her face.
"Young.. good shoulders.."  She cocked an eyebrow innocently before slipping
out.  "Do you share?"
       Leetah smiled, then looked to Lord Voll, lifting her brows.  "Its good to
see you up and about, Lord Voll," she addressed him with a sort of formal
tone to her voice.
       "Yes," the Lord of the Gliders answered simply, then granted her a warm
smile, reaching to touch her shoulder.  "And I owe it to you, gentle healer.
Thank you."
       Leetah inclined her head in a slight nod, then looked to Cutter.  Taking
his arms, she gently lay him down on the furs.  "Sleep again.  You are not
done mending."
       ** Send to me while I sleep! ** Cutter send-whispered, his eyes fluttering
shut.  ** Rayek.. Voll.. alive.. how? **
       Not yet knowing the answer herself, Leetah allowed Voll to part the curtain
and pass through, guiding Suntop and Ember out as well.  "Ember.. Suntop..
Lord Voll.. this is Rayek, the old friend I thought long dead."
       Rayek's eyes took a far off look as they settled upon the twin youngsters,
then he smiled.  Suntop strode forward confidently and circled him.  "Well,
he's alive, all right.. and he feels like lots of magic!" Glancing to the
Glider Lord out of the corners of his eyes, he added, "Just like Lord Voll!"
       Lord Voll smiled, stepping forward to rest a hand on Suntop's head fondly,
his eyes glittering as they always did when he was with the children.  He
looked to Rayek, lifting his eyebrows as he regarded the yellow-eyed
magic-user for a moment, then inclined his head to him.
       Rayek looked up to meet Lord Voll's gaze and something in him sang.  He
felt as if he were meeting Savah, the Mother of Memory, for the first time
and a shadow of reverence took his voice.  "I'm.. ah.. pleased to meet you,
Lord Voll," he addressed him with uncharacteristic shyness.   Before more
could be said, though, Ember stood on her tiptoes to squint at the
fingerbone in Rayek's hand.
       "Hey!  I found that finger bone you got!  Its s'posed to be you!"
       Leetah smiled, reaching to touch Rayek's hand gently.  "I have never been
happier to be proven wrong!"
       Rayek chuckled, arching an eyebrow at her.  "You should have had more faith
in me."
       Suntop frowned as he moved behind Rayek, reaching to touch the silky, jet
black hair that cascaded down Rayek's back.  He hissed, "Ember, look!  Long,
black hair!"
       Ember frowned.  "Just like W--"
       "Shhh!"
       But Lord Voll looked down at the two cubs' whispering and his gray eyes
darkened.  ** Just like Winnowill, ** he lock-sent softly to the two
children, then turned away from them, retreating back to the furs where he
had lay a while before, his face creased with thought.  
       Winnowill had betrayed him, the old Lord of the Gliders remembered.   But
did he still love her, through all of this?  He had never had one of his
turn away from him, though doubtless she had been doing so for countless
years, maybe centuries!  Maybe more.  But now, he had found the Palace of
High Ones!  He knew it because, even here, its call was strong, extending
tendrils of magic towards him, beckoning him.  And here were new elves, even
stronger and hardier than the Wolfriders, but elves nonetheless.  Lord Voll
wondered if they could return to the Palace of High Ones easily or if they
would have to fight their way in, like these small, sturdy Go-Backs had done
for as long as most of them can remember. 
       He wondered...

[To be continued.]