© 2002-2024 Ruth and Heidi
Part 6

But something else about what Snapjaw said piqued his curiosity. Arching a pale eyebrow, he looked at the eldest elder again. **You've done that to another before?**

Perhaps he'd just misunderstood what Snapjaw had said before, but the statement had set him a bit on edge. He understood Snapjaw's motives for doing what he did to him--he knew that he had been near exhaustion that day, but what reason had Snapjaw to use such a technique before?

**Not in a long while,** Snapjaw replied. Hoary eyebrows knit together at the uncertain expression on Wildlight's face. **Not to anyone in the tribe now,** he added. **Crimson. He was much like you in ways, trying to do everything himself. He would go nights and days without sleep or food until he collapsed. Especially during the war. So when I started putting him to sleep, he did not catch on.** The older elf shrugged his shoulders, then scratched at his beard. **And there was Tangle. Back before your mother's time. He was a plantshaper, liked to use all sorts of weird weeds, strip naked, and go treewalking. Should have just beat him until he passed out. Should have let him break his neck.**

Wildlight shook his head. He wasn't sure if he liked being compared to his grandsire or not. He'd heard all too often of how impulsive, stubborn, and angry the war-chief had been, and too often he had worried that he might follow in his ancestor's footsteps. Lately, though, it seemed that there didn't have to be war in order to lose members of his tribe.

He was surprised to find those words leaking from his mouth as he thought them. "I hope you don't see too much of my grandsire in me. I'd like to think I made better choices than he did. As much as I don't like that there are humans near here, I don't want us to go to war."

He turned on his heel to look out at the Hurst, still quieting down from the activites of the night before. "But the more I think of it, I'm wondering how similar to him I am. At least he could rally others behind him better than anyone, so I hear."

He understood why Snapjaw did as he'd done, and, in his own way, didn't feel quite as hostile about the situation as he had, though he still didn't like the thought of being strangled from behind.

Looking back over his shoulder at the eldest elder, he quipped, "At least I know to keep my eye on you."