© 2002-2024 Roleplay by Rochelle, Ruth, and Heidi
Part 3

Silently, just below the den opening, Wren listened to the sound of footsteps, of shuffling, and strained to hear sounds of a silent conversation. *It must be Snapjaw,* she decided, remembering the elder's

earlier comments about seeing her brother to his den.

Still curious as to how the eldest elder managed to put her brother to sleep, she climbed the rest of the way to the den... and, to her surprise, saw Snapjaw AND Darkrider inside.

She glanced quickly at the form of her sleeping brother, taking note of his condition. Why had Darkrider accompanied Snapjaw? To help lift Wildlight into his den? Questions nipped at her mind.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, taking careful note of less-than-happy expressions on both elves' faces.

****

**My EXCU-?!** Darkrider was cut off before he could finish by Wren's send and froze. *Wren! Oh High Ones not another... please! She'll want me to use my powers to... I don't want to be my parents!* He mentally cried as his arms fell, losing the want to argue. "Wren.... why are you here...?" His voice was faint.

****

Wren arched an eyebrow inquisitively at Darkrider. "I had put the injured newcomer in the meeting room below and had come to see how my brother was doing," she replied, her tone reflecting that she was stating the obvious.

Her slate-grey eyes once again focused on Wildlight's form resting on his sleeping furs. Without a further word, she lightly stepped past the two standing males and knelt next to her brother's sleeping form.

"Stubborn fool," she whispered, though it might have been loud enough for the others to hear, "The tribe needs its chief to take care of...."

Her voice trailed off as she thought her eyes deceived her. Gone were the marks and burns that had been caused by the earlier scuffles with the bear-beasts. Whole again was the redness and the charred skin from what she knew had been the use of powers unseen in many eights of turns.

And Tobin had been with her, healing the griffin-rider who had fallen from the sky.

Slowly, she turned to Darkrider, eyebrows lowering, eyes narrowing into slits as the pieces of the puzzle she had been mulling finally fit into place on their own.

"It _was_ you," she said, softly so as not to wake her brother, her eyes turning toward the elves standing near the opening of the den. But it was clearly Darkrider who was the subject of her gaze.

****

Snapjaw's gaze also locked on Darkrider, and the elder folded his arms over his chest and waited to see what the reluctant healer would do. Wren had obviously pieced the puzzle together, but it was the dark griffin-rider's story to tell, his excuses to make as to why he would hide such a gift so desperately needed by his tribe.

****

If Darkrider could have found a way to carve the eyes from Snapjaw's head he would have done so. This story was not one he ever wished to tell, it was a story he wished he didn't relive each night to wake up screaming. It was one that made him shiver as he watched Tobin heal his tribesmates... and worse made himself love and hate his given powers. But then there was Wren's eyes, staring at him with a mix of judgment and realization- and he couldn't lie to them- not when it was so obviously true. So instead he said nothing, and did not meet her gaze. Let her call him what she would, he had no words to give her for why, none that she would understand.

*****

Snapjaw rolled his eyes and exhaled in exasperation. Darkrider didn't require his presence to tell his story or remain stupidly mute. **I am leaving. More hunters are needed in the forests,** he sent to both of them. To Wren, he locksent, **You will stay with Wildlight?**