© 2002-2024 Roleplay by Rochelle, Ruth, and Heidi
Part 6

Darkrider's tirade disgusted Snapjaw. Wishing for his parents' death? The griffin-rider was more messed up in the head than the elder had ever suspected. But before he had a chance to process the venom in the dark elf's open send, Wren was voicing her own struggle with the healer's secret and then questioning Snapjaw's role in the mystery.

**Does it make you feel better to disparage your father for being the healer you refuse to be?** Snapjaw's sending was directed at Darkrider but open to Wren as well. **Emerald and Darkwolf coddled you, and it made you weak. A leech.**

The elder growled in the back of his throat in distaste. With each passing moment, he thought less of Darkrider, if that was possible. The knowledge that such poison had dwelled in his home for so long unnoticed, in a tribesmate no less, set the old elf's teeth on edge. It was like going to sleep with your trusted wolf-bond and waking up with rattlers in your warm sleeping furs.

**He healed Traildust after the groundshake, and he could not hide it,** Snapjaw sent in explanation to Wren's question. **And it is not for me to tell of the gift to the tribe that he withholds from them. We cannot make him be a healer.**

****

Darkrider turned away from Wren, slamming his fist into a near by tree and causing it to shake as his own knuckles turned red from the impact. *Damnit!* He mentally cried. He didn't want this, he didn't want to live like his parents had! But... Tobin was alone in healing... and it was wrong to hide this from Wildlight... **This is....my nightmare... High Ones, have you ever listened to me?**

****

**I've heard you,** Wren open-sent, anger becoming more obvious. **I've heard you try every excuse to persuade us to ignore your gift. What shall we do? Act like it never existed? And shall I bite my tongue while others of us need you?**

Snapjaw's reply was next. **Elder, there is no making. He already is a healer. And why he chooses to use his powers at one time and refuse to use them at others when they are needed makes no sense to me. No sense at all.**

****

Darkrider spun around TOWARD SNAPJAW, venom filling his eyes. THAT had been a little too much. Coddled?! **What did either of you know!? They tortured me every night! every night they put knives through me and spears into me.... and by morning all was healed- I hardly call that coddling!**

****

Snapjaw's dark green eyes widened at Darkrider's words. Surely they were rantings. The griffin-rider had gone over the edge. No elf would hurt a child, especially not his or her own. **You're mad,** he sent, Wren's statement forgotten. **He's mad. These are nothing but fish stories.**

****

**Fish stories? Fish stories that left me begging the High Ones each night...their lies and sweetness fooled you like all the rest elder!** Darkrider assured him with a morbid sadistic smile across his lips. **I can still remember those times... didn't you wonder why they were away so often? Or why their den was so far?**

****

Wren paused, shook her head. There were no lies in sending, and yet, she agreed with Snapjaw's thoughts. Elf did not harm elf. It went against the way. And had elf laid hand on another, especially a cub, they wouldn't live long enough to see another day. Cubs were precious to the tribe. The most precious members, because they were the future, the keepers.

Her thoughts quickly went to her unborn cub, still just a whisper in the song of her being, and felt sick. She could never dream of laying a hand on her child, nor could stand the thought of anyone else laying a hand on it.

She squeezed her eyes closed again, trying to think. Curse you, brother, she thought to herself, you're always occupied elsewhere when it comes to the hardest things. Finally, swallowing to keep herself calm, she asked so the elder could hear as well, **If what you say is true, why didn't you mention it before? It's been turns since they died. Why only mention it now?**