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[Berit]

(the throw was not over 3, but since the bird is already pinned down and dying, I think it's safe to say it hit)

Moondrop's knife sinks into the flesh of the bird and it slowly lowers it's head, mighty beak open he lies there lifeless... they managed to defeat a mightier foe during nightfall... it's talons big and strong enough to be used as small daggers, it's meat plentiful and who knows what they will use it's bones and beak for... Marut rushes to Rustle who lies there unconscious.

"Healer! we need a healer now!! she is bleeding bad!..."

The whimper of a small wolf cub can be heard from between the rocks, by the sound of it, the cub is also in a bad shape...

[Czarine]

Laluna was going to attack the eagle when she saw an unknown elf girl appear from nowhere and shape-change into a fox! Laluna was so dumbfounded, that she couldn't do anything until the fox-girl got badly wounded by the eagle's talons. She hesitated, and didn't know what to do! Without a proper weapon, she couldn't really help much, but after the eagle was brought down with the help of others, she regained her determination.

"Make way! I can help!" she hurried past Marut to the girl...fox?

Laluna quickly located the worst of the wounds, and laid her hands on top of them. Then she closed her eyes, and let the magic flow through her arms to her fingertips, and to the wounds. Healing had never been easy for her, and it took all her concentration to get the bleeding to stop. She just hoped that she had magic enough for both of the wounded...

[Vaeri]

Tidemist looked extremely pleased at the kill. She pulled her spear out and gave a nod to the elf who had sunk her dagger in and a smile. She looked concerned towards Marut and the unconscious girl, but Laluna was already coming to the rescue. Her fears allayed, she examined the hawk and thought of the resources it could provide. She knelt down beside the bird and began to carefully pluck the feathers on the stomach and chest, getting ready to dress the carcass.

She again mentally lamented the fact she wasn't in her home, where she could easily have found salt and other things to season this. A bird wrapped and roasted in seaweed was really very delicious, stuffed with mussels and herbs and cut up vegetables or rice. Her mouth watered a little at the thought.

[Berit]

Marut stood next to her and was really concerned, it took a while but the bleeding finally stopped and she felt exhausted... the fox girl was still unconscious and wounded but time would do the rest... she needed to save her strength for the wolf pup. the pup was too scared or wounded to come on on its own... Marut looked at the eagle and wondered where it had dragged the baby wolf from... then he went next to the crevice and looked in...

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He had to try for a moment before sharp fear filled yelps could be heard and he pulled out a young cub, colored brownish grey, it was bloody and damaged from the fall, but well alive...

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"there there now..."

Marut said and brought it to Laluna...

[Czarine]

Laluna was relieved when the bleeding finally stopped. The fox girl would still need time to heal all those wounds, but at least she wasn't in danger anymore.

Her attention turned toward Marut, when she heard the yelps from the rocks. She thought that if the cub could yelp, it wasn't too badly injured... or at least she hoped. She examined the cub while Marut was holding it still. She wanted to know if it had any broken bones, because they would be too difficult for her to heal with magic.

[Berit]

"well... how bad is he?..."

Marut asks and looks when Laluna exmines the pup, it does have some broken bones, but things that can be fixed with splints as they are not too bad... the wolf yelps and whines still, it starts to calm down after a minute and looks at Laluna's eyes wondering why the bigger beast has not eaten it yet... small tail curled between it's legs it just stares at them... Marut smiles...

"Luckily he is big enough to eat squashed meat... doesn't need milk anymore... he sure is cute..."

[Vaeri]

Tidemist looked up from the hawk when Marut came by her and pulled out a yelping and hurt wolf cub. She blinked a bit surprised. She had only ever seen the full grown mounts of the tribe that lived besides hers. It was just a big ball of fur! Tidemist found herself smiling a bit and went back to her business, cutting open the bird and removing the insides. She tossed them away except the edible bits, such as the heart and lungs. She scraped the inside then put the edible organs inside the cavity and grabbed the feet of the hawk and began dragging it towards a tree, assisted by her floating powers.

She got it in the air and chuckled a moment at the sight of a dead bird flying again, and locked its feet in the joint of two branches. She wiped her hands off on the grass and began plucking the feathers off the entire bird, saving everything by floating it in the air in a ball of feathers and down. Arrows, perhaps new stuffing for her pillow and another if it could be made, decorations...These feathers could be very useful.

[Berit]

Tomi looks at Tidemist surprised...

"where did ye get that bird from?... mighty big bird that!.. and... I would like to ask if ye could leave some meat uncooked?... some of our tribe-mates seem to not like cooked meat..."

To vaeri's surprise, Tomi did not hear the calls for help even when she did... his hearing might not be the best among the group... maybe his shortened ears affected more than just the way his ears look?... He happily continues making the oven, soon it is somewhat ready...

"Now well let it dry and then add some finishing touches! thank ye dear fer helping me with it..."

[Czarine]

Laluna carefully examined the cub.

"He's not too badly hurt, though the broken bones will pain him for quite a while. I'll need to make some splints, so they will heal properly. He won't like walking after that, though." She smiled at the cub, scratching him gently behind his ear.

She used some of her magic to heal the bigger wounds, but the cub had survived with surprisingly less damage than she'd thought.

[Berit]

"it is a miracle he is alive!... Let me help you with the splints..."

Marut says and uses his skinning knife to cut some suitable looking branches, the knife is not the best tool for the job but good enough, he return to Laluna with the sticks...

"just tell me how long they need to be, or if they need to be thinner..."

Marut puts some learher strips to the ground as well...

"By the way, you look cute wuth the cub..."

He suddenly says with a friendly smile...

[Vaeri]

Tidemist smiled at Tomi as she continued plucking. “We killed it just now. Seems Laluna was on a rescue mission for a wolf cub, and this hawk was going to eat it. But now we get to eat it.” She chuckled a bit. “It should be no problem cutting off some of it and leaving it raw. Perhaps I could cut it in half and just cook one half...Wish I had rice and seasonings though. It'd improve the taste a lot.”

Vaeri was wiping her hands off carefully, glad she was finished and very pleased with how the oven was looking. She was a bit shocked to see such a large bird, and intrigued that Tidemist was going to cook it. She spared a brief glance at Tomi as she realized he hadn't heard the cries at all. Curious.

Then Tidemist was mentioning seasonings and Vaeri looked at her again. “I have some in my pack, a variety. You're welcome to use them for the bird. I would enjoy a nice meal. I didn't realize I was getting hungry.” Tidemist gave her a smile of gratitude as she accepted the offer and continued plucking.

[Berit]

Even as Tomi freed Vaeri from the mud mixing job, he started stirring it himself!...

"Ye ladies sure can make a meal, I am certain of that! better than the slop I mostly do, fer sure!..."

Then Tomi left the stirring and went on to cut some tinier trees with a small axe... after felling two he started collecting grass and moss in a big pile... only stopping to swipe some sweat from his forehead... suddenly a red headed male elf peeked at them all from behind the great tree!... and seemed very unhappy about seeing other elves...

"... and here I thought I was alone..."

He sighted sadly and started walking away, Tomi looked after the young elf...

"... not so keen on meeting that one, that I can tell ye already!..."

[Vaeri]

Tidemist had finished plucking all the feathers and laid them in a careful pile at the base of a tree, protected by roots so they wouldn't be blown away. Now the bird could be roasted! She began turning towards Vaeri to ask for the seasonings when a new male elf popped up! She blinked in surprise and bewilderment at his words, but when he started walking away, Tidemist quickly glided after him and locksent to him. *Wait! Do you live here?*

[Czarine]

Laluna was grateful for Marut's help. Healing always left Laluna a bit wobbly, so she was glad that she didn't have to go hunt for suitable splint material. She thanked Marut for the splints, and was surprised to hear his compliment.

"Oh? Thanks! I think this one is overflowing with cuteness." she smiled and scratched the puppy's cheek.

She took some of the splint material and gently tried to tighten one against the cub's broken leg.

"These will work well. We just have to keep an eye on him, so that he won't move too much while his bones heal."

[Jeb]

Moondrop leaned over panting, trying to calm her pounding heart. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, the world spinning around her. She was used to always thinking of survival, she would never have run toward a predator so much larger, preferring to hide rather than fight. She had responded without thinking and now her legs shook with delayed fear.

Shakily, Moondrop retrieved her blade and wiped it clean, barely sparing a thought for the floating elf who took the bird away.

Marut and Laluna had turned their attention to helping a wolf cub they had retrieved from the rocks, but Moondrop couldn't stop looking at Rustle. Had she really transformed into a fox? It seemed so dream-like, but Moondrop could still remember the solid warmth of her as they slept. She pulled out her water skin and leather scrap and wiped Rustle's face and cleaned some of the blood from her back. She wished she had her cloak to lay over the other elf, but it was being used for the eggs. She would need to go back and replace the warming stone soon. But for now she would wait with Rustle.

[Berit]

The red haired young elf clearly stopped angrily and clenched his fists when he felt someone sending to him, he turned around and looked at her with dull and unfriendly expression and sent back.

*Yes... What is it in for you, huh?...*

He has some little sticks stuck on her hair, some of them have leaves on them... Tomi keeps an eye on then not trusting the young elf...


Marut helps keeping the puppy's leg straight when Laluna adds the splint, the puppy starts whining as it hurts but now a more the kind of noise puppy uses to tell it's parents something is wrong. he realized already they are not going to eat him, they would have done so already. Marut smiles and jokingly says while he scratches the puppy's head...

"Such a soft pelt you have, looks like you get to keep it! too bad for us! it would have made a nice pillow!..."

The splint is soon secured on the puppy's leg and it tries to shake it off and goes in a bit of a panic then the splint does't drop... it looks at Laluna with a look that almost seems to ask why she was so mean... Marut Smiles and looks at Laluna asking...

"Can you walk?..."


Rustle lays there, breathing but not moving, the water did not wake her up... she made a stupid call attacking straight on, maybe she tried to keep the eagle's attention on herself so no one else would get hurt, since she attacked like a mother animal protecting her young... Moondrop feels that was the case... now she ended up like many mother animals do... she doesn't think like an elf but like an animal in situations like that... it takes a while until her yellow eyes shine from the darkness, she asks with a weakened voice...

"Dear... the others are well?... good... you needn't worry about me... go play..."

[Jeb]

Moondrop shakes her head. It was full dark now. She can't just leave the other elf alone and injured.

"I will help you back to the fire. There's food and warmth there. Can you move?"

[Berit]

Rustle slowly sits up clearly in pain...

"you are a good child..."

She shivers and her skin grows orange fur and she turns into a fox, turns and gently licks Moondrops cheek and tries to walk away to heal on her in the woods, but collapses on the ground again...

[Jeb]

Moondrop wasn't sure she would be able to help the taller elf, but with Rustle in her fox form, Moondrop thinks she can manage carrying her back to the big tree. She remembers the floating elf dressing the eagle, maybe some meat will make the fox feel better. Or there was the fish water, maybe that would be better?

[Berit]

The fox is luckily a very light animal to carry, Moondrop has carried smaller animals that weigh more. the orange fur is soft to her touch, quite like the flaming hair blanket that kept her warm earlier... Night creatures have started making noise all over the birch forest and glow worms shine between the blades of grass...

[Jeb]

Moondrop carries fox Rustle back and places her in the crook of the tree where they had napped earlier. She quickly feels the rock nestled with the eggs. Luckily, it still retains a little heat, but she needs to replace it soon.

Finally looking around, she is startled to see yet another new elf is now among them. All the elves so far had seemed friendly, but this one seems different. Although Moondrop isn't included in the conversation, she can clearly see his anger toward Tidemist. Tomi too seems uneasy in his presence.

Moondrop had meant to ask Tidemist if she would share some of her food, but will not break into this meeting. Moondrop will hunt something if she needs to, but first the eggs.

Before leaving to collect another rock from the fire she crouches by Rustle and asks quietly to not draw attention, "Are you hungry?"

[Berit]

Rustle,s golden eyes reflect the bonfire as she looks alert and exhausted at the new elf, her ears move down from their alert pose only for a minute when she hears Moondrop's voice... She silently whines at her and wags her tail a little bit... She seems to be hungry but doesn't want to burden Moondrop. Tomi holds his axe more like a weapon than a tool as he keeps an eye on the conversation between Tidemist and the red head elf...

[Vaeri]

Tidemist stopped when the elf turned. She noticed his unfriendly expression and posture, and kept a respectful distance even as she continued locksending. *Please. I had a vision of other elves being here...water elves like me, and land dwelling elves, and fish in a floating pool of water. But they're all gone! Can you tell me what happened? Is it dangerous to be here?* The full extend of her worry and concern was laid bare in her sending. She was very afraid that something might happen to her, or worse the others,  if they stayed here. Maybe this elf has seen and knew where the others went, if they had simply left...or something far more sinister.

[Berit]

The red headed elf tilted his head and talks to her, still looking angry...

"Look, I don't enjoy telling this again and again, So I will keep it short... YOU were here before, YOU created that floating ball of water... In fact, all of you lived here about few hundred years... Then vanished back to where you came... And same happened earlier too... Don't ask me why it happens, I do not know and I do not care to know..."

The elf turns again to continue his walk...

[Vaeri]

Tidemist looked stunned at his explanation. She didn't know about the others, but she knew she hadn't been here before. She would remember it, wouldn't she? And she certainly wouldn't forget an elf like this! He was almost as surly as one of her own tribemates. “That can't be. I'm just over three hundred tides, and I've never lived anywhere but my cove. And I can't keep things floating without my attention on them!”

He was going to leave again, so Tidemist tried a different track. “Wait. Won't you stay, please? We have  plenty of food to share if you like..we have a hawk to be roasted, and fish stew, and rabbit. I won't ask anymore questions about what happened if you stay.”