By Alec, 2003

As the maiden before them crossed a glade suddenly out of the bushes a warpainted plainrunner jumped at her and knocked her down.
Wintersong and Whetstone stopped in their way. Shareheart didn't had the time to realize anything, she was too much in a hurry and worried for noticing the warrior. She fall on the ground without a sound.


"BearTooth??" whispered Wintersong startled. He knew this male from years ago...when he had last seen NewLeaf, his former lovemate.

The plainrunner named BearTooth turned to that slightly familiar voice and frowned as he slowly recognized Wintersong.

"Frostblade?!!" he echoed back.

Whetstone arched an eyebrow about these two, now what was it with the other name? "What's this about?" he inquired growling.

Beartooth quickly grabbed his spear again and took up Shareheart's unconsciouss body with his free arm. **We're taking some new maidens
to bring new blood to our tribe! And you two better not get in the way!!** the war-painted plainrunner sent.

Wintersong growled "Whhaaat?!!!!" and hurled himself at his former tribemate. Beartooth was so surprised that he dropped Shareheart to
the ground and brought his spear shaft between him and the attacking wolfrider.

**Quick! Bring Shareheart to the holt.** Wintersong locksent to Whetstone.

The old wolf just growled back as an answer : **Don't you dare give me orders, young wolf?!!** he sent strongly. This was enough now! However courageous Wintersong might be, the old wolf had seen far too many winters than to take orders from this young warrior!

Angrily he simply pushed Wintersong out of the way. Both Beartooth and Wintersong were far too surprised to do anything against it.
Finally Whetstone could feel the thrill of war pulsing through his veins again. It was like a sweet melody singing to him and somewhere
in his most inner-deep being he finally understood why his former chief had gone mad over this. It was the way! "Now stand up like a
real man and fight!"

He swung his cudgel at the plainrunner who didn't really know whom to attack anymore. Whetstone, blowing his top, delivered a shattering
strike on his opponent and he quickly went to the ground. Whetstone swung his cudgel again and as he stroke down he got sprayed by the elfs blood. Wintersong got back to his feet and jumped at Whetstone.

"Are you out of your mind?!!" he shouted as he hindered the old wolf to deliver the final blow. "You're going to kill him!"

Whetstone only grinned at the younger warrior and suddenly with an almost silent "thwack", something in the old wolf's eye broke, his
grin fading away.

"Damn you.." he whispered to Wintersong as he sank in his arms. Wintersong could feel a slight pain in his chest and as he looked down
and tried to catch Whetstone from falling, he caught sight of Beartooth's spear.It had penetrated Whetstone's back and cut right through his lungs. The tip of the razor-edged spearhead sticked out of Whetstone's chest and had started to slice open Wintersong's own flesh.

"...damn you..." Whetstone gurgled again and he coughed blood onto Wintersong's shocked face.

Then he sank to the ground completely, leaving both a bloody trail and a cut on Wintersong's body.

Wintersong bared his fangs and rushed upon Beartooth who was desperately trying to get his spear free of Whetstone's lifeless hull.
Tumbling over the ground the two opponents hit and beat each other to the most. Cruel and intense sendings raced from one mind to another
and Beartooth had to learn for the first time, that Wintersong had never really been his tribemate- he was a wolfrider! Shocked by the
beast he encountered in Wintersong, he tried to withdraw from the fight and call for help, but Wintersong tore up his skin.

**Stop it!!** Beartooth sent to the cold-blodded wolfrider in a desperate try to save his very life! He finally managed to reach his
dagger and slammed it hard into Wintersong's side. The frosty-eyed warrior howled in pain and held the deep wound. Yet the sight of his own blood brought him quickly back to the fight. This was it. Wintersong knew then and there that only one of them would see the next morning's dawn.

With all his strength he let his fist flow into the plainrunner's beaten face. A cracking sound told him of BearTooth's breaking nose.
"You.. will.. not.. take.. any.. maidens.." he growled with a husky voice. Each word was companied by a madening blow and soon Beartooth
lay still and his blood gathered in a pool beneath him. Wintersong's body was all torn up, beaten and sprayed with blood. Sweat and blood mixed on his forehead and made it complicated for him to see clearly anymore.