Nouvelle page 1

Dreamblossom, a tribal gatherer recognized Onefoot, an elder . It was not a happy union. She considered Onefoot a cripple; and he thought she was just a fool who stumbled around in a dreambery haze. A girl cub was born to them. Though both of her parents adored her, they could not get along. And the tension around the den fire made the cub fretful and cranky. Her mother swore that her she-cub was a inrritable as a Grizzly with a sore paw, and the name stuck. Finally the compulsion of recognition faded, and Onefoot sadly gave Dreamblossom a wolf carved from the horn of the branch horn that had taken his foot, and his bond's life. He gave his daughter a last hug, and kissed Dreamblossom on the cheek before leaving. On a gathering trip, Dreamblossom found a dreamberry bush loaded with plumb ripe berries. She set her toddler down and started picking berries, eating two for every one. Her daughter, freed from her mother's restraint wandered
off. She chased a flying insect, and her mother, sunk into a dreamless sleep, never noticed. Dreamblossom had not noticed the deep claw marks on several of the nearby tree trunks.
The insect flew disappeared into some brush, and Grizzly ran to catch up. Her toe slammed into an exposed root, and she felt herself flying forward. She landed on something soft. The soft thing howled, and there was a sharp pain on her inner thigh. She rolled away from the pain, and looked for the source of the pain. It was a bear cub, for a confusing moment, she could see it from the baby bear's view. She knew she'd scared it..and when she was scared, she called for her Aunt Sunmist. She stuggled to her feet and ran as fast as she could into the forest. She did NOT want to run into Mommy bear. She got lost, and crawled along lost, hungry, and afraid. Grizzly started yelling for help from her mother, or Aunt. The terror of being lost, alone in the woods screamed through her mind, all she could picture in her mind was being held close to her Aunt. A silver wolf glided onto the gamepath she'd been crawling along and looked down at the elf cub with mild curosity. Grizzly crawled toward the wolf grabbed a handful of his ruff and pulled herself up against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried. The wolf laid down and the child, slumped in exhaustion on his back. He carefully rose and floated into the forest. "Grizzly! Where are you? Grizzly, answer me," Her Aunt's voice woke her.
"Aunt? Here!" She sat up to find that she'd been curled up aganist the male wolf who had rescued her. Her Aunt looked at her leg, and knew her neice would carry scars for life, four paralell lines down her thigh. She got the story from the child's mind. The baby bear had been white with red eyes! She looked at the toddler, and told her verbally, and mentally, "Your name is now Snowbear."
Her Aunt took Snowbear and Dreamblossom into her den. Her lovely Aunt had been lonely since her lovemate had left on a too long and far away hunting trip . She was deeply disturbed, as the wolf who rescued her niece was her lovemate's bond. She assumed that Starweaver had joined the next stage in the great cycle of life. Caring for her sister and her child filled her days with joy. She taught Snowbear to hunt and track from a very early age. Snowbear became an expert and would take the unbonded wolves, and adolescent pups on hunting trips alone. She had found the spoor of a bear, claw marks in trees, and of all things, white fur caught in the bark of others. She bent down and called Darkheart, her Uncle's bond to pick up the scent.
**Quiet as we track, younglings, and elders. We hunt well this day!** A loud growl broke the silence and a sharp yip of pain, and the battle cry from another's throat. She motioned the wolves to scatter and as a pack, they tracked down the noise. They found a huge white bear battling a tall honey-blonde haired elf. The broken, still body of a wolf sprawled nearby. The male elf was injured, and fighting for his life. Snowbear raised an arm and motioned the pups and adolescents to take the rear, and flank attacks. She, her bond, and the full-grown elves charged to join the lone elf in his fight against the huge bear.
It was a long bloddy battle, but finally the bear fell to the ground, writhed in pain, then lay still. As one, elves, and wolves alike raised their heads and howled in victory. It took some time for them to skin the beast, and treat claw marks, and bruises. Her own bond had injured a leg badly, and she wanted to remain near by to
hin a chance to heal. The stranger stayed with her. She learned his name was Landstalker, and he'd traveled from far away. He had what he called an itchy foot, a need to travel and see new places. Snowbear had sent most of the other wolves back to bring help carry the meat back to the Holt. They shared many interests, and soon fell in love, and became lovemates. They were together for a quarter of a century.
Then Landstalker told her he was feeling the need to seek new places, and she said she would go with him on his journey, unwilling to be parted from her best friend, and lovemate. They had packed up and set off toward the East. Temperature was going up, the bright day star shone longer, and the birds sung. She was happy to see a wide stream with a rocky bank. She wanted to cool off in the sparkling waters, and Landstalker smiled at her eagerness. They undressed and started toward the water, when Leaper, Landstalker's new bond ears went back, his hackles rose, and he jumped, shoving his bond aside to attack something in a crevice between rocks.
Landstalker started toward his bond, then slipped and fell on his back on Leaper. A flash of fang, and sharp pain in his neck, and the stillness of his bond's body below him was the last thing he knew before his eyes closed to explore a new horizon that only those who pass from life can experience.
Snowbear started toward Landstalker, when her own bond, Elderbear knocked her flying away from the rocky bank. He then bared his teeth to her and refused to let her pass. Finally Snowbear sank to her knees and began to howl her pain, and fear. There was no one to hear her, though. So she wandered, lost and alone, not speaking, or sending to even her bond. She had come across a party of hunters who'd startled the herd of she'd been stalking.
She was so angry that she recklessly drove Elderbear into the herd to cut out a young, fat beast. She was aware that she'd ruined the hunting pack's plans, but she didn't care. One of them, a delicate elf with small feet came up to her, and sent, ** I am Littlefeet. I've not seen you before, are you alone?**
Suddenly Snowbear slumped to the ground, her hands clasped to her face as she sobbed violently. She was only faintly aware of the other female's gentle hands smoothing her hair from her face. For the first time in two night star cycles, she sent, **I'm so lost, and alone I can't bear it any longer.** Littlefeet waited for
Snowbear to dry her eyes, then sent, **Come to out holt, Child. We will welcome, and love you.**
The tears welled up in Snowbear's eyes again. The party made their way back to the Holt, and just after arriving, Littlefeet sent Snowbear off to clean up, and put on a clean tunic and skirt belonging to her daughter, Flamedancer. Clean, and dressed neatly, Snowbear came out of the den and searched for her hostess. she found
her near the front of the Holt, her bond dancing around yipping excitedly, and two younger elves with red hair smiling. Then she saw the one they waited for, and time stood still, "Lava" echoing through her mind. She walked toward them, as though enspelled, her eyes on the approching male's face.
LIttlefeet turned and waved her foreward, **Come, meet my son Daggersharp.**
The recognition between them was the best thing that had ever happened to either of them, and they soon fell in love. They were happy together, and then her world was torn apart by fighting between brothers for dominance of the Tribe, and a devestating Human attack. Daggersharp had thrown her upon her bond's back and told her to run for cover. He'd then turned back to see his parent's cut down. He turned and went to their defense, Snowbear, her bow nocked, followed behind. Suddenly, her bond screamed and fell to his side. She rolled free, to be swept up in Daggersharps arm and slung across his bond's back as they escaped the slaughter. Soon they met up with the stragglers of Talltracker's followers. They settled with Talltracker's Holt and a male cub was born to them. Snowbear watched as Daggersharp grew more and more unsettled by not knowing if his sisters, Flamedancer, and Sweetflute lived. When he told her he had to go look for them, she agreed, and prepared for a long journey. Silently hoping they would find what they sought, rather than disaster.

Bond Beast

Name: Slowstalker