By Natacha Choquet 2001

The day was almost over but the weather was still hot. Spike and Reed were sitting at the river. They were both looking at the cubs of the holt who were playing in the water. Some other adults elves weren’t far either,  talking or swimming. Reed slowly turned her gaze to Spike as she asked him softly : «  Spike…you never really told me about my past and yours. Do you remember anything ? Did you ever pay attention to me when we were in the old tribe ? »
Spike stared at her, his white blonde hair falling on his face. He knew that this question would come, Reed needed so much to gather any information on her past. He smiled at her and answered : « Yes. I remember. »
He smiled as he stayed silent for a moment, until she laughed and nudged him impatiently :
«  So Spike, what are you waiting to tell me ? » 

Spike’s gaze seemed to melt and his memories came back, as he began to tell :.  « I was around 300 and Raindance finaly chosed me as her lovemate. I was really proud, I loved her so much. We were gathering to find some flowers for her when  I saw him. This poor cub who seemed so strange for all of us. Snow, who was called PinkEyes in these times. He seemed lost, hidden behind a tree. Talltracker made as if PinkEyes wasn’t his son, and even his mother Eyesbright didn’t pay attention to him. I think they didn’t kill him just because he was, despite his look, the chief’s son.  That was sad, this cub had no more than 5. I never had the opportunity of really see PinkEyes before as Talltracker almost hidden him from the rest of the tribe, and that was a big tribe, where you were able to almost never meet another member of it. »

Spike stopped a second, the image of Raindance coming back to him, as the one of young PinkEyes.

« Raindance and I went to him, he was obviously  lost and we were amazed  when we saw he was scared at us. Raindance looked at me and she went alone to him, gently. But before she could even say anything, a red haired elfess arrived, fast and strong as a tornado and took the cub in her arms, before leaving with him as fast as she appeared. This elfess was you, Reed. » He added, looking at her, before keeping on.

«  Later, when we went back to the holt, I saw you facing Talltracker. You were talking with him and I didn’t like the tone that you both used. I thought that this foolish young elfess would better show throat to her chief before something bad would happen to her. We came nearer and we heard your conversation. That was about PinkEyes. You were quarelling Talltracker because he let the cub wandering alone into the woods, something you considered dangerous for a cub of that age. Talltracker was furious, he yelled that he was chief and that if PinkEyes was worth, he would survive and have to deal with himself. You answered that cubs were precious and that it was something just good for humans to let them in a potential danger. That’s then Talltracker stroke you. You weren’t prepared to this and you felt on the ground. I ran to interfere but Raindance grabbed my arm and sent me : ** no **, as she showed me Talltracker leaving, as if nothing had happened. I growled, I didn’t liked this  but he was chief, what could I do ? I knew he was a lot stronger than me so I couldn’t risk a challenge. So Raindance and I just helped you to stand up, and you didn’t even look at us, you were offended and I could read your hatred over Talltracker in your eyes. You left,  jumping on a tree and I didn’t see you for a long time, so I almost forget all of that…I took care from a distance of PinkEyes, I teached him how to scout and to find some tracks, with the approval of his uncle Quickthrust. All of this in secret and hidden from Talltracker, of course...I often saw a silhouette observing us , I guess it was you.
A few years after my beloved Raindance’s death, I was on a hunt with Stormwave, Darkstorm, Hawk  and some others. We managed to kill four longhorns and I was covered by mud and blood, so I decided to let the others hunters and to go to the river, to clean myself. But at the river, I scent a familiar odor, even if I couldn’t really recognize it. So I went carefully and from behind a bush, I saw you, Reed. You were bathing alone. You were beautiful and I wanted to come and talk with you. We , after all, never really had the opportunity to talk. But when I was ready to show myself, I saw him coming. Greenleaf. He was a handsome and nice male with who I often hunted. I just never knew that he was that close to you, you who I didn’t even know the name. He came to you, naked, and he began to rub your back and kiss you. I grinned and left. It was about time to let you both alone.  And  a few years later, the humans attacked us and you know what happened next.» 

Spike stared at Reed and said gently : «  That’s all I can tell you now, Reed. Don’t ask me for more. » That was obvious that he knew some others things but he didn’t want to tell them. So, as Reed began to open her mouth to say something, he took her face and kissed her deeply as he laid her on the ground and sent to her : ** We  have some better things to do right now….** 

To be continued……