It had been shortly after a small group of hardy travellers from the far north Tundra Hill Holt that the traveling bug hit some of the young elves of Greenriver. Their trading season had passed, with it went goods and transient meetings. While this small group of elves had always been friends, and always spoke of traveling the world, now they were more serious.

The healer, Boldsword, nudged his friends into a circle near his tree, and they sat down with cups of warm juice. They almost always looked to him for their options, though they were all smart and well-balanced, he always seemed to be more in touch with their mood and energy. "We talked about walking to the South," he said, "But east sounds pretty interesting to me right about now. East, to the Hall of Portals."

"Our grandparents came from there," said Holly of herself and Harp, unrelated girls whose ancestry like many in the world could be traced to emigration from another Holt or, in their case, the Hall. "We could ask them how long it took to get there."

"True, that might help." He glanced around the area, seeing the spring greens and buds on trees begining to open. Soon their holt would be swept with painted colors and sweet smells, the calls of new animals and birds, and perhaps the sound of children's voices as there was at least one female with the roundest belly anyone had ever seen. It would be hard to leave this place, but it would be worse to ignore the pull of the Hall. Many elves had passed through on their way to other locales, some wandering the world over and over, never settling. The first-coming elves, the ones who weren't born on this world, had to some extent all felt that pull away from their arrival place toward a new life. Not as many young in the first few generations felt it, but now it seemed to be making a big comeback as more elves were born. Boldsword's life here had been mainly sheltered but he had his share of adventures in his short life, like his friends had. But they were growing restless. "We should find out what to bring, too, clothing and weapons but... other things. Trade goods, perhaps. A map, if we can get one..."

Harp nodded, "I think I can get one of those. Icicle's uncle has one.". She could pull any elf's name out of the air and remember what they were good at, who they were mated to, and who was quarreling with them at the time. Nothing like a good well-structured gossip...

"The herds travel along the plains," added Dewprint. "We could follow them, if they're moving that way when we leave. The Plains folk I've spoken to told me they like to follow the herd because it keeps them off the worst of the heat and the cold all year." He pulled his long hair away from his face, "And it won't be that hard to follow a well-used trail if they've been on it as long as they have."

The hand of elves shared a moment of silence and collected their thoughts.

"What will our parents think?" asked Holly.

Harp provided her with an immediate answer: "Yours will be concerned but allow you to 'grow'," she turned to Dewprint, "Yours are going to say 'whatever you feel is your way but be safe about it', yours, Boldsword, will try and talk you out of it, and probably chastise you for even bringing it up to us. Mine..." She sighed, "Won't understand. They'll want me to stay and keep track of the holt."

"But they do that, and Orchid has never stopped doing it either," Boldsword said. He looked a bit downcast, "Well I won't allow them to stop us from going anywhere."

Though he was not as determined as he could have been, the presence of the broad smiles on Holly and Harp were enough for him to stand and nod. They held their hands together in a sort of lattice, and sent to one another. We will do this! To the end!

Their little 'sacred duty' to one another had been a pact since they were all young, since Holly's first bond-animal was accidentally killed and they had to locate the culprit. (It had been a small chittering tree-squirrel, that she lost - to a wandering tailless cat that then proceeded to eat half their semi-domesticated birds and even a basket of fresh-caught fish before anyone stopped it... and yes, it was Holly who then did stop it, driving it out of the holt's inner area with her powers, her friends helping with loud noises and tossed sticks.) But now it secured them to one another in a way that they understood better. It was true that any one of them could give up any time they felt it necessary, but the others would be there to help. They had never truly paired off against one another in a bad way even though they had their spats.

This was a time when they would not argue. Even if it came to discussions about how and when or where they would go, they would certainly stand together as one when it came to informing their families of their plan.

They would wait until evening, when the nearby families would gather for meals or a sort of 'changing of the guard' - because some elves were quite nocturnal while others preferred the light of day. For some folks, the only change to see their lifemate was at twilight and dusk, sharing a meal that was breakfast for some, dinner for the other. This evening, some two hands of days after the trade caravan broke up and went its way, things were still enlivened with new items to share or things being made out of raw materials that had been traded. Addersheen and Breezebite, Boldsword's parents, were still abuzz with the new sets of leathers they'd traded for from the north. Pure white furs, short haired skins with plumes of fluffy white and grey trim, and even what appeared to be a white snake skin... How could Addersheen resist that?

Breezebite was, like Boldsword, a healer who dealt largely with skill instead of magic for her patients. An adept flier, she preferred feathers and furs that flowed out behind her, so she was in elfy-heaven with this find. Perhaps it was because she was still in a great mood, that Boldsword decided it would be okay tonight, to break this news.

"It will look very good on you when it's finished, mother," Boldsword said, looking at his father's work on the stretching canvas. Addersheen gave a grunt, the quiet and fairly gruff elf continued his work practically day and night. "We may be able to bring you back more exotic pelts to work with, when we travel to the Hall," There - it was said.

The others held their breath, as Addersheen's heavy hands stopped moving, still in mid-scrape. It it was possible, his ears flattened down against his head. But instead of allowing his parents to get any farther into an argument - they were already frantically lock-sending to one another and Boldsword could sense it - he said, "The Hall is a good place to start looking for new companions, like those Tundra Hill elves are going to do. Perhaps we could even trade your pelts in another world!"

Again, Holly, Harp and Dewprint were all but breathless. Now to be fair they were all adults and did not truly need everyone's permission to leave the Holt. But the formality of informing everyone of their plans was important to the group. It was Breezebite who then said, "I would feel better if you were still in a place where you could communicate with us. This... Hall ... I've heard the stories, the people who come through there, or live around it. You must be safe."

"Don't worry, mother, father," Boldsword said, "We all are good hunters, we have good powers, and two big wolves to guard us on the way. And I promise to bring you some pelts, something you've never seen before."

"Well I suppose that sounds all right," Addersheen said in his low gravelly voice. "But if you come back with holes in your hide, I won't be the one to fix them up."

Nervous chuckling abounded, no one was ever quite clear on whether Addersheen meant that or not. He was a flesh shaper, part of his gift with pelts. They enjoyed the rest of the evening with a cup of stew and a slice of bread each. Each elf retired to their own den but very soon, they would be up and about again. Informing the other families, getting ready. They grouped up again and pooled their knowledge once more.

Harp had, of course, discovered the most in a short period of time. She told them of a route toward the Hall that had been taken - albeit in the opposite direction - by many locals. The Hall itself was surrounded by swampland and a hostile tribe of elves well known around the area. Inside the Hall would be a mystery, only those who had entered it long ago would know, and most of them were nocturnals - and habitually quiet about those things. One thing was for certain: the wolves would not enter the Hall itself, unless it was life or death. They had a peculiar supersition about the place. That was all right with the elves, they didn't much know how easy it would be to locate a place for them to stay once they got there anyway.

"I wonder if any of the Ice Traders or Hive scouts have been there?" asked Harp, mostly of herself. It was likely not, though where either species of non-elf people had come from, then, would be a mystery.

***

It took several days, a hand and one, before the group were really ready. They had packs, dried food, medicinal herbs and tonics, tools, and a few trade-worthy goods. Each of them were a bit weighed down, but Chillglow and Taupe the wolves were quite willing to carry their weight while the elves walked. Holly claimed that she could also probably coerse a deer to carry their things in a pinch. One benefit of having the Hive nearby and willing to trade with them, their packs were actually spun from high-density silk that weighed almost nothing, but could stretch to fit even bulky items.

On dawn of the sixth day, they were prepared and had said their temporary good-byes to the others they cared about in the Holt. It would be a pleasant cloudy day, and Harp found the trail they were to follow with ease. The Holt's landscape was familiar to them for the first two full days of walking, they camped as they normally did on hunting trips. They didn't use any of their stored food just yet, they knew this trip would take them a full season or just more, hoping to make good time they might reach the Hall at the end of Long-days just entering Hot-days. The worst of the plains weather would be ahead, so they didn't want to delay. Who knew what the Swamp would bring but they all hoped it would be cloudy and cool.

After two hands of days, they had exceeded even Boldsword's knowledge of the area. The Holt's boundaries were a day behind them - distinctive pines that were shaped repeatedly to have a spiral of bright orange-red around them, tall, looking like flames against the dark green pines. They could still see one or two, very far back, before the sun set on this eighth day of travel, but to the east, they had only Harp's learned information to go on.

After another few days, they began to dip into their stored food because they were unable to locate many roots or berries in this part of the plains. The hilly, green and lightly forrested area was behind them now, with only the rare deep wood to rest under. The plains to the south were so vast, and they could hear the constant humming of the ground beetles. The days were becoming warm, but their packs lighter and their muscles better suited to the hard walking. They hunted, though the animals in this part of the world were different than those they were used to. The deer - the ones that the Plains wanderers and Southerners claimed they hunted in seasons, were much larger than those that lived in the wooded north! With the hills to the north supporting odd predators and the southern plains delinated by a strip of tannish-golden scrub, the elves continued to walk more carefully.

When the first burning days of summer were upon them, it was all they could do to keep their feet moving. They knew because there were animals around, that there was a stream or waterhole near by, which they determined to remain near if they could while traveling. Holly pacified a tall legged hog-creature, and they followed it to the water source. Underground perhaps, it came up into a grassy glade where dozens of smaller animals were gathered already. Two beasts which the elves had never known could exist were there - ridiculously long, slender necks, with small flat heads, bloated bodies and a long tail that had a thick knot of bone on the end - reptilian perhaps, their hide was wrinkly and seemed to Boldsword to look like one of Addershine's snakeskins.

Almost afraid to hunt them, Holly reached into the smaller animals minds to find where to go next. Visions of half-remembered summers before, the images of the deer and flatlands goats that they were meant to follow sprang up in the older animals minds. "This way, we keep going this way," she announced pointing east and a little south. There were signs that elves made temporary houses here, for dotted along this long ridge between plains and hills were clear furrows and old camp sites. Some were well hidden, but the elves could tell: the traces of strong, if transient, elf magic were everywhere.

"Let's rest here for the afternoon, it doesn't look like this heat is going to get any better until nightfall," Said Dewprint, "They've left seedlings, they grow these over the summer and harvest them in late fall - they're nowhere near ready to eat right now," he smacked Holly's hand away from the frilled-leaves and she giggled.

They agreed, it would probably be better to travel in the evening now, than to bake in the hot summer sun. Though the night sky held no moon - this world was barren of such things - the stars were quite clear even in dusk and gave more than enough light to travel. The Greater Wolf Chillglow sniffed around and gave her odd sending-images to Holly, ◊Water here, underground, I will dig for it.◊

Though they did not have any plant-shaping ability to blossom the immature plants and have fresh tubers, but they did have a bit of shade and the underground stream gave them a fresh, cold bath.

***

It was later in the evening when they woke from their long warm afternoon naps, and it was to the howling of wolves - not their own bonds.

I wonder who they are? Asked Harp, more curious than frightened by the appearance of these local people. There were elves upon the backs of three scraggly looking wolves. They carried long spears, and one floated in the sky behind the others, her aura visible to even those who had weak magical senses.

Her short blond hair was kept back with a narrow leather strap, while the woman atop the black wolf had a dark red cloak over her own blond hair. The male sitting next to her on a skinny wolf was more slender than the women. The one seated on her wolf urged the beast forward, and the foursome stood.

"You're tresspassing," said the blond in the cloak. "We defend our territory, just like Fang does his, did you think you could just strut on by like a blind pheasant?"

The group looked at one another, confused. "Well, we are passing through - but we don't want to intrude." Said Dewprint.

Boldsword added, "if there's a better way around this plain to the Hall, we'll gladly take it."

Instantly he regretted saying that, the trio of elves clearly sent between each other and shared a smirk or two. "Really, the Hall you say... well we're always interested in seeing who runs the gauntlet to get there..." Said the one floating. She set down onto the ground and her hair seemed to be alive with flames. "Father, Mother, may we show them the way?"

"Of course, I think we should," said the male, so they were a little family? Out here on the plains alone?

Harp had already assumed that they were a family unit, by their appearances. "We would be happy to leave your territory without trouble..." She said, and the strongly built woman in the cloak waved her hand.

"Oh no, no it's no trouble, at all..."

***

**You didn't really believe them, did you?** Asked Boldsword, and Harp rolled her eyes.

**Of course not, but weren't you even curious about them? Where they might live and who they are?**

**Not this curious,** Boldsword sighed, his hands were numb and he knew the others weren't in any better shape. They were bound hand and foot to a tree in the middle of nowhere, under the baking sun. Around them, a small tribe of bedraggled but strong looking elves had gathered to watch them. They knew that their destination, the Hall of Portals, was known to these people. But any attempt to get information from them about it was seemingly futile.

Especially after they gagged Harp...

But then again, that wasn't a half bad idea, her companions were so used to her chattering. But now they were being observed not too kindly by an older looking elf male. With long curly mahogony colored hair and what looked like blackened tattoo marks over his eyes like vertical cuts, he stared at them. Eyes as black as the tattoos, he was darkly attractive but in a way that made the two females a bit nervous.

"I am Bane, leader of this mess of elves here," he waved a gloved hand at the batch of elves, and they all snickered. "And contrary to popular belief, Fang's not the only elf you have to watch for in this part of the plains. He's nothing to us," he spat on the dirt.

Boldsword tilted his head as though to agree. **I am inclined to believe you,** He sent, and again regretted it. Among their group were clearly several who could use mental healing turned inside out, he was blasted by one of them with a painful twist to his emotions. But then... He had that kind of power too. To a great degree.

**Now I would like to sit down like halfway civilized people,** Boldsword sent again, harder this time, **so please remove these bonds, and we will be on our way. We know where we're headed, and you've no business stopping us.**

"Or what!?" Yelled a burly female who bore a striking resemblance to a wild cat. Maybe it was the furry skin...

**Or this,** He bespoke and let loose a blast of pure pain, not just at her. As though a cone focused his powers, it spread from one to another in front of him. The others scattered and a few of them yelled, while others began to guffaw.

"Hey he's got you there, Hyena," one of them said, "let em down, I want to fight em!"

"No one is fighting them," Bane said darkly, and then grudgingly calmed down. "You've proven your point, and that you've got some backbone. But why should we just let you go on?"

**We will trade you two furs and a bag of fruit you've probably never tasted, and be on our way,** Boldsword tested them. The group paused, and sent among themselves.

"We have all the fur we need," this Hyena said, disgusted and still twinging in pain.

**You've not seen these furs, if you've never been to the far north. They're from Tundra Hill, pure white furs. Not many pure white animals this far into the warm lands, eh?**

The two wolves traveling with the elves had stood their ground, not letting the other wolves, even a pack of them, come near the packs that the elves had kept.

Holly gave a weird noise, but since they were all gagged she couldn't do much more.

After another moment or so, the group and Bane had seemingly come to the decision that it would be all right to continue bartering with the invaders unbound.

When they untied Holly, she gasped for breath and said, "monster-" and bolted to the wolves.

"... What?" Bane said, curious and a bit freaked out. "I'm no monster, Fang'd have you--"

"I don't think she meant you," Dewprint said, his red eyes growing wider by the moment.

There was a creature of such size that none of them had ever seen, trundling slowly toward them all.

"Aw, dung," said Bane, "it's the old bastard... Come on, get to the wolves, we've got to let him have his stupid water."

"What IS it?" Begged Holly, "what is that thing?"

"It's just the old bastard," said one of the other elves, wrapping the leather they'd used to bind the others around his arm. "He's bigger than all the others of his kind, so we all just kind of stay out of his way. Not worth trying to hunt, what would we do with that much meat?"

It was the size of... well nothing at all Holly of the other Greenriver elves had ever seen. So big, that three wolves might be squashed below one of his six flat knobby feet. It had a long, heavy tail, and a thick crane-like neck. So many scars on its hide must have been wounds from when it was quite young, because certainly there was nothing on this plain that could have inflicted them now.

Could there?

The foursome and their wolves followed the plainsrunners to a destination slightly closer to the Hall, at least, a touch more east than they'd been while tied to a tree. They could hear the relentless trodding steps of the 'old bastard' as it went toward the watering hole. In the time that the blustery tribe spent haggling with the Greenriver elves, Harp learned of extended families, those who had split off from older holts both west and south, and more about this Fang person they were told to avoid.

After a day, traveling in the early evening away from the Plainsrunners area, the group were satisfied that if they passed through again they wouldn't be assaulted. The group respected both their haggling ability as well as their magical powers. The foursome would do their best to avoid crossing their path again, though... they were just that weird...

***

And suprirsingly, they were unimpeeded on their journey into the swamplands east of the plains. It took another hand of days to even start seeing trees, another three hands before they knew they were in exactly the right spot.

Perhaps it was magic that pulled them toward the Hall without fail. The wolves were, like others before them, unwilling to enter the black marble slablike building before them. It was known to the group already, the Plainsrunners told them to expect the wolves to remain outside. Something about their progenitors that regarded the Hall with such superstition or fear that they simply wouldn't be convinced to go anywhere near it.

The travel had lasted just a little under a quarter of the year, what they'd expected. It was pleasant weather but would become unbearably hot just as they were reaching the wet interior of the swamp. Though it was still quite far north from the equator, the muggy air would suffocate anything not prepared for it out there on the plains. So they were lucky that the swamp afforded at least shelter from the brunt of the sunlight.

They collected their wits, split up goods to each others packs since the wolves wouldn't be carrying it any more, and bid farewell to the animals.

◊I will make sure we are all right, ◊ Chillglow sent, and watched the elves as they entered the forbidden building.

It was cool inside, dark, but though the silence was impressive, they could sense things in the flat rooms. Angled walls met them with window-like openings onto different worlds. Here and there were signs that many elves had passed through the area, not the least of which was a pile of leathers, sewing gear, spear tips, arrows, and ashen hand prints showing that elves indeed claimed this place.

"So many elves, with so many powers..." Said Harp, "look there was where a flier passed, and a fire-starter used the pit, and ... what's that?" She sidled up to one portal in the corner of the building, and they determined that it indeed was a working portal between two portions of this world, to the Spire Island which they'd only heard rumors about. But there it was, tall and dark just like the Hall was low to the ground...

"Maybe we can visit there on the way back," Dewprint said, "but for now, where are we going?"

"This one," said Boldsword, and Holly agreed, it was another cavern looking area, but evenly built as though the interior of a room.

They entered the Healing Den and stood with wide-eyes, at the computers and desks... And the woman - human - standing there looking down at them had a little smirk on her thin lips...

On they went to their journey destinations, safe in knowing that they would return to the right time and place, according to her anyway, and they heard Baeris muttering something about how clever it was to take over that one unused Portal to make sure the elves traveling around would have an easier time of it...

** Bonding **

  Dewprint had almost missed out on this thing, but at least there was a hatchling left! He didn't even see the other girl standing off to the side, and nor, apparently, had the little hatchling. ~Yay!~ he said, hopping forward through the shield... and accidentally tumbling right off his feet in his hurry to reach Dewprint. Fortunately, he was aware enough of his Skilled talents and instead of falling on his face, he managed a not-so-graceful "whumph" into the Elf's stomach as he hovered off the ground but forgot to check his momentum.
~Sorry,~ he said sheepishly, then looked up and grinned ~You like plants? I like 'em, they're pretty. What's a wolf? Yours won't eat me, will she?~
Dewprint picked them both up off the ground and laughed, brushing himself off "Well, we can always hope not."
~Well if she does,~ the little dragon said as they both left the clearing, ~I can always just stay out of her reach, right?~

Dewprint realized that the little dragonet was intensely interested in all things colorful and changeable. Poppyseed became his name, which when spoken in the Elfin language of the Otherforest, sounded more like Yangwibbi. He liked either of them, the mind-speak carried more meaning than sound, and his name seemed to mean 'I will become a hallucinogenic flower some day'...

Dewprint apologized to his friends, for such a strange little addition to their group - but they wouldn't hear it.

"He's adorable," said Harp, making sure that she understood that though there were younglings, they didn't know the parents. "That's a shame," she said, tsking her tongue and imagining the pairings of the SaaShiyovi that would have produced him.

It was very likely that Harp would stick around a little longer too, because she had no bond-animal to begin with, and starting with one which was fully intelligent and might even have some kind of magical power, that would be great! Dewprint would help Poppyseed with his balance and expertise at magical powers - flying around was hard work wasn't it? And he was interested in everything, Dewprint sent him images and concepts of toys and the tools he'd be using to make them, when they got back home.

~I want to help you do that! I could make them... sing! Or walk!~ Poppyseed declared. It would be a long time before he'd be truly adept at such things, but in the mean time they would practice!

NEXT!!