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Part 2

RowanHand cried out suddenly as a huge longtooth crashed out from the bush beside him and struck him from his bond. RayneCrystal jumped off Will O Wisp and raced toward her lifemate. She suddenly realized what was wrong, the longtooth's blood had somehow been poisoned and it wasdriving the creature mad, it was attacking anything that so dared move in front of it. She pulled an arrow out of her quiver and tried to slam it in the monster's back to move it away from her cub and lifemate. As her weapon connected, the longtooth swung about with a huge paw and clubbed her into a tree with a sickening crunch.

StrongCub, who had watched in utter terror up to this moment ran from his mother's bond and drew his new dagger to slash the creature that had stricken down his mother and father. He howled and ran the blade across the beast's throat before it drug its claws down the cubling's left eye and knocked him to the earth. The mighty longtooth stood over the injured cub and roared, the cub winced and huddled down just waiting for death to take him in its arms forever. The monster then stumbled off to the side and fell dead from poison and blood loss. The frightened cubling looked up to find his tormentor silenced and stood up to check his mother and sire.

He saw them both lying facedown and he panicked, he raced over to Will O Wisp, **Please take me back to the hurst as fast as you can! Mother and Father are hurt! Hurry friend!** The wolf wasted no time once the wounded young one was on her back she sped towards the NewGreen hurst of the wolfriders to get their help. When the hurst was in sight StrongCub dropped of the wolf's back and stumbled into the hurst where he was immediatley noticed. The elves who came to him were told of the elves that lay dying in the Tall Dark woods.

Soon a small group of elves were heading out into the forest to find RayneCrystal and her fallen mate RowenHand. StrongCub was made to stay behind so his wounds could be tended in the healer's den. The cub went reluctantly and he kept gazing back towards the woods where he hoped his parents would soon emerge. Will O Wisp looked mournfully at the cub but had no desire to inform him of the sad news which she knew to be true.

StrongCub soon sat in the healer's den with a new patch covering his eye. He had been informed that he would probably lose his sight forever in that eye and he would have a pretty nasty scar from that day on. He gazed out the window and jumped up when he saw the same party that had gone in about half an hour ago coming out of the woods. He ran out of the den with a look of pure hope alight on his young features. The light in his eyes promptly died when he noticed the broken bodies that they were carrying between them.

The leader of the small band rode his mount up to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, there were long gone when we arrived. we would have helped if we could, but..." He trailed off when he noted the haunted look in the cub's eyes. Strongcub turned away and went to find himself alone for a long while...

****

MoonOrb sat atop a tall rock in the forest. He had had a new name ever since the day when he had finally removed the eyepatch and revealed the dead, milk-white eye underneath. He stood on the rock and walked back to the hurst. He had mourned the loss of his family for nearly 2 moons and now it was time to go back and face his packmates. That was truly the thing that would have pleased his mother, sire, and brother. He did have a whole life in front of him after all. He lost himself as he wandered down the sun dappled path towards home and the rest of his life...

Do not stand by my grave and weep,
I am not here I do not sleep.