© 2002-2024 Evie and Heidi
Part 2

Pyre appeared at the entrance of the den, most of her form blending into the darkness. Her pale hair, still loose from her minstrations, shone with moonlight reflecting off and making her appear as some apparition in the night.

**Thank you for coming.** she replied, as an invitation to join her into her den. She disappeared again from the entrance way to return to the task she had been doing before the chieftan had return. Her belongings were meager, but she had brought with her many a memento of her mother, which she would require for the second part of her journey away from the Hurst. Already her pack layed open and a few articles placed inside, the huntress was now rolling up her sleep fur for travelling.

Slowly, carefully, lest his still-slightly hazy senses make him lose his grip and fall, Wildlight climbed the distance from the ground and into the treeden. He'd never been in this den before, though he'd passed it several times. This thought, however, quickly left his mind as he noticed that what belongings were in it seemed to be packed up.

Wildlight looked at Pyre, not entirely able to mask the confusion on his face. **You're leaving? ... Why?**

Thought occurred to him of the celebration, her outburst during it, and the talk they'd had afterwards. He didn't think anyone had done anything to drive the dark-skinned elfess away--they'd welcomed her.

The sleep fur rolled tightly, Pyre fastened it with a leather strap and tossed it beside the entranceway. She looked up and noticed the confused expression on Wildlight's features, unable to be masked by the effects of dreamberries. **I have some things that need to be taken care of..** she began, unused to sharing so much of her thoughts or plans with another. Even as a young elf she wouldn't tell her mother of where she was going or what she planned to do. She would just run from their litte hut, calling back that she would be home by daylight.

Turning from the chief, she retrieved another of her mother's things, personal affects and placed it into her pack. **I'm going to speak with Pyrite about the Sun village he returned from. I though perhaps it might be my mother's home.** she started to explain.

If Wildlight hadn't caught himself, he would have sighed aloud. Her mother's home. He had no idea where Yelena had come from either, only of what meager things she had told Plainswalker those many years ago. Though his look of curiosity vanished, it still remained, inwardly. It seemed to him that she had chosen to make another people besides this tribe her own. He wouldn't let her leave that easily.

**And what of your wish to learn the Way of your father? You won't find that among your mother's people. This was his home.**

Pyre glanced towards the chief, pausing in her actions and looking just as curious as himself. **I know that...** she replied, wondering what exactly what he was getting to. **But my mother's people deserve to learn of her death, and more importantly her life and me. They are much a part of me as Stormrise is.**

Wildlight exhaled. He'd tried to convince her before that she was welcome, and obviously he hadn't done a good job of it. And, judging from the sound of things, she was set on leaving.