AN: Sorry for such a long, long, long time in updating this chapter… I had this chapter half done and decided to continue to work on it a bit and ended up finishing it. I learned that I kinda skimmed over few comic books and am about a chapter ahead, this chapter was supposed to be the next chapter but it works all right in the end. I am going to use the extra chapter to fill in few more characters in the near future.

As usual, the next chapter might not come around for a long time. I am currently working on Caledonia Lilia Snape and in real life, getting ready to move to Alaska in October.

But, enjoy and I truly enjoyed your reviews and supports. Thanks!

Quest One Part Two

Chapter One: Blue Mountain

Joyleaf panted softly as she was handed her second child, a daughter. She brushed the blond hair from the babe's face and the babe's eyes opened to reveal another pair of blue eyes. Bearclaw beamed as he looked on as a proud father. Cutter knelt beside his mother's side, watching as his newborn sister stared back at her mother silently, her eyes wide and large.

"Oh, so beautiful. We did it again." Joyleaf said softly to her lovemate.

Bearclaw nodded and his beaming face faded slowly into a frown, "She's not crying." He pointed out, reaching to brush his daughter's blond lock.

Joyleaf turned back to her daughter a bit worried. Bearclaw was right, the babe had not cried since she was born into the world like any other child. A wolf or a Wolfrider, born would give a small cry, then quickly soothed by the mother, knowing to quiet down immediately. But not this girl, she was born silent and very aware of the world around her, as if she knew.

Joyleaf lowered her head to touch her forehead to her daughter's forehead and allowed her soul to enter her daughter's mind, searching. In the vast of the darkness, she searched in the plane of the soul and found a small shiny star and knew it was her daughter. As she approached the star, a form appeared; she smiled, greeting her daughter, ready to receive her into her family. However, as the form became clearer, she gasped, seeing what she had not expected. Like any elf soul, the form are similar to their flesh body but more ethereal, however, looking up on her daughter's form and all she could say upon the sight of a wolf-like girl, :Rahnee!:

The soul blinked her eyes, bright brilliant blue. Another form, similar to the first appeared, older and wiser, much more feral. :No, I am Rahnee. This is my soul-daughter.: She looked to the younger one and took the hand, then taking Joyleaf's hand, joining the two together.

:Rahnee, why?: Joyleaf asked the older wolf-like elf.

:Zaharan Fastfire and I conceived a daughter, but she was never able to be born, thus, she waited and it's time now, raise her well. Together, she and your son, Cutter will unite the High Ones and their descendants.:

Joyleaf gasped softly and turned to the small form of wolf-like girl and drew her into her embrace, :My daughter, welcome.:

The wolf-girl smiled, oddly as her wolf face gave a semblance of a grin and Joyleaf smiled in return and they vanished from the dark plane.

Joyleaf opened her eyes and saw her daughter's face and smiled. "Her's a true Wolfrider's soul. Let's name her Cloud."

Bearclaw's frown became into a smile and he howled. Cutter grinned and joined his father into howl and soon, the entire tribe of Wolfrider howled along in joy, welcoming another soul to the world. No one noticed that the blue eyes of Cloud's twinkled, very much like one would be recognized.

Across the land and into different part of the world, a towering blue mountain loomed and in the depth of the cave, deeper and winding, past the fielding's nests, the hallways and into the smaller hidden chamber, a silver haired elf's head rose, looking over his shoulder in the direction of where the sun would rise, his deep emerald eyes shone. He spoke softly, "Soulmate, you're here at last."

From the wall, a sing-song voice rang, "Ah, reorganization?"

The silver-haired elf scowled as he whipped his head toward the wall across from him, "Ah. Shut your meddlesome mouth, brother. What bring you here now?"

"The key, the key still lay in the hand of wolf-elf. Soon, soon, mother will fall, soon, soon, we all be free!"

"What are you blathering about?" The tall elf stood up and walked over to the wall and scowled deeply as he glared, as if the other voice was visible to him. "Riddles. Mother must have knocked your mind loose."

"No, no, mother never knocked it loose, rather she tightened it! Ha, ha, ha! Free… even you too. Later, dear elder brother. Do not let mother know, no, no, no." Then the sing-song voice faded away, leaving behind soft echo of his heavy footstep beyond the wall. Then the elf heard the familiar sound of the rock shifting, sealing whatever path was created in the wall again.

He turned and walked over to the small opening of the other side of the room and stepped out on to the ledge. His body rose and soon, he flew in the night sky, welcoming the coming dawn and the tug in his soul grew. He smiled for the first time in ages. "Soon, we will meet and be together, at last."

In Sorrow's End, Leetah watches on as her daughter play with her new wolf-friend, knowing Ember was destined to be a Wolfrider whilst her brother, Suntop would be something else, more of her own kind. She knew Cutter would be gone a year, as he had planned and in her entire lifetime, it would had been a mere moment but since Cutter left, she begun counting down days, waiting for his return and realized how much she had missed him and a new fear rose within her.

As she told Nightfall in many words of how she missed Cutter, Moonshade had gone on saying that she should had gone with Cutter instead of staying in the village. In many words, she told that it was her pride and fear that caused her to stay in the village instead of going with Cutter more than the reason of her motherhood. Her pride, knowing that she was one of the few that hold the powers within the village, among Rayek and Savah, and since the growth of her power, none had died in the village because of her and her fear of the world beyond the rocks of the village. Nightfall had given her a point, would she overcome her fear if Cutter's life depends on her, which gave her a new thought, with the deepest secret she knew of the Wolfrider since she healed Redlance that day in the desert.

She was left with thoughts of new things, new perspective that was given to her by the Wolfrider and she wondered of Vinyek and his attraction to the one that had more wolf in her than anyone else, Cloud. In a way, she knew the two was more fitted for one another, yet there was something missing about the two, as if there was a puzzle missing and realized, the girl had gone out, searching for the missing puzzle and Vinyek followed along without questions.

Her green eyes looked to her children and smiled as the two rolled on the ground with the wolf-cub romping along. For the longest time, she had denied the match between herself and Rayek, afraid to fit the puzzle with him, however another came along and attached along with her own, thus giving her sense of complete, and with her children, she felt whole yet it scared her to death, knowing it wouldn't last forever despite her words she gave to Cutter before he left Sorrow's End.

Deep in the swampy forest, Vinyek scowled as he swatted the strange bug that hovered about his face. Cloud was wading in the murky water, searching for fish to eat and he sat back at the shore, watching on. They had crossed the great grassland and into the strange damp forest. Cerberus, lying beside him had grown and was half big as Red who watched Cloud from his other side. He rubbed his hand on the young wolf's head and his mind wandered as he thought about recognition. He had been with Cloud since she came to Sorrow's End several turns ago and at first, he thought he would recognize the blonde, but nothing had happened between them both and he had given up, believing they would be nothing more than lovemates.

But when she first told him of the calling about the time the twins were born, he recalled the stories of his grandmother recognizing another from far out and believed same is happening to Cloud. As the years wore on, the call became stronger and stronger to the point pulling Cloud away from Sorrow's End, bringing them to this murky swampland. He now believed that there are other elves in the world and one is calling her, her soul-mate.

She returned to the shore, smiling at him as she held up several fishes in her hands. "Dinner!" She announced and plopped down next to him, shaking the water off her. He held his hand up to her and covered his nose with his other hand.

"You need a bath."

"I thought I did." She grinned at him, wringing her hair out.

"Not in that bog!" He shot back and pulled the fishes from her side and started to clean them. He tossed a small one to Cerberus and a large one to Red and cleaned last two to put in the fire he had made earlier.

She rolled her eyes as she pulled a cloth from the tree beside them, wiping herself down. "Well, that's going have to wait until we find cleaner water somewhere. There's nothing but stink holes here everywhere, at least there are fishes in them." She sat down, wrapping the cloth around her head to dry. "We will head out in the morning." She said as she looked toward west.

He had not mentioned about the calling since they had left the Father Tree and finally asked, "It's stronger?"She remained silent and nodded. "Could it be a sending?"
Finally she spoke, meeting her blue eyes with his crimson ones, "It's a sending." She sighed and pulled the spit from the fire, pulling the meat from the stick. "At first, it was just a feeling, weak, but over the time, it became stronger then sometime it would stop, like each day, for a short time, I would get the feeling then it stops only to start again the next day. But since we are getting closer, it becomes stronger, like a sending. Now I know for sure it's a sending but way out of range."

Vinyek knew of the sending as much the Wolfriders, more than any Sunfolks and understood there was a limit of distance between the two could receive. The Wolfrider often used the distance of the sending from the Holt as the limit of their territory and they could send as far as a day walk but nothing more. However, one with more power, like Savah, could go farther than the distance of a day walk, even go out in soul to the greater distance.

Whoever was sending to Cloud must have been a very, very powerful being and it struck him then, "A High One?" He asked and Cloud looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You're right. Whoever is doing this has to be strong enough to send such a distance! Why would a High One want with me?"
"If there are any left," Vinyek said, "It's strange. Still westward?"

"Yes…" She said as she finished her fish and threw the stick into the fire, watching the fire consume the wood. "It's hard to believe, a High One, or a near High One is out there, somewhere."

It had been nearly two moons since they've left Sorrow's End, traveling toward where the sun-goes-down, discovering another strange forest. Cloud and Vinyek had remained in the strange swampy-like forest and changed direction slightly southern ward, completely steering their course away from where they would had crossed path with Cutter and Skywise, missing them entirely for another while.

Cutter and Skywise had managed to nearly catch the other two without even knowing but Cutter fell ill from a bite of a critter and bad water in the bog, thus causing him to remain in a strange human hut for few days, learning that there were indeed other elves from the two humans. Especially those elves could flies and ride upon great birds much like they ride upon wolves. Intrigued and catching on a lead to where they could find the other tribe of elves, they were lead by the human couples to a large strange tribe of humans where they were honored and not rejected.

A tall burly chief of the human tribe eventually led them toward to the edge of a forbidden forest, where he would not tread anymore and pointed to the direction where a blue mountain stood near the horizon and told the tiny elves that where they would go and asked for a favor, to find his daughter in return. Cutter agreed, even knowing he would not attempt to search for the lost daughter of the Oblar, Mountain Tall human chief.

Cloud and Vinyek had treaded through the so called forbidden forest, coming across strange cocoons and never discovering about the cocoons that littered the forest, only heading straight toward the mysterious blue mountain. The call had been so strong that they both picked up pace and reached the mountain, only to find strange tribe living at the base. They staked out there, watching and waiting in hiding, to learn of the mysterious mountain and the call that led Cloud to such place.

Behind both parties of elves, another one was in close pursuit, the entire Wolfrider and some Sunfolk followed. They followed because they've learned that Suntop carried an urgent message from Savah, who had 'gone out' in spirit and touched a mysterious soul and was 'taken' by the soul, never returning to her body, going into a coma. Suntop urged her mother and the Wolfrider to take him to his father, for he has to warn his father of something that lay beyond the horizon of sun-go-down. The entire tribe of Wolfrider decided to go, except for Dart, who wanted to stay behind and help the Sunfolk and teach them to hunt and defend themselves. However, Bar'ret, a burly Sunfolk who had befriended with Treestump and Trunk joined along.

However, during their journey into the strange land, taking an entirely different course, Strongbow shot down a great bird and the Wolfrider feasted upon the bird to feed their bellies, only to be taken prisoners by many more great birds. Leetah and her children barely escaped. Few other Wolfrider escaped the clutch of the giant talons, only to fall into the forbidden forest while few were taken to the mysterious blue mountain.

Now, Cloud had seen many birds returning to the mountain, as she had learned was the lair of some kind of giants birds with tall thin elves. From what she had seen, the birds had just taken some prisoners. :Vinyek. They've taken prisoners but my sight is not good as Scouter's.:

Vinyek blinked and yawned, stretching awake from his short nap. They had been hiding in top of the tree for past several days while they took turn, watching and learning of what was going on. :I see.:

Cloud winced and sighed. :I…: She clutched her head and bit her lip to not groan out loud, not wanting to expose them with the noises. Vinyek leaned forward, holding her.

:Is the call too strong?: He asked.

She looked up to meet his crimson gaze, her blue eyes nearly pale with the pain she was experiencing. "I can't send anymore, he is trying to get into my head."

Vinyek realized what she had meant. An elf was trying to send to her but she had been blocking him out for the past few days and whoever he is, had been fighting to send to her. He understood, knowing that Cloud had not been sleeping. "Cloud!" He whispered urgently, "Why didn't you said so before?" He looked up to the mountain. "So, they are elves, like us."

She nodded. "But I feel a bad spirit in there. I don't know if it is him or not."

Frowning, Vinyek closed his eyes and reached out to sense the one who was sending to her and sent to the mysterious one, :Who are you and what are you trying to do to my lovemate?:

Cloud gave a long relief sigh as the pain stopped and she slumped into Vinyek's arms. The sender turned his thought to Vinyek and replied, :Your lovemate had blocked me out since you both entered the forbidden forest. I've been trying to warn her to not come here, only to go south.:

:Why?: Vinyek asked.

:It's dangerous to be here. The dark one has taken few prisoners.:

:Prisoners?:

:Short elves that rides upon the back of wolves.:

Vinyek's eyes went wide. "Wolfriders!" Cloud looked up to him, questions in her eyes. He shook his head, :Do they call themselves Wolfrider?:

Silence remained for a while and Vinyek sighed in exasperation, about to give up and explain to Cloud then the sending had returned. :I've asked one, yes, they've called themselves Wolfrider. One who is named Clearbrook.:
"Clearbrook!" Vinyek nearly shouted and clamped his mouth shut.

Cloud's attention was caught, "Clearbrook is here?"

"The sender says Clearbrook is in the mountain. The Wolfriders are here! They've been taken prisoners!" Vinyek whispered quickly to her, explaining.

"How?"

:What had happened?: Vinyek asked but was greeted with silence.

:Do not attempt to send anymore. The dark one will know you are here. It is not good, stay away!: Then, Vinyek's mind was left with emptiness and he scowled.

"He says we must get away from here. The dark one will find us, and we are not to send anymore."

Cloud nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, "It doesn't make any sense, first he call me here then he tell us to leave. My tribe is up there, somehow."

He exhaled a soft breath, looking up to the blue mountain that towered above them from where they hid in the trees. He felt Cloud falling asleep, tired from the pain and whispered to himself. "We are not going anywhere now…"

The moons rose high in the sky and Cloud was still asleep. Vinyek watched from the branch he had perched on, resting and waiting while Cerberus and Red laid underneath the tree. Suddenly, their ears perked up and they turned their attention elsewhere, hearing something and Vinyek noticed this. He watched and whispered, "What are you hearing?"

The red wolf stood up and gave a soft bark and suddenly, several wolves came through the forest and they all frolicked around the red and younger wolves, greeting each other, happily sniffing and barking. Then, Vinyek's eyes widened as he saw One-Eye coming through with a dark scowl on his face, sending to the wolves to shut up and he stopped as he recognized Red.

"Red?" He asked and looked around, "If you're here, then Cloud is here too… where is she?" He looked and looked up to see Vinyek in the tree, grinning down at him.

Jumping down from the tree, he greeted One-Eye, "Good to know you're not captive like the other up there." Vinyek said as he gestured to the blue mountain.

"I am the only one… we all got captive and split apart." One-Eye explained and rubbed his head. "I tried to send for Clearbrook but there's a dark one in there, blocking my sending."

"I know. An elf in there warned us about the dark one and say to not send." Vinyek said as he looked up to see Cloud starting to wake up.

One-Eye frowned at Vinyek, "How come you are here? You both disappeared a day before Cutter and Skywise went on their journey… you have a lot to explain."

Vinyek shook his head and leaned back against the tree, "Cloud is getting a sending from someone in this blue mountain and we've been following ever since. Why is Cutter and Skywise gone?"

"Oh, they went to look for more elves and were supposed to be gone one turn, but Suntop got a warning from Savah and have to give it to his father. We followed, all of us, the Wolfriders and some Sunfolks."

Vinyek's eyes went wide as Cloud landed beside him, shock evidence on her face, "Everyone?"

"Yes." One-Eye replied and looked away to see the wolves turning their attention to the forest and soon started to howl, "Ayooooah!" Cloud smiled as One-Eye turned back to them, "They're alive! Cutter and Skywise! They're coming! Let's go!" He said as he jumped onto his wolf and took off running with the other wolves into the forest. Vinyek and Cloud jumped onto Red's back and followed with Cerberus at their heels.

Soon, they all caught up with each other. "One-Eye!" Skywise shouted as they all collided with each other in hugs, he then turned to find Cloud and Vinyek coming through the shrubs and gasped in astonishment, "Cloud, Vinyek?"

Leetah smiled in relief, "Oh, goodness, it's wonderful to see you both again and safe!" She grabbed hold of Vinyek and held him.

Cloud smirked at the two Sunfolks and turned to look up at her brother who was giving her a suspicious look. "Cutter."

"Cloud." Cutter said as he grabbed her and held her close, relieved she was all right and surprised at the same time that of all the places, she would turn up.

They all settled together, sitting under the trees, looking up at the blue mountain, discussing how they came to this place, each one of them different. Redlance and Nightfall told that they had barely escaped the giant bird's seizing claws and nearly drowned in the river, hiding until everything blew over. Leetah and the twins had hitched a wild ride in the baskets on a zwoot until they reached the forest while One-Eye had grabbed hold of Clearbrook who had been captured by the bird but fell into the forest and had been hiding since then, keeping eye upon the mountain. Then they all turned to Cloud and Vinyek, waiting for their explanation.

Cloud rubbed her hair and sighed in frustration as she couldn't come up with a better explanation. "I've been feeling a calling since the twin's birth." She said at last and Cutter's eyes widened.

"That long?"

"Yes. An elf in the blue mountain had been calling to me since then and I decided to follow it, to find out, it became a sending, a long range sending and he's in there."

Vinyek nodded as he held Cloud close. "Something like this happened before, my grandmother journeyed across the burning waste for few days and met my grandsire, they had recognized across such great distance but she returned without him and had my father. He is half Wolfrider." He looked down to his gray wolf that was sleeping with his head on his lap. "My wolf friend." He grinned as he scratched the wolf's ear. "Cerberus."

Cutter's eye widened, "I know that howl." He looked to Skywise and they agreed, "LoneWolf, he was a Wolfrider, he had disappeared for few days and returned, no one really knew why. Now I know, I'm looking right at the grandson of LoneWolf! It's a no wonder; he had red eyes, like yours."

Leetah smiled, "Veld. Yes, I didn't even think of it, I had to heal him once after he had hunting accident, I always wondered why his soul appeared a wolf to me, now I know." She smiled at them all. "So, you…" She looked up to see Cutter standing up, a serious look on his face. She fell silent while Cutter gave a private sending to Cloud for a private council and walked off while Cloud stood up and followed.

After walking some distance into the forbidden forest, Cutter turned to his younger sister and studied her for a good while. He could see the dark circle under her eyes and her lank appearance. He had noticed Vinyek appeared in a better shape than she had. "Is it recongization?"

She kept quiet for a long moment, trying to decide her answer. Finally, she casted her eyes down, "I do not know. It might be, it might not be. I think he is a high one, or a near high one for to be able to send so far. He had been trying to send to me for the last few days, only to tell me to go away." She looked up to her older brother and a tear fell from her eye. "He call me here, then tell me to go away, I do not know what to make of it."

Cutter looked up to the blue mountain that loomed over them above the treetops. "Our tribe is in there, we are going in, get them out and leave." He reached out and took hold of her shoulder and decided to hold her instead, drawing her into his arms. Stroking her pale blond hair, he whispered softly, "Long since you've been born, I knew you're different. I may be your chief, but before chief, I am your brother and the day you have to do something different, I understand."

She smiled and looked up to him, "Thank you."

"Come on, let's go back and see what we can do."

They all gathered together and made their way to the edge of the forest, just before where the human tribe dwelled at the base of the mountain. Cutter attempted to send and One-Eye stopped him, "No! Don't try to send, any of you!" He warned.

Vinyek nodded, "There is a dark one in there, he or she mustn't learn of us." He added. "There are still us that are free…" He winced and closed his eyes while everyone watched on, recognizing that someone was sending to him. He opened his eyes, "She does not know of us. Yet, he still warns for Cloud to go south."

Cloud frowned, "We got to get them out of here first. I don't care what he says." She narrowed her eyes in determination.

Cutter looked over to see the human tribe gathering, playing the flutes and bopped Skywise on the arm, "Skywise, look! It's Nonna's tribe, see how they are dressed?"

"I do." Skywise looked on, agreeing that the humans' clothes had similar style to the woman they had met few days ago, learning of the blue mountain's elves.

One-Eye gestured to the tunnel leading up the mountain, "We can enter the mountain through that tunnel up there, but first we'll have to fight our way past those cursed round-ears!"

Cutter grinned, "Maybe not! Watch this!" He got up and went over the boulder they were hiding behind, watching the human tribe. Cutter had idea that the humans were not like the other humans and there was nothing to fear them.

"What! Get back here!" One-Eye said as he reached out for his young chief but failed as he watched on in horror as Cutter approached the humans. To his astonishment, the humans didn't do what he thought would do, kill him but rather, bowed to him.

From the top of the mountain, watching from the ledge, he cursed and stalked into the mountain's tunnel, heading down to watch and witness what would happen next. His warning didn't heed them at all. He knew it wasn't time just yet to meet her, she was still young.

He stopped in the hallway, hidden as he listened to a winged elf speak to the tall dark haired, pale skinned woman. The female elf spoke, "Hear the pipes. I wonder what pets the humans send me now." Amused smile were upon her lips.

The winged elf spoke with hint of sarcastic, "I wonder that you never tire of toying with the five-fingered ones! Aren't these slaves who call themselves the Wolfrider more amusing?" They had passed a golden haired Wolfrider, Treestump carrying two buckets with his brother, Trunk in tow, scowling, also carrying buckets of water.

"But the humans are endlessly interesting to me. Just when I think I've observed every possible trick of their behavior… they surprise me anew." The female replied as they reached a stone wall with a stone like elf female sitting upon top. "I am, as you know, most fond of surprises."

The winged elf turned to gaze at the wall, "Listen, the pipes stop. That is odd."

The female cocked her head, "But now they resume. Good! Door is so attuned she will not function without the pipes." She looked up to the stone-like female elf sitting up on the top of the wall, as if she was part of the wall. "The time has come! Door, open!" She called up to the female elf, Door, a mysterious elf, still like death does not acknowledge the command but beneath her, the wall shuddered and pulsated, opening up slowly, twisting and gaping to reveal a tunnel.

The hidden elf who had watched smirked, watching as the female and the winged elves gasp in surprise while the tunnel had revealed few more Wolfriders, armed with swords and fangs, demanding to return their tribefolk back. He nearly laughed out loud; amused as the female attempted to command Door to close the tunnel, however the shorter elves were too quick for them, scrambling into the hallway. The young chieftain had a surprise as he commanded a little winged preserver to go after the winged elf to prevent him from warning the others.

With the sword to her neck, Cutter held the tall female elf, demanding for his tribesfolk, "Where are the Wolfriders?"

Nightfall screamed as she held her head and One-Eye did the same. Leetah turned to them, surprised, "One-Eye! What is it?" She asked.

"I tried to send to Clearbrook, but the pain in my head… it was her!" He pointed to the female elf, as they had learned her name was Winnowill, in Cutter's hold.

Nightfall fell to her knees, "Ow! I can't send! She's turning my thoughts into knives, piercing me with them!"

Cloud watched on while Vinyek held her back. She couldn't help but shudder as she felt the one who had called her was so close and looked around. They were the only ones in the room and she frowned, she shook free from Vinyek's hold and went to stand facing the female elf, holding her dagger to her face while Cutter held his New Moon to her neck. "Quit interfering," She said simply, staring down the tall pale female elf. "He means it." She stuck the dagger closer to her eye and it glinted in the dim light.

She glanced to the shiny edge of the dagger and looked up, "I believe you do, savage." She said simply, "I believe you do." As soon they were free from her threatening sending, they send out to their tribefolk in the mountain lair, calling for every single Wolfriders and Sunfolks that had been captured.

He had witnessed how ferocious she was with Winnowill and now, watching as the little elves send out sending, he could practically feel the power of their mind, so powerful, full of joy as they called to every one of them throughout the mountain. He knew then, despite their backward barbarian ways, their shortness, they were indeed powerful people compared to his own. They held secrets to their hearts and he knew this, having touched her mind years ago when she was born. Their secret, so unfathomable was what made them special, what had gave them the gift to survive the cruel world. Smiling to himself, he slipped away, to wait for a time that he would meet her at last.

Few Wolfriders came to them and as Moonshade came, she told Cutter, "Cutter! They've put Strongbow in a cage!"

"What?" Cutter asked, enraged.

"Make them set him free!" She pleaded.

Winnowill grinned and touched Cutter's arm and sent painful touch, causing him to let her go. He yelled, "Arrgh! My arm!" She fled from his hold and he shouted, "Stop her!" Leetah ran to his side to heal his arm, she thought that Winnowill had the healer's ability but rather, turned inside out that she hurt than heal. As the tall willowy elf ran, she sent painful sending to Pike and Trunk, incapating them from stopping her.

Tyldak, the winged elf who had escaped earlier returned, with eight flying elves with weapons. The Wolfrider ended up in a scrabble with the eight elves, fighting and holding one another at bay. Moonshade manage to slip through on her wolf, running after Winnowill who were running up the stairs.

Leetah noticed Moonshade's slip and yelled, "Wolfriders! Follow Moonshade! Strongbow must be somewhere up these stairs!"

Moonshade's wolf grabbed hold of Winnowill's black robe, stopping the tall elf. "Let my lifemate be, you black snake! No human was ever as cruel as you! I ailed against you once!" She yelled at Winnowill. She glared as the rest of the Wolfrider came up behind her, "But I am not alone this time."

"Stop!" Winnowill shouted and said, "Have you forgotten?" Her cryptic words brought the former captive Wolfrider to halt.

Cutter turned to his tribemates, "What's the matter with you? Fight!"

Strongbow glared through the cage he was being held and sent, : Wolfrider! Do as Cutter says! Forget about me!: As he finished, Winnowill sent a powerful painful sent, causing him to fall to his knees in mind splitting pain.

"Strongbow!" Cutter cried, watching as his archer writher in pain.

Moonshade choked and cried, "No."

"This is merely a reminder." Winnowill told them, "I have the power to shatter your friend from within. Provoke me farther and I will do it!"

"She's not lying." Crescent said softly, holding Moonshade's hand as she stood by the archer's soulmate.

"This is why we didn't dare rebel before, lad." Treestump said and Trunk grunted in agreement and replied, "that Winnowill hold Strongbow's life in her hands."

Cutter snarled, "Winnowill!"

But Leetah flew ahead and called, "Strongbow!" She reached into the cage and told him, "Take my hand!" As their hand touched, she gave her healing power that glowed like light in the dark cell, "There. She cannot hurt you now." The two of them stood, their hands holding and staring defiantly to Winnowill.

She smirked, "Marvelous. An elegant display." She stepped up to Leetah, "I see your dissimilarity to your companions is more than skin deep, my dear." She pointed out, as she had noticed Leetah stood different from the rest save for two others.

"Why have you abused and humiliated the Wolfriders? Why have you taken away their freedom?" Leetah asked.

Tyldak came sweeping down from above, "Because they have taken the life of a fledgling, a destined bond-bird of the Glider! These ate of it's flesh, but that one shot the fledgling down. It is a crime for which they must pay!"

Trunk scowled, "We were given a choice… serve the Glider as slaves, or take our freedom in exchange for Strongbow."

Cutter nodded, "That's no choice, Trunk. You did the only thing you could, but that's over now. We are getting out of here, all of us!"

Winnowill gave a small chuckle as she looked down to them, "My, how our scattered descendants have degenerated. Not only your bodies shrunk, their sense of honor seems to have vanished completely."

Cloud snarled at Winnowill, "I would say it's backward!" Winnowill glared at her and looked away, not wishing to meet her blue blazing eyes.

Ignoring the blond female, Winnowill turned to Cutter, "Little chieftain, justice is merely a matter of convenience to you, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"If someone killed one of your wolf-friends, what would you do?"

Cutter snarled, "Why, I'd kil…" He paused as he realized his own law and noticed the smirk on the tall female's face and muttered, "That would depend..." He shook his head and scowled, "You waste my time, feather robe! I'll take this up with your chief and no one else!"

Winnowill pursed her lips, "with my chief? How quaintly you put it." She led them all through another staircase somewhere else in the mountain, "By all means, let us set this matter before Voll, Lord of the Gliders!"

Skywise caught up with Cutter as they all followed, "Cutter? I think we're up to our ear in bird pl…" He was interrupted as Cutter replied with a hum of 'uh-huh'. Cutter fell deep in thought, thinking of his son's warning given by Savah. He couldn't help but feel there was something wrong in the place of Blue Mountain and those who called themselves Gliders.

Leetah turned to send to Cutter, : I'm glad Suntop and Ember are safe in the woods with Redlance.:

Vinyek watched and noticed the shines between the healer's and the chief's eyes and realized that they had sended and saw Winnowill looking over her shoulder, smirking. He cursed in his mind and made his way up to the front and whispered, "Don't send anymore! She can pick your thought right out of the air."

Leetah frowned as Cutter scowled, agreeing silently. They kept on walking through the large Blue Mountain, going from room to room, tunnels to tunnels until they reached the grand opening that seems to be in the heart of the Mountain and a tall lordly aged elf sat upon the throne, he looked great and wise. One-Eye saw Clearbrook tied and ran to her, freeing her from her ties and held her, overjoyed to be reunited with his soul-mate.

Winnowill gestured to the elf upon the throne, "There sit Lord Voll, little chieftain. Convince him of your tribe's innocent, if you can." She stepped aside, smirking deviously.

Cutter boldly went to the throne and spoke to the cold faced aged elf, "I am cutter, Chief of the Wolfrider. I demand that you release Strongbow and let me and my tribe go in peace."

Lord Voll stared down at them and said nothing. Newgreen whispered to Nightfall and Leetah, "He seem older than Savah!"

"A cloak made of so many years must weigh heavily on him, he wears it without joy." Leetah murmured.

Nightfall nodded, "Do you think Cutter can convince him?"

Cloud sighed tiredly and whispered to them, "Cutter can do it."

Lord Voll summoned a glider, "This is Kureel." A tall elf with hard face landed beside Cutter. "Your folk killed the fledgling which would have become his bond-bird."

Cutter turned to Kureel, "I am sorry for that. We're hunters. Strongbow shot the bird down for food. He didn't know."

"The Chosen Eight who ride the great birds are hunters too. But Kureel must wait now for the next hatching. And wait longer still until his mount is full fledged and ready to fly the hunt." Lord Voll said without any hint of emotion in his voice.

"Then let my tribe go. And we'll bring you meat to make up for the bird's death."

Winnowill stepped up, "That hardly seems adequate atonement, Lord Voll. I would say a life for a life is more in order!" Moonshade glared at her from behind and her wolf bristled, growling low.

Kureel smiled coldly, "I agree!"

"You won't kill Strongbow!" Cutter shouted.

Winnowill looked to the wolf that was growling at her and Moonshade was holding the wolf back. "That was never my intention, youth. But the archer's wolf-friend…"

The Wolfriders closed in to hold the wolf back and drew their swords. Moonshade gasped, "Not Briersting!"

Winnowill moved to turn her back to everyone to stand by Lord Voll. She whispered to Cutter as she passed, "A life for a life… it is only just."

Kureel spat, "My mount was slain while trying it's wings! Why should the killer's mount live?"

Cutter snapped, "Because it was an accident! Why won't you listen?"

Leetah stepped up, "Lord Voll, please! You cannot command to kill the wolf!" Cutter turned to her to stop her but she wouldn't stop, "You might as well command that we put our own children to death!"

Lord Voll looked down to her in surprise, "What? Come here!" Leetah stepped up closer to the aged elf, "Children, you say?" He asked. "I thought Winnowill was capable of cruel mockery. There are no more children! There will be no more! We are all dying within this mountain, dying though unable to die! Surely you have seen that!"

Leetah smiled at him, "But there are elf children in the world, Lord Voll. Little one full of strenght and promise. Little ones who have known only respect and love all their short lives."

Lord Voll pondered and replied, "If only that were true, after all this time, I'd give anything to gaze into the eyes of a child. Just once, to feel hope again." The Wolfriders looked at each other, surprised that the Glider had not seen or had children of their own since long time ago.

Lord Voll stepped down from his throne and said, "It was so long, since I've enjoyed the presence of a child, my own son, the very last one…" He murmured, getting lost in his memories.

The twins had been hiding in the forbidden forest the whole time with Redlance and they decided to bring them up into the mountain, to introduce them to the aged elf, Lord Voll. So they all gathered in the aerial, to wait while Nightfall went with a Glider on the bird to gather them up. As they reached the aerial, the Glider watched on with awe as the twins got off the birds with Redlance and Nightfall, running toward their father, shouting with glee, "Mother! Father! Did you see? Did you see us fly up in the air?"

Suntop shouted behind her, "Father! You're all right! Everbyody's all right!"

Cutter laughed as he grabbed his children, "We saw, Ember." Lord Voll watched on behind the parents and their children, greeting each other with smiles upon their face, the love shining in their eyes as the children prattled on about their flights. Finally, the children noticed Lord Voll slowly approaching them.

"Who's he?" They asked.

"This is Lord Voll… a friend." Cutter replied, standing up to face the tall elf.

Lord Voll knelt to meet the twins at eye level to see them up-close. It had been years since he had seen children and they seemed so smaller than he had remembered. Memories of children started to return to his aged mind.

Ember and Lord Voll stared at each other for a long while and then she quipped, causing the aged elf to widen his eyes in surprise, "You look like a funny old bird!"

Lord Voll was amused as he watched the boy bap his sister, "Ember! He's like Savah, be polite!" The Wolfrider and Sunfolk chuckled as they watched on.

"Well, Lord Voll?" Cutter asked.

"You did not lie." A tear came to his eyes as he begun to remember the days he had with his own son. He rose to his full height and looked around and replied, "Now, you will see that my word is equally honorable." He had agreed earlier that he would allow Strongbow go from his captive after seeing the children.

Strongbow soon joined them; he had the deepest scowl on his face ever, glaring at the tall female elf that had caused him mind-pain earlier. Moonshade ran to him, embracing him while the rest watched on in silence.

"Cutter, your children have won freedom for you and your tribe." Lord Voll announced, "The Chosen Eight will transport each of you down to the ground if you wish." He then looked to Ember, liking the fiery little girl. "But I want… I ask that you stay. The fledgling's death was worthwhile, for lucky circumstance it has brought me proof of our race's renewal!"

Cutter gave a nod, "I can't speak for my tribe without first holding council, Lord Voll. But for myself, I would choose to stay and learn all I could of the Glider. The wisest elf I know once said that our race is of 'one heart and one mind'. I believe we should all be together! It is my dream to find and unite all the lost children of the High Ones."

Winnowill stepped forward, her ebony hair sweeping behind her like a cape said, "Then look no farther, little Chieftain. Your quest is done." She smiled at them all, "We are the High Ones!"

Ooh... you're gonna like the next chapter... I'm not sure when I can upload it... but thanks for reading and your wonderful support. The story won't die, I'm going to finish it, even if it would take me years!