Past to Present

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"Stay still, kitling!" Gale said struggling with her daughter. "How can I braid your hair if you keep moving about?"

"But mo-ther!" Whitedove said pouting, "I'm sick of staying inside! Isn't the storm over yet?"

"As far as I can tell, there will be another day of snow before the weather clears."

"Oh, I hate the white cold!" the youngling said as her mother carefully smoothed and plaited her hair. "There's never anything to do!"

"Don't forget you were born during the white cold, birdie." Treebreeze said from his place lounging on some furs near the fire, polishing a small throwing dagger.

"Yeah, but I was too young to know how boring everything was! Hey, mother, if the storm has cleared by tomorrow night, can I go climbing?" Whitedove asked excitedly as her mother finished her hair.

"Absolutely not!" Gale said vehemently. "You are far too young to be climbing during the white cold." Just then, there was a knock at the wood of their tree den. "The only reason I let you sister go out is because she is in training to become a Skyreader and must consult Proudelk to show her progress." Gale said as Treebreeze stepped to the wall and shaped an entrance. A moving mound of furs entered the den as Treebreeze sealed the opening behind it. As he did, the mound of furs began to fall to the floor revealing a raven-haired maiden with sparkling green eyes.

"Newwind," Whitedove whined as her sister emerged, "mother's being unfair!"

"How this time kitling?" Newwind asked as she spread her furs in front of the fire to dry. "Won’t she let you go visit Dawnstream's new kitling, or perhaps you'd like to visit the tanners again to watch them dye the leathers?"

"No, I just want to go climbing when the storm clears."

"Oh, that's all?" Newwind said smiling at her sister. " Barely eight turns of the seasons and already you can conquer the cliffs?"

"That's right!" Whitedove said putting her hands on her hips. "Proudelk says I'm a fast learner. He said that next time we go climbing, I could climb alone, without his help."

"But that's on Kitling's Rise, during Bright Season." Newwind said kneeling to be at eye level with her sister. "In the white cold, rocks become slick with ice, snowdrifts are mistaken for firm footing, the slightest mistake means death, 'Dove. Are you really willing to take that risk?"

"You don't have to worry about those dangers. If mother's right about when the clearing comes, then the Great Moon will be at the end of its cycle. there's no safer time for a Skysinger than when the Great Moon is round, at the end of its cycle."

"Treebreeze," Gale said annoyance in her voice, "what have you been telling her?"

"She asks questions, I answer." Treebreeze said simply. "I only tell the truths of our ancestors."

"She's too young, dear one. There is a time for teaching lessons of the past."

"Young in body perhaps," Treebreeze countered, "{but not in mind. She is very perceptive for her age."

"That's right," Whitedove interrupted not enjoying the lack of attention on her, "I'm mature for my age. I can take care of myself!"

"Whitedove, no!" Gale said firmly, ending the conversation.

"You're not being fair mother! I hate you!" With that, the youth stormed away to her room at the top of the tree, face streaked with angry tears.

"She's so stubborn sometimes." Gale said with a sigh of weariness.

"It's the spirit of the Dove within her. It may be a peaceful creature, but it belongs to the skies. She's only acting as any trapped animal would."

"I know," said Gale, "I know."

"Maybe I could take her out." Newwind offered. "Not climbing really, but maybe to one of the lookout stations were the view of the stars is good. That way, the two of you could carry out your duties to the tribe and we would all have one less headache to worry about."

"Alright, one night away from your studies wont hurt." Gale said nodding her head.

"I just hope that will suit her well enough." Newwind sighed. "She tells me of a place in the Salt Cliffs where the view is beyond compare."

"She'll be satisfied," Treebreeze said confidently. "Stubborn as she is, she wont be foolish enough to venture off that far in this weather."

** **

The next day, the storm cleared just as predicted. Huge puffy clouds filled the sky, providing the opportunity for a game of "What do you see?"

"The clouds will make the evening beautiful tonight," Newwind said dreamily as she looked out the open window. Just as she said it, Whitedove emerged from her quarters. Hearing those words, she angrily grabbed her furs and hurried outside.

"Didn't you tell her?" Gale asked Newwind, confused.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Newwind winked at her mother then headed out to seek out some snowberries for her morning meal. Whitedove stood not far away watching as Newwind left.

'I'll show them' she thought to herself. 'I'll show them all!'

** **

"I think the weather will be improving from now on." Gale told Newwind as the sun began to set. "Your father is still making minor repair on some of the tree dens that were damaged during the storm. I have to consult with the other Skyreaders then report to Fawnfur so that she can plan the next hunt and gathering. Are you sure the two of you will be alright?"

"Yes, mother." she said with a smile "You have nothing to worry about."

"Alright, send if you need anything." Gale said giving her daughter a hug. "And be careful." With that, Gale turned and walked away.

** **

The sun had set, the moons would be rising soon. Where was Whitedove!?! Newwind had checked all of her usual haunts, but there was no sign of the snow-haired imp. She was walking through the forest when she ran into one of Whitedove's playing companions.

"Hello there Tack." Newwind said to the youngling, "Have you seen Whitedove around?"

"She said to tell you she was going to the Salt Cliffs." Said the youth

"High Ones!" Newwind took off after her sister.

** **

Gale was chatting with Fawnfur when she received her daughter's frightened sending.

**What is it Newwind, what's happened?**

**Whitedove's gone climbing at the Salt Cliffs** She needed to say no more. Every elf at Nightshade Keep knew of the dangers in climbing the Salt Cliffs in bad weather. In the warmer seasons, it was an easy climb with plentiful hand and foot holds. The view at the top overlooked the ocean waters. The smell of the salt in the sea spray gave the place its

name. Crashing waves sent splashes of water up the cliff on some occasions. If anyone was to fall from the cliffs, their bodies would be crushed against the jagged stones by the fierce waves, and in time of White Cold, the water would be cold enough to freeze their blood. Gale broke into a run towards the shortest route to the salt Cliffs. Even still, the cliffs were so far away. There was no way she could get there in time to stop her daughter. 'But perhaps Newwind can.' she thought to herself.

**Gale what's wrong?** came Fawnfur's sending

**Whitedove is climbing the Salt Cliffs.**

**I will organize the rescue party.**

Moving as quickly as she could, Gale came to the tree den Treebreeze was working on.

** **

Newwind had traveled to the Salt Cliffs and still she saw no trace of her sister, no easy task in the snow covered forest. 'You cover your passing well little bird.' Newwind thought to herself. 'Let us hope that it will not cost you your life. The raven-haired beauty stepped to the cliff face and scanned the crevices in the stone. Whitedove had apparently given up her attempts to cover her trail once she arrived at the cliffs because not far from her position, Newwind saw the marks of passage for little hands and little feet. Moving quickly, Newwind began her assent, the winds were howling through holes in the stone making it difficult to hear. She was about half way up when she thought she heard something over the wind. A shrill scream? Newwind's heart was pounding as she

continued to climb. She reached a flat landing on the cliff and stopped there to scan the upper cliff face.

"Whitedove!" She called into the wind. "Whitedove are you up there?!"

"Newwind! Help me!" A barely audible voice called out to her. Newwind closed her eyes and reached out to her sister, sending as much comfort and assurance as she could.

**It's alright Cala, I'm here. Where are you?** Whitedove led Newwind to a ledge near the top of the cliff, covered with snow. There was a wide path drawn into the snow with a smaller path on either side of the central one. Newwind followed the paths in the snow of the slightly descending stone. It ended abruptly in a flat cliff.

"WHITEDOVE!!!!" Newwind cried falling to her knees at the cliff edge. She looked down at the fierce waters crashing against jagged rocks below and imagined she could see her sister’s body in the water being torn asunder. Tears began running down her cheeks as she searched for her sister.

"Newwind!" came the tiny voice again. Newwind tracked the source of the voice and saw a small figure clinging to the rock face for dear life.

**All the hand holds are too high for me to reach.** Her sending was desperate and full of fear. **I can't hold on much longer!**

**Newwind, have you found her.** came a different sending.

**Father, she's fallen down a cliff face, and is barely hanging on to the hold she has.**

**Were on our way, kitling** Gale sent to Whitedove as Newwind explained the situation to Treebreeze.

**There's no time!** Newwind explained to her father.

**I'm sorry mother!** Whitedove sent out, realizing she was probably about to die, **I can't hold on!**

**I'm going down to her.**

Newwind carefully lowered herself over the ledge. The holds here had been smoothed by the wind making a good grip difficult, but steadily, she lowered herself until finally, she was side by side with her trembling sister. She made sure her footing was good, then smiled over at Whitedove.

"You all right, kit?!" She called over the wind. Whitedove nodded, but she didn't look all right. Her clothes were torn, her face and arms were scratched and bleeding, her fingers were raw from gripping the stone, she looked half frozen from the splashes of water that had soaked her bottom half; Newwind was sure that the small one could not have held out much longer.

"C'mon, get on my back." she told her sister then helped her maneuver off the

stone. Carefully, she climbed the two of them back up the stone. She prayed to the High Ones that there would be no slip because she knew that the slightest jar would spill them both into the sea. Thankfully, there was no slip, and they made it to the ledge safely.

**Climb up.** Newwind sent to Whitedove when she had a good grip on the lip of the ledge. Whitedove scrambled over her sister's head trying to take her weight off of Newwind as quickly as possible, but in doing so, Whitedove slipped on the icy stone. She again tried to halt her fall, but she could not. Her full weight hit Newwind as she struggled back onto the ledge. The elder elf's presence halted Whitedove's slide, but there was nothing to keep Newwind from plummeting over the edge. Momentum pulled her too far from the cliff to get a handhold.

"No no no no nonononononono." Whitedove chanted to herself as she managed to turn herself around on the ledge. She turned just in time to watch her sister vanish beneath the waves, in the light of the light of the Great moon.

** **

"She's been up all night," Gale said worriedly, "She wont speak, she wont sleep, she wont eat, she wont even cry. Dawnstream has healed her outer wounds but I wonder if anything will heal the inner ones."

"She's just lost a sister, dearest." Treebreeze said taking his lifemate in his arms, "And we a daughter, these wounds will take time to heal, perhaps they never will. We just must be patient."

"I don't want to lose another child." Gale cried brokenly, "I could not take that."

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End Part One