Nightfire was in charge when Lomar led the humans in battle against the Wolfriders. The tribe fought back but the losses were too heavy, coupled with the losses from the Purge and the Troll Wars. Nightfire called a retreat, and led the tribe away from Grey Falls. Nightfire led the tribe away from the holt, the first flight from their home for many of the members, as so many elders had been killed in the Forest House War, the Troll Wars and the battles with the Sun Warriors, and the fight with the humans. Indeed, many of the younger members knew little but war as a way of life and could not understand the need to fly. But fly they did, via the friendly troll's tunnels, and led by the old and mysterious troll, Kruuk. Deep in the tunnels they were attacked by large, fanged rodents they called Not-rats. They also discovered a mysterious, hidded tribe of strange elves they called the Cave Elves. One of this race, Ruuak, had become curious about the Wolfriders and revealed himself to them, and later helped them when attacked by the Not-rats. On their journeys they found an elf who had been in Preserver wrappings for many, many turns. Snowfall turned out to be a flighty and impetuous huntress from the long-dead Darktree holt, who thought herself above taking orders from this strange tribe.

They eventually found themselves on the eastern coast of the continent and decided to follow it southward. There they encountered a human shaman by the name of Raven-Carries-Fire who had the power of sending, caused by a pocket of ancient elfin magic in the cave where he was conceived. As they spoke with him in the woods, they heard the approach of other humans, enemies that Raven called the Snakes. Snowfall attacked them, forcing Raven and the other elves to fight as well. This angered Raven, who knew it would cause the Snakes to attack his people. The Wolfriders aided Raven's tribe in the resultant battle against their enemies, using magic to awe the enemy. Twiglet, their Preserver, really turned the tide when it flew out at the Snakes, scolding them roundly and scaring them off. For their help, the Wolfriders won the friendship of the Whale Hunters. Snowfall eventually ran away from the tribe and wasn't heard of again. Raven, who had traveled widely in his youth, told the tribe of an island he'd heard of far to the south where a mysterious race was reputed to live. He thought the mysterious people might be more elves.

The Whale Hunters had one more surprise for the Wolfriders. For generations their mages had kept a mysterious bundle safely in a wooden chest. Raven's strange ability to hear sends had suggested to him what might be in the bundle. In a ceremony with the mages in their sacred cave, Raven turned the bundle over to the elves, who opened it and found another elf, Foxlock. He grieved over the loss of the wolf friend he had hoped had been wrapped with him, but didn't seem to grieve long over the loss of his tribe, with whom he hadn't gotten along. He and Tito later became soul-brothers. Foxlock turned out to have a the ability to change into wolf-form, a bit of magic he was uncomfortable with and had trouble controlling.

Nightfire led the tribe southward, following Raven's directions. While travelling through swamps, they were met by an elf who had been following them -- Stormrook, a mind-bender from the Whitewillows tribe, a friend of Cyclone.

Near the end of the land they found old ruins of huge temples, built by humans. As they explored one temple they found paintings of humans worshipping an elf. In the same room the found a stone cylinder which they discovered was one of the pair of stone scrolls known as the Scroll of Colors that should have been in the Palace. Nightfire and Horizon remembered from their journey to the Palace in the Troll wars that they scrolls had been missing. The tribe, at Allim's insistance, took the scroll and continued on.

They eventually came to the end of the land. There they found a man, barely taller than a child, who was badly wounded. They healed him and he took them to his tribe of equally small-statured people, who called themselves the Invisible People, as they lived almost invisibly in the forest, avoiding the normal-statured Fierce People who hunted them like animals. The Invisible People helped the tribe by making a raft and providing two guides. In turn, they asked for the return of some artifact that elves long ago had taken (as they had to communicate by gestures and drawings, it was difficult to know just what the artifact was).

While on their way to the island the tribe sailed into a hurricane. The scroll was swept overboard, and Tito with it. Allim dove in after his son and both were gone from sight in moments. The scroll was of very light stone and well-buoyed, and Allim was able to cling it and keep a strong hold on Tito. They were all washed ashore, exhausted. Allim hid the scroll, using his treeshaping powers, then collapsed.

In the meantime, the rest of the tribe ran aground on a different part of the same island. They quickly sought shelter. They soon discovered they were not alone. A race of troll-elf mixed-bloods, the Trollkin, took them into their fortress. The Trollkin were led by an aged pureblooded woman, Vellah, and her troll-elf son, Fairsky.

The Trollkin told of their ongoing war with the Watchkeepers, who kept the second of the scrolls under the mistaken impression that the single scroll was all there was. The Watchkeepers were pureblooded fanatics, bent on exterminating the Trollkin, while waiting for the High Ones to return, drawn by the scroll.

Allim and Tito were found and rescued by the Watchkeepers, who took Allim for a High One. Allim let them think so until he could learn more. Both he and Tito realized that Luit, the Watchkeeper leader, was both brilliant and mad, and his people were badly inbred because of their zeal for the purest of elfin blood. When Allim discovered they had the other scroll, he started plotting to get his hands on it and return both scrolls to the Palace.

An ill-fated rescue attempt by the Wolfriders and Trollkin led to a skirmish between the Watchkeepers and the two mixed-blood tribes. Hilltop was captured when she unexpectedly Recognized Luit. The Watchkeepers also took the scroll that the Wolfriders had discovered where Allim had hidden it.

Luit insisted that Allim turn the scrolls for him, and, suspecting that he wasn't a High One after all, and might hail from the mysterious new tribe of mixed-bloods, brought Hilltop at knifepoint as a threat. Allim agreed to try turning it, which he knew was impossible, but it got him in a room alone with Luit and Hilltop. Allim overpowered Luit and he and Hilltop dragged Luit off through a secret passage, arriving in Tito's chamber just as the Wolfriders came to the rescue.

There commenced a huge battle. The overly inbred Watchkeepers put up a fight, but proved no match for the Wolfriders, aided by the Trollkin. The scrolls were reclaimed, and Luit, in his desperation, impaled himself on Brindlefur's spear.

All was not well, however. Fairsky claimed the scrolls for the Trollkin, whom he declared the new Watchkeepers. Allim told them they were all fools for the High Ones were all dead, his mother the last of them. The Wolfriders eventually left the island for another, uninhabited, island. There they plotted to recover the scrolls.

Allim was impatient, however, and began forays through ancient tunnels that he felt would lead to the Trollkin island. He gave up his attempts after a nasty attack by Not-rats that nearly killed him, but continued to brood. While on the island, Hilltop gave birth to Jade, and Nightfire Recognized Beartooth, later bearing the twins Stillpool and Ripple.

After about ten turns on the island, Arak, son of Fairsky, sailed to their island asking for help. A terrible plague had struck and his people were dying. Nightfire agreed to bring the tribe to the island, secretly planning to get the scrolls. But Allim had already set forth through the tunnels again, this time aided by Ruuak. With Ruuak's highly-developed rockshaping skills that allow Cave Elves to "swim" through rock, Allim was able to come up under the cellars of the Trollkin Hall. He was sighted in the main hall and swiftly shut himself in Vellah's chamber, only to discover she was dying. With her last breath, she gave him the scrolls to take to the Palace, and sent to her tribe, telling them of her decision.

The Wolfriders arrived soon after. Fairsky would not allow the scrolls to leave the island. Arak challenged him to a fight and won, taking the tribe, the scrolls, a ship, and Bluestone (Vellah's handmaiden) with him.

The tribe crossed the sea again and headed northward. They came across the Whale Hunters again. Tito, who had become friends with Raven-Carries-Fire, wanted to visit. He discovered that the Whale Hunters had been stricken with a plague similar to the one that had hit the Trollkin. The elves didn't get such a warm reception this time. It seemed the Whale Hunters believed an elf had caused the plague.

The healers, however, set about healing those who could be saved, including the stricken Raven. The Shaman was grieving for two of his children who had already died. He told the tribe that a mysterious elf woman with long black hair and a pale face had visited the tribe, and that the plage had struck soon after. Several of the tribe, to Nightfire's consernation, swore vengeance on the mysterious elf. Eventually, because of the healers' help, good will was restored between the humans and the tribe.

Using Arak's boat, the tribe turned upriver and westward. They came across a mysterious lone mountain that Raven had warned them about. Allim fearful that this was the Glider mountain, wanted to continue on. Nightfire could see no reason to stop, but Tito was curious and slipped away when Foxlock lured him off. The shapechanger offered to assume wolf form to get them both there fast, thinking it would be a good joke to play on Allim, whom he hated. Unfortunately, both were caught by the Gliders.

Nightfire led a rescue mission. Allim insisted on coming along. Arak found an ancient troll tunnel (indeed, the tribe had been discovering the whole land was riddled with tunnels, both troll and elf) which led into the mountain. There the Wolfriders slipped unseen through the halls of the Gliders, finally coming across the main hall.

While the Wolfriders hid, Allim stepped forward to confront the Glider Lord, a lovely elf-woman named Aurellan. Tito was there, too, chained to the throne and weeping. Allim demanded his return. The enigmatic Aurellan asked Allim to listen to her story, and told him of how the High One, Imris, had left his group of elves and founded the Gliders, for he wanted to keep his people safe and prevent the mixing of blood that had gone on. Imris, it seemed, had returned to his old tribe to convince them to follow, but had only met Drianah, the High One, and Recognized her. She refused to come with him, and Imris returned to his people. There he had a healer help him force Recognition, and Aurellan was born. Imris tried to return to the old tribe again to claim his son, but died in a flood. Occasional search parties had gone out later but had found no trace -- until Liafair found the Wolfriders. But she, in her anger and disgust over a Recognition she did not want, had kept the knowledge to herself. So the Gliders knew of Allim, son of Imris, only by legend.

Thus, Aurellan said, she and Allim were brother and sister. She tried to get him to claim the throne that sat beside her. Allim, however, furious by the sight of his son in chains and serving only as a lure for him, refused. Aurellan motioned for her guards to seize him, but the Wolfriders leaped out of hiding and fought them off.

They might have been trapped in the mountain, save for the help of Nimue, the Keeper of the Preservers. The most lowly of her people, Nimue had grown up hearing the legends of Allim. She was struck by the sight of him, seeming so wild and free compared to her people, that she couldn't bear to seem him captured as his son had been. She got the Preservers to tangle up the pursing Glider hunters in wraptstuff, and helped the Wolfriders find an escape tunnel. Then she begged to come with them.

In the flight down the mountainside, the tribe was attacked by the Glider hunters on birdback. One of them, Elusin, brother of Nimue and lover of Liafair, struck Allim squarely in the back with a spear. Believing their legend was now safely dead, the Gliders withdrew.

Allim was near death when the healers got to him. Tito threw himself on his father, and discovered one of his magical powers -- and ability to enhance the magic of others. He increased the healing powers of Stone and Shycloud, helping to save his father. Kestrel shaped a shelter for her father and asked Nimue to lie down with him to keep him warm. That she did, and by the time Allim was feeling better, he discovered he was falling madly in love with her, to everyone's surprise, delight, and hilarity. No one was more surprised than Nimue, who, having been the lowest of her people, wouldn't have dreamed that the one she'd believed to the greatest of her people would even look at her, much less fall in love with her.

Later in the journey, Stone contemplated his healing ability and how it was limited by his wolf blood. His father had, partially by accident, nearly healed away his wolf blood. With Tito's help he might finish the job and become even more useful to his tribe, but he valued his wolf blood so much that the step seemed a terrible one to take. He talked of it with Brindlefur, who was so horrified by his father's idea that he ran off. Shycloud, too, had been acting strangely. She finally realized she was being drawn by Recognition to Tahnee, the rockshaper who had left the tribe for a journey some time ago.

The tribe continued west to Grey Falls as quickly as they could, knowing Brindlefur would catch up, only to find the land in the middle of a severe drought. The Sky People had left and the forest was crackling dry with very little game around. The falls, too, had apparently dried up, though further investigation showed that a landslide had blocked the river. Tahnee and Shycloud met and fulfilled Recognition. Tahnee showed everyone a miniature version of the Palace he'd made from a chunk of strange rock he'd found that had such magic about it that it might have come from the Palace itself. The mini-Palace upset Horizon, who couldn't stand the starsong she heard from it, but please Tito who liked the tune.

Tahnee then used his rockshaping magic to turn the river-blocking landslide into a stone bridge over the river, restoring the falls. The landslide had apparently been caused when the humans cut down trees on a high slope and had built some kind of a structure, perhaps a temple to the gods.

About this time, Brindlefur caught up with the tribe and had three companions with him. Narya, L'tathi, and Kyrie were Go-Backs from the frozen north. They believed they were the last survivors of their people, who had been attacked and burned out by trolls. Knowing that the Whitewillows tribe had joined the Go-Backs, Stormrook was distressed by this news, for he believed it meant his sister was dead. The Go-Back's were quite upset by the presence of the Trollkin, but soon learned that there were good troll and bad trolls.

While the tribe decided what to do next, Stormrook left Hilltop's side for Horizon without a word of explanation, causing bad feelings all around. When the tribe decided to leave for the old Redwood Holt in the south, Stormrook and Horizon stayed behind. During this time Shycloud had Recognized Tahnee. Their daughter, Doe, was born in the Redwood forest.

When Doe was three turns old, Nightfire decided it was time to leave the Redwood Forest and return to Grey Falls on the way to the Palace. On the way north again, they came across a frail, half-starved, pregnant elf-woman who called herself Ishnub. Though her hair was chestnut instead of black, Tito was sure she was the same elf woman who had started the plague in the Whale-Hunter's village, since her face was identical to that which Raven had shown him in mind pictures. Nightfire told him to keep the information to himself, while she conferred with the tribe's elders. Tito, however, seethed at the thought of a murderess in their midst and couldn't understand how the chief could expose the tribe to such danger. He told Arak of his suspicious and Arak cut himself in grief. Nightfire grew angry and hit Tito, demanding that he keep quiet. But when Ishnub picked up a dying bird and tried to heal it, only to have it die in her hands, Tito could keep quiet no longer. He accused her of causing the Plague and caused a big row. Eventually Ishnub simply walked off into the forest.

The tribe reached Grey Falls and found the forest turning green again. The Sky People were back. Stormrook and Horizon were there, and Horizon was quite visibly pregnant. Hilltop was upset by this, wondering why Stormrook hadn't simply been honest with her about what was happening.

The tribe had to stay in Grey Falls for a while until Horizon's cub was born, which irked Allim. Winter came, and the tribe discovered that northern trolls were again coming south to hunt. A hunting party was approached by a group of trolls, who demanded to know if they'd seen an elf-woman by the name of Shub. The hunters guessed, by their description, that they meant Ishnub. The trolls bragged of their turncoat elf leader named Riptide, whom the Wolfriders knew already was Stormrook's renegade father and a powerful mindbender. The trolls attacked and were defeated.

The elves stayed on the alert -- on such alert that they nearly shot an old friend when the long-lost Skyfall returned to the tribe. Skyfall was of Wolfrider-Glider blood and had gone off on a quest for his origins. He found information in spades. He came back with his aunt, the huntress Tiari, and told of how a powerful elf named Vistian had set loose a slow shape-change on him that was turning Skyfall bit by bit into a wolf. Vistian, it seemed, was the real power behind the throne in the Glider mountain.

The tribe also picked up a new member, Grump, a Go-Back. He had followed the trail Narya and her sisters had left, hoping to find his cousins. Grump was welcomed into the tribe, and it was hoped others had survived as well.

Hilltop had been to see her human friend, Shrea the Spirit-Toucher, and realized her friend was growing old. Both agreed that it was time to select another Spirit-Toucher, and both decided on a little girl whose ne'er-do-well father was in Tick House. The child was a misused servant in Salmon house, and dreamed that one day the Spirits would take her away. Shrea devised an excuse for the child, Minel, to be out after dark, and Hilltop fetched her on wolfback, bringing her to the falls. Those of the tribe who cared to met her there and entertained her. In the midst of the revel it was revealed that she had been sexually abused by an old man in the village, something the Wolfriders could barely understand. Minel spent the night in Nimue's comforting arms, to Allim's consernation, and was returned to the Sky People with many gifts from the Spirits. She was taken into Mage House to become the new Spirit Toucher. Hilltop told Shrea what Minel had revealed and the old man got what was coming to him.

At this time, Horizon had a bad fall from the Grandfather Tree which caused her to miscarry her child. While the tribe grieved, Hilltop was called into the woods by her human friend, Shrea. It seemed that a "Spirit" was found in the woods by a boy on his vision quest. The Spirit was pregnant and in labor, and seemed to be dying of it. The boy did what he could and then got help, but it was too late. The Spirit died after giving birth to a boy they named Den Siva for one of their heroes of legend. Shrea and Minel were very nervous as they turned the child over to Hilltop, who with her brother and Narya, had come to answer the call.

By the scent still left on the child, it was clear that Ishnub had been the mother. Hilltop, Brindlefur, and Narya returned to the tribe with the puny newborn. Hilltop took it straight to Horizon, figuring it would be good for her, and the act might heal the rift between them. Both Stormrook and Horizon were as cold to her as ever, but they took in Den Siva. Later Stone got in a fight with Stormrook when he asked to see the infant, but was refused. But Rook eventually came to him asking for help with sleeping, which he'd been unable to do since Horizon's accident. Stone agreed, and he and Eclipse carried Rook back to his den.

The tribe stayed in Grey Falls for three more turns while Den Siva grew strong enough to travel.

When time had passed, Nightfire again declared it was time to go to the Palace. The tribe packed up what supplies they had and left for the frozen North.

The way was long, and they had only Allim's memories of the land long ago, and some maps they'd gotten from some human traders (along with some High Ones-forged weapons of mysterious origin) in their earlier travels to guide them. On the way they hunted mammoths, and Allim had an emotional experience when he discovered the remains of the holt he'd been born into. Kestrel asked him to share his memories of his mother with the tribe, and he ended up revealing more than he'd intended of Arran's cruelty toward him, for the half-wolf had nearly beaten him to death not long after the death of Drianah.

After many adventures, including one in which Foxlock lost control of his shapechanging and attacked Allim in wolf form, the tribe did reach the Palace. They had no resistance getting in. Indeed, the last leg of their journey had been through the tunnels of the Northern trolls, which they had found abandoned. There were signs of sickness, and they wondered if Ishnub had turned her plague loose on the trolls, too.

Once in the Palace, the scrolls were put into place, and Tito attempted turning them. It took the will of the tribe together to make it happen, and the tribe was presented with a visual history of the coming of the High Ones. To everyone's surprise, they recognized the face of Storysinger, Nightfire's wandering father, among the High Ones. Once the tale was over, they heard a voice that seemed to send to all of them, though they realized it was an elfin spirit doing the sending. Allim recognized the voice of his mother, Drianah. He soon met his father, Imris, as well, and learned to everyone's shock that Imris had not died by accident. He had been drugged and bound and left in the path of the flood that killed him. In short, he'd been murdered. More conversation revealed that Vistian had been the mastermind behind the murder plot. Vistian had gone on to raise Aurellan to be as crafty as himself. While in public she honored the memory of her father and encouraged a hunt for Allim, in private she plotted to have her brother quietly garotted and his body hidden by rockshapers. This was why Drianah had extracted a promise from Allim, while she lay dying, that under no circumstances would he leave the tribe. She had felt Imris's death, had known he had been murdered, and feared for her son's life.

The tribe left the scroll room when the story was over, shocked by what they'd heard, though some were more impressed than others. Indeed, Nightfire and her closest associates seemed to think it was a pureblood matter from the past and shouldn't affect them now.

Kestrel and Stone were affected in another way when they turned to each other in Recognition once again. They happily ran off to an upper room, and the energy of their Recognition vibrated throughout the Palace.

Allim had disappeared with Nimue to think over what he'd learned. He sensed his daughter's Recognition and told Nimue what it was. Both felt as though the might reach out and take it for themselves, and soon thought they might try. They felt another presence, and realized the spirit of Aleetan, the old pureblood healer (father of Stone and Shycloud) was with them. Together they took Recognition for themselves.

Afterward it was discovered that Doe, bored by all the grownup things, had wandered off. Shycloud and Tahnee went looking for her. Nightfire got up some search parties, even ordering Allim and some others to look around outside. So it was that Allim and Nimue were out with Jade and Stillpool (both the girls having taken a liking to the pureblood couple) and Ripple when they surprised three scouting trolls. Brindlefur and Narya weren't far away, battling a troll of their own and were soon able to come and help, but in the meantime Allim and Ripple fended them off as best they could. Jade had her bow and arrows and helped considerably, as did Stillpool and Nimue by throwing what knives they had with great accuracy. Nevertheless, Allim was forced to take on one of the trolls himself, got his ribs broken, and finally stabbed the troll in the throat over and over until it was good and dead. Before he was led off to have his ribs bound by Bluestone and Ripple (!), he snatched up a crossbow and quiver of bolts that one of the trolls had been carrying, and later Beartooth taught him how to use it.

The death of the troll scouts alerted the northern trolls to the elves' presence. The Palace was soon beseiged by Riptide and his trolls. Tito, who had been besieged already by nightmares and an uncontrolled ability to go "out," followed by the fear of not getting "back," soon discovered their source -- Riptide. The tribe endured several days of siege while their food supplies ran dangerously low. Finally Riptide had some trolls use grappling hooks to attempt to gain entrance through the roof, which proved to be only diversion. Riptide used his mindbending to get Violeteyes to open the Palace doors, and the trolls marched in.

A great battle ensued, both inside the Palace and out. A few non-fighters stayed in a safe room upstairs, while archers behind the balustrades of the galleries shot at any trolls trying to come up the stairs -- Allim being among the archers. When things looked bleak, help came from and unexpected source. Ashes, an old tribe member long missing, came with more elves who had been captives of the trolls, as well as Doe and Shycloud riding with him. They turned the tide against the trolls.

Tito had been near the door when Violeteyes had opened it, and had fled to the scroll room and tried to lock himself in when the trolls entered. Riptide came in looking for him, believing he was a source of great power. Tito hid and refused to answer until it seemed hopeless, then tried to fight his way out. But Tito is no fighter. He tried resisting Riptide's powers, but was finally overcome, partially by his own fear and self-doubt. Nightfire used Stormrook's mindbending to get past the troll guards, making the guards think they were trolls, too. Nightfire attacked Riptide and wounded him, but was gravely wounded in the head herself. Finally Stormrook, aided by Tito's magic-enhancing ability, was able to defeat Riptide, who was finally slain by Horizon. The rest of the trolls either fled or were captured.

With winter coming on and two cubs on the way, it was decided to leave the Palace now that their quest was accomplished. They had a bit of trouble when attacked by the troll captives they had freed, but finally got away and headed south to Grey Falls once again. But it was not under Nightfire's leadership, for the chief remained in a strange catatonic state after her head wound, despite the fact that neither Stone nor Shycloud could find anything wrong. On the way they picked up a troll survivor, Thwack, with elfin sympathies and a modest ability to send. They also took with them Raun, a throwback wolfling female, and Pierce, a mischievous wolfrider, from Ashes' rescue party, and Polecat, another wolfrider.

On the way south they came across the remains of the old Dark Tree holt where Foxlock was from. There they found, hidden deep in a very narrow tunnel, a dozen Preserver-wrapped bundles. They opened one and found a very young elf child, perhaps two turns old. Another larger one was opened, revealing a wounded adult. Skyfall recognized him as his soul-brother, Flashpoint. One of the bundles held a child who turned out to be Foxlock's sister, whom he had never met.

The story turned out that Darktree had continued as a holt for many turns after Foxlock's disappearance. The tribe was shrinking, however, and a war with humans had nearly decimated the remaining members. In fear, they had their children wrapped and hidden, hoping they would be found by elves in the future. Flashpoint had found them turns later, when seeking the old holt long after it had been destroyed. He had been set upon by trolls, and had crawled into the tunnel to hide, where Preservers had wrapped him before he could bleed to death.

The question, then, was what to do with the children after they were unwrapped. The tribe was hard pressed to feed its current members, since they were on the road with winter coming on.

While they were sleeping on the issue, Nightfire arose and wandered off, and attempted to stab herself. Horizon stopped her. Nightfire was on the verge of madness, brought on by her guilt over her self-perceived inability to lead the tribe, and over Narya's death in the Palace battle. She refused comfort from her lifemate, Beartooth, finally breaking a relationship that had been weakening for a long time.

The issue of the children was decided by Cyclone. Since Ashes' band had helped them, Cyclone had been happy to discover some of his old Whitewillows tribemates among them. These elves looked to him for new leadership. He decided to remain with them to care for the children and rebuild Darktree holt. Stormrook and Horizon decided to stay there with Nightfire, for the pair seemed to be able to reach her, and separation from the tribe might help her overcome her guilt and the things that hurt her most. Hilltop had a tearful farewell with Cyclone, who had been more than a lovemate to her for a long time. Though afraid of the process, she exchanged soul names with him before leaving.

From there, the tribe headed south under Beartooth's leadership until Ripple grew to an age where he felt he could take over as chief of the tribe. It wasn't long before Hilltop paired up with her old friend, Beartooth, in a lovematch that finally promised to last.

Two years later, Kestrel gave birth to Winter, whose healing powers were already beginning to be felt before her birth. Stone speculated that making her in the Palace might have influenced that. Not long after, Nimue gave birth to Rameel. However, when looking her over, Stone discovered the child had clubbed feet. Allim, knowing the tribal tradition of looking over and approving of newborns, was fearful his much-desired daughter might not be allowed to live, but Stone assured him he'd speak for the child. Beartooth would have none of that "Is this child fit?" nonsense and accepted the child into the tribe without qualms.

Three years later, the Whale Hunters came to visit the Sky People, since the two tribes have familial connections. Tito was overjoyed that his old friend, Raven-Carries-Fire, had come to visit -- so overjoyed he forgot tribal taboos completely and brought his human friend to the falls. Beartooth was furious. Raven, sensing the awkwardness, gracefully withdrew. Beartooth turned on Tito and beat the daylights out of him. Tito ran off, and sneaked out at dawn with Starfall to join the Whale Hunters as they left for home. He didn't "send" word until he was almost out of sending range.

Not long after, the holt was visited unexpectedly by a Glider named Morden who claimed that the Gliders wished to make peace with the Wolfriders, and that he'd come to bring Tito, son of Allim, home to the Glider mountains. Allim hid his family down in the troll tunnels, thinking it best to let the Gliders continue believing he was dead. Rameel, growing bored, sneaked out of the tunnel to play for a while and was discovered by Morden. When he found out who she was, he grabbed her and tried flying off with her on his giant bird. Stone and Hilltop both leaped from the top of a tree and grabbed the bird's harness. Skyfall helped Hilltop get Rameel down, while Stone tried to force Morden to land. Stone was accidentally thrown from the bird and fell to the forest floor below, while the bird got shot down by Thwack. Morden was captured. Tito helped Winter save her father, and Stone joined in to complete his healing. Allim revealed himself to Morden, and revealed the truth about the Glider mountain secrets -- that Imris was murdered by Vistian's henchmen, that Aurellan is living a lie, and that the only reason they wanted anyone of Imris' blood back at the mountain was to kill them. The news almost drove Morden mad. Eventually he realized he could not return home with the knowledge and expect to be allowed to live. He decided reluctantly to stay with the tribe. Eventually he developed a relationship with Polecat.

Some time later, Beartooth Recognized Tiari, Skyfall's aunt. Hilltop was a little shaken by this, fearing she'd be left again, but was pleased when both wanted her to stay. She'd been in three-way relationships before and had no trouble doing so again.

A flood struck the falls river, and it so happened that Rameel and Winter were sitting by the water and was swept away. Beartooth and Ripple dove in after them and grabbed the cubs. Morden lifted both children to safety, and got Ripple out, but Beartooth was swept off and lost. The tribe grieved, but Tiari insisted he wasn't dead. While the tribe tied the chief's lock on Ripple and he renamed himself Riverflare, Hilltop and Tiari went looking for Beartooth. They found him in the possession of a nastybad tribe of humans who had thrown him in a pit for torture. Hilltop and Tiari played a trick on the humans, involving substituting a live, drugged bear for Beartooth, and got their mate to safety. While bringing him back, Hilltop Recognized him, which threw her into a panic since she didn't like anyone near her soulname since her nasty Recognition with Luit. But Beartooth calmed her fears, and when they got him back and got him healed (Allim himself carried Beartooth into the holt, in gratitude for rescuing his daughter), the pair got busy fulfilling Recognition. Beartooth decided to allow Riverflare to go on being chief.

The trolls returned to Grey Falls, at least those few who survived the ravages of the Northern Trolls. Old Rockgut was still in charge, but seemed (seemed, mind you) to be only a shadow of his former self. Jewel and Hammertoe were also there. With them was Fairsky, the former Trollkin chief allied now with the trolls. There had been rumors, they claimed, of trolls being held as slaves under the Glider mountain. The Wolfriders were considering whether to help or not when Fairsky took things into his own hands, using a "knockout" dust on Allim, Nimue, and Rameel, and making off with Nimue. His special knockout dust knocks out the ability to "send" and receive sends, so it wasn't until Allim came to again that he could call for help. Nimue, in the meantime, was doing some fast talking down in the tunnels. Fairsky's true motive was revenge against Allim, but Rockgut had other ideas involving getting the Wolfriders to help him free the troll slaves.

Eventually Riverflare agreed to take a party of hunters to help the trolls. Though he tried hard to be a leader on the quest, his leadership skills were shaky and several hunters were fast growing impatient with him. The quest, however, was a double success when not only did they break into the Glider mountain with Tahnee's help and free the troll slaves, with some help from the Cave Elves, as well, but a plot hatched by Kestrel to nab Vistian went off well, too. A handy preserver flew a bag Eclipse's copy of Fairsky's knockout dust and liberally dusted Vistian as he rested after whatever heavy evil he'd been up to. The Preserver quickly wrapped up the nastybad character and Kestrel with her party went off to retrieve him. Morden, though, had experienced a flashback of Vistian's handiwork, brought on by Stone's flash of jealously seeing Morden with Kestrel, and a badly-timed hit of black-sending. Morden remembered some extremely kinky parties Vistian threw for his own kicks, to the point of forcing Morden to Recognize a Glider maiden, then killing the child. From somewhere in the past, he recalled being told that Aurellan, Lord of the Gliders, was his mother, which might explain Vistian's making him a target of evil -- as Morden carries the blood of Imris as well. Stone was sorry for what he did, and Kestrel celebrated the realization that Morden was her cousin, but Morden was in no mood to receive either of them. While Kestrel fetched the now-inert Vistian, Morden darted off to Aurellan's chambers and announced his presence. He told her Vistian was being removed, but did not tell her how or by whom, nor did she ask. Better not to know, she said.

Vistian was taken far away to a lonely mountain, where the tribe discovered Tiari's old bird. Tahnee made a nice hole in the rock to deposit Vistian, and Tiari's bird was set to keep watch over it. Morden discovered the bird's young hatchling, just trying its wings, and bonded with it.

The tribe returned to Grey Falls, but Riverflare's leadership continued to falter. The tribe realized he was showing signs of his mother's fall into a strange madness. His sister, Stillpool, packed him up and took him off to Darktree. Shycloud went with them in hopes of healing both mother and son. Foxlock, Little Fox, and Briarheart traveled with them as well to keep them safe. Beartooth took over chieftainship.

The tribe rejoiced when Tiari gave birth to Ravenwolf and Hilltop gave birth to Crayfish. Not long after, Tito returned from his time with the Whale Hunters. He and a party of them had been to the Palace. There he and Starfall had claimed Recognition at her urging, and they returned before she got too far along.

Most recently:

Snowgleam was born to Tito and Starfall and is now entertaining everyone with his lovely, Preserver-like singing. Ravenwolf is an up-and-coming mighty huntress, while Crayfish started out a shy fellow, but is growing livelier.

Bluestone was found slain and beheaded, sending Arak into a frenzy of grief. Beartooth allowed him to take a party of hunters, headed by Leaffrost (daughter of Wolfrunner and Leafdance, who came to us a while back after she was separated from her parents by a human attack), to hunt down Fairsky. They traveled to the Trollkin island and found it deserted. Both Watchkeepers and Trollkin had fled -- and one crazy Watchkeeper maiden left behind said they had joined forces and fled Fairsky. She was mad and starving and died before the tribe could get any more information out of her. The Trollkin are now at large. Vistian is safely (are you sure) tucked away. Fairsky is at large. What's coming next remains to be seen.