"My chief, should I chase after her, restrain her" Eyes ask defiantly; certainly this new human (what had she called herself, Deryn?) didn't have the right to push and shove her way through the crowd.  Skylong just put up his hands as a signal to let her go; but what troubled him was that this would be the second death of a wolf in the past month.  And these mournings were not natural; wolves normally died either in battle or amongst their pack.  Nightfall would bring him the news when one of her comrades had fallen; the pack would have already dug a hole and buried the body.  It was considered bad protocol to show the elfin tribe a fallen body.<br/><br/>But these recents deaths had brought no choice; for an odd reason, the wolves would die in the middle of camp; no warnings.  Only Eyes, who could smell the spiritual realm, would realize that something had happened.<br/><br/>Certain elves cried out to Skylong:  "What is happening!  Are we destined to die to?"  No answers came from the chief.  "Can't we do something?  Our friends perish!"  One of the tribe's younger members, belonging to the family of Earthwise, cradled the animal in her arms.  Two pups in two different societies joining to be friends, in the formative years of development now separated from what seemed to be a senseless ... well, what?  Deryn was checking the body, and no visible signs of struggle, battle, wounding, or disease seemed to indicate why the spirit had left the body so suddenly.<br/><br/>Looking around, he saw that Earthwise had brought his spear.<br/><br/>“She just… died,” Deryn choked out. “Just … stopped living.”<br/><br/>"Is that worse than dying?" one of the worried tribesmen asked.<br/><br/>It was then Deryn began searching the crowd until her eyes met with Skylong's; for a moment, apprehension captuerd his visage and the warmth of blood flushed the face.  When their eyes met, it was as a warrior to a warrior, and a friend to a friend.  He quickly looked around to see if anyone noticed his weakness.<br/><br/>“Is this why you needed my help?” she asked quietly, curbing her inner rage as she gestured at the wolf at her feet. There was a long pause as Deryn’s eyes returned to the young wolf’s body, analysing it for a second time. “I know what caused this…” she said grimly. “I know who caused this…”<br/><br/>Earthwise piped up, "So, you are going to confess that your presence has brought something terrible here!  My brave chieftan will take care of you" as he threw Skylong's spear to him.  Lifting the spear majestically off the ground the elves all quieted down and he quickly added "no one will hurt the woman.<br/><br/>"The Enlightened One told me tonight this woman would visit us.  Our woods are dying; our way of life threatened.  How many of you have come to me asking if the Gryphons should still be protected?  Our job is to protect the creatures of the forest; but they left the forest.  And since their departure, the woods no longer run as they should.  I deceived myself, thinking it was only happening outside our camp.  But look.  It has come here."  Then, he handed the spear to his equal, Deryn.  "You, tell us the story of how this has happened.  We want to hear it." Skylong said.