Disclaimer: I don't own the World of Two Moons. I do, however own a few of the characters in this story.

Chapter One: Ambush!

After many seasons apart, Ember and her part of the Wolfrider elf tribe were visiting their kin at the Father Tree. Dewshine, Tyleet and Scouter were laughing while they rode on a hunt as Pike told them of Mender's fully failed attempt to have a baby hawk as a pet, while the healer loftily and hilariously ignored them as he rode up ahead with his wolf and Ember, who had yet to find a wolf-friend of her own, after her fifth wolf, Dancinglight, had died.

Those on this hunt were Scouter, Dewshine, Pike, Tyleet, Chieftess Ember, Mender and Krim. The former go-back had come to savor her last hunt before she became to cub-heavy to hunt on foot, as she had no wolf-friend. Dart and Kimo the shapeshifter, as always, rode together.

Somehow, with all the laughing and their merriment, not one of them was on alert that fall day. Even the wolves were not alert, and none of them realized just how far they were from the Holt.

The first warning they had was the smell. Pike, Tyleet, Scouter and Dewshine were on alert as soon as they scented humans, but it was too late. They ran right into a group of Djunsmen, and were attacked; none of them had realized that they had strayed so far from their territory, and were not even attempting to be silent.

The humans let out startled cries, then recovered before, for once, the Wolfriders. But these were no ordinary hunters. They were prepared.

Swiftly, the elves unsheathed blades or knocked arrows, but it was to late. The Djunsmen fell upon them and started fighting. None of the elves paid attention to the single hunter with a rope and a sack who circled around behind them. An inarticulate shout and the humans fell back running, leaving the two dead behind.

The Wolfriders were suspicious, but turned and set back to the Holt to gather the rest of the tribe and tell them of the day's adventures, and that they would hunt after dark. It was only when Scouter looked around for his lifemate that they were alerted to Dewshine's disappearance.

Frowning, the sharp-eyed elf told the rest of the hunt with the speed of thought that she was not with them, and wheeled his wolf around. He raced back to the scene of the fight, and found the signs he was afraid of.

Dewshine's wolf, a lovely grey fellow with a dorsal stripe of rust red, lay in the frost and leaves named Riverdancer, a spear through his side. The she-elf herself was nowhere to be found, but a track showed where something, likely in a sack, had been dragged in the direction of the human settlement, then loaded onto a cart of some kind, drawn by a horse.

It seemed the huntress had been captured.

Lree! sent Scouter, calling out Dewshine's soul name. Where are you, Lifemate? Dewshine!

Tyleet joined him, as did a young black-haired elf, who was Tyleet's and Scouter's Pool, but who now had another name. Darkpool, as he was now called, sent along with them, calling out for his second mother with all his might.

Dewshine! Answer us! they cried fiercely.

000

The third member of the triangle of lifemates was unconscious, but at last she came around, and heard the frantic sendings of Tyleet and Scouter. Painfully, she blocked them out, trying to get a grip on the pain in her head before she replied.

At last, Dewshine's eyes flickered open. She raised her had to brush away the gold hair that was hanging into her blue eyes, and couldn't. Her right arm was fastened in a metal ring at her wrist, which, in turn, was connected to a chain, and that was doubled through half a ring on the side of a wagon, and connected to a piece on her left arm.

The chain was short, and she was forced to sit down, her back curled uncomfortably and her arms above her head. Then she just barely opened her connection to her lifemates, and sent a quick message to them before closing it again.

She did not want them to know how terrified she truly was.

Jial, Sohn! I believe the Djunsmen are taking me to their new See-tah-del, but I do not know why. Stay away, no matter what. I do not want you to be taken too.

Tyleet, Scouter and their son heard her, but before they could argue that they needed to save her, she had cut them off.

Then, tentatively, she swiftly open-sent.

Goodbye, for now.