Dawn on Day 4 sees the Alt elves slowly rising from their sleep. “It was a beautiful sunrise,” Weatherbird says to the camera. “Almost enough to take your mind off the bugs. You know you can eat those big ones over there? They’re full of protein.”

Coppersky: Yeah... Weatherbird’s always been... a little odd. (glances over at Littlefire, intently studying a hermit crab) I think we definitely have the crazier tribe over here.

Gypsy: So Mom and Aunt Savin are being co-chiefs, and Cheipar and Coppersky are in charge of getting food. Coppersky’s great. He’s all... frustrated, you know, because he’s never been away from Sust for so long. And when he gets frustrated he likes to kill things.

Swift: (twitching) I’m going mad. I would seriously.... seriously... kill someone for some antihistamines.

“It’s no fun to have three alphas in camp at the same time,” Skywise says. “I mean, this is exactly why Cutter sent Ember off with her own tribe. Shards War my hot ass, if she had stayed in the same holt as him another month someone would have died painfully. And I really don’t know how Scouter and Ember ever get along in the Wild Hunt. I still can’t believe Kahvi is being so... calm.”

Kahvi: (in pain) Just play the game, Kahvi. Be helpful. Be gracious. Bite. Back. The. Rage.

Ember: Scouter’s using every excuse to get under my skin. I swear, he’s so afraid I’m going to show him up again that he’s already planning to vote me out. I was afraid of this. It’s no coincedence the past winners were the first ones voted off Survivor:All-Stars.

Cutter: Scouter wants me to turn against my own blood. Now, I’m not saying I won’t do that, but I won’t do that this soon in the game.

Tyleet: Everyone is obsessing about strategy too much. Can’t we just enjoy ourselves?

Swift: Die. Slowly.

Gypsy Moth: Ooooohhh... looks so comfy. I want, I want. Mommy... Mommy, I want that. Win that for me.

Swift: (awed) Is that... bug netting?

They decide to sit out Littlefire, and Swift and Cutter take their places at the starting line. They’re off. Cutter takes an easy lead, then falls into a quicksand pit. While he’s hauling himself out, Swift bypasses the pit, only to be tripped up by strangleweed posing as dead kelp. She reaches the rock wall and rushes back. A hidden tripcord sends her on her face, but she recovers and passes off the wand to Swift. Cutter is close behind, covered in what looks like oatmeal, as he passes off the baton to Skywise.

Both Skywise and Savin get tangled in strangleweed. “So... you’re married to me in the Alternaverse,” Skywise asks gamely as they struggle to free themselves. Cutter shouts “No flirting, dammit!” from the start line.

The race continues, neck and neck. Nightfall races Coppersky. Kahvi races Brightmetal. Scouter races Weatherbird. New obstacles constantly appear. Spar accidently steps on a hidden patch of burning coals. A swarm of bees descend from the trees to aggravate Strongbow. The Bone Woman tries to exorcize Crescent’s spirit. The Redeemer rises up from the waves and tries to eat Ember and Kit. “Foul! Foul, dammit!” Ember wails. “I killed you already!”

Finally the last team in running. Gypsy Moth is racing Tyleet. The tanner’s longer legs earn her an early lead, while Gypsy struggles to catch up. But suddenly a giant hawk drops out of the sky, and scoops Tyleet up. She struggles and finally slips through the hawk’s talons. But by now Gypsy has a slight lead. Gypsy scrambles out of the pit just as Tyleet reaches her. But the narrowest of margins, she staggers across the finish line. “Winner – Alternaverse elves!” Winnowill calls.

The Alternaverse elves go home with their prize, while the Warp tribe sulks home emptyhanded. “If you hadn’t freaked out when those bees showed up–” Scouter growls. **You weren’t looking too cool when the stampeding shagback charged you,** Strongbow counters. “Enough!” Cutter barks at them all. “Look, we just weren’t fast enough. Those Alt elves got their licks too.”

“I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped,” Kit confesses. “I’m not really much of an athlete. Archery, sure. But running, close-quarters fighting... not so much. I’m really more the cerebral type, so I’m hoping we’ll have some good challenges in the future where I can really prove my worth to the tribe.”

At Camp Warp, Kahvi is hard at work planning her strategy. “You might think Crescent is the weakest link here, being undead and all. But it seems ghosts are pretty tenacious. So I’m concentrating on Ember. She won last time around, and no one wants her in a position of power. So I’m going to talk to Scouter and Skywise about it – I know they’ve got scores to settle.”

Skywise later confesses to the camera that Kahvi has approached him for an alliance. “You got to hand it to her. She’s smarter than she looks. She’s been really helpful around camp. She hasn’t challenged Cutter for his chief’s lock once. And she’s right – none of us want Ember to win this game again.”

Scouter: I don’t trust Kahvi. She’s trying to play my game.

Kahvi: Scouter? I’m not worried. He’s hardly any smarter than old Zey.

Back at Camp Alt, Gypsy Moth, Coppersky, and Spar are sunbathing. “Yeah, there’s definitely a possibility for an alliance there,” Savin conceeds. “They’re all three selfish lazy delinquents.”

Clad only in his swim trunks, Brightmetal is bathing in the warm water just offshore. The camera switches to a soft filter and a sleazy “bow-chica-wow” soundtrack as it pans the length and breadth of the quarter-troll’s formidable torso. Gypsy, Coppersky, and Spar are all entranced.

Coppersky: Daaaaamn....

Gypsy: Yeah, he could try to turn me straight any time he wants.

Swift: If I were in Vegas, I’d put good odds on Brightmetal going all the way in this game.

Over across the bay, the Warp elves are having a less pleasant evening. Sounds of struggles and swears are picked up by the microphones as the eight living elves and one ghost try to keep dry. “Apparently it was someone’s bright idea to build the base of the shelter bigger than the roof,” Skywise moans. By morning, they are all sore and miserable. “We’re used to adversity, being Wolfriders,” Tyleet says. “But it’s hard... and it’s a little embarassing too, to keep stumbling like this.”

**Scouter and Kahvi are plotting against my chief,** Strongbow growls. **They seem to have forgotten that’s my right as second-chief. If there’s going to be any coup, I’m going to lead it. Such is the Way.**

Skywise: We really need to win tomorrow’s immunity challenge. We need to get something back from those Alt-elves.

Strongbow: We do know how to build a shelter, thank you.

Ember: Father’s worried about losing his place as chief. But I don’t think he’s learned his lesson from the last time. You can’t just... make yourself chief. This is reality-TV – the Way doesn’t apply.

Crescent: I think everyone’s getting way too paranoid way too early in the game.

Savin: I suggest again... plumbing? A proper kitchen space? Hammocks?

Swift: (yawning) Too sleepy...

The morning of Day 6 sees the two tribes of elves assemble on the beach for the second immunity challenge. Swift graciously hands over the immunity idol, and Winnowill announces the rules of the challenge. “Today, you’re going to build an authentic Beacon totem pole. The humans who used to live here on this very beach would build these totems out of carved wooden blocks, and then their shamans would invoke the gods to bring these totems to life. A successfully animated totem would guard the village for a hundred years... or until it fell to tree rot. Of course, no one ever managed to bring these totems to life, and more often than not, they got dismantled for firewood to burn the false shamans on. Now. You see two sets of five coloured flags. Each flag marks a buried piece of your totem. Warp tribe, you’ll dig at the blue flags. Alt tribe, you’re red. The first tribe to erect their totem pole first wins immunity and three more days on the island. Alt elves, who are you sitting out?

The Alternaverse elves decide on Kit. “I guess ‘cause physically I’m the weakest player,” she confesses glumly. Winnowill shouts “Go,” and the elves scramble to unearth their wooden blocks. The Warp tribe takes the strategy of splitting up and rushing to all five flags at once. The Alt tribe works as a team, from one flag to the next. They have unearthed their first block and taken it to their platform while the Warp elves are all still digging helplessly.

The Alternaverse leads two pieces to zero. Two to one. Three to two. Four to two. Five to three. Now the Alternaverse has only to assemble their pieces in the proper order, making sure that the blue symbols painted on the blocks match up. They are still struggling as the Warp elves gather their last piece. “See... I should have been there,” Kit laments from the sidelines.

The Warp elves work quickly to make up lost time. But the Alternaverse elves hold their lead. Swift caps the final piece onto the totem. The symbols are now revealed to make up the outlines of a great serpent. “Immunity, Alternaverse!” Winnowill shouts. Just then, the totem comes to life, turning into a giant snake.
“Oh... my,” Winnowill giggles girlishly. Swift rolls her eyes and beheads the snake in one swipe of New Moon. She then stalks over and reclaims the immunity idol.

Kahvi: We’re screwed.

Skywise and Scouter firm up their plans. “We’re going to try to send Ember packing,” Skywise says. “I really hate to do it this early on, but I’m not taking any chances.” Scouter and Kahvi concur. But with nine players left on the tribe, they need at least two more votes to ensure a majority. Scouter goes to Tyleet for help. But she remains evasive, promising nothing either way.

Tyleet: I lost out in this game the first time by being too easily led. I’m going to play more carefully from now on. And that means trusting no one – not my mother, not my lifemate, and not the cameraman. I’m going to make my baby proud of me.

Ember: Kahvi has to go. She’s a threat to us all. She’s a threat to me most of all. I can see how she’s playing Skywise and Scouter. And as soon as she has some backing, she’s coming right after Father and me.

Cutter: I know I have Ember and Strongbow’s votes for Kahvi. But that’s still only three. I know Kahvi and her group are probably going for Ember... but I can’t count that they won’t vote me out instead. Three and three, but that still leaves three left.

Cutter: Yeah, you and the network heads must be delighted.

Winnowill: Hey, I’m an unbiased host. Frankly, I’d like to see you all wiped off the face of this misbegotten planet. Now. Cutter – tell me, do you feel yourself a natural leader of this tribe, or do you worry that your authority may come under attack as this losing streak wears on?

Kahvi considers it. “I play to win. I always do. But no one can choose the time and manner of their own death. I’m not some milk-toothed little brat that cries at the way the dice fall. So if they want to vote me out, they can do it. But they’ll be losing a good warrior.”

“And with that, it’s time to vote,” Winnowill declares. The long voting ritual begins again as an eerie soundtrack sets the mood for the audience. Tyleet spends a long time in the voting booth, agonizing over her choice. Crescent and Nightfall complete their voting swiftly. Winnowill is soon back with the basket of votes.

“As you all know, once the votes are read the decision is final,” she says. “The elf voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I’ll read the votes. First vote: Kahvi. Second vote: Kahvi. Kahvi. Ember. Three votes for Kahvi, one for Ember. Ember. Ember. Ember. That’s three votes for Kahvi, and four for Ember. Next vote... Kahvi. We’re tied again. And the final vote...” she unfolds the final vote far too slowly for anyone’s liking.

“Ember.”

Ember sighs. She nods to her tribemates. “Take care, guys,” she says. She gathers her belongings, then marches up to Winnowill, who snuffs out her torch. “The tribe has spoken, Ember. It’s time for you to go.” 

Tyleet: (on voting for Ember) I’m making my choice. I’m going to ally with Scouter and Skywise. It’s nothing personal, Ember. But I think I stand a better chance with them.

Nightfall: (on voting for Kahvi) You... hungry lurking shadow... I will take terrible revenge for what you’ve taken from me... oh, sorry. Bad dream talking there. So let’s just say I don’t much care for you.

Crescent: (on voting for Ember) I didn’t come to this choice easily. But it seems to me that you already won this game once, so someone else should have a turn now. It’s only fair.

EMBER’S LAST WORDS:  I came back... thought I’d try this game again. I tried. I didn’t make it. But I tried. I fought the good fight. So I’m going to go home to my honey and we’ll see if we can’t fire up this damned Recognition that keeps hovering over our heads like a sneeze that won’t come out. Give those Alternaversers hell, guys! Love and kisses!