"Ember and Cutter have spent a lot of time off by themselves, talking," Skywise says. "It's going to be interesting to say what happens with them. Cutter probably expects to just be made chief of this new tribe. But I know Ember's gotten real used to being chief. She's had her chief's lock for 27 days now, and I doubt she's going to just go back to being Daddy's little girl now."
Cutter: Ember's gotten very headstrong. She has to realize that I am the elder, that I am chief now.Ember: Cutter's smoking something if he thinks I'm just going roll over.
"It's
all a matter of strategy," Clearbrook says. "Venka and Rayek are one unit
- we have to assume that's a given. From the looks of things, Nightfall
and Ember have formed another unit. Dewshine seems loyal to Scouter, Pike
is loyal to Skot. Skywise seems a lone player, as far as I can tell. Me,
I am loyal to Cutter - I will follow his lead, for the moment, at any rate.
If Cutter and Ember can unite, then we will have an alliance of four, possibly
six if we can feel out Scouter and Dewshine. But my guess for the Final
Four would be Cutter, myself, Ember and Nightfall."
Cutter: I'm planning to take Nightfall, Skywise, and maybe Clearbrook to the Final Four. I would like to keep Ember to the final five, but if she insists on this stubborn "independence" I might get rid of her earlier. But of my Final Four picks, I would have to say Clearbrook is the weakest link. She's helped me a lot, but I'll cut her loose if I have to."How's the tribe doing?" Teir asks when the tribe assembles for the reward challenge. He hands them each 20 slips of greenish paper. "These are Djunian dollars, a little sample of what one of you will be taking home with you at the end of this game. Now, today we're doing something a little different. Each of you has two thousand Djunian dollars in 100 dollar bills. And we're having a food auction. You can bet on any item you want, but the auction will stop abruptly, so don't hang on to that money forever. Now, for our first item," he brings forward a plate of chocolate squares. "Double-chocolate brownies. With a tall glass of milk to wash them down. Bidding starts at 100 dollars."Clearbrook: Will I turn against my chief to get ahead? I'm not sure. But I'm not so naive as to say our bond is unbreakable.
Skywise, Pike and Ember each bet on the brownies. Ember finally bid 500 dollars, and the others were unwilling to bid higher. Ember collects her prize and sits down to eat it, allowing everyone to have one bite. Next Teir unveils a hot fudge sundae. A few more people bid, but Pike claims it with 500 dollars. The next item is a cut of tusk-hog, raw and bloody. The purebloods hold onto the money, while the Wolfriders fight viciously. Cutter claims it for one thousand dollars, then dives into the cut with gusto. Next comes a mystery prize within a large box. Rayek and Nightfall get into a small bidding war, until Rayek claims it wil 800 dollars.
"And the mystery prize is... a tall glass of spring water," Teir says. The elves laugh uproariously. Rayek smiles good-naturedly, takes a sip of the water, then throws the rest of it in Cutter's face.
"It was worth it," he smiles.
The auction continues: a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes; a can of Mountain Dew and a bag of Doritos; a bowl of hot porridge, and another mystery prize that turns out to be a slice of double-pepperoni pizza. Skywise laughs as he claims his pizza, bought for 1200 dollars, then graciously offers the salivating Pike a bite in exchange for a spoonful of his sundae. Dewshine wins a chocolate-glazed donut and a mug of coffee, and suddenly the auction is over. Teir thanks everyone and sends them back to their camp.
Pike: What a feed!
Cutter: I noticed Ember saved one brownie to give to Teir.Ember: Father was glaring at me the whole way home. Tanner's needles, it was one lousy brownie.
Cutter: Clearly Leetah hasn't been much of disclipinarian.
Ember: I'm not a child, I'm almost seventeen. Hmm. Father's parents were dead by the time he was seventeen. That gives me an idea or two...
The
tensions between father and daughter escalated in camp. "Cutter's nose
is out of joint because of the way Ember flirts with Teir," says Skywise.
"But it's just a symptom of a greater problem. He's mad because she has
no intention of taking down her chief's lock. By sundown we could hear
them arguing down at the beach."
Cutter: I am your elder! I am your sire!Ember: Well, bully for you! But I'm this is MY camp, and I've been the chief who's been keeping this tribe together.
Cutter: By voting off Redlance and your own mother and keeping that snake-in-the-grass?
Ember: Ohhh, Rayek Rayek Rayek, it always comes down to Rayek. Can't you ever grow up?
"Of
course it's hard watching my cousins fight," Dewshine says as the camera
interrupts her bubblebath. "Who will I support? I'm not really sure yet.
I'll have to ask Scouter." Scouter, for his part, reveals little in his
interviews. "I see me and Dewshine in the Final Four. Who the other two
are, I'm not sure. Pike's a good tribemember, but he's tied to Skot, and
I just don't see Skot going much farther. Now I've been talking to Rayek
a little, and he seems a real pragmatist. Basically my strategy is to gather
an alliance around me, and then vote off Ember, Nightfall and Cutter in
sequence."
Cutter: I've been taking to Scouter, and I think he could be helpful in my strategy of weeding out Rayek and Ember.On Day 38 the tribe gathers on a pier overlooking eleven buoys in the water. "Okay," Teir says. "This immunity challenge is a simple one. It's a breathholding contest. You have eleven stations in the water. Pick a buoy. At the signal, you'll dive under buoy to the bottom, about seven feet down. There you'll find a cement block with a padded handle sticking out of it. Hang on to that handle and hold on as long as you can. If your head breaks the surface, you're out. I'll give you a few minutes to prepare yourselves." Five minutes later, Teir holds out his hand for the silver necklace Venka is wearing. "Venka..." She hands it back to him, and Teir holds it aloft. "Immunity, back up for grabs. Ready, mark, set, go!"Rayek: Has Scouter approached me? I really don't feel comfortable talking about that right now.
Skywise: Yeah, Cutter's been talking about the two of us in the Final Four. But he's full of it, and you know what 'it' rhymes with.
The elves dive under water as one and swim down to the cement blocks. Skywise is the first to come back, after ten seconds. "Dammit, I just kept seeing myself back in that rock at Blue Mountain." Graciously he accepts a towel from Teir and watches the continuing challenge. Pike comes up next, followed by Scouter, Dewshine, Cutter, Ember, Nightfall, Skot, Clearbrook. Venka and Rayek remain under for several more seconds, then Venka breaks the surface. "Immunity! For Rayek!" Teir shouts as Rayek surfaces a few moments later.
Venka: Father and I locked eyes under there. I knew he needed immunity more than I this time.Rayek: I'm endebted to her. Were our situations reversed, I don't know if I could have done the same thing.
The
elves return to camp. Scouter and Cutter disappear for a time into the
woods. "They're plotting against us," Pike whispers to Skot. "We'd better
keep our guard up." Ember and Nightfall too retreat down the beach to discuss
their strategies. "I told Ember I don't want to go up against Cutter -
I don't want to choose between them - they are both my chiefs as far as
I am concerned. But I know I have to remember, this is a game."
Ember: Nightfall is wavering. I have to convince her that we need to form a bloc against Cutter and Scouter.On Day 29 the elves gather at tribal council. Rayek expresses gratitude at Venka's sacrifice, while Pike and Skot stress their contributions to the tribe, fearing they might be next to go. When Teir asks Clearbrook how she sees her chances of remaining, she says "I believe I have contributed a lot to this tribe - this family, and I feel that effort has been recognized and appreciated. I'm not afraid that my neck is on the block tonight, if that's what you're asking."Cutter: Now that Rayek's immune, I have to rethink my plan. I've been running it through my head all day, and it keeps coming back to Clearbrook.
"Okay," Teir nods. "It's time for you to vote." The eleven elves vote in turn, and Teir returns after counting the votes in private. One by one he reads them off - Skot gets one vote, Cutter gets one, and Scouter gets two. But seven votes are for Clearbrook. The elder blinks repeatedly in confusion before nodding in resignation and gathering her belongings.
"Clearbrook, the tribe has spoken..."
| CLEARBROOK'S LAST WORDS |
| Well, I've learned something. I don't know whether I should be angry with Cutter or proud of him - he certainly proved himself Bearclaw's son tonight. I'm glad to have spent the time here I did. I didn't make it to the Final Four, but I had an amazing experience few elves had had, and I intend to take the lessons I've learned here home with me. Goodbye everyone, and good luck. I'll see you all back at Thorny Mountain. |