Episode Seven: Gone Fishin'
(Day 19-21)
"Whew.
I dodged a bullet that time," Rayek says after tribal council. "Who would
have thought Ember would drop one of her favorite teachers to keep me?
And it looks like she got Nightfall to vote for Redlance too. That means
Nightfall will follow Ember despite her better judgement. I know she'd
love to run me through left to her own devices. But that means if I have
Ember on my side, I'll have Nightfall too. I could use that."
Nightfall: I feel sick. I can't believe I voted my own lifemate
out of the tribe. This game is more vicious than any war.
Skywise: Damn, this game is getting twisted!
On Day 19 the tribes meet for a new reward challenge. "I was so happy to
see that Father was still alive," Venka says. "There are only six more
days until the merge. If he can hold out that long, Zhantee and I can join
him in an alliance." Many others in the Wolfriders are shocked to see Redlance
go. "They kept the snake and dropped Redlance?" Cutter stammers. "What
is Ember thinking?"
"Now, I know you've had some problems with your boats," Teir says. "The
Wolfriders lost theirs at high tide, and the Wild Hunt are having trouble
keeping theirs seaworthy. Well, today you have a chance to win a brand
new boat. All you have to do is run a footrace around this bay to the far
point there, and then swim back here to the start. The tribe that gets
all its members here first, wins a new, stronger metal rowboat."
The race is begun in earnest. Zhantee stumbles and falls behind,
but Pike, Skot and Cutter keep the Wolfriders ahead in the race. Half an
hour later the first Wolfriders reaches the shore. Their early lead serves
them well, and at the end of the race, the Wild Hunt goes back to their
camp empty-handed, and the Wolfriders take their new metal rowboat back
to their camp. But Cutter is not as delighted as the rest of his tribe.
"We're lucky that Leetah's a terrible swimmer. Zhantee almost cost us the
race. And now he's lying around, eating coconut meat while Venka and Clearbrook
are trying to figure out to row this strange new waterleaf. As chief I
have to start thinking about who will go the next time we go to council.
I hope that day doesn't come for a long time. But as it stands, Zhantee
is our weak link. Pike and Skot have strength. Clearbrook and Venka have
wisdom. Mender has... frikkin' abundant testosterone. Zhantee, he's a...
potter."
Zhantee: It's great to win a challenge and just sit back
and enjoy your victory. Venka and Clearbrook took the nets out in the boat
and came back with this delicious fish. And maybe tonight we can get a
singalong or something. I'm sure this is a turning point for our tribe.
Skot: Cutter's just a frikkin' slavedriver. We just won a boat. We're
sitting pretty. We can afford to sit back and enjoy ourselves. Zhantee's
got the right idea. Tomorrow, he and Pike and I are going to say we're
going out fishing around the coast. We'll take the boat out of sight, then
spend the whole day doing drukk all.
On Day 20 the tribes meet for a new immunity challenge. It is a canoe race,
Teir says. Seven elves a canoe, a half-mile out to sea and back. Leetah
continues to complain about her calluses, earning her several dirty looks
from Skywise, Scouter, and even Ember. When Teir yells start the two canoes
leap forward into the gentle waves, and our Survivor host settles back
into a lawn chair on the dock, returning to his reading of "Where the Drukk
is My Mother?: Abandonment Issues in Young Go-Backs and How to Overcome
Them."
The race is neck-and-neck, up until the last few feet. In fact, Cutter
initially shouts a victory for the Wolfriders, only to have Teir suspend
judgement while he consults the digital camera that took a snapshot of
the canoes crossing the line. Meanwhile, Wild Hunt and Wolfriders bicker
over the win, and Skot even shoves Rayek into the water.
Teir: The Wild Hunt wins by a hair!
Cutter: Drukkin' HELL!
Devastated, the Wolfriders return to camp. Skot's plan to "go fishing"
is abandoned as the three elves do all they can to appear industrious and
useful. "Skot and Zhantee know their positions are in danger," Venka says.
"Skot has a knack for annoying people even when he tries not to, and Zhantee...
physically he's our weakest player, and his attitude has seemed too complacent
to Cutter. The question is, who will I vote for? Zhantee is my lovemate...
but at the same time, this game is survival of the fittest."
Mender:
Cutter
approached me, wanted me to vote for Zhantee. I told him I'd do it, but
that I thought it would be better to kick Skot out.
Skot: Mender has to go. This tribe only has room for one self-satisfied
male nympho.
Cutter: I have three votes for Zhantee guaranteed. Me, Clearbrook
and Mender. Skot, Pike and Zhantee have been pretty chummy lately, so they
might actually find the sense between the three of them to get a voting
bloc together. Venka's the swing vote.
By daybreak on Day 21 Venka goes for a long walk on the beach with Cutter.
"I've always been endebted to you for completing my education once my mother
left. I love Zhantee dearly. But I see your point. I am thinking I will
vote for Zhantee tonight. I am not saying my decision is final. But most
likely."
Cutter: Venka's a good kid. I always know I can count on
her. I don't know if I'll take her to Final Four with me - and I AM going
to the Final Four. But she's a good kid. I'll keep her as long as I can.
Zhantee: I'm just a ball of nerves today. I can't wait to get this
tribal council over with.
At tribal council, Zhantee pleads his case once again, but with far less
enthuasiasm. When Teir asks him if he thinks his time has come, Zhantee
can only shrug. "I... I don't really know." He avoids Cutter's gaze. "I...
I'd just rather we go and vote." By constrast the rest of the tribe is
very calm, stoic. "I have no doubts," Venka replies to Teir's questions.
"I decided earlier today who I would vote for, and I've made my peace with
it."
Cutter goes to vote first, followed by Clearbrook, Mender, Skot, Zhantee,
Pike, and Venka. Teir brings the jar of ballots back to council area and
reads the votes off one by one. "The first vote: Mender. The second: Zhantee.
Mender... Zhantee. Zhantee. Mender. That's three votes Mender, three votes
Zhantee. I'll read the last vote."
Teir pauses as he unfolds the last piece of paper. "And the seventh
person to be voted out of Survivor: ElfQuest...."
Cutter shoots Zhantee a sadly sympathetic look.
"Mender."
Cutter, Clearbrook and Mender stare aghast at the final ballot, at Venka's
recognizable handwriting. Pike and Skot share wide grins, Zhantee lets
out a long breath of relief, and Venka sits primly on her seat, staring
straight ahead. "Mender, I'll need you to bring me your torch," Teir says.
When Mender steps forward Teir snuffs out the torch, then sends Mender
on his way with the usual farewell. Teir turns back to the tribe. "Well,
this game just got a lot more interesting."
Cutter:
I can't believe it! Venka lied to me! She all but told me she'd kick Zhantee
out, then she turns on me and organizes a bloc with Pike and Skot.
Venka: Was it a personal vote? Yes. I don't deny it. I'd rather a
tribe that's perhaps a little physically weaker but more emotionally bonded.
I don't think Mender was contributing to that aspect.
Cutter: Why did she out and out lie to me? Why didn't she tell me
there was a bloc in play? I thought I could trust her.
Venka: Cutter's learned a valuable lesson tonight. And that's that
he can't read people as well as he thinks.
| MENDER'S LAST WORDS |
| I can't believe it. I thought Venka was on our side. And then she sides
with the gay boys and the little featherweight. Well, that pretty little
filly just put all her cards on the table now. And I doubt that Cutter
will trust her quite so much now. So I guess it's time for me to go. What're
my regrets? That I didn't kick Skot off when I had the chance, and that
I didn't deck Teir for touching my woman when I had the chance. |
On to Episode Eight
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