Seven Standing Stones

Prester Kell and Sage Kins jumping the Seven Standing Stones.

The **S****even Standing Stones** are a series of monuments replicated in various locations around Natalia. They are representative of the stones crossed by Flint and Fay after they departed Immovable Mountain and set out for Blue Moss Hills.

## Information

Each of the Seven Stones has a meaning associated with it. At the present, only the meanings of the last two are known:

#### The sixth stone: The Wind Hook

The meaning of this phrase is unclear, but whatever it is, it was a benevolent thing. Bleston, before he was revealed to be evil, was called "a hook of wind on our sixth step."

#### The seventh stone: The Turning

The seventh stone is a stone of turning. It is where Flint and Fay could have turned back, but instead, they leaped.

### Locations

#### Cloud Mountain

The Seven Standing Stones on Cloud Mountain are located on the plateau, and were largely neglected for a number of years. They were maintained by a small number of votaries and Heyward, and a handful of faithful Rabbits—such as Smalden Joveson and Jo Shanks—continued to visit them. Following Picket Longtreader's victory at Jupiter's Crossing, many rabbits turned back to the traditions of their forebears and the standing stones received more visitors. Garten Longtreader was later carried away from the top of one, while Heather Longtreader was carried away when she intervened to prevent Emma form giving herself up to Morbin Blackhawk.

#### First Warren

The Seven Standing Stones in First Warren were the largest in all of Natalia, towering over even the governor's palace. Sadly, during the occupation of the city by the Lords of Prey and their wolf allies, the stones were defiled. Each stone became a pedestal for a statue: one bearing the kneeling image of Garten Longtreader while the others bore likenesses of the Six, the leaders of the Lords of Prey. These statues were later removed by the rabbits of the Cause after the Battle for First Warren.

#### Halfwind Citadel

The Seven Standing Stones in Halfwind Citadel were located in Leapers Hall.

## History

### *The Last Archer*

While at Cloud Mountain, Jo Shanks notes how the camping soldiers stayed clear of the seven stones. He sees a few votaries kneeling by the stones, and also a solitary small white rabbit on the seventh stone, gazing off into the mist in the direction of the Great Wood. Jo later walks toward the seven standing stones, noting as he does that the stones honor Flint, Fay, and the Leapers. He describes them as "towering". Jo knelt at the base of seventh stone and touched his ears, eyes, and mouth. He then ascended the steps to the seventh stone's top, and distracted by the beautiful view, runs into the small white rabbit he had seen earlier, who was descending the steps. The two engage in conversation, and he learns that the rabbit's name is Smalls.

When Captain Frye confronted Wilfred for being a Longtreader, Jo noticed that Wilfred looked past Frye, at the standing stones, before looking back. When Smalls arrives to take Wilfred out of the situation, Jo thinks of him as "the white rabbit from the seventh standing stone".

### *Ember Falls*

Heyward mentions having tended the hedges near Cloud Mountain's Seven Standing Stones, which he comments were by then nearly a ruin. Picket spoke to Heyward beneath Halfwind's standing stones, with Heyward saying that it is fitting that Picket is speaking humbly beneath the stones that honor their ancestors.

Heather sees blue-robed votaries with their heads bowed beneath the stones. Heather recalled Lord Rake telling her that Cloud Mountain's standing stones were now surrounded by rabbits.

In an assembly with the rabbits of Halfwind, Prester Kell and his wife Sage Kins together leapt Halfwind's seven stones. They then spoke of Flint, Fay, and the Leaping, before singing a song and then inviting Bleston to speak.

While at Cloud Mountain, Heather inquires of a votary the way to Cloud Mountain's standing stones. He directs her toward them, but warns her that they have been overrun by the machines of war. When she arrives, she sees fifteen standing stones, before realizing that there are seven stones and eight catapults.

Later, Garten Longtreader was allowed to go to Cloud Mountain's seventh standing stone, from which he was picked up by a bird. Emma tries to give herself up to Morbin for the sake of the Cause, summoning a bird from the top of Cloud Mountain's seventh stone. However, Heather prevented her, climbing the winding steps of the sixth stone in the fog, leaping across to the sevnth, and pushing Emma off the stone. Heather was then carried off by the bird. Picket then found Emma at the base of the seventh stone, mildly injured and sobbing. Picket and Emma ran up the steps to the seventh standing stone, from which they searched the skies until they saw the bird carrying Heather away.

### *Ember Rising*

Lord Hewson tells Helmer and Picket that First Warren's seven standing stones, which are the largest in all Natalia, are now defiled with statues of The Six on top of them, and the other has (it is implied) a statue of Garten Longtreader. Upon seeing them when he entered First Warren, Picket snarled and looked away. He and Helmer later watched as the rabbits of First Warren gathered around the sacred stones, and mused about the terrible statues atop them.

During the 'Victory Day' ceremony in Akolan, Heather wished she could see Flint and Fay leaping the standing stones and coming to rescue them. In First Warren, Picket notes that the first stone had a statue of Garten, the second one of Falcowit, and the seventh one of Morbin Blackhawk. Picket sees Falcowit atop his own statue.

During the Battle for First Warren, Picket uses a glider cape to ascend to the seventh standing stone. Weezie passed Picket several barrels of blastpowder, and he placed them around the statue of Morbin. Picket lit the fuse, then jumped away. The blastpowder exploded, and the statue of Morbin was blasted off the standing stone. The statue hit the standing stone and cracking it slightly as it fell. Picket leapt off the seventh standing stone. Picket later used his glider cape to swipe a double-diamond banner and fly to the top of the statue of Falcowit on the third standing stone, where he waves the flag high.

Following the retaking of First Warren, the statues are removed from First Warren's seven standing stones. Picket and Weezie climbed the stairs to the first standing stone, and they looked out over the square. On the top of the stone, several votaries worked to clear the remnants of the statue of Garten Longtreader.

### *Ember's End*

The Seven Standing Stones in First Warren were mentioned by Louise, when she told Picket Longtreader that she'd meet him beneath the seventh Standing Stone following a meeting of Emma's council.

While on the way to see Missy Dreft, Picket thinks of the legend concerning Flint, Fay, and the Leapers, and how they had crossed from Immovable Mountain to Blue Moss Hills by leaping over seven tall stones, and how these stones are meant to remind the rabbits of their history. He notes that while First Warren was under Morbin's control the stones had statues of the Six and Garten Longtreader on them, but that following the Retaking of First Warren the monument had been removed to its original intent, the statues destroyed and all traces of them removed. Picket describes the stones as 'foreboding'.

When the Seventh District fleet escaped Akolan and rescued Heather and Smalls from the Tomb of Lander's Dragons, Smalls instructed the sailors of the boat carrying him to steer for First Warren's standing stones. The Siege of First Warren was taking place in the city, and the dam had been burst to flood First Warren. The ship neared the first standing stone, and after a raptor knocked out the ship's steering, Smalls swung from a rope and then leapt onto the steps leading up to the stone's top. Jacks later notices Smalls atop the seventh stone, showing Heather, who cries out. As Picket Longtreader flies at Morbin Blackhawk, he sees Smalls crossing from stone to stone in stumbling leaps. He neared the seventh standing stone that Morbin flew atop. After Morbin cut off Picket's arm, he fell onto the sixth standing stone. Smalls leapt from the sixth to the seventh standing stone, sending the starsword through Morbin's heart as he went. Smalls landed on the seventh standing stone and held up the hilt of the now-broken starsword.

After the Mending, when Whittle Longtreader interviewed him, Smalls confirmed that he landed on the seventh stone.