7/11/2004

11:09 AM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Big Red Barn(#3420RA)
The barn is built in the old style, a vast three level structure that is greater in height than a mere three stories, actually closer to five. Great wooden posts support the weight of the upper levels and roof, sunk into the hard-packed dirt floor of the first level like a sparse forest of regularly spaced, naked trees. The stalls and flagstones which once were here have been torn out to leave a rather open area where even crinos Garou may roam freely without fear of running into anything but the supports or the walls or the ladder at the back which allows access to the other two levels.
The first two levels are relatively open to each other, the second being only little wider than a catwalk going around all the walls but the front one, which has massive, twenty foot tall doors set into it. The third level is a true second floor except for a place cut out that allowed hay to be tossed down to the ground floor when the farm was actually worked. Now, it is a hayloft where Garou can sleep outside of the house.
(Non-Garou, please "+view curse")
Contents:
Dillen(#2688PVc)
Fears-No-Dark
Obvious exits:
BarnYard  

Dillen ventures into the barn, opening the door and looking inside. Seeing no one he peals off his jacket and walks to the punching bag. A few punches and Dillen begins to warm up. The punches are slow, but they pack a punch, so to speak.

One ear turns forward, then two, and finally a pair of sharp blue eyes open up and focus immediatly on the person at the bag. Recognizing him, the Ahroun relaxes. There's a low rumble in his throat, but there's no aggression. Restless. Hello.

Dillen sees the eyes first. "Oh shit." He says quietly, a little surprised. "Man, I didn't see you there. Sorry about that." Dillen pulls away from the bag and plops on a bale of hay. "Who are you? I mean, just so I know if I have to salute or somethin."

The sound of a car coming up the road towards the farmhouse can be heard in the stillness of the morning, and a brief crunch of gravel as well.

Fears-No-Dark looks rather amused as he uncurled and sits up, his tail curling up slightly along his back. I am Fears-No-Darkness. He watches the Fenrir for a moment, and since the elder charade can't last, adds. We have met. I am the tribeless ahroun cub. An ear twitches and turns again, at the sound of the car.

"Lucas? Right?" Dillen nods his head and lifts it at the sound of the car. "I was just getting in some practice." As he points at the bag. "How's things?"

Fears-No-Dark parts his jaws in a broad yawn, flashing clean white fangs which click together with a sharp snap. Nothing new has happened. He is still considering tribes.

A few moments pass and then the sound of footfalls towards the barn can be heard with lupus ears. In the barn door appears a silhouetted figure of Kenneth, as he unholsters the tennis bag he carries from his shoulder and has a look inside. Seeing Dillen, and a little bit of the wolf, he greets them with a short, "Sup?"

Dillen turns and nods. "Not much. Just hangin out." He looks back to the wolf. "Don't you have to get that done soon?" Speaking in reference to the tribe choosing.

Fears-No-Dark does. He would choose before the moot, but thinks he might wait, to see all the tribes together. The black wolfs lifts his head above the hay and looks over to the Shadow Lord. You are back early.

"Yeah, figured I'd come back and see what you pups were up to during the weekend," Kenneth says with a smirk, moving further into the barn. Nevermind the possibilities that there might have been a disagreement, or simply his elder had some business to do that didn't involve him. That latter bit of thought makes him frown, but he shakes it off.

Dillen gives a bit of a shrug. "I dunno. Doin some training, getting ready for my Rite. Maybe hang out with Joey or somethin." He shrugs it off. "What do you want to do?"

Shrugging back, Kenneth looks over to the two. "Dunno." The mention of Rites makes his eyes perk slightly with interest. "Who's Joey?"

She's a lost cub, isn't she? Fears-No-Darkness pulls himself up onto the hay where he sits. With the Bone Gnawers.

"Joey is my gnawer buddy." He nods to Lucas, "Yeah, that's her. She's like a little sister to me except she's older." Dillen smirks. "She's shy and not really good with people. Been helping her learn some on the side. She and I kinda came from the same roots so I think she finds me easier to talk to." He grins. "I'd set one of you up with her... But she's Roo."

Kenneth frowns some more. Gnawers. The only experience he's had with Gnawers hasn't been good. But since Dillen and Lucas aren't really against this particular Garou, he isn't about to voice his dissent of opinion. "So she hang 'round here too, or does she spend most of her time out in the city?"

Fears-No-Dark has heard of her, but never met her. The big black wolf sprawls himself out on the hay, resting his head on his paws. He would like to meet another lost cub.

"As long as you promise to not tease her or nothin... I might try and get her to come back around." Dillen shrugs some. "She's a good person, just havin a rough time. Most of the time she is at the gnawer place."

"S'long as she's nothin' like that jackass she calls a tribemate," Kenneth growls, glancing to the punching bag in considering taking a few swings at it. "So, you guys wanna go do something somewhere near here?"

Fears-No-Dark does not tease. The ahroun gives a snort and lifts his head, looking to Kenneth. Getting out of here sounds good.

"Who? Toad? Oh she's nothin like Toad. Little piece of shit." Dillen laughs some, "Sure. What'cha got in mind?" He smiles at Lucas, "Thanks, man."

Kenneth shrugs. "Thought we'd try doing some ... wolf stuff. Like hell I know what being a wolf is about." The philodox rather reluctantly admits this, but it's amongst those he thinks aren't going to rat on him for it. "Didn't catch that one rabbit we saw," he says, nodding to Lucas in memory of that one night's hunt which proved quite fruitless.

A hunt sounds good. Fears-No-Darkness gets up and hops off the hay, standing between the two cubs. There is three of us, better chances to succeed. Let's go! He puffs himself up and looks to the door, looking quite eager.

"Why don't you hunt me?" Dillen looks to the other two. "Joey and I been doin that a lot. Like hide and seek, but in lupus. You'd be surprised how it helps. Get used to the smells and feel of it." Dillen looks between the other two. "Then we can switch off and stuff. Good to learn how to hide as well. Gives your brain more thinking, not just running."

Kenneth considers that, and nods in agreement. "Sounds good. An' maybe after we'll actually get that rabbit." Not really expecting it, but hey one can dream - his name's not Fudd. "Where should we do this?"

Fears-No-Dark flattens his ears back at the word 'hide', like he was offended by the idea he'd be hiding. Woods. He will look first. The ahroun volunteers quickly, looking between the other two.

Dillen grins. "Hiding is good for when somethin is stringer than you. Hide, watch, then AMBUSH and take them by surprise." Dillen grins at the other two. "Woods. Guess I will hide first." He hides his jacket behind the hay, "Not dedicated. Five minute head start!" As he bolts out the door.

Kenneth hunhs to himself. This game of hide and seek feels almost foreign to him. He looks to the Fears, and shrugs. "Guess we're up." The Shadow Lord takes a moment to concentrate, and his form slips and slides down into the lupus, passing through the various stages. With a twitch of his lupine nose, he trots over to the Get's jacket hidden in the hay, sniffing at the other ahroun's scent to get it, before he looks back to the equally black wolf.

Fears-No-Dark tilts his head and follows suit, memorizing the Galliard's scent. Strange, warriors playing hide and seek. The Ahroun shifts up into his homid form, so he can get to the woods without spooking anyone. "Well, let's go. I wanna get to that rabbit."

Kenneth lolls his tongue in a wolven smile, but doesn't shift back. Instead he trots to the barn door's edge, has a quick look about, and then darts off towards the woods.

Around the Story Tree
This quiet little clearing is home to soft grasses and bright flowers almost year-round.  Near the center stands the Story Tree.  The squat pine has broad branches for sitting under, and a thick, climbable trunk for a Garou to sit in.  Sharp, green needles can be found buried in the grass.
A pathway leads out to the northwest toward the Caern, and a much less-worn path leads into the forested foothills to the east.
Contents:
Restless(#2688PVc)
Obvious exits:
Forest  

The Shadow Lord cub is the first to dart off to the woods, but not long followed after Fears. The two black wolves, like liquid shadow, trot their way through the forest sniffing away for the scent of the Get. It's not too difficult at first, but no doubt the galliard had something in store to surprise them with.

Making his way to the tree, Dillen then shifted back to homid and jumped up into the tree. "This should keep 'em busy for at least a little longer." He waits to see the others coming, lazing about on a branch covered in leaves.

A third black wolf appears from the same direction that the Shadow Lord and lost cub came from, nose to the ground. Apparently, the Gaian was trailing them as they tracked down Dillen. Now as the Garou he scented come into sight, he wags his tail casually and chuffs a greeting to all gathered.

It's a long hike from the barn to the story tree, but Fears-No-Darkness isn't even close to being winded or tired. His nose twitches quickly, following the scent relentlessly around tree and over hill. As he nears the tree and the scent gets strong, he picks up the pace and leaps into the clearing, whirling this way then that to look, but doesn't find him on the ground. His search is temporarily distracted by Auggie, who is recognized and quickly greeted.

Kenneth on the other hand, doesn't recognize Auggie. Since Lucas doesn't seem bothered by him, and they have a task on hand, the Slord seems a bit busy sniffing about the tree, circling about the roots and searching for whether or not the galliard only stayed here momentarily. The scent is strong, though, and he looks around in the immediate vegetation. An ear twitches to Dark, by way of a short greeting.

Dillen does not move, his eyes on the three down at the bottom of the tree. A smirk comes over his lips as he mouths the words, 'Look up.'

Fears-No-Dark is the first to use his human inagination, and realizing there are some wolves that can climb, lifts his muzzle skyward. He pricks his ears up proudly and sits at the base of the tree, staring up at the Fenrir cub. Found you.

Dark-As-Night's tongue lolls, and he pads up to the wolf he knows as Lucas. He begins to greet him, but not knowing his cub name, he just settles on calling him Lost-cub. He cocks a head at Kenneth, not recognizing him in lupus, having met him only at the farmhouse once. I am Dark-As-Night, Ahroun cub of Unicorn's children. Who are you, and... He begins to ask what they are doing, but when Dillen speaks, his head snaps back around to peer up at the Get.

Dillen chuckles and gives his customary greeting, "S'up?" As he pushes forward and comes out of the tree. "I'm Dillen, Restless or Flycatcher. Skald... Galliard of the Get of Fenris." He reaches over and tags Kenneth. "And you are it."

Kenneth looks up the moment Fears does, just a split second too late. His ears splay in his displeasure of realizing he wasn't the first to find the galliard, but rumbles out. Halfmoon cub of Thunder's children. As he's tagged, the Shadow Lord eartwitches. Then, he's off and running before the others have a chance to gather themselves.

Fears-No-Dark turns his eyes to Dark-As-Night and puffs out a breath at the incorrect name. He is Fears-No-Darkness now. The lost cub gives the Shadow Lord time to find a place to hide, not in a hurry, since he is familiar with the halfmoon's scent.

Dark-As-Night shifts up to homid, taking his sweet time about it, and gives Dillen and Kenneth his human name, "Auggie Kvintos." After a beat, he adds, "Well met," to Dillen, and watches Kenneth dart off again. "Oh, the new Shadow Lord," he breathes offhandedly to himself. Then, his eyes light onto Lucas. "Ah, good cub name. You guys playin' a game?"

Dillen looks down at the watch on his wrist. "Fuck. I gotta meet James." He turns and is already headed to the farmhouse. "I can play more later."

We are. Hide and seek. The ahroun splays his ears, looking a bit embarrassed to admit that, but it's good practice, he'll admit that much. Come, we need to find him. Fears-No-Darkness passes by the Gaian to follow the Shadow Lord's trail.

Auggie nods. "All right. I got nothin' better to do." He shifts down, faster now, and puts his nose to the ground, trotting alongside Fears, his path weaving a bit as he picks up the scent.

The Slord is far more tricky in his path. He winds in and out of bushes, circles multiple times around trees, even jumps off of one tree trunk onto another, landing on his own path. Satisfied then that he's pretty safe from his trackers, he makes another quick hop and leap backtracking before slipping into a bush at the base of a tree along the path he took.

Fears-No-Dark follows the trail closely, doing his best not to loose it. It's not easy, but he keeps to it. How long is it until you rite, Dark-As-Night?

Dark-As-Night also has little trouble following the trail, though his ears splay several times and he grows a bit impatient, coming across Kenneth's "tricks." It is not long until my Rite, I am told often. But I do not know when it will be, yet.

The philodox's eyes are narrowed to slits, so the golden yellow of his eyes won't offset the color of the tree and the bushes. A good thing the trees are thick with leaves in this forest. He watches as the ahrouns pass by on their way to the spot he circled on. The lupus halfmoon laughs silently.

Fears-No-Dark snorts at the circle of scent, but in unswayed and keeps hunting the trail. The circle is passed after a brief deviation, and the lost cub keeps on it, searching with eyes and ears while his nose stays to the ground. Come out. Come out. He squints his eyes, lolling out his tongue.

Dark-As-Night snorts. Do not give up yet. Did he go up in a tree, like the Get? He looks up at the surrounding branches, of course spotting nothing. Confused, he thinks out loud. How else could he have hidden his scent?

The pink of the Slord's tongue flashes out as he licks his muzzle once. The trail doesn't go up, and a majority of the trees don't look climbable for that matter, not even for a human. The halfmoon watches the two from within the bush. It does, though, seem to the more perceptive that his scent tracks over the surrounding area and doesn't go any further. So, he should be here somewhere.

Fears-No-Dark is not giving up. He gives the Gaian a brief stare, but it's short lived and he goes back to the trail. He is here. Somewhere. He settles his eyes on their surroundings, beginning to snoop at the bushes.

Dark-As-Night whuffles. Seeing no better option, goes to investigate other nearby bushes, nosing in ones not yet checked by Fears-No-Dark.

Kenneth considers his position, soon to be discovered by Fears. The Slord's ears twitch involuntarily, and the telltale sound of the cub's breathing can be heard closer to one of the bushes. Unknowingly his eyes open up, revealing the golden color amidst the blackish green leaves he's hiding in.

Catching the signs of the SLord, the lost cub bunches up and, with a brief charge, leaps up into the air and aims a pounce at the bush containing the Philodox.

Dark-As-Night spins around at the sound of Fears-No-Dark's charge. Seeing the direction of it, and the golden eyes and pink tongue behind the leaves there, he lets out an approving chuff to the other cub. You found him!

Yelping involuntarily, the Slord scoots back out of the bush just as he's pounced upon. A brief tussle between the ahroun and the philodox occurs as he fights to get up on top rather than being pinned in the bushes.

But Fears-No-Darkness isn't about to be overthrown, and he wrestles with the other wolf, throwing his strength into the tussle to try and pin the other cub under him.

Dark-As-Night stands quietly, ears pricked. He watches the play-fighting, not really caring which Garou wins. Still, he enjoys the sight of such a contest, and his tail twitches behind him in a half-wag.

The low growling of the philodox sounds as the tussle proceeds. The ahroun is stronger, but the halfmoon just a slight quicker and more agile. It seems rather evenly matched, but as the ahroun had the advantage first, Fears manages to keep it. Soon enough, the Slord lifts his lips in a snarl, the moon flowing in his blood, but he forces himself to take the loss and be pinned down on his back. His lips are lifted above his teeth, but it isn't a threat so much as a grudging understanding that the ahroun has taken this one. Alright, alright. Who's next?

Fears-No-Dark stays standing over the Philodox for just a pointed second, puffed up dominantly, before moving aside to let him up. Do you want to hide next, Dark-As-Night?

Dark-As-Night's tongue lolls and his tail wags slowly from side to side, glad to see the other cubs getting along. He dips his head, and indicates that he would not mind being the next to hide. Padding off into the underbrush, his gait becomes a sprint as he darts off to try and outsmart their tracking skills.

Small Creek
A small creek, no more than a mere trickle, winds through the forest. Small pebbles shine wetly as the water flows past them. The creek has worn a slight indentation into the forest floor and tree roots can be seen poking out of the soil near the creek. Moss grows on the banks of the creek, and the occasional mushroom can be seen sticking out from the soil near the roots of a tree. Scurrying sounds can be heard through the underbrush, probably from field mice or other small woodland critters.
The forest looms over the creek on all sides, looking mysterious and foreboding.
Contents:
Dark-As-Night
Obvious exits:
Forest  

Dark-as-Night leads a pretty straightfoward trail up until this point, a few times going around trees and through bushes, but nothing the two haven't encountered so far. The scent disappears at the creek, save for the Gaian's general scent, which still hangs fresh in the air.

Kenneth rolls up to his paws and shakes himself of the dirt sticking to his coat, before looking at the ahroun with a short 'look' that means little. The Shadow Lord rumbles, and watches the third black wolf take off. That is two for you. Leave some for others too, Fears-No-Darkness. Even in the lupus, he can be somewhat sarcastic, a humor know to even homids in the wolf. As the two of them are on the track again, the low growl of the Shadow Lord rumbles again as the two of them come to the creek. Looking up and down river, the halfmoon looks to the ahroun. Split up and take one side?

Fears-No-Dark lolls his tongue out and, perhaps unusual for him, struts for a short pace or two. It's quickly back to buisness, though, and he whuffs quietly to the Philodox. Right. The Ahroun crosses over the creek and begins to hunt for signs of a trail.

The search on Fears-No-Dark's side of the creek yields little results, although a blackberry bush with many ripe treats, extending far over the creek in its quest for light, may give the lost cub some compensation for his efforts. As Kenneth goes up his side of the creek, no trail presents itself, although a hint of Dark-As-Night's scent remains to the perceptive. After going about 40 or 50 feet, two sets of the Gaian's wet tracks are visible, leading off from either side of the creek.

Kenneth finds the wet tracks rather than relying on his scent. For a moment he considers whether or not to let the ahroun know he's found tracks. The Shadow wolf follows down one set of tracks briefly, just to be sure that he's got the Gaian's scent again, before turning back to the creek to see if Fears is within sight. If so, he'll signal to the lost cub silently, tail waving like a flag.

Fears-No-Dark snags a mouthful of the berries, ya know, while they're there. Crunching on the seedy little things, he moves down the creek, spotting Kenneth who seems to have found something. He tilts his head with a quizzical blink, then discovers the tracks on his side of the creek.

The tracks on the side of the creek that Kenneth found just double back in a long loop, around a big boulder on the far side of stream. The wet tracks lead up into some brush adjacent, and partially hidden by, the large rock. The cub himself is mostly hidden in a crevasse, between the foliage and the boulder, being black, the same color of the shadows. But, the tip of his tail sticks out.

[look Dark-as-Night]
Blacker than moonless midnight, this young male wolf is lithe and graceful. Underneath his shiny black coat, however, are ropey muscles, suggestive of his power and speed. The wolf's head is sleek and angular, and his muzzle just a bit longer than usual for the species. His movements can be reminiscent of a weasel or an eel - undulating, smooth and, at times, fierce and menacing. Aside from his dark complexion and wiriness, the lupine is not unusual and wouldn't stand out in a pack. Only those who pay close attention will notice there is definitely something un-wolf-like, almost alien, about this animal. His dark brown eyes flash with sentience, and often smolder with intensity.

The Shadow Lord slips through the creek with ease, clearly used to water. He doesn't pause to shake off, rather relentlessly pursuing the tracks ahead of Fears, determined to find the other cub before the ahroun. When they reach the rock, he sniffs more intently, until he sees the tip of the other cub's tail. Golden eyes slip back to the Fears, and he tips an ear. Behind the rock. And then, he slips up to the tail to nip it once.

But the Ahroun is right with the Shadow Lord the whole time, licking blackberry juice off his muzzle. He needs to get more of those. Though he sees the hidden Gaian too, the lost cub sits back to let Kenneth nip him out of cover.

Dark-As-Night hears the approach of the two, however, and isn't about to let his tail be nipped. He lies still in the cover, yanking his tail away at the last moment to give Kenneth a mouthful of fur. Emerging from the brush, he sits and looks evenly at the two. Good. You have found me.

Kenneth doesn't get anything but a few strands between his teeth, which are quickly spit out with a lot of licks and general grunts of bleh. Sitting down with a sniff, the Shadow Lord looks to Fears. So who's left? Only you. The Coggie cub is regarded with a splay of his ear. And that was tricky. A good hunt.

Fears-No-Dark flicks his ears to the front. Yes. I have not hid yet. He looks between his two fellow cubs and takes a moment to stretch himself out, shaking his thick black fur.

Dark-As-Night dips his muzzle in agreement with Kenneth. Yes, go and hide. When the other Ahroun does so, he waits to give him a fair head start, and then sets off on the trail with Kenneth. The two track the lost cub for quite a while, and the Gaian comments that Fears-No-Dark seems to be pulling no tricks on them, but has walked very far now. Strange. Suddenly, no longer than a few seconds after Dark-As-Night's comment, a stick can be heard crunching from behind. The lost cub can be seen charging them from behind. The Gaian Ahroun bristles in surprise, and charges right back. You!

The Shadow Lord cub whirls at the sound of the stick, but the Coggie is the first to act and charge. The Shadow Lord's lips lift again as all three black wolves once more meet up. He sits, though, letting the two ahrouns go at it and watching.

The Ahrouns collide, and though the tussle is fantastic between the two who have wrestled before, experience is bound to win. The lost cub is thrown onto his back, and wisely takes the defeat with as much grace as he can muster. You win, Dark-As-Night.

Dark-As-Night just touches the tip of his nose to Fears-No-Dark's throat, and then trots away from the lost cub, tail held high for a quick but noticable moment before it descends and wags. That was very good, Fears-No-Dark. You fooled us both. While we were hunting you, you were really hunting us.

Kenneth agrees slightly on that one, covering his amusement that Fears lost to the other ahroun. It isn't until he hears a faint howling that he recognizes as his elder's voice, that the philodox growls. He has to go. The halfmoon starts off in the direction, but turns briefly to regard the other two cubs. Good game, he rumbles once, before disappearing around a tree and heading off in the howl's direction.

Fears-No-Dark is a wolf. He hunts, not hides. The lost cub rolls onto his paws and stands, shaking the dirt and debris out of his fur, and admits to the others that this was good practice.