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:
Circle Keeper
Obvious exits:
Forest  

[look Circle Keeper]
From black nose to white tail, this full grown adult is a classic display of Canis Lupus Arctos. The three year-old's thick coat is the near-white of a wolf of the arctic, stretched over a sharp and stocky frame. He stands about two and a half tall at the shoulder; from tip to tail he's four and a half feet long. He looks well worked and well fed: muscles slide under his coat when he moves, padded by a healthy amount of meat. Slightly short and rounded ears, as well as sharp yellow eyes finish off his head. Like other wolves of the same subspecies, his legs are shorter than normal, and his paws look much more broad. He is often in constant motion, like he has the near boundless energy of one much younger than him. Among his coat are about as many scars as one would expect for a wolf of his age.
    (+details Set)

[look Dagger's-Edge]
    This wolf is large, but young by appearance. A jet coat of fur, long legs and a deep chest show his health, but not lacking in some particular scars on his furred body. His countenance infrequently lights with frivolous cheer, being rather set in an intelligent, reserved attentiveness that presents itself as somehow sinister, driving home the mysteries and suspicious nature many have of the wolf. He unquestionably carries himself with as much grace and agility as he can muster, wrapped in precarious balance and proportion, but a certain quirk of his gait indicates there is something wrong with him as well. Soaked in the color of void, his coat cloaks him with darkness incarnate with hints of ashen and earthen colors streaking the fringes. Silver frosting surrounds his eyes with a lightened mask that adds to the haunting stare of his golden stare, touching down as well at the very tip of his muzzle.
    This wolf, has the unmistakeable tinge of the city in his scent. He seems to have taken some care to try and cleanse himself of such things, but the tenacious Weaver has undoubtedly clung invisibly to his form.
(Dagger's-Edge) has looked at you.

It's conspicuously bright outside, the sun beating down on the nearly dry creek bed mercilessly in the afternoon heat. A light, cool breeze blows every now and again, but it's hardly a reprieve for anyone covered in fur, much less one covered in conspicuous amounts of it. And so as Circle Keeper makes his way along the creek bed like a highway through the bawn, it's no wonder he's panting like, well, a dog.

Dagger's-Edge pads his way through the forest, hot on the trail of something or other with his nose to the wind and ears perched forward. The halfmoon makes no effort to conceal his approach, with heavy footfall and panting himself. He breaks the treeline, pausing at the edge of it when he scents and spies the Uktena. Circle Keeper, the Shadow Lord acknowledges, and approaches, head lifting. I need to speak with you.

Circle Keeper slowly comes to a stop, the Uktena panting lightly as he pivots his head about to face the oncoming Shadow Lord. He looks rather irked by the interruption, the Ahroun's ears pushing forward and eyes rounding out as he looks rather expectantly at the other.

Dagger's-Edge gets to the point, his own demeanor cold as snowfall towards the ahroun. About a yard away he stops, looking directly at the lupus. Why did you ask Spider-Eyes to teach your packmate a ~rite?~ Why did you attack her when she refused?

Circle Keeper's mood turns even more sour, tail ticking behind him before it rises to an elevated status. Sniffing at the other twice (And subsequently sneezing from the apparently disagreeable smell), he sticks his head as high as he can manage. Did Glowing-Spider ask The-Blade's-Sharp-Part to mediate?

Dagger's-Edge narrows his eyes, a section of his lip ticking with an urge to peel back from his teeth. Guards-the-Flame asked me to judge, after hearing from Spider-Eyes, and then talking to Seeker. I will not judge until I have heard from both sides. I have heard from Spider-Eyes. Now it is your turn. His left forepaw lifts and stamps heavily on the ground. Nonverbally, he communicates his want for an answer to his questions from before, this time also adding, Why did Untangler not ask Spider-Eyes himself, if he wanted to learn from her?

Circle Keeper doesn't, however, restrain his temper. Or more likely, being an Ahroun, restraining his anger at what the other told him is much more easily said than done. Peeling his lips back from his clenched and growling, his hackles start to rise as he raises his tail. This one /provides/ for his packmate, he tells the other quite forcibly. This one did not fight Spider-Metis when she refused; Spider-Metis did not refuse.

Dagger's-Edge heard, the halfmoon replies in kind with a full show of teeth and his own hackles and tail sticking up in instinctive reaction, she would not agree to your request. Your packmate should have asked her, not you asking for him. Then, as she was leaving, you struck her from behind with your spear. She defended herself. Is this true?

Circle Keeper gives a flat 'no,' prowling right up to and past the Shadow Lord, stiff-legged. He stops a distance past the other and turns around to face him again. He is dominant to Untangler. He is to provide for his smaller packmate. Glory and Honour creed tells him to.

Dagger's-Edge snorts, turning to always present his fore and potential fangs towards the ahroun as he passes by. Annoyance sets in, but the philodox stands his ground. Then tell me what you did, since my own packmate said the metis spoke truth and said you attacked her.

Circle Keeper /did/ fight with her, he growls back at the other, nose wrinkling up. It is /not/ true that it wrong for this one to provide for his packmate, and it is not true that Spider-Metis refused to teach Untangler.

Dagger's-Edge grunts, the side of his upper lip curling. She did not agree either, did she. Hard to portray sarcasm in lupus, though somehow the Shadow Lord manages. Why didn't Untangler ask her himself? Because he was afraid of her?

This one does not know why Untangler did not, Circle Keeper tells the other brusquely. His hackles are no longer quite so bristled, but he's a far cry from being not angry. This one is not Untangler. He does not know what thoughts are in Untangler's head.

The Shadow Lord moves into the trickling water, head bending to lap a few times. He seems to mull over this, ears twitching, sometimes laying flat and other times standing up. Then, when his head lifts, he looks back towards the Uktena and asks, almost flatly, Then why did you and Spider-Eyes fight in the first place?

Glowing-Spider, Circle Keeper growls once more as his temper rises to the surface at the memory of the scuffle, told him he was lying about Untangler! Spider-Metis told this one she did not think Untangler was good at rites. He tries to show he is dominant to Glowing-Spider and has higher station and does not tell false things, but she would not submit to this one. She turned and tried to leave instead of submitting. He snarls, teeth gaped wide open as he adds with considerable anger and frustration that she turned her back from this one!

Dagger's-Edge stands still as a rock in the tiny burbling brook his paws are inserted in, peering directly at the ahroun now. Then you did attack her from behind. Without giving challenge. The philodox blows out an exasperated snort. Her leaving is not submitting? She did not want to fight you. But in the end, she won. Now who is dominant? The philodox lifts his head, ears flipping forward in wait for the ahroun's reply.

Sister-Alpha tells this one that when one turns their back on one dominant to them, it is a very bad and challenging thing they are doing. Like how two-leggers use words to tell others they are bad or stupid. The Ahroun's posture tenses up, moving closer to the Shadow Lord. This one is of higher station that Glowing-Spider. Glowing-Spider comes to him after they fight and shows this to him.

Dominance, submission, these things are as solid as this river. Dagger's-Edge continues to stand his ground despite the ahroun's approach. The metis passed her Rite and is of first rank. You are first rank. Dominance between two Garou is determined through challenge, Circle Keeper. You know that. She was leaving, not challenging you. She said herself, she did not want to fight.

Circle Keeper's jaws close again, muzzle still wrinkled up and ears still shoved forward. If she did not want to challenge this one, why did she not submit? he asks as brusque as sandpaper.

Dagger's-Edge flicks an ear to one side. I feel that she left because she did not want to fight. If she did not want to fight, then she did not challenge. She was leaving. You did not have to follow her. Did not have to fight her. The Shadow Lord growls in frustration, pawing at the water beneath. Besides, why would you attack the very one you ask for teaching? Is that not... stupid?

Sister-Alpha tells this one that when one turns their back on one dominant to them, it is a very bad and challenging thing they are doing. Like how two-leggers use words to tell others they are bad or stupid. Once More, Circle Keeper repeats this to the Shadow Lord, the Uktena becoming decidedly tense as he does.

Dagger's-Edge snarls outright then, hackles lifting. Think for yourself for a change! What kind of Garou attacks another as they leave? If I turn my back on you now, will you think I am challenging you? The glare he gives the ahroun is baleful, icy cold. What honor is there in striking a mule from behind?

It doesn't take much to goad him back into outright hostility, the Ahroun pressing right up into the face of the other, jaws agape as he snarls back. Circle Keeper does /not/ challenge the wisdom of dominant garou! Mule did /not/ submit after doing bad things, and turned its back! What else is this one to think?!

Dagger's-Edge holds his ground, black fur puffing out from tip to tail. His head lifts as he draws himself up stiffly, doing all he can to keep from dissolving into another snarl. Back off, Circle Keeper. If there is a problem, it is in your temper. If you had a problem with Spider-Eyes... if you thought she was doing 'bad things', then you should have told a halfmoon, not attacked her.

Circle Keeper doesn't, though, remaining right in his place as he snarls on back. Firewatcher-alpha says he should not go whining to Half-Moon, he should /Challenge/ them! Firewatcher-Alpha is wiser and more honourable than Blade's-Cutting-Part!

That stings the philodox into a deep and angry growl. And you Did Not challenge Spider-Eyes. You attacked her from behind like a sneak, instead of going to the Master of the Challenge. And now you seek to insult this one and give him reason to attack you. But I will not bite, Bait-Keeper. I am done with you. The Shadow Lord turns around purposefully, deliberately making to leave.

Circle Keeper /did/ challenge Spider-Metis! The Ahroun isn't ready to abandon anything; all but the most oblivious can tell that he's decided to pick his fight and isn't done fighting it yet. The Ahroun doesn't leave the other for one moment, moving along with the other so that he's still in Kenneth's way.

Dagger's-Edge snaps his jaws shut in irritation, ears forward and annoyed. Get out of my way, Circle Keeper.

You say this one lies, and did not challenge Spider-Metis, Circle Keeper Snarls. He sticks right the other's way, hackles raised. This one is /not/ saying false things.

Dagger's-Edge says you did not go to the Master of the Challenge to challenge the metis. Is that false? No. But if I am saying false things, then we will find out by one who has the truthtelling gift. My pack's alpha. The halfmoon narrows his gaze at the ahroun, waiting to see his reaction.

One does not need to go to the Master of the Challenge for every Challenge, Circle Keeper growls back. If Spider-Metis wanted the Master of the Challenge involved, she should have told this one so.

Then you do not need to attack everyone on the Bawn who does not need to submit to you either, Dagger's-Edge snarls angrily.

Circle Keeper does not! He once more presses up into the face of the other, tail high and jaws agape.

Dagger's-Edge wrinkles back his lips, growling low and dangerous. Then prove your actions by getting out of my way. The halfmoon turns once more, to go around the ahroun.

Circle Keeper doesn't budge, but doesn't move to follow the Philodox any further either. He stares furiously at the other's figure, shaking in place like he'd suddenly developed a case of palsy.

Dagger's-Edge doesn't look back as he departs, head and tail held tall. That isn't to say he isn't irritated, but as the philodox heads off, he looks considerably coolerheaded than the Uktena.