Sepdet emerges from the forest humming, with a satchel over her back. Standing still at the front, centered amidst the rows of carved stone, Yi is silent in contemplation. In front of her, a small brass incense holder much like the kind seen in temples, along with a small pack of incense, a brush, and other tools. In front of that, is a paper bag from the grocer's. She looks up slowly as Sepdet's voice comes floating along in the still air. Sepdet is chanting names as surely as if she were reading the stones themselves. ~Dusty, Broken Claw, Fisher King, Toxic Four Moons, Brutus, Itunkala, Hecate, Red Sky, Horus...~ She stops by Yi and sinks down beside her, setting the satchel down and opening it silently.

Yi stoops down slowly, laying a hand down on Sepdet's shoulder. Her touch is light, like a feather on the wind, though her eyes bear greater weight and shine softly in the galliard's moonlight. "Thanks for coming," she says to the Strider. "I thought, even if it is not home, I could still honor the ancestors someplace." She smiles with the barest curves, still one of gratitude.

Sepdet returns the smile. ~We will celebrate ours together. Will you share with me those you honor, and the manner?~ She nods to the incense burner as she begins to take out rough-hewn wooden and clay bowls from her pack; Yi has seen their like before in the Strider's rituals.

Yi nods, moving forward to open up the bag before the brass holder. In it are some pieces of fruit, three paper cups, and a bottle of Evian. She sets the cups down delicately in front of the burner towards the stones, filling them with water and setting the bottle aside. The oranges, a bag of them, she sets in front of the water in a more pyramidal shape. Then with a lighter in hand, she takes out three sticks of incense and lights them until they smoke, sending their fragrance rising into the still air as well. Once lit, she kneels before the burner, incense held in hands outward to the grave markers. "Tonight, we celebrate 'Ching Ming'. A festival of Clear and Bright. To honor our ancestors, and those that have passed on before us." She glances over to Sepdet, to see if she has anything to say first. Sepdet speaks easily. ~Spirits of friends and elders whom I have gathered, buried, and tended with my own hands for many years, again I Gather you, honoring your memory.~ She moves among the graves, beginning to set down a bowl here, a stone there, chips of blood-red, blue, or feathers and small bones.

Yi waits a bit for the Strider to finish setting down her offerings, and then continues her words. "Spirits of the past, of those who have passed, Sepdet, Hope-Star, and I, Song Yi Ling, Three-Blades, honor you tonight with our offerings. To my parents, my mother and father who gave part of their spirit and blood to bear me when I was young, I honor and thank you." She bows once, to the graves ahead then straightens. "To Watches-the-Sky, Thunder's-Rumble, White-Tail, and countless others from the Sept of Rat's Tail in Hong Kong, I honor and thank you for your friendship and guidance." She bows again. "And last, to Jay, One-Rage-in-Shadows, and the Garou whose names are carved upon the stones from the Caern of the Hidden Walk in St. Claire. I honor, and thank you for you love, understanding, and opportunity to celebrate this festival with you." She bows a third time, then inserts the incense into the holder carefully.

Sepdet pours water into the bowls she's brought, whispering the name of each person as she comes to them, and a scattering of memory as well. ~Dusty, who loved so well, died pure and young. Hecate, ever restless warrior, carrying the teeth of your foes for blades. Thorn, humble sage, my old friend and teacher...~ Yi can hear bits and snatches of so many. Jay she comes to latest, with a simple, ~brave soul who made a difference during your short life and helped slay the Foe with your passing. No greater honor is there.~

Yi continues her kneeling, gazing at the dot of orange on the burning end of the incense, the smokey scent wisping up into the air around. She utters some words, but they are in her own language, perhaps meant for her closest of honors. Once Sepdet finishes, she too finishes, taking in a slow, relaxed breath before drawing out a mirror. It is a mirror with the signs of i-ching on it, those who recognize the symbols somewhat more commonplace in Chinatowns and atop people's doorways. The purpose here, though, is the mirror. Yi stands, and shifts to crinos while holding the mirror. Once her form solidifies in outline, she growls softly to the Strider. ~Step with me, to the other side. To see if the markers and area around would need some cleaning.~ She tilts a large ear to her packalpha. If the Strider noticed before, or even now, the graves all received a thorough brushing before and the leaves were cleared away before the offerings were made.

You have shifted to Crinos form.

Sepdet smiles, having noticed indeed--it is normally a job she does, and found it all done for her this day. She reaches out silently to take Yi's hand as they step across.

On the other side, Yi hasn't done her cleaning yet. The moon seems to shine all the more brighter in the Umbra under the howling moon. Once across, she gazes over to the markers. A toothy smile to Sepdet, before she moves to brush off Umbral leaves as well, careful of claws. For a crinos, she's awfully delicate in moving around the spirit markers. Coming to Jay's grave and carved glyphs, she pauses. ~More than just a brother. A reason, for life.~ Her ears flick back a bit as she picks up a branch and tosses it gently into the umbral brush around. She turns to Sepdet. ~Where do you think the spirits go...the ones who have passed on to this world or the next?~

Sepdet sits down beside one grave off in a corner, the glyphs of Fang and ahroun reading Aubrey. There is a little darkness here. Sepdet whispers a few words, passing her hands over it and sprinkling some fine white sand which glitters like mica, catching the light of the moon upon it. Then she looks back. ~They travel west, beyond the setting sun, across the river that appears in so many tales all over the world, on and on to the homeland of their tribe, close to Gaia's heart. When they have found rest, release, and shed all the burdens and unfinished regrets and hopes of their past life, they are melded with Gaia, and she pours them into a new life, and they are born anew.~

Sepdet sighs, some sadness crossing her face in spite of the bright words.

Three-Blades backs off from Jay's marker and gives her fur a short shake. Again facing the center of the rows, she continues her query. ~And what about those with no tribe, or the tribes that do not have an origin land?~ The Gnawer's ears twitch slightly. ~Of all the tales I heard from Grandmother, I have never heard about where the Bone Gnawers come from. But, there were tales of Gaia's heart, where all manner of life came. You think those that have no homeland, just go there?~ It's an innocent question really, a little strange perhaps coming from a furry killing machine.

Sepdet chuckles. ~Even Rat's children lurk in the chinks and corners of Gaia's heart, scrabbling between the rafters. At least that is how my uncle Ibis put it, who made his life's work the study of the umbral reaches. All have a place. Even the enemy, some say, may return to Gaia in death if there is any spark of ma'at left in them.~ Her hand brushes against the cartouche she wears as a name-sign. ~It is a gift Gaia gives all of you.~

Three-Blades licks her muzzle, tail curling slightly with the thought of the enemy even deserving a place. ~All eventually have a balance within,~ she rumbles softly. Then, she gazes around the Umbral mounds, exhaling slowly. ~This is it, then,~ she says with a short flick of her ear. ~Except one thing left...~ Her attention draws back to the mounds in front. For a few moments, the silence of the area pervades the aura of solemnity. Until the nomoon lifts her voice to howl, up to the skies and the moon above, to howl to the Umbral winds. ~I ask of the Winds, carry our voices to those who have passed and walk the spirit worlds, tell them that we honor them for their lives. Watch over us, Honored and Loved ones, until we join you again in Gaia's heart.~

Sepdet cups her hands to her mouth and adds her own shimmering cry, shifting down to the little black jackal whose form has been seen in the paintings, on the paths of her peope's ancestors for five thousand years. Rest well, come back when you are healed and whole, on the wings of Phoenix!

Once the howls fade, Yi holds up the mirror again, for the two of them to step through back to the Realm. They arrive virtually the same place they left, though now it seems, the oranges are gone and the burning incense dwindles on its last minute of scented smokes. Yi sniffs a bit at the spot where the oranges were, and flickers her ears before shifting back down to homid. "Well, at least some animal received good luck to find food tonight." She chuckles softly, before gathering the remains of the incense, bottled water, cups and burner, placing all these back into the bag she brought them in. She nods shortly to Sepdet. "Thank you, again, for coming and celebrating with me."

Sepdet inclines her head. ~It is always a pleasure to celebrate old friends,~ she replies with a thin smile. ~And good to find someone else who honors the dead.~

Yi quirks her lips in a peculiar method of hers, and dips her head to the Strider. "Then with that I will see you again soon. My own resting place calls me for now." She laughs softly. "Good night, Sepdet-rhya."

Sepdet moves back to Dusty's grave to sit and be quiet for a while. ~I will see you where water meets the sky,~ she returns oftly.

Yi shuffles the bag slightly in her arms, before nodding and moving off into the darkened night.