Lion's-Roar has arrived.

Speaks-Circles has arrived.

Reads-In-Dark has arrived.

Chaser has arrived.

Rides-Fire leads everyone toward the northwest, shifting into hispo for the run.

Rides-Fire leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Rides-Fire has left.

Thunder-Eater leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Thunder-Eater has left.

Three-Blades contorts and blurs as she is transformed. You shift into Hispo.

Lion's-Roar leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Lion's-Roar has left.

Heart-of-Fury leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Heart-of-Fury has left.

Defiant-Storm leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Defiant-Storm has left.

Three-Blades turns as Reads comes through the Umbra as well, perking her ears towards the cub. ~You stay, in the caern. Realmside. Keep the fire warm for me, yes?~

The 'aw, mom!' face looks even weirder in Crinos, but Reads-In-Darkness sighs, and nods. ~ Yes'm. Going back... ~ She watches Speaks go on and looks about for a suitable surface to help her back.

Little Bear leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Little Bear has left.

Speaks-Circles leaves the caern clearing for the woods to the north. Speaks-Circles has left.

Three-Blades nuzzles the newmoon with a quiet rumble. ~I'll make sure Matt comes back with me as well.~ She gives her a lick with her rough hispo tongue. She rumbles softly, nudging the newmoon. ~Go. Wait with Alicia. I'll be back soon.~ Without waiting for an answer, she turns and quickly follows the others.

You cross the caern to the opening in the trees and walk down the path. After a short while, you come out into another, much smaller clearing.

Umbra: Light Woods
These sparse woods stretch away, north of the place of power that is the Caern, hemmed in on the west and north by unsubtle swaths of decaying, web-covered grey that denote roads in the Realm. The entire area, all around, is a vivid reflection of the physical world: colors are brighter, scents are sharper, sensations more crisp. The trees reach upwards, impossibly high, towards the heavens, while the airts of various animal spirits wind crazily through the undergrowth; the land is replete with life, a place where Spirit and Realm are still close together.
A number of landmarks punctuate the woods: a massive thrust of bright, almost crystalline rock that juts upwards, out of a clearing, like a shoulder of the earth; a pair of giant arcs of bone that glisten with fresh blood, between which hangs a luminous bundle of ephemera; a bright clearing, beneath a broad, steep cliff, across which wind spirits dance incessantly. Faint pathways lead off in three directions.
Contents:
Speaks-Circles(#4064PJce)
Little Bear
Defiant-Storm
Heart-of-Fury
Lion's-Roar
Thunder-Eater
Rides-Fire
SekGM
Obvious exits:
South Northwest North

Directed by the Warder's instructions, Rides-fire leads the ravening horde to a stand of trees at the northeastern edge of the bawn. All is drenched in silver and practically glowing with Luna's cool light beating down; the black columns of the trunks exude the strength of lava cliffs rearing up from the sea. Small spirits flit from bough to bough, dash through the underbrush, and everywhere there are whisperings and rustlings. But just in one place, the air is more still, and the scurrying spirits seem to be avoiding the hulking shape of one great lightning-struck tree like a tombstone.

Little Bear raises his head, testing the air, his breath steaming from his muzzle as he snorts.

The tree is hollow and broken off some ten feet from its rolling roots, and a black crack gapes like a cave-mouth on one side of its base, some four feet high and perhaps two across at its widest part. The most observant will notice that a few seedlings in the immediate area appear to be--well, it's winter, and leaves don't show--but they are somehow more dim, almost translucent. And there is a faint sickly odor.
If the visual clues weren't enough, Rides-Fire recoils visibly after testing the air toward the tree. ~There,~ he says. ~Heart-of-Fury, call it out.~

Chaser comes up the trail from the south. Chaser has arrived.

Little Bear snorts again, shaking his head. His eyes narrow on the crack, a low growl escaping his throat as he shifts to hispo.

Heart-of-Fury's throat contorts unnaturally, and a wan sick howl of despair and hate comes from his throat -- a sound no Gaian Garou might otherwise make.

Three-Blades snorts and lifts her hispo lips in a silent snarl at the odor. Her ears flatten at HoF's Call, hackles rising.

A foul creature bursts from the cave, with a miasma of reek that would make an undead cockroach retch. Some six feet long and barely narrow enough to fit through the hole in the trunk, it seems to be some sort of insect, with a segmented brownish-orange body, serrated pinchers, compound eyes, foul scabrous fly-wings, and a whip-like prong on its tail end. An earwig might worship it as a god. A god would reach for the nearest shoe.

Concomitant with it comes a fierce buzzing that drills right into the skulls of everyone in the area, making it suddenly hard to think and much easier to imagine rending anything in sight.

SekGM pages to the room: Any gifts requiring concentration will be a little more difficult, and your chance to frenzy is now somewhat higher, although Rides-Fire's Inspiration will help counteract the effect. Imagine your apartment complex's groundspeople have decided to trim the grass at 5AM outside your window on Saturday for the last 3 weekends in a row. Play accordingly.

Three-Blades is only mildly glad her ears flattened /before/ the creature came out, somewhere inside thanking Gaia that she was in her right mind to send Bernie back across to the caern. ~Gaia hold the caern in peace while we fight,~ she grits out before turning to the leader of the Revel, expecting a formation of attack.

Little Bear gladly gives in to the buzzing noise, snarling a low growl of challenge as he leaps right at the base of the barbed tail, jaws open wide to rip and tear.

Lion's-Roar allows the growing irritation from the bug to help him draw the rage needed to sharpen his claws on a nearby rock.

Rides-Fire doesn't take long in supplying one. ~Fenris' Teeth, take right. Roar, lead left. Fury, with me.~ With that, and ignoring the Wendigo that has run ahead to tease its tail, the Stargazer charges full at its face, roaring a challenging howl to distract the creature and pull its attention to him.

Chaser grits her teeth and skirts the flank of the--whatever it is. She shifts to Hispo along the way, silent on heavy paws.

Defiant-Storm snarls, continually shaking her head to get rid of the offending buzz. As the order is given, she marshalls the Get pack in the direction specified, flexing claws and finding something to sharpen them on.

Chaser contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Chaser shifts into Hispo form.

Thunder-Eater steps up beside Signe and Chaser at the right flank of the group. As Rides-Fire begins the charge, Kyle is quick to follow and aims an clawed attack at the creature's side.

Heart-of-Fury follows Rides forward, adding his voice to the 'Gazer's howl of dire warning. He goes to all fours and into hispo like the new fostern ahroun, his jaws wide.

Lion's-Roar snarls outloud. ~Alright. All not with Fenrir's Teeth, follow me and on to victory!~ He then charges, flanking to the left.

Three-Blades barks out to the Wendigo, finding herself growling angrily at the beast who caused her friend to attack first possibly to his harm. ~Leonard! Get your mind straight! Rally to me, you silly windstorm-follower!~ With that, she charges towards the creature straight on, not quite leaping into it's jaws but hissing and snapping at it to draw its attention.

As Little Bear latches onto a foul ooze sprays in his eyes, but the thing can't gain much altitude with a Wendigo on its butt, and that makes it a good deal easier for the others to close in before it overshoots them. Chaser and Signe find leg-joints to rip off, and Kyle tears into the base of a wing on the left side; the thing wriggles like a maggot trying to get free. Lion's Roar's crowd close with the right. Rides-Fire struggles to rach an eye, while Steven grabs onto and grips a foul-tasting mandable. Yi, coming in under them, receives a nasty gash from a pincher.

As the Garou close in, a smaller one blooms out behind the first, hurtling right into the midst of Owen's group.

Defiant-Storm buries her claws in flesh, taking out all her frustration at losing the challenge earlier on this opponent. Kyle, too, rends deep gashes into the slimy flesh. Chaser blurs herself and flanks the big one to hit its legs with precision strikes.

Little Bear, maddened further by the pain and smell, becomes the closest equivalent to a nine-foot Cuisinart this forest is ever going to see. Shifting to crinos, he hangs on with his teeth while his other limbs move with blurring speed against the hide of the creature.

Three-Blades fights the urge to yip but she does snarl in pain as a lash to her back strips skin open over her upper back and shoulders. Her paws take her circling quickly after Lion's-roar. With swiftness, she dives in for a piece of the 6-foot fishbait, jaws open and ready to snap down on a chunk between segmented bits.

Lion's-Roar barks to his charge to keep on the first target. He, however, makes a lunge to grab the second 'bug' to keep it occupied.

Rides-Fire nearly trips on Three-Blades as he comes down from his first attempt at an eye. Irritated to the point of acting without though, he snaps irritably at her tail as she leaves and heads to the lone Get's side. Luckily, since she was already moving, his bite misses completely, probably not even drawing her attention. The two Fianna stay more on target, as Heart-of-Fury's huge jaws flex with his attempt to hang on and do more damage. The galliard's front claws dig at the spirit as well, moving faster than the eye can follow. On the other side, Speaks-Circle jumps and attempts to grab the other mandable, clawing on his way up. Assuming his tactic works, he hangs there by his jaws.

Those without razor claws find it hard to penetrate the hard chiton, but there's chinks in armor and joints to crack under strong Garou jaws. Not that it's a pleasant job to bite something that tastes worse than it smells.

Rides-fire keeps trying to get at the thing's eyes, but it's hard to tell how much effect he's having; it spits up chunks of rotted matter in Steven's and Matt's faces as the Fianna rip off any projecting bits they can reach. Speaks-Circles mistimes a lunge and gets an ear sawn through by one of the pinchers.

Kyle's commandos bring the thing listing down as their blows find purchase, wings beating furiously at their heads. Kyle gets a sharp pointed foot dug into his throat as he pulls a wing free.

Yi swings around to take the spot vacated by Lion's Roar and grabs on just as it crashes to the ground, still thrashing; Little Bear's frenzied clawstrikes are dangerously close as he tears into the back end. Lion's Roar, meanwhile, is all that's keeping the other one from getting away, and it nearly pulls him from the ground as he latches onto several of its legs and bites down.

SekGM pages to the room: First one's on the ground and oozing profusely, still kicking but looking fairly damaged. (Before anyone asks for clarification :} )

Chaser contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Chaser shifts into Crinos form.

Lion's-Roar will not let this second bug escape. Renewing his efforts, he first just slaps the thing before letting claws fly.

Three-Blades snorts as the rancid taste of the creature fills her jaws, willing herself to twist and jerk her hold harder as she tries place claws into the spot manages to open. Shifting to her warform, her claws seek a spot to sink in and tear the first bug from its insides out the way a chicken would use its beak to sink into the centipede's soft insides.

Three-Blades contorts and blurs as she is transformed. You shift into Crinos.

The two Fianna are completely in the injured insect's face, finding any soft spots or protruding parts to rip and tear with their jaws. Heart-of-Fury still moves faster than natural, though the bleeding cub has slowed down. Still bleeding from his missing ear, his posture fairly screams defiance, demanding /something/'s attention. Rides-Fire is forced to the side by lack of space, ending up next to the cub whose shorn ear mimics his own scar. He too, continues to try to work a way in with his jaws, going for the softer join near the first leg for his attempt.

Lion's Roar's minor slap, surprisingly, drops the behemoth like a fly. Unfortunately, it drops on him. Pincers rip deeply into his midsection as he struggles to claw his way between joints. The frenzy of Garou tear into the first bug from all sides, Steven putting out the eye Rides-Fire started on while being half-blinded himself by the foul goop spraying over him and his fellows. Yi finds more goop as she pulls a plate free. Leonard, completely insensible with rage, doesn't even realize he's removed the entire back end and lays right into the Bone Gnawer, as Chaser and Signe play wishbone with the last two legs remaining on their side. It's hard to name a winner when both pieces come off completely, but Chaser's the one who gets slashed across the stomach before the thing stops buzzing and goes still.

Chaser snarls in fury, stumbling back, a clawed hand still gripping one of the creature's legs. Her teeth remain bared, and she looks about her wildly, searching for the next target to rend with claws and teeth.

Three-Blades snarls in pain when Little Bear's claws tear into her arm and side as she rips the bug's guts away. ~LEONARD! Stop your DAMN frenzy!~ Her howl clear and loud, right into the frenzied LB's ear with a darned hopeful if not desperate attempt to stop the Wendigo from killing her, she brings her undamaged crinosified arm around in a punch straight to his temples while pushing back with her near mauled arm to toss him off.

Lion's-Roar continues to attack the lone bug unrelentlessly, twisting his clamped jaws while kicking at the underside of the bug to try and disembowel it. He seems to just disregard the legs currently stabbing him.

Rides-Fire remains far too focused on the Enemy to yet notice that Yi might be in trouble, already pushing from the ground and its dissipating bug to move toward the lone Get ahroun. His packmate follows him on the left, and Speaks-Circles on the left. All three are on their way before Three-Blades cries out. ~Look at me!~ the Fianna cub barely has time to scream at the second bug, before the three rage-sped Garou slam into its side like a three-ton freight train. Jaws snap as the trio attempt to take out this foe as well.

Little Bear staggers from the blow, wiping the burning goop from his face and eyes enough that he can see, a warning growl deep in his throat. The maddened rage in his eyes abates enough that he stops swinging once he sees what he's been hitting.

The first bug disappears in a puff of foul smoke. Yi's gift may have some effect; Little Bear at least waves long enough for her punch to connect, somewhat crookedly, with his skull. Unfortunately, that just makes him madder, and he lunges blindly at her. As for the Get, the closest targets to Chaser are her own packmates, and frenzy doesn't distinguish friend from foe; Signe gets a sudden nasty surprise from behind as her own packmate slams into her side, knocking the ahroun flat.

The second bug is borne down on by a rage-sped cavalry as Owen disembowels it from beneath, gore flying. Shreds of wings and legs go everywhere, some Garou blood and fur along with it as Steven gets a jaunty stripe sliced down his left shoulder by a flailing leg. Under the combined fury of their attack plus the damage Owen's already inflicted on its own, its mad thrashing dies to twitches, then stills. And it too begins to fade from sight.

Chaser whirls, casting the ichor-dripping insect leg aside. Rage-maddened eyes search for the nearest target--and an instant later she is charging toward Kyle at full speed.

Thunder-Eater's distracted, of course, by his attack on the bug creature and he doesn't see Chaser bearing down at him. She knocks him away from the oozing remains of the beast with a flurry of rent fur, but he is not taken off his feet. Nonetheless, it doesn't take Kyle long to respond to the attack. He splays his taloned hand wide open and aims a brutal thrust at the center of her chest.

Three-Blades is just purely frustrated at Little Bear as he lunges towards her. Using lent speed from her Rage, she dodges as best she can to his left. Her eyes as she dodges turn their gaze for a second's look at the faded second wyrmspawn, and gathers up her will to howl, long, clear and loud in the best voice she can muster. ~GAROU OF THE HIDDEN WALK! The fight is won! Cease your Rage, lest you murder your packmates and friends!~

Lion's-Roar gets to his feet with a start, laughing in triumph even as bug (and his own) gore slough down his bulky frame. ~God damn I love my job!~ Upon hearing more fighting, he turns to watch his own tribemates at each other's throats. He sizes that scene up before making a move.

Kyle's blow lands with an audible crack of ribs, and sends the lighter Get sprawling--but she is on her feet again with the speed only Garou can show, throwing herself at the Ahroun bodily, a wild snarl baring her bloody teeth.

Thunder-Eater is ready for Chaser's attack this time and he sidesteps the rush, aiming a bludgeoning strike at his packmate's digitigrade knee.

Rides-Fire takes a moment to sniff at Lion's Roar before he springs to his feet. As soon as he makes that flex that betrays life, though, the warleading Stargazer turns around to face the sounds of more battle, squinting against what goop has fallen near his eyes. Taking in the problem quickly, he springs toward the others. The two Fianna shift instantly into crinos, one after the other, taking almost idential disgusted wipes at the ichor on their faces. They, too, run after Rides-Fire when the Stargazer goes. Heart-of-Fury lopes foward awkwardly, using his arms like legs to close the ground between him and all the frenzied Garou.

Yi's no-moon dexterity is barely enough to keep the powerful Wendigo from making her into fish sticks, and the distraction of glancing away and trying to reason one last time with him is enough to give him a fatal opening. Down she goes under a lightning-fast claw-swipe, and down he falls on top of her, but his movements suddenly slow down as a glimmer of persuasion belatedly penetrates his thick skull.

Rides-Fire doesn't have time to notice that Leonard has started to come to himself, as he splits off from his packmates and leaps to plow directly into the Wendigo's chest. Leaving the Get to the two Fianna, Rides-Fire totally occupies himself with trying to overbear the frenzied Wendigo.

There's a sickening crack, as Kyle kicks Chaser's knee out from under her--or rather, breaks it out from under her. Deprived on one leg, she doesn't so much as hesitate, throwing herself at her target in a flying leap, claws reaching for the Get's vitals.

Lion's-Roar stands straight, bleeding freely from the gut in several places but seemingly unmindful of it. He watches Kyle and Chaser closely, letting the Wendigo be handled by others.

Little Bear snarls as he's attacked, then whoooofs as he falls back, the stargazer on top of him. Not suprisingly this re-ignites his simmering rage and he rakes at the lupus with both claws, teeth bared.

Heart-of-Fury heads towards Chaser, intending to drag her off her packmate as best he can.

Little Bear gets hit with a whoomph of escaping air and goes tumbling, one flailing claw connecting with Rides-Fire's side as he strikes the ground. All the air is knocked out of him, and there's a Stargazer sitting on him, as Leonard's consciousness finally wanders back from its coffeebreak.

Speaks-Circles puts himself between Little Bear and Three-Blades, giving him a new chew-toy if he can get past Rides-fire.

Three-Blades hits the ground with a slurching crunch, and howls first in pain as she lands on her mauled arm. ~STOP YOUR FUCKING IDIOCY!~ She howls at Leonard and the frenzied Get, wavering in sight as she sees Leo get knocked down. Her furred head turns to gaze at the battle of Chaser and Kyle before flopping onto the ground with a soft foomph of umbra dust.

Thunder-Eater can't quite evade Chaser this time, and her claws bite into his shoulders and down his chest leaving bloody rents and trapping the bigger Get in a grapple as her teeth snap at his throat. Snarling, he aims a flurry of thunderous closed-fisted blows directly at her head.

Rides-Fire uses the benefits of the Umbra to instantly shift into a form with hands. He doesn't even reach for his bleeding side, his attention still totally on the Garou beneath him. Clawed hands attempt to hold down Little Bear on his forearms, and the weight of a full-grown crinos on his chest is nothing to sneeze at.

Lion's-Roar again remains where he is, instead now just crossing his arms over his chest thoughtfully while watching Kyle and Chaser go at it. He's sure of the outcome in his mind.

Little Bear wheezes defiantly, but does not, indeed, sneeze. He struggles until his eyes roll back up into his head, then goes limp.

Chaser drives all of her claws into the Ahroun's gut, catching herself by that hold as she drops into a crouch on the functioning leg. She isn't there long, the flurry of head blows knocking her senseless--but when she falls unconscious, her claws trail innards and blood from Kyle's midsection.

Since Garou in frenzy are less than subtle, Rides-Fire doesn't hang on to Little Bear long after he goes limp. Head turning toward the pair still fighting, he pushes to his feet and starts their way.

Speaks-Circles checks over Three-Blades, assessing the damage. ~Will you be all right?~

Lion's-Roar watches as Chaser apparently goes down under head trauma. He looks Kyle over for a bit in all seriousness. ~Are you done fooling around yet?~

Three-Blades snarls, feeling those cuts and slashes now as her vision is near black. She's fighting hard though, trying to keep awake in hopes that the Get will snap out of it. Eyes settling on the shadowy form of Lion's-Roar who simply stands there and watches the two fosterns hack at each other, she coughs up a bout of blood before attempting to at least boost herself off her bad arm. ~Wyrm's teeth, the warlusted idiots,~ she curses out, looking to Leonard's limp body. Matt's question is barely heard, her head swimming murkily. ~Got quite a show tonight, didn't we...~ she utters quietly.

Defiant-Storm gets up from the ground spitting out curses and obsenities. She throws Chaser a knife-like glare, but she's already down and Signe's attention turns to Kyle.

Thunder-Eater disentangles himself from the limp Chaser, holding his gaping chest wound closed with a hand. He looks to be fighting down Rage himself, at this point. The fury about him is palpable, barely contained as he forces himself to breathe.

Heart-of-Fury pulls Chaser's limp form off Thunder-Eater, looking all around himself. Then he spies his packmate, lifting his muzzle toward the lupus ahroun. ~Think that tree can be salvaged?~

Rides-Fire makes the effort to turn his head from the trembling Thunder-Eater and focus his attention on the tree. ~It's dead,~ he says finally. ~I don't think the bugs killed it, but there's no life. Less taint, now. Someone will need to come cleanse this place at sunrise.~ After making that assessement, he drops to one knee to make sure Chaser still breathes.

Little Bear blinks a few times after lying senseless for some minutes, then sits up, wiping at his face with a snarl.

Thunder-Eater isn't content to sit still for inspection, and he gruffly refuses a helping hand up. Instead, he shoves himself to his feet and gratuitously aims a soft kick at Chaser's midriff. ~Cursed Rotagar,~ he grates at her unconscious form.

Rides-Fire, who is studying the bruises and breaks that even now are healing, looks up with an instinctive bearing of teeth as Kyle's foot connects in the body.

Defiant-Storm pushes Kyle away firmly, her eyes finding his and asserting her own dominance. ~She's done. Take a walk.~

Three-Blades grits her bloody, wyrm-guts-stuck-in-between-fangs teeth, and through a sheer act of will, forces herself to rise back to her feet long enough to shift to a stabler, hispo form. Four legs good, two legs bad. Her forelegs tremble, dripping blood from open wounds. She growls towards Matt, glancing at the full moon. ~One spray of Garou Raid, kills bugs dead.~

Something oddly like laughter--more like a rumble of amusement--comes from the prone Chaser-Never-Rests. She winces slightly, a clawed paw coming to the side of her head. Her eyes remain closed.

Thunder-Eater seems to care very little for Ride's protective reaction, but he lets Signe push him away from the fallen Get without going postal. He stalks off on his own, and walks back and forth at a perimeter around the group. His wounded belly is only evident by inspection and by the trail of blood he leaves in the dirt, by his movements one would guess him uninjured.

Lion's-Roar frowns, then sighs. He takes another short look around the place, then distances himself from the other Get here almost cooly. ~That it?~ he asks of Rides-Fire.

Little Bear decides to sit up and take a look around. Bugs dead, folks hurt, no garou dead. Good Revel.

Speaks-Circles looks up from Three-Blades to speak to Rides-Fire. ~I will stay for the Cleansing, if I am needed.~

~There's not gonna be a Cleansing if we don't go back to the caern and tell the crescents,~ Three-Blades manages to hiss out through her pain and woozy feelings. ~Of all the things we forget, we forget a theurge.~ Little Bear stands, swaying a moment, then turns and blinks at Yi's wounds. He moves over to her, offering a hand up.

Rides-Fire pushes to his feet again, now that he's inspected the ragabash. ~All of the Enemy here,~ he answers Lion's Roar, as he moves back to Three-Blades. He now takes the time to check her wounds as he rebukes her, ~Not only theurges know that rite. But best to tell the guardians, let them handle it at dawn.~ A quick flicker toward the Fianna cub. ~I will tell them you offered.~

Heart-of-Fury snorts faintly. He mutters, ~Hasn't been a decent theurge at our sept since Quiet and Thatcher left, kid.~ He narrows his eye, wipes a bit of goo out of his fur, and adds, ~Except for that Wendigo.~

Chaser sits up abruptly, giving a little shake of her head. Then she shifts, and rolls up gracefully to her feet, dusting off her clothing.

Little Bear glances at Stephen at the mention of the 'Wendigo,' but he says nothing.

Defiant-Storm brushes off Chaser's shoulder lightly, a gesture mostly affected, as is her casual tone. ~What'd you do with my jacket?~ She asks.

Lion's-Roar nods to the Stargazer. He then turns and goes back in the direction of the caern without a word to anyone else.

Lion's-Roar contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Lion's-Roar shifts into Lupus form.

Lion's-Roar disappears into the woods to the south. Lion's-Roar has left.

Rides-Fire rocks back, seemingly satisfied that Three Blades will also survive the walk back to the caern. ~Shadow-of-Blood,~ he reminds his packmate. ~Just younger.~

Three-Blades rumbles to the Gazer leader, her head not quite thinking as clear as it should from blood loss. ~S'right... I was supposed to learn that rite from Elan-rhya...~ Her eyes look back southeastward, gazing as Lion's-Roar leaves them. Only a grunt from her, waiting the Gazer's orders to sprint back to the caern.

Speaks-Circles nods to Steven and Rides-Fire, one eye almost swollen shut from some sort of reaction to the goo. He seems oblivious to the blood streaming from his ear, and he puts a shoulder under Three-Blades good arm to carry a significant fraction of her weight.

Heart-of-Fury's muzzle pulls back. ~Don't know him as well. I don't get down to the wolf lands much.~ He looks around again, perhaps a touch disappointed there's nothing more to mop up.

Three-Blades snaps a bit irritably at Speaks, but lets the Fianna cub support her for now.

Thunder-Eater turns back to the rest of the crowd. His hard eyes note Chaser's revival with only a moderate narrowing, ~So are we done?~ he asks noone in particular.

Chaser loooks at Signe in utter confusion. "Huh?" One hand scrubs at the back of her head.

Little Bear shrugs, taking his hand back, and heads back to let the caern know the revel was a success.

Little Bear disappears into the woods to the south. Little Bear has left.

Speaks-Circles says, ~Bitch all you want,~ Speaks-in-Circles growls back. ~You're lucky I don't carry you...Three-Blades-Rhya.~~

Rides-Fire stands up, hand only now touching his bloody side. ~Done,~ he says with finality. ~I'll look for Peacekeeper or his pack.~ His gaze sweeps the others. ~Well-fought.~ As his eyes linger on Three-Blades, his tone turns wry. ~Though next time I am Wyrmfoe, I will invoke control, not rage.~

Defiant-Storm waves a hand dismissively, her eyes still glittering with the fever of battle. ~Fuck, nevermind. Let's get out of here.~ Kyle's question gets answered with another wave of her hand as she starts to head back out.

Three-Blades snorts at the cub, but this time it's a bit more resolving. Her gaze settles back at the Gazer and her jaws open slightly in a hispo grin. ~Agreed, Rides-Fire-rhya.~

Heart-of-Fury hangs back near his packmate, as they too turn south. ~Congratulations, fostern.~

Thunder-Eater falls into step with Defiant-Storm, keeping to the war form as he departs the area. He never quite loses his wariness, despite the presumed end to the conflict.

Rides-Fire can't stop his good ear from tilting out as he gives his packmate a most-lupine body bump in answer. ~Good night,~ he says in satisifaction. ~And none died.~ As they continue back, he finally shifts into hispo.

Chaser keeps pace with her packmates despite the disparity in height, walking fast.

Speaks-Circles jogs next to Three-Blades on the way back to the caern, steering and supporting her with his body when she gets wobbly.

Speaks-Circles disappears into the woods to the south. Speaks-Circles has left.

You walk through the umbral woods south along the path. The trees open out before you and you enter the umbral representation of the caern.

Umbra: Center of the Caern
The expanse of grass up and down the valley becomes much thicker here, a circular plush carpet of deep green fibers. Lunes dance wildly in the air, especially around the perimeter of the circle, and water sprites leap from the cliff's edge to the southeast down to the valley floor, giggling the whole way. An omnipresent light mist fills the umbral caern, not fully obscuring vision but blurring more distant objects. In the center of the circle is a large white boulder, with crystals on it glimmering with reflected light of the lunes. Etched into the boulder is the wandering glyph of the Wyld.
The air here is charged, and seems to tingle. Even the least perceptive can feel the presence of this place, sense the strength here. Power reverberates through the Earth's shell like the sound of distant thunder, rumbling so deeply it must be felt rather than heard.
Contents:
Speaks-Circles(#4064PJce)
Obvious exits:
South North West

You start to reach through the umbra.

Three-Blades looks into the pool at the waterfall's base, gazing upon her reflection.

The landscape shifts wrenchingly, and you are through.

By the Waterfall
The edge of the valley forms a sheer rock face on this side of the Caern, perhaps 10 meters straight up, studded with outcroppings and lined with narrow cracks in a tracery of spidery fractures. Over the top lip of this natural wall streams a narrow, glass-like sheet of water that hurls itself into a small pool at its base, throwing up spray to soak the stones there, the rock behind it, and the surrounding earth. From this pool the water flows in a shallow bed toward the southwest before disappearing below the surface of the earth again in what must be an underground stream.
To the west, cool mist kicked up by the falls mingles with warmer steam from geothermal sources; these mists swirl around the caern to the north. The caern's center lies northwest of here. You can pick out what seems to be a hazardous trail over rock and up the wall, to the side of the waterfall.
Obvious exits:
Steam Vents Center Windy Spot Up the Trail

Speaks-Circles appears in a glimmer of red light. Speaks-Circles has arrived.

Speaks-Circles heads into the center. Speaks-Circles has left.

At the center, Sepdet tells Bernie, ~I save Gaia's gifts, unless someone's been really mangled. Garou heal fast. That's why I really shouldn't have wasted energy on Steven's "ass."~ There's a glint in her eye.

You head into the center and heart of the caern.

Center of the Caern
This area of the clearing is about 30 meters wide and is a mixture of dark soil and clay throughout, though much of it looks like it's been sodded in recent months. Near the center of the clearing, the top of a large white boulder juts out from the soil like a bone revealed after the skin of an animal has been torn away. The large rock appears to be normal stone at its base, but towards the top stone gives way to a sparkling collection of quartz crystal.
Around you, twenty yards in every direction, stretches the caern. To the southeast, a waterfall plummets over the edge of the chasm into a small pool in the caern; nearby, to the southwest, steam comes from cracks in the ground, perhaps some of the same water. Northwest, a rocky spar juts out of the ground at a low angle, showing a sloping but smooth top. The chasm walls narrow a bit to the northeast, causing some of the mist to swirl in that area.
Contents:
Speaks-Circles(#4064PJce)
Sepdet
Bernie
Collin
Obvious exits:
Rock Slab Windy Spot WaterFall Steam Vents

Three-Blades limps in next to Matt's side, half supported by the cub as she reaches the center and simply flops at the borders. Her body language says it all. Ow.

Speaks-Circles shifts up as he reaches the center, but as he does, anyone can see that his ear is mangled and streaming with blood. everyone but Matt, that is, who appears oblivious to it.

Bernie nods at Sepdet, the memory bringing a fleeting grin again, though it disappears as Yi and Matt reappear. Her eyes widen slightly at her friends' injuries, and she heads over to them quickly. "...what happened?"

Sepdet's expression changes as she spies the condition of the Bone Gnawer. ~That may qualify,~ she mutters. She goes first to check out the cub, however, before giving him a reassuring pat and moving onto Yi.

Three-Blades lets her tongue loll out, head swimming and making her fairly distant from the numbing pain of her pureed forelimbs. A nasty slash travels from the back of her neck towards mid back, almost letting the kidneys show. Again, she repeats her summary of the revel. ~One spray of Garou Raid, kills bugs dead.~

"There we go." Collin says after Three-Blades arrives. He looks over at Bernie, giving her a grin, then groans at comment from the recently arrived, and injured, Garou. "No, no, no. Bad. More bugs, eh? What the fuck *is* it with the Wyrm and bugs?"

Matt's face seems to be burned, as if by acid, and his right eye is nearly swollen shut from it. His left ear is torn nearly in half, and the blood that the waterfall washed away is quickly replaced by fresh, streaming down the side of his head. The cub doesn't seem to mind, however, and smiles. "'ey, Books. We won. Oi fink Yi got more of the kate from that frenzied Wendigo than from the Wyrm, though."

"...I'd hate t' see th' -other- guy," Bernie remarks, seemingly almost by reflex, as she looks at their wounds. "Well done though... anythin' I c'n do?" The last is directed to everyone.

Sepdet rolls down to one knee next to the Gnawer, commanding her, ~Sit.~ She sniffs over Yi's wounds wrinkling up her nose as she moves. ~You know, Yi, when I said our pack would be dedicated to healing Gaia's warriors, I didn't mean -us-.~

~Damned warlusters,~ growls the Gnawer cliath as she very painstakingly hauls herself up to a sitting position. That restarts some flowing in the wounds over her sides, and this time she lets a small whine get through her clenched fangs. Which, by the way, don't smell all that flowers and sunshine.

Sepdet begins to hum a strange soothing melody that Collin's had to put up way too often. It sounds like a child's lullabye, except that as the Strider eases into it, she somehow manages to accent it with chords of notes and odd subharmonies. The rhythm is sweet, rolling, reminiscent of breakers over a sandbar, as she begins to close up Yi's worst wounds.

The waterfall seems to have taken care of the worst of the goop, but Matt still smells of the insides of rotten stinkbugs. "Oi'm fine, really. The 'ovver guy' is brown bread, so we win."

Bernie crouches with her backpack a moment, rummaging in one of the pockets until she comes out with a little travel pack of kleenex and a few bandaids. "People who're fine," she retorts, "tend t' keep all their blood on th' -inside- of their bodies..." She walks over and makes a face at the ear's state, pulling out one of the kleenex and gingerly dabbing the area clean enough to see what's actually going on there. "Here," she says, handing the bandaids to the other cub, "...hold these a sec."

Matt dutifully holds the bandages, flinching not at all, as Bernie daubs at the ragged bits of ear.

Sepdet works on Yi quietly, her small brown hands dancing a few inches above rent and torn gashes and bruises. A lot of them appear to have been made by Garou claws. They stop bleeding and seal shut under her quiet ministrations.

Three-Blades holds still as Sepdet does her 'mojo jojo' and heals the worser of wounds. Her head turns briefly to lick the Strider with a thankful brush of her tongue, until she regrets the action of leaving a faint trace of stench on the elder's arm. Her black ears flatten slightly. ~Oops.~

The corner of the theurge's mouth crooks up in bemusement at the lick, but she doesn't respond, intent on her work. She motions Bernie to help her turn Yi over gently, so as to get to any wounds she may have missed on the other side. Eventually the song fades out, and she rocks back on her heels, looking over at Matt again. ~Want some?~ she asks, eyes blinking back into focus.

Bernie eyes the ear, and then the pack of kleenex, and shrugs, sighing slightly. Obviously she needs to start carrying heavier-duty crap. She pulls out all the kleenex remaining in the packet, folding it in half, into a makeshift pad, and sticks the plastic into her pocket. She pauses in what she's doing as Sepdet addresses the other cub, and shrugs again, stepping back slightly. The theurge's method is more reliable, not to mention faster...

Matt's good eye is beginning to glaze a little from blood loss, as he's been slowly leaking out for almost and hour. "Some whot?" He asks, tracking Sepdet by her voice.

Three-Blades gazes over her body, blinking at most of the wounds closed, and blood dripping slowly off her fur. ~Was only two bugs, you know... most of these came from our own. Remind me to stay away from Get on a full moon more often.~ Her whuffle of good nature is coughed out, but still the humour is there.

Sepdet gets to her feet. ~I'll take that as a yes. Pup, first rule: only Red Talons don't get their injuries treated, and that's why there's so few of them.~ She glances over at Bernie with a thoughtful smile before settling a brown hand firmly and with surprising strength on some uninjured part of Matt's shoulder, making him hold still.

Bernie pulls the plastic wrapper out of her pocket, and works the kleenex back into it. Hey, waste not, want not. She keeps it handy, though; there's still a bunch of blood that may need wiping up. That done, she just watches with interest, waiting.

Matt's shoulder is fine if slightly green-gray with bug-slime. "No argument, doctor. If ye can fix this ten speed, oi'd be 'appy. And Oi fink Oi got popped in the boat, 'cause this eye"--he brings a hand up to the swollen eye--"isn't workin'."

Sepdet purses her lips. ~I see. Bernie, do me a favor?~ She shrugs out of her cloak, revealing rather too few clothes, no more than a suede haltertop and a pair of sweatpants and a leather waterskin slung across her shoulders. ~Do what you were doing, but use this to help wash off that stuff around Matt's eye while I work.~ She holds out the skin, and then settles herself back into healing mode, holding a hand a few millimeters away from Matt's face as she begins to hum again.

~The bug spit at you right in the face. Showed the fishbait good though,~ Three-Blades rumbles with an evident feral grin. ~I doubt Little Bear will remember his frenzy, not after that episode. When Garou Attack...~

Bernie nods, taking the waterskin, and pulls out a couple of the kleenex, folding them in half again before wetting them with some of the liquid from the skin. She moves in beside Sepdet, trying not to get in the way as she tries to remove the 'stuff' around Matt's eye. "..this is bug spit?" she queries, making another face, "...ew."

Sepdet makes of it a dance, hands shifting so that Bernie can get at Matt without bumping into her. Probably a good thing the Fianna's able to block pain, as the water must sting as much as the burns. Oh, but the song is soothing. It lifts out ache and pours it into water that runs away in invisible currents. With it goes some of the blood, and the redness, and blisters sink into pink skin, open wounds into scabs.

Matt tries not to move to much but comments: "The fing pitched it's newingtons, and Steven an' oi were Johnny on the spot, roight? It's more wallace than spit. Quite the pen an' ink though. neh?"

Three-Blades restrains her urge to lick the tip of her blood covered, dry nosed muzzle. Instead, she moves towards the waterfall, splashing briefly into the pool to clean off herself before returning with a dripping but cleaner and not so smelly coat. If you don't mind the smell of wet wolf that is.

Sepdet works him over slowly, making sure there's no other wounds she's not noticing, before stepping back and letting her hands fall. She blinks slowly as again, she returns to the here and now, having no idea what she's hearing. ~Indeed,~ she acquiences, peering at Matt somewhat quizzically.

Bernie ughs again, nose wrinkling. "Tha's -not- an improvement," she remarks, "..an' yeah, I don't see 'em marketin' Bug Vomit in this year's new room deodorizer scents." As usual, she seems to have understood, or at least come close. She continues the washing, trying to be gentle about it, even as the wounds disappear.

Sepdet touches Bernie's shoulder as she assesses her work for the evening. ~I should gather a kit for you,~ she tells the youngster. ~Doesn't feel like much, but a cub's always helpful carrying water, bandaging things, putting on burn cream and soaking blood off clothes.~

Matt blinks as the swelling goes down enough for him to focus with both eyes. His ear knits together, though it remains angry-red, and he looks like he's had a bad sunburn. "Fanks, Sepdet-rhya. Oi owe you one."

Three-Blades is polite enough to keep her distance as she shakes herself damp. Her pink tongue flickers in a wolven wince as the motion agitates her recently healed over wounds, but she swallows it in and goes back to the trio. ~I don't know about you three, but I'm ready to stick my muzzle underneath a pile of hay.~

Sepdet touches the single coherent braid in her mane of hair, evidently some sort of salute. ~Quite welcome, cub,~ she returns cordially. ~Good work tonight.~

Bernie smiles at Sepdet, and nods, "...much better bein' able t' help than jus' watchin', gen'rally..." She looks to Yi, continuing, "...don't blame you. I'm not that tired, but then I wasn' in th' fray... could walk y' back t' town 'f y' wan'ed, Yi."

Matt nods, returning the salute, RAF style. He sniffs then, realizing that funky smell is himself. He returns to the waterfall and dives in, swimming and scrubbing to get the funk off. He shifts in the water, following Three-Blades' example by shaking off a polite distance from the rest.

Three-Blades finally swirls her mind back. ~There wasn't any trouble here Realm-side was there?~ The hispo's eyes travel to Bernie. ~I don't think the locals will approve of a giant wolfdog running about on the streets. How about the barn?~ Her ear turns towards Sepdet, seemingly inviting the Strider if she wanted to accompany them.

Sepdet bumps Yi gently with her leg, not hard enough to disturb still knitting wounds. ~No, it's been all clear this side.~

Sepdet considers, chewing at her leg. ~I'll at least walk you back. I sleep on the island.~ She smiles wistfully. ~Got a rite to do every dawn there.~

Bernie shakes her head. "Nah, it went fine over here... an' tha's why I said I'd take ya, y'know, like pretendin' t' be your human or whatever. But, whatever!" She grins, relieved now that the injuries have been handled.

Three-Blades thinks back to the church, and then to the ahroun cub she left behind, watched under the Gnawer elders. Oh, he was furious alright. ~Lacks missed out,~ she whuffles a bit. ~He was furious I left him behind. But as is, I don't think this was the right time for him to come.~ She glances at Sepdet, then to Matt in the pool. ~Guess we'll be making like birds and fly to our nests to roost then?~

Speaks-Circles looks and smells a lot better after a healing and thourough bath. His hair has been well condition, returning into a semblance of spikyness without gel. His grin is wide. "Aye. Oi'm knackered. Lack of claret, loikely. Oi could kip, or eat. One o' th' pair."

Sepdet says, ~Right. And no, it wasn't the right time to come, Yi. We've lost cubs in battles.~

Sepdet gathers up her things and dwindles back down to an almost comically tiny shape, ambling along with them.

"Oi fought Oi did all roight," Matt protests. "All fings considered. Glad not ta 'ave faced down one o' the Get, though."

"I could eat," Bernie remarks, thoughtfully. "Now thatcha mention it, I didn' do that yet..." She shrugs, smiling, "You musta done a'ight; you won an' no permanent damage, right?" The kleenex are returned to her bag, and she bounces lightly on the balls of her feet, shifting her weight. She hasn't had a fight or any such to work off her extra energy.

Three-Blades slides her eyes to Bernie as the Strider mentions losing cubs in battles. ~Next time, Gadget, next time.~ she rumbles a bit playfully at the newmoon cub. Her damp furry side brushes up against Bernie, and tail thumping softly against Sepdet's thigh, she chuffs a sort of departing tone to the caern itself, thanking it for today's events. Seems those spirit talks with the pack left her with some form of impression.

Bernie flashes a grin at Yi, and does a credible version of MadCat's laugh from the same show. She stretches a bit, and muses, "...I should get some chainmail by then, I guess, or if not, a whole lot of neosporin..." The she, too, joins the others wandering back.

Sepdet smiles approvingly at Yi's gesture and walks with them in companionable silence, as befits her tribe, while they make their way back to the barn.

Big Red Barn
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:
Bernie
Matt(#4064PJce)
Sepdet
Obvious exits:
BarnYard

Matt hulks in glabro, healing. He holds the door of the barn open for Three-Blades and Bernie, then follows inside.

Three-Blades lumbers in with a brief shake of her fur, and heads towards the nearest, largest haybale. Instead of flopping though, she does the classic three-round turn, and then wiggles until the hay until all but her head is buried in the straw. Doggie in the straw, doggie in the straw...

Sepdet chuckles after Three-Blades, moving away to let the Gnawer rest. "A favor to ask you," she tells the cubs.

Matt bows a little. ~As I said, I owe you. If it is within my power...~

Bernie reaches over and gives Yi a careful scritch behind the yet visible ears, softly wishing her, "G'night," and then heads toward Sepdet as summoned. "'sup?" she asks, quietly.

Sepdet's expression sobers. "I need people to come to my Challenge. Many. I'm not certain what night it will be, yet, but... keep your ears open? Come, if you can get away from lessons and your elders haven't bound you elsewhere. Ask Seirian and Rusty for me, Matt, and you, Bernie, ask the Bone Gnawers you know."

Three-Blades listens quietly from her spot in the hay, rumbling softly under the gathering warmth. ~Sepdet-rhya, you know that I'd let Bernie go almost anywhere she wants. She's practically cliath.~ The black ears on her head cant to the side comically, as she looks very much like one of those kooshes with a hispo head. ~And as for the other Gnawers... I'm sure there will be more to come if we ask.~

Sepdet looks over her shoulder at her packmate and smiles. "That is why I named only two Fianna, who have little patience with mules, but all of your tribe. Rest, Yi. You still need healing."

Matt nods. ~Of course, Sepdet-rhya. I will ask.~ He finds a spot in the hay near Three-Blades and drops into it heavily, with a small explosion of straw dust.

Joseph steps through the barn door, pulling it closed behind him. Dark, glittering eyes go over the garou here, taking assessment of the situation without really moving farther than the door yet.

Bernie smiles over at Yi, proud at the compliment, and then nods to Sepdet. "I'll ask people, jus' gotta know when it's gonna happen. No problem." She shifts a bit again, still somewhat antsy, and glances to the other cub as he drops down. "More tired than hungry now?" she queries.

Sepdet glances up, startled. Thin brows creep upwards as she peers towards the door. "Sen-n-ka'i?" she whispers, moving towards him with hands out. She doen't voice it, but her tone is faintly worried.

Joseph moves to Sepdet, but it's Yi who garners his attention after he nods to the Strider. There's nothing wrong with the Wendigo, but he crouches by the Gnawer to look her over.

Matt waves a hand to Bernie. "Oi could still eat. Joost bring it 'ere so Oi can kill it, would ye?" As Soulcatcher approaches, he glances to Sepdet for confirmation that this is all right.

Sepdet sets a hand on the tall Wendigo's shoulder and whispers something. Unfortunately, Matt's English is a little beyond the wyld-raised mule, and she merely gives him a rueful grin. "Say again?"

Three-Blades would be all but hidden in the hay, the worst of her wounds healed over by Sepdet's touch, but a few scratches on her muzzle red but fading. ~Soulcatcher-rhya...if you see Little Bear, tell him I'm not angry with him?~

Bernie sighs, but nods to Matt, attempting with as little success as usual to push a stray curl behind her ear. "Yeah, a'ight then..." She glances at the others, asking, "...anyone else wan' anythin' t' eat or drink?"

Sepdet shakes her head. "Thanks no," she responds kindly.

Matt's wounds are rapidly healing, from the angry line of dried blood across his left ear to the sunburnish peel of skin on his face and around his eyes. Without getting up, he offers a salute to Joseph. "Matt Fulton, Fianna Philodox and cub...called Speaks-in-Circles. A pleasure."

Joseph frowns, but nods to Yi in answer. "Unfortunate," he says, of the mishap, then adds in his own roughened English, "I will tell him." Standing from his crouch, he gives Yi a reassuring look and then glances back to his eldest of companions, Sepdet. "If you have time, Hope, I think it is about time Two Souls learned to be a pejuta wicasa."

Joseph's dark eyes move to Matt, quickly and astutely assessing the Fianna. With a nod, he offers his own introduction. "I am Black Rabbit, one the Wendigo named He Catches the Soul. In another place, I was also called Two Badgers. Now, I am Two Souls, crescent moon a member of Avalon."

Three-Blades chuffs a light 'no thankyou' to Bernie. Her ears flicker to Two-Souls in question. A what?

Joseph also gently declines Bernie's offer, with a quiet thank you added on.

Bernie waves a hand slightly at Joseph, and offers her introduction as well. "Bernie Rosenberg, Reads-In-Darkness, Ragabash Bone Gnawer cub... hi." She slips toward the door, then, headed to hunt down some cub-food in the Farmhouse kitchen.

Sepdet's careworn but young face brightens slightly at the pack's name; a shared note. Still more, at Joseph's words. She moves to take one of his hands in both of hers, looking up at his face with the expression of a farmer spotting a raincloud on the horizon. "Healer," she whispers at Yi's querying noise.

Three-Blades rumbles quietly with a dip of her head that causes a few rustles of straw. ~Well, if you don't mind a battle-wearied hispo going to sleep, I'll be curling up for a few.~ Her head seems to slowly retreat into her hay refuge.

"Dream well, friend." Sepdet's evidently used to lupus hearing, and her whisper's pitched so low it's unintelligible to human ears, even her own.

Joseph's fingers close around Sepdet, and he gives Yi a small smile. "Washte. Sleep well."

Three-Blades flickers her ears back as she chuffs a good night in return, slipping back into the hay until it drops over the hole she'd made with her head and leaves merely a giant pile of straw which rises and falls ever so slightly in evidence of something inside.