Balancer is in the process of picking her way down the rocks, pausing for the occasional scent or poke with her nose.

Sepdet is fiddling with the bindings of a skin pouch, made of fresh deer-hide from the smell of the thing, and heading for the waterfall. She looks up and gives Tecmessa a distracted nod. ~Heya. Oh, Yi. Wanna keep guard while I summon some spirits? You might get chewed upon.~

Balancer flicks an ear curiously.

Three-Blades, upon scenting others nearby, approaches the waterfall area with ears perked to the quiet rush of the waterfall. The same ears flicker at Sepdet's words. What spirit are you calling, that I would be chewed up? Her head tilts curiously, dubiously.

Sepdet gives a cord a final tug and grimaces. ~Mosquito.~ She seems satisfied with the work and slips across the pool.

Sepdet's eyes stop on her reflection in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Sepdet gazes into the pool at the base of the waterfall, and suddenly she vanishes. Sepdet has left.

Balancer looks, if anything, confused, but asks, Think if she would mind if I watched?

Joey is sitting there, as a matter of fact. Small among the landscape, he seems to be admiring the waterfall as it cascades downward.

Three-Blades glances over towards the Fury, and tilts her ears to either side. Doubt it. Then in a rolling shrug, the Gnawer moves towards the pool to step sideways.

Balancer tells Joey, Evening.

Three-Blades whuffs a quick hello, then see you to Joey before concentrating on the reflective pool.

You start to reach through the umbra.

Three-Blades's eyes stop on her reflection in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

The landscape shimmers in a myriad of colors, and you are through.

Three-Blades gazes into the pool at the base of the waterfall, and suddenly she vanishes.

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:
Mosquito Spirit
Sepdet(#4138PJceq$)
Obvious exits:
South North West

Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (39% full).

Sepdet moves out from the middle of the caern proper, remarking, ~We can't go too far from the Heart or we may have problems; the umbra's pretty wild at this time of the moon.~ Indeed, the light is gray and dim, and the shadows murky and constantly shifting in a rather unsettling fashion. ~But we also don't usually do Rites in the caern itself except with proper backup. Too sensitive an area. So we'll compromise.~ She picks her way up to the top of the cliffs and settles down on a boulder overlooking the ghostly chasm.

Three-Blades shakes her fur once she steps through, ears flickering back and forth as the Gnawer pads over towards Sepdet. One would think one would be used to reaching through. The newmoon still gets a weird tingly feeling running up her spine everytime. With another quick tension-loosening shake, Blades follows Sepdet up the cliffs, though staying further back and far more alert.

Balancer emerges from the otherside and her ears twitch as she heads up the exact same way she just came down, on the other side. She asks, Mind another, to serve as guard?

Sepdet tells Yi, ~Keep an eye out for anything we -don't- want sneaking up on this. And look fierce and imposing and stand your ground. Mosquito's only a little 'un, but all the Wendigo's friends tend to respect a show of strength.~ She grins down at Balancer, ~Most certainly not. Thanks.~

Balancer shifts up to hispo as she pads away, to the further boundries. ~Welcome. My pleasure, really.~

Sepdet carefully extracts some scraps of fur and skin from the bag, sets it down on the rock before her, and then shifts up to war-form. She sets her teeth and draws her claws deeply across her freshly-healed right palm, dripping blood onto the prepared talen. Then she begins a low, hair-raising snarl that almost mimics the buzz of mosquito itself, only more menacing. It's a summons and a call.

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

Three-Blades quietly lowers onto her haunches, shifting to hispo as she does. Her posture retains a stiff legged, guard dog look. ~Thought Mosquito didn't like the cold,~ rumbles the Gnawer softly as Sepdet begins her rite.

You have shifted to Hispo form.

Sepdet's eyes tighten at some memory in answer, but she'll explain about Alaskan Vampire Bats later when she's not trying to summon a pesky little bugger. She gives a nasal sort of snarl. ~Mosquito. Biter who rites Wendigo's wind. Blood-hunter, fell singer. Here is drink.~ The blood continues to well from her hand.

An insistent buzz begins. Then there are the bunches of insect spirits, flitting 'round and making their loud noises before settling in the air. After a minute pause, they suddenly dash forwards the Silent Strider's outstretched palm. The creatures do what they are supposed to: take the blood from another's body. Soon they seem happy with this offering and flit around. *What do you wish?* There is nothing more queried of Sepdet; just like the real insect, Mosquito is quick and bitter.

Three-Blades' ears swivel towards the buzzing, fur rising along her ruff. Mosquitos, never really gave the Gnawer any pleasant memories either. Her muzzle sniffs softly for any scents along the Umbra's winds.

Sepdet holds still as the creatures assault the air about her and land on her. ~Take. Drink.~ She shudders slightly, ancestral and personal aversion to other forms of bloodsuckers never far beneath the surface when dealing with this sort of spirit, but she suffers their sharp stings. ~Grow strong on blood, then listen to your task. One of Wendigo's own needs to borrow your swift wings and gadfly singing.~

Balancer strains her own senses, nostrils flaring slightly. She remains mostly still, despite the mosquito presence.

*Why?* Mosquito continues flittering about whilst it speaks to Sepdet in the spirit tongue, ignoring the other Garou.

Three-Blades doesn't quite register the spirit speech. Perhaps it is the flight patterns about Sepdet's wrists that she has an eye towards as she pings the area with her ears like radar.

Sepdet speaks carefully. ~The life of a Wendigo mother is threatened. She bears a pup who will someday serve Wendigo with blood and claw and fierce joy, if the child lives. You must help me protect her, until we have slain her foe. This you /will/ do.~ She puts some of her own force of Command into her voice, which is at least intelligible to everyone there.

There's a little pause from the spirit, but then it answers, *The child will live. I will protect.*

Balancer's ears flicker at the command.

Three-Blades turns her ears towards Sepdet as the command comes in a language the Gnawer can understand. Mention of a Wendigo mother, brings back the memory of Robin. There's a hint of concern as the newmoon's ears turn backward.

Sepdet nods her thanks and closes her hand over the leather bag and the deer-hide scraps tucked within, soaking it in her blood and holding it up for the spirit to light upon. ~If she breaks the talen, her life is in danger. You must fly to the nearest Garou with all you speed, and lead them quickly to her. When this task is done, or the enemy is slain, you shall be free. You have our thanks... and my blood.~

This time, there's no pause: the spirit collectively alights upon the bag and proceeds to filter into it, settling there. The droning lowers as the spirit seems to just vanish.

Sepdet sways slightly as the creatures sink into the talen, but holds it up and closes her hand over it with a squeeze, completing the binding. Then she sags and shuts her eyes for a moment.

Balancer continues to keep watch, silently. Wariness is apparently ingrained into her.

Three-Blades takes her attentions off the rite for a moment to glance around in the skies and surrounding umbral caern. The scent of blood strong in her nose, she licks the tip of her muzzle as if trying to wash the acrid smell away.

The ground shudders slightly underfoot. There's a sudden scream from somewhere farther into the woods like a rabbit being dismembered.

Balancer whips her head around.

Three-Blades' ears turn faster than her eyes as she homes in on the origin of the scream. Hackles that were only half raised now bristle like a porcupine in defense. A quick look is taken down to her paws, as the ground shudders, but the Gnawer's ears remain focused towards the sound.

Balancer starts pacing towards the woods, warily.

Sepdet seems a bit drained and barely reacts to the sound, rising to her knees only belatedly.

Balancer paces stifflegged forward, warily.

Three-Blades holds in her growl, lips lifting in silent snarl as she rises to her paws and pads after Balancer, keeping off to the side a few feet. The Gnawer pauses, looking back towards Sepdet. ~You okay?~

Sepdet exhales and looks in the directing Tecmessa's heading warily. ~Yeah, it just... took a bite out of me.~ She tucks the bits of loose hide back into the pouch and closes it up. The blood on it has dyed the leather black, and appears to be quite dry now.~

Balancer's nose twiches. Whurfing quietly, she says, ~Three-Blades. Ask Sepdet if she smells Wyrm. Otherwise, this is just nature taking its course.~

Three-Blades' ears still stand quite straight and keep towards the origin of the sound. Her question goes to the crescent Strider. ~Do you smell something Wyrmy?~

Sepdet sets a hand on Three-Blades' back as the words penetrate, and takes a cautious sniff, her own hackles bristling slightly. There is a long pause, and then she shakes her head. ~No, all clear, I think.~

Balancer gives the creature a long look, at that news, and then, after whurfing at it, heads back to the other two. ~Strange sort of thing, there, but nature makes strange things.~

Three-Blades growls her discomfort. ~If earth-shakes are natural in the Umbra, then I want to know what part of the Umbra has natural tidal waves.~ Her paws outstretch their toes and grip the ground solidly beneath her. ~Are you sure, Sepdet?~ The Gnawer flickers her tailtip in nervous agitation.

Balancer flicks her ears, tongue lolling slightly. ~The ocean, one assumes.~

Sepdet looks mildly curious, but suggests with faint reluctance, ~Then I suppose we'd better get back. I should get this to Robin.~ She weighs it in her hand, then bares a toothy smile down at the Gnawer. ~Our caern was rebuilt from the core by wyld-spirits. This wasn't a valley until quite recently. Before that it was a flat stretch of forest. It's still settling.~

Balancer agrees, and heads back.

Three-Blades still doesn't look too convinced, but the other two Garou have more experience here than she does. With another lick of her muzzle, she rumbles her assent. ~Lead on, then, Sepdet-rhya.~

Sepdet smiles and leans a bit on Yi on the way back to get down to the caern.

Sepdet looks into the pool at the waterfall's base, gazing upon her reflection. Sepdet has left.

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
Contents:
Sepdet(#4138PJceq$)
Obvious exits:
Steam Vents Center Windy Spot Up the Trail

Three-Blades is quick on the Strider's heels to exit the Umbra, though the Gnawer immediately turns her ears towards the Realmside area where she thought the sound came from.

Nothing seems to be out of place here, and the smell of blood has faded slightly. Things always seem a bit more intense in the umbra.

The Gnawer, of course, had never heard a rabbit scream before. Her hackles are still on end, but the all clear around the waterfall seems to give her some peace as the watery mist gently washes over Blades' dark fur in addition to the light fog.

Sepdet glances around. ~I need to find some more Galliards to report the problem. But first, back to the house. And try not to fuss at poor Robin too much. She's putting up with it well, but she's not the type to rest easily when she's forced to hide behind the walls of her own house.~

Sepdet remembers, belatedly, to get back to some sort of travel-form. She puts the new talen around her neck and shifts down.

Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Sepdet shifts into Lupus form.

Little Bear trots in almost on cue at Sepdet's comment, catching the news about Robin. What's wrong with Robin?

Three-Blades moves to block the Strider elder momentarily as well. ~What about Robin?~ Not wanting to fuss Sepdet though, her larger hispo form is but a distance just before intruding on personal space.

[Insert a disconnected Little Bear.]

Great Room -- A-frame(#3654RJ)
The lofty ceiling of this a-frame cabin gives the relatively modest space an open feel. The panels of windows on the front of the house run the full two stories, inviting the evergreen woods around the building inside. The main floor of the home is almost entirely one large great room whose main foci are the large, stone hearth at the center of the back wall of the house opposite the front door and the wide staircase following the exposed log beams of the ceiling up to the loft above.

The furniture is rustic but comfortable and decidedly well-made. Three sofas form a 'u' facing the hearth (where other modern homes would have a television) with a matching coffee table in the middle atop an Native American print woven blanket. The decorator left ample room to move around the room, appearing to have preferred space to furniture.

Contents:
Hope-Star(#4138PJOceq$)
Joseph
Robin
Reindeer's Dance
Obvious exits:
Loft Out

You have shifted to Lupus form.

Hope-Star paws at the window of the place, takes a careful sniff of the area to make certain there's no unwanted witnesses, then shifts up and lets herself and the Gnawer in.

Hope-Star contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Hope-Star shifts into Glabro form.

Three-Blades was wary the whole time, really. She's heard local news from St. Claire's stations about people and their recent obsessions with BigFoot and a certain skeleton. As Sepdet shifts, her lupine muzzle and ears are quite at work, now even more wary since the rumble and scream in the Umbra.

Sepdet closes the door behind them cautiously and calls, "Robin, I've got Yi with me. You can use a broom if you want us to shoo." The Strider is wearing an addition to her usual minor jumble of necklaces: a deer-suede leather pouch dyed a dark brownish-red.

Three-Blades slips in and hugs the wall around the doorway, sniffing curiously as her tail brushes lightly against Sepdet's legs. Nice den.

Sepdet moves quietly in this place, with the ease of someone who knows it well but still doesn't take it for granted. In fact, there's something of the same manner in which she treads gently the island of Lake Arthur, or the caern's umbra. "It is. Robin's place is a fine nest." She moves towards the fireplace to set up and rekindle a fire.

Three-Blades still scents the drying blood from the talen about Sepdet's neck, but her exploration of the cabin is gaining more of her attention. What trouble were you mentioning earlier? she queries the Strider, sitting down next to the fireplace respectfully off the blanket upon the floor.

Sepdet sags again, leg slipping under her, and sits down on the floor before the fireplace. "Whoah." She puts a hand on Yi to steady herself. "Well, um." She thinks a moment, debating how much to say, then gives the Gnawer a thin smile.

Three-Blades gazes testingly to the Strider. Can't trust your own packmate? I may be a twoleg-born, but in this form I can smell your concern.

Sepdet grins weakly. "It's not that. It's just trusting /her/ secrets with you. But I wouldn't have asked you for help earlier if I hadn't meant to tell you." She sobers. "You need to know this anyway. Chaser's pack found a Fomori nest in the city under a... a sex club. With women slaves and monsters breeding and everything. The Get got rid of most of it, torched the place, killed some of the bosses, but some got away. And they found a partly-destroyed list of names, many scratched through. One that wasn't was Robin's."

Three-Blades' hackles lift as the Strider's secret is revealed. A nest? Her ears flatten back into her headfur, and she gazes into the fire, tail twitching with agitation. What other names? Any kin or friends? The wolven amber eyes turn back to the Strider, concern written more in the lay of the fur. Kind of makes the Gnawers look like we aren't doing our part in making sure the Scab is cleaned up. This brings her ears even more flattened, as she snaps at the air once.

Sepdet shakes her head. "I don't think so, but we need to get word around." She sits back and thinks. "The first one was George Harrison. Chaser said that was some sort of a beetle. I don't quite know what she meant. Then Dru Ash, the director of the nature preserve south of here. Then some other folks. Aidan...someone." She racks her brain.

Sepdet says "William Doyle, and Chris Fisher."

Three-Blades perks her ears at the names, committing them to memory. Ears will find out out it soon, if not already. The Gnawer's fur lowers almost reluctantly. Did they look in the ~phone book~ to see who they were?

Sepdet shakes her head. "I don't know. I expect so; they're city." She squints down at Yi. "I'm betting Rina's in trouble on this too. Chaser said there were all sorts of signs of the Mafia. That's well outside the paths I know, but I -do- know Rina has mob ties. Cameron was going to warn her."

Three-Blades gives her tense muscles a quick shake, muzzle lifting up as she twists rapidly. Then, her pink tongue comes out to lick her nose. The Walker kin was hurt a few suns before. Shadow Eyes wanted to heal her, but she refused. Said it would look obvious. Also said the ones who hurt her were at the ~Temple.~ The Gnawer looks thoughtful, as if recalling what she remembered.

Duane comes into the house through the front door.

Sepdet growls. "Typical Rina." She sighs. "The woman is a danger to herself." Three-Blades turns her attention back to the previous topic though. What of the escaped ~fomori~? Did the Get find them?

Sepdet shakes her head. "I think so, but I confess once she mentioned Robin's name on the hit list, I had trouble following what she was saying. At least a few men escaped into the sewers, down to the river, and away in boats. Fomori or humans in the Wyrm's service, I don't know." She glares at her hands. "Definitely time to clear the waterfront again."

Three-Blades echoes the Strider's glare with a low growl. And clear out what other nests have gone unnoticed. Escaped underground, did they... Her eyes stray away from the fire,towards the door as if imagining what she'd do to a fomor that happened to walk in.

Sepdet looks towards it too, shoulders hunching. "This is unfortunate. I will -not- see her harmed. She's strong, and she's trained in Lakota warrior's ways, but human bones can only stand so much. This means that Joseph or I or Little Bear will be here guarding until the City Garou have tracked down and killed these things. Which may slow down the pack, and make it harder for me to watch Lake Arthur too."

It's not a fomor, but Duane's sudden appearance in the doorway might startle Three-Blades nonetheless. "Hey, 'sup?" he asks once he scans the lay-out of the cabin and enters fully.

Duane's appearance certainly does send Yi up onto her paws, ears alert and hackles back up again. Sniffing, the familiar scent settles her back down cautiously, with a small chuff and chiding whuff. I thought there was supposed to be a howl on territory borders. The Gnawer manages to loll her tongue though, turning back to Sepdet. Watching over the Scab is this one's duties. Perhaps it is because I spend so much time out in the wilds trying to train myself in the ways of wolf, and not enough time scouting out Wyrm nests.

Sepdet jumps and puts a finger to her lips. "I think Robin must be asleep upstairs." The fire is burning brightly now, enough to show a faint sheen of sweat on the Strider's face, and her right palm bears a very fresh set of slashes across it that looks like it may still be bleeding slightly.

Sepdet nods to Yi. "You can help." She looks between them. "Both of you. I've got to split my patrols between here and Lake Arthur now. Duane, you gotta pick up some of my slack: just do what you've seen me doing, circle a few times a day, check for strange tracks or broken limbs or wyrm-scent if you can. Bring small offerings for the animals to keep the spirits happy. And you, Yi: you're our eyes and ears in town. Check in with the Get now and then over the next few weeks, see what they've learned, and help spread the word the Mob's got Fomori in it."

Duane picks up on the unease quickly, but what he saw of Three-Blades little comment sweeps the concern from his face, replacing it with an annoyed expression. A backward nod recognizes Sepdet's gentle admonition, and he's especially quiet about gather some left-overs before joining the others.

Duane nods silently to the Strider, accepting the directions with nothing more than an, "I'll be on that."

I will check back every few days, to let you know how things are in the Scab, the Gnawer rumbles quietly. Her gaze turns up towards the Uktena. How goes with you? Duane gives Three-Blades a flat look - perhaps he misinterpreted her comments when he entered. "It's a'ight," he says, shrugging one sharp shoulder. "Keeping to me and myself last few days, yo." Looking toward Sepdet for a moment, he adds, "That look to be changing, though."

Sepdet exhales. "Good. This thing will not stop us from making the pack. It just means we'll be ranging a bit widely. But we do that anyway." She leans back against the fender. "Which I don't mind, so long as we keep track of each other frequently, and are together for hunts or spirit-tending."

Three-Blades catches the flat look, but leaves little note towards it. An ear tilts to Sepdet as her eyes turn as well. Do we plan on accompanying Fenrir's Teeth to the underground of the Scab? Her other ear splays inquisitively. If not, it still looks to be a Scab ~Garou~ cleansing.

Sepdet looks torn. "I hate having another pack where only half of us go on any one hunt. Whispers often did that, towards the end. Yet at least one of us has to stay here until this is over. Perhaps Joseph: he doesn't know the underground as I do. But yes, some of us should be there."

Duane settles into a seat with a bowl of left-over soup in his lap, slurping it luke-warmly. What Sepdet said sends a thoughtful look across his dark face, and the Gnawer's comment about the city intensifies it. He listens, since he's not as familiar with the situation.

Three-Blades glances from Duane to Sepdet. You two know the Scab, right? I still have to do my part of the teaching, bringing Soulcatcher-rhya to see what I live in. There is but a soft whuffle of amusement, either in the idea of her teaching about the city, or the idea of her teaching anything at all.

Sepdet nods. "We do. I took him into town once, remember? But only to check on you, after you did noble battle with the ignorance of cubs." She gives the lupus a gentle pat. "We need to bring him again. Get him used to it. I can get by in the city, but my paths have not taken me there much in many years, nor was I born to it."

Three-Blades rumbles softly under the petting, not something she really gets in other forms. The moon grows larger as nights go. Maybe sometime soon, about halfmoon or so? Ears twirl towards Duane, curiously.

Sepdet shakes her head. "Maybe if Robin needs to go into town, we can escort her. But we've got too many things going on." She counts on her fingers. "Totemquest for us. Helping with the sewers. Finding and removing the Fomori. My Challenge, and work on the river. Joseph and me keeping an eye on Robin." She winks. "And that's not including patrolling the lake, making a new moon bridge, or my own tribe's business."

Three-Blades would look boggled by the sheer amount of things to do Sepdet just listed, not to mention the fact the Gnawer is going to be involved in at least 3 of the events. Then mention of the river comes knocking some more information back towards the newmoon's conscious thought. Defiant-Storm-rhya, alpha of Fenrir's Teeth... claimed the ~marina~ and the ~wharf~ as their pack territory. Some parts of the river as well. She wanted you to speak with her if you wanted to do river cleansing. An ear is trained up to Duane while the other takes its attentions to the Strider elder.

Sepdet files that information with a nod. "Okay, good. I have so much trouble keeping track of who's claiming what, nowadays. I don't mean for the river-thing to be ours alone, anyway. In fact, I need more."

Three-Blades dips her head as if in a human nod. The Gnawers would be glad to help too. If I can track down Big Dog and Kaz, then maybe their pack will assist too.

Sepdet smiles. "Good. I have several reasons. First, it needs doing: this Fomori thing only makes it clearer. Wyrm loves to creep in on the river, and I have promised both Salmon and the spirit of the river itself to do what I can to combat it. Second, it will gain the graces of whichever spirit our pack claims. And Third... this is the selfish part." She looks hard at Yi. "Brian challenges how I can be Elder, if I am not always here. But my answer is: I bring things about. Not always by leading, but by bringing others together to do things. And also that people -do- what I say when I say something."

Three-Blades lolls her tongue right back at the Strider. It may not be my place to truly say, but you get around far more than the sept Alpha. He is not confined to the caern, is he? I have never seen him in the city.

Sepdet shakes her head. "No, he lives in Kent Crossing, runs a bar there." Her eyes lower. "Or he did, before they killed his mate. I have not seen him much since her death."

[Insert a disconnected Duane, Joseph, and Robin. ICly, assume Robin's asleep, Joseph is with her upstairs asleep, and Duane stepped out.]

Three-Blades softly bumps the Strider on the shoulder with her head. We all manage in our own ways. But it would do him some good to pick up where his mate left off as well, as you do. It is the alpha who leads, though he may mourn deeply in heart. What good does it do if ones such as I, who can only dream to be alpha, cannot find our leader at the head?

Sepdet bites her lip. "That's actually why I challenge him, you know. Not for rank. To tell him that he must lead by inspiration, not intimidation or mere absence. To tell him what he could be, remind him of what he has been. And to tell him I could not -stand- the fact that I had to attack and beat a Get twice my size for insulting the alpha. For Brian-rhya is still the alpha, a hero, and someone who had led this caern longer than any other."

Three-Blades flattens her ears back. Which Get? Her eyes and fur take on a stiff look. Thought Get were supposed to respect alphas.

Sepdet grimaces. "Yes, exactly. It's why I had to break his jaw. Jamethon. Who now calls himself Hope-Star's something or other." She looks faintly appalled.

Three-Blades puffs with something of being impressed. All the more reason you garner respect from others. You do what you must, even if it is dealing with ~Garou~ twice your size. She gives the Strider a lick under the chin. If you gain ~adren~, that will be something. And it would only prove that ~Urrah~ have some right judgements in them. The term is used loosely, but it comes with some undertone of distaste still.

Sepdet ruffles the Gnawer's coat with her fingers. "It also proves we're in the last days," she says matter-of-factly. "A mule should not be the best Elder of a tribe, nor adren. But Gaia must use whatever small hands there are to serve her."

Three-Blades rumbles softly, but looks back to the Strider with a quiet gaze. For a minute or so, she is silent, simply gazing to her packmate with a friend's appraising look, much like a dog looking at someone it trusts. Then, she rumbles softly. Those born to Gaia are of Gaia, no matter how they came to be. Small hands, small paws, small eyes and ears... Gaia gave them life to keep her company and serve her, watch over her where the larger ones can't. Or at least, that's what this one thought.

Sepdet nods shakily. "I said something like that at my Fostern Challenge, which I never thought I'd live to see. Oh /Duat/." She turns away suddenly and stretches her hands over the sofa's seat, clenching right inside of left in a sudden tensing of her whole body.

Three-Blades washes over with concern, tilting her head and ears flattening halfway. The Gnawer leans in softly, not wanting to intrude on the Strider, but wanting to at least try and figure out what she must've said wrong.

Sepdet whispers, "Born to Gaia." Then she goes rigidly still. There is a smell of grief about her, straitened behind a face that goes flat when memories well up from too deep under old scars. She takes several deep breaths, mastering the hurt, and then relaxes and smiles at the Gnawer apologetically. "It's not you. I had just forgotten for a moment, somehow, the twin of mine who shared my starred birth. Ill-starred for him. But it could so easily have been him, not me, before you, with his small hands and bright eyes, and my bones rotting in the filth of the sewers under some human city far from the sands of our birth."

Three-Blades scoots closer, giving the Strider a friendly, more apologetic lick against the underside of her chin. Sorry to bring up painful memories. She whines softly. I think I have been doing that unknowingly lately. Either way, Hope-Star, any part of you still is connected with the mother. Rotting, or living. Your twin, perhaps, would be smiling from afar in the land where none but the passed see, and wishing you to carry on and do what you can do in place of him. It is how I think One-Rage would want me to go. Her tongue comes out to lick her nose, somehow uncertain of her speech, but set in the idea behind it.

Sepdet's right hand is bleeding again. She looks down and, strangely, kisses it, before thanking her wistfully. "I hope so. I hope he found his way back to the Mother after we killed him."

Even if not, Mama Rat will watch carefully. The Gnawer turns her head briefly to give the Strider's hand a light brush of her tongue, almost a lupine kiss to make the pain that must come from the wound hopefully better. Ah but we sound like two tired elders reliving our memories. A small flick of her ears, trying to lighten the mood that seemed to have darkened along the way of the low firelight.

Sepdet gives a sharp laugh. "Yes. And I am in Robin's house, and her spirit keeps out all dark things." She glances up at the loft worriedly. "I don't really want to disturb her and Joseph, but I don't want to leave without giving her this. Time to curl up on the hearth. Will you stay?" She moves to stoke up the fire.

Three-Blades gives her nose a flick of her tongue. That's more like it. Ears splay to either side with an odd posture. Will she mind? The Gnawer seems to wonder about her... sleeping over... at a house not hers.

Sepdet bites her lip. "It might be better if you went," she admits apologetically. "Although she will forgive all friends of mine, I do believe. But go. Take a look by the island, if it's not too much trouble to run so far?" She touches the wolf's muzzle lightly.

Three-Blades gives the Strider's hand a nuzzle at it taps her snout. No trouble, comes the reply with an absent swish of her tail as she rises to her paws and stretches. Once she's done limbering up, the Gnawer tilts her head to Sepdet. If it would not be too much trouble to ask you to open the ~door~. Her tongue lolls with a whuffle.

Sepdet tells the Gnawer, "You are true pack. Good evening, Three-Blades."

Sepdet says this as she helps her to the door, of course.

Three-Blades brushes the Strider's leg and whuffs. Gaia watch you and the others in the house. With that, she lopes off into the darkened treelines.