Leonard is currently scraping a rather smelly deer hide near the water. He's shirtless in the hot weather and from his elbows down he's covered in deer fat and blood. He occasionally wipes his forehead with one bicep as he works.

Crack! The snap of a twig by an obviously careless foot sounds nearby, with quite a loud shuffle of feet over rock. To trained ears, there may even be a certain sense of indecisiveness to it. The newmoon's figure is visible in the direction of the sound. A black duffel bag slung around her shoulder is set down silently. In fact, it seems like she doesn't even notice Leonard, yet.

Leonard glances up idly, not expecting any kind of threat on such a gorgeous day so far from everything. He notes the figure, gives the skin a few more scrapes, then stretches it out more securely on its stakes before standing and, after thinking twice about wiping the mess on his jeans, looks towards the figure again, squinting. "Hello?"

The inquisitive greeting bounces off the rocks apparently, gone unanswered as Yi steps towards the lake and the Wendigo. Once she's close enough to be distinguished, though, it's apparent that something about her is just not quite the same. Maybe it's that she's been away too long.

Leonard blinks, struck dumb for a moment, then ins to lope up the hill towards the girl. "Yi?"

Yi's eyes don't stray very far from the shining lake waters, but when her name is called she blinks and looks at the Wendigo. There's no instant smile that comes to her features, but recognition does grow in her eyes. A hand comes up to clutch the carved pendant of a little bear, still worn around her neck, and her throat tightens in a combination of emotion and wanting to shout out. Yes, she's back.

Leonard powers to the top of the hill and doesn't even pause in his headlong rush, sweeping the girl, finery and all, into a gunk-covered tackling hug. "You're back!"

You paged Leonard with 'There's nothing rather visibly wrong yet, except that she might be a tad pale. Maybe jet lag, maybe something else. :}'.

Leonard pages: and the back of her jacket is covered in deer goo. :)

Yi stares at the charging Wendigo, eyes widening as he gets closer...and closer... and wham! She goes down without a fight, hitting the ground dully. And after a few seconds... "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screams to the high heavens, struggling against the galliard in an attempt to get out from under him and flee for the hills.

Leonard blinks at the response and immediately lets go, noticing his hands with a wince. "Oh man, sorry... Sorry. Kind of... Ew." He wipes his hands on the grass as he stands. It doesn't help much.

Yi squeezes out and staggers backward on her hands and feet. Her eyes are wide like the deer whose guts are now all over Leonard's hands and grass. "G-... get away from me! Don't touch me!" Her legs manage to get back under her and she peels off, running for the forest as fast as she can sprint in homid.

You paged Leonard with 'Ooh, forgot. She yelled that in Cantonese. :)'.

Leonard blinks. Well, that was unexpected. He watches a moment, frowning, then takes off after her. He's fast and agile and knows this area like the back of his deer-covered hand.

Yi stumbles as she runs - it was obvious she was a city girl before, but now it just seems like she's a girl scared out of her wits and running blindly. Bushes and thorns catch and tear at her, ripping off bits of her sleeves and cutting at the skin. She doesn't even look back to see if she's being chased. She just runs for her life...and she's not doing very well at it. In no time at all, she could be caught again.

Leonard catches her indeed, about the waist, confused. "Hey! Whoa. Hold on." He winces again at the mess he's making.

Yi puts up a struggle again, but as Leonard's arms are tight around her she quickly gives in. Her legs seem to lose all power as she sinks down to her knees, breathing heavily from the sprint. Eyes closed so tightly they hurt, her jawline tightens to a lock as she shakes her head. The hints of tears squeeze out from between her eyelids, quickly wiped away with a cut hand. "I-... Sorry...I'm late." Her foreign tongue continues, though it seems she's calming down now.

Leonard lowers with her, not keen on another sprint. "What? Speak English, can you? You are Yi, right? Three-Blades?" He smells her hair almost instinctively.

Yi continues to pant hard, eyes closed tightly to shut out the world around her. "You're mocking me, you're... stop it!" No English still, as she opens her eyes and looks down at what is holding her. Bloody hands. Her eyes widen again but her throat catches in an another scream attempt, causing her to go into a dry gag and cough harshly. She looks up at Leonard, fear evident in her eyes like a cornered, caged and tortured animal. The initial recognition that was there for a moment disappears again.

Leonard idly wonders why those closest to him lose their minds as he holds the girl. "Its okay. Just calm down. Not gonna hurt you. Breathe, huh?" He thinks a moment, then, massacring his voice, says in the Garou tongue, ~ Ssh. Packmate. Friend. Calm down. ~

Yi's body continues shaking, short of being wracked by sobs as she lowers her gaze back down only to see the blood on her body and the hands holding her. A couple of minutes pass in silence before the shivers fade to a few quivers every few seconds. Breathe. Yes, air... fresh air... if not for that smell. The smell of blood...

Leonard grumbles, finally notcing what's got her so freaked. "Okay, c'mon." He stands, bringing her with him. Len's been eating his vegetables. And deer. He scoops you up and walks to the lake. "We'll get rid of this and then we'll try and find someone who speaks whatever it is you're speaking."

The ragabash yields, entirely submissive to the given orders. When the two of them reach the lake, her eyes slip down to the shining waters. Again she's simply silent, staring at her reflection but not looking like she's going anywhere particularly Umbra. A hand touches her damp shirt, drawing away with blood on it. Then, she almost tears her jacket off as she lunges into the cold water of the lake with a splash, clothes, shoes and all. Bubbles rise for a little bit and then her head reappears in a rising wave of water. "It's...real." English! Well, broken English, that. A hand comes out of the water and is examined closely. Then, the newmoon gazes up at Leonard.

Leonard is kneeling by the side of the lake, scrubbing at his hands with some kind of coarse weed. He looks up sharply at the voice, then nods, slowly. "Yeah. You're back. Rainbow Lake. You know? Washington? USA?"

Yi sloshes out of the water, drenched and dripping. She quickly goes to Leonard's side and reaches out slowly. Her hand is cold from the water, as she touches the Wendigo's shoulder. Warm to her... and alive. She falls on her knees again though this time it's with purpose, and she hugs the galliard hard enough to almost start crushing ribs. "Oh gods, you're alive... this... it's real.. it's really real..." Wet hair clings to the newmoon's face and clothes as she buries her head into Leonard to stifle a sob.

Leonard blinks, then his eyes bulge as he oofs, putting his arms around her. Its okay... Uh..." He sits back onto the bank, bringing her with, and strokes her hair away from her eyes. "Hey, now."

"I... thought it was just a dream... another nightmare to mock me, tell me I'd never escape..." A couple of coughing sobs after, Yi lets go and kneels with her head down. "I... I told you, I'd be back." She looks up at Leonard, the barest of smiles curling the edge of her lips. And even those look remotely forced.

Leonard watches her a moment, then reaches out with just the barest of touches to her chin, tilting it slightly as he studies her. "We missed you." His lips smile slightly but his eyes betray worry.

You paged Leonard with 'Oooh.. Her jacket's off. You can see that there's scars on her wrist and forearms.'.

Leonard looks her over, frowning as he takes one hand, looking over the scars on her wrist. He glances back up at her wordlessly, concerned.

Yi nods with a touch of incline before realizing just how close she is to the galliard. As Leonard takes her hand to look at the scars she whips her hand away and folds her arms to hide them. She then quickly rises to her feet, boots dripping as she retrieves her jacket and slips it on. "Where are the others?" comes the distracted inquiry.

Leonard jerks in surprise, leaning back and looking up at her as she stands. "They're uh... well. Duane's around somewhere. Sepdet's around somewhere. Joe's no longer one of us. He went back to Black Hills with Robin after the baby was born." He stands, slowly, wiping his hands on his soaked jeans fruitlessly.

Yi pulls her jacket in around her cold, wet body and nods to the first two. Mention of Joseph turns her gaze back at the Wendigo. "He left? Is he...coming back?" Her hands start to rub together, to try and warm themselves in the growing cold of approaching dusk. "Then... you are the only one left?"

Leonard doesn't seem cold. He shakes his head. "Linda's back. And we've got a new guy, Tyler. Mohawk. He's... well, not sure yet. We'll see. Have the Gnawers seen you yet?"

Yi blinks a couple of times, and then shakes her head. "I... haven't yet. When I got off the plane, I just, was drawn here. I guess I had to fulfill my promises first." She slips the pendant with the graying wooden ankh from around her neck and holds it in her hand. Gazing at it softly, she whispers, "At least I'm not... dead." The hand closes over the ankh and she looks back to the Wendigo. "New Wendigo?"

Leonard nods. "Met him a few days ago, though he says he's been here awhile. You want me to take you into the city?"

Yi gazes back towards the bluff, her duffel bag somewhere in the grass back a ways. "I... no. No...not yet." She lowers her eyes and closes them, listening quietly to the lake and its forest. "I don't want to go back, yet." There's a small quiver in her voice, and she turns to hide her face and inner embarrassment. "But, but I can go back if you want me to." She starts walking towards the duffelbag lying in the grass.

Leonard shakes his head. "No, no its okay, really. C'mon, I'll take you up to the bluff." Leonard follows you towards your duffle bag, picking it up for you. "Here. You remember the way?"

Yi nods quietly, taking the duffel bag off Leonard's hands. There's not much more said as she takes the path back towards the bluff, some innate direction finder doing most of the work.

Two Eagles Bluff(#3332RJ)
To the northeast, the foothills climb upwards into the steep, snow-capped crags and mountains. Here, the tall summer grasses bend in sporadic waves as the wind dances on the bluff. The evergreens and aspens give way to an open field that lends itself to a panoramic and picturesque view to the south and east. A small stream wends its way unobtrusively through the eastern edge of the mountain's crags, the scent and sound of trickling water clear on the hesitant but almost incessant breeze. Wildflowers litter the green of the grass, coloring them with touches of violet and bright oranges, yellows and blues. Tucked in along the sloped wall of the forested foothills to the northeast is a well-worn section of ground.
Contents:
Leonard
Obvious exits:
Stream Cave Trail

Yi shoulders the bag and walks rather slowly, taking measured steps towards the bluff. Once there, she sets her bag down by the small firepit and sits with knees drawn up towards her chest. Eyes close momentarily before opening again, confirming once more that indeed this is not a dream.

Leonard moves to build up the fire, rather uncessary in the unusual heat. "You hungry at all?"

Yi glances up at Leonard, the question garnering some small debate within. "No, it's ok... I'm not hungry." Contrary to her statement though, her stomach opts to voice itself aloud. She twists her eyes down towards her rebellious body, and her eyes jump back up to the Wendigo. "Well...a little. But... but don't trouble yourself. I have...peanuts."

Leonard smiles, amused. "No trouble. You're pack." He goes into the cave and is gone for quite a little while, coming back with the cooked haunch of a deer. "Made this yesterday, should still be good. Far back in the cave its real cool." He hands her a bowl full of blueberries. "Munch on those while I heat this up. There's water in the stream."

Yi takes the bowl gratefully, not exactly munching on the berries but taking them in very small, cautious bites. Not typical for a starving person, but... "Thank you," she offers politely. Then she remembers, and sets down the bowl to unzip her duffel bag and dig inside for a little bit.

Leonard spears the meat on an already-blackened stick that looks like its already been used once for the purpose to which he's putting it. He settles next to her, leaving enough room to set something down between them, and roasts the meat like one would a marshmallow.

Yi digs around for a little bit before coming up with a small, cylindrical package wrapped in brown paper. This, she offers somewhat reverently towards Leonard. "This, is for you. I thought, you would like it. Since... er, here."

Leonard pauses, looking from the gift to Yi, then smiles broadly, a real smile, just as rare as you remember. He jabs the stick in the ground and balances it against his knee as he takes the package with something approaching ceremony. "Thank you." He nods his head, looking at the gift before tearing off the paper.

And iiiiiiiit's..... a box. A metal box, actually, but there is a latch. When opened, it reveals a rather plain but well made wood carving and whittling knife. The handle is bone, skillfully engraved with an etching of a wolf pack running and splashing across a river against a forest. Yi looks at Leonard's features, almost expectantly watching the reaction of the galliard.

Leonard smiles slowly, lifting the knife out of the box carefully. He looks at you, amazed and delighted, not even trying to hide it. "Is this..?" He grips it in his left hand experimentally, testing the blade. "Oh, wow... Yi this is... Wow. You got this in China?" He looks up again, eyes shining.

Yi lifts a hand to pick off a clingy damp strand of hair and nods, the smile in the galliard's tone lifting her higher. "Yes... well. I knew someone who could get it." Her smile is soft, just turning up the corners of her lips. "You like it?"

Leonard grins and nods, looking it over in the light. "This is great! Real nice blade. And the handle... good work. Nice. Can't wait to try it out." He puts it back in the box carefully, shutting the lid. "But first, we need to get you fed, hey?" He takes the warmed meat off the fire, offering it to you on the edge of the stick. "Watch your fingers."

Yi ducks her head slightly, inwardly glad that her gift was very well-received. "Thank you, again," she says politely while taking a piece of the warmed meat in her hand. The heat, doesn't seem to bother her as much. As she eats slowly, chewing each bite with measure to savor it, she watches the licking flames. "How is the sept?"

Leonard chuckles. "That should probably wait until after you've eaten. Lots of news, some of it might make you choke."

Yi tilts her head off to a side, halfway into the chunk though it seemed rather large when she took a piece of the larger one. "I suppose so," she replies in reluctant agreement. "But if it's important... it shouldn't wait should it?"

Leonard shakes his head. "It can wait. You rest, eat." He smiles at his present, and takes it into the cave, before exiting with a waterskin, which he fills up in the stream and brings back to you. "Just relax."

Yi finishes up the venison and accepts the waterskin with a small drink to quench the thirst that followed the meal. Though it doesn't seem like she ate enough, the newmoon doesn't look like she's about to partake of any more edibles. The relax command is not quite taken as easily. Yi doesn't move much, but there is just a feeling of wariness about her. Eyes going back and forth from flame to Wendigo to the rest of the surroundings, she takes it all in quietly, letting the crickets of the night do the chirping.

Leonard nods, looking into the fire, voice easy, a touch of grate to it from his attempt to speak Garou earlier. "Well, first off, Brian's gone. He went back to Ireland, and it wasn't too soon let me tell you. Andrea's alpha now." His face darkens. "And Nightflash is master of challenges." He shakes his head. "Elan's theurge now. Don't know who gatekeeper's going to be now that Joe's gone. I suggested Sepdet, dunno how that'll play. We'll see, I guess. Steven's gone too. Maybe he went with Brian. Maybe he went to hell, who knows. At least he's not here, you know?" He sighs a bit, thinking, letting his news sink in before continuing on.

Yi glances up at Leonard. Such a change in leadership for the sept does give the newmoon something to think about. "Andrea... the Child of Gaia? The one who returned from the silver..." There's an awkward, uncomfortable cut before she finishes, "river...?" The questions carry a sort of rhetorical tone, but she hushes and nods, letting the information sink into her memory. "What else?"

Leonard cocks his head. "Well, I've decided on a way to bury the hatchet so to speak with the Gaians about Chloe. They're giving us Dana. The Wendigo are going to adopt her as kin." He says this matter-of-factly, but his eyes glint. "This will clear the bad blood between us about that, so that when next Nightflash insults me or my kind I can kill him without it being for her. And I'm sure there'll be a next time. What else... Oh. Kaz completed her Challenge to Elan and is now fostern. I'll be challenging him next week."

Yi blinks some more, but it's for the harsh threat of killing another Garou over an insult. And taking kin. "Dana, wants to be Wendigo kin?" Her eyes travel downwards, as if some invisible hand slapped her for speaking up. She nods with the rest of the information. "You are going to challenge, for the next rank?"

Leonard nods, to both. "I am. And she wasn't freaked out about it, though she's got some... attitude that's going to have to be stripped away before the potlatch. Which should be happening shortly. You're invited."

Yi's tone holds the question. "Potlatch?" The newmoon gazes steadily at the blades of grass at her feet. "Why Elan?" Her boot shuffles a bit uncomfortably. "I mean... well..." Her reason fades off into the night.

Leonard says simply, "There's noone else. We're short quite a few fostern. No galliards, since Steven left. And no Wendigo, so." He shrugs. "Better him than Nightflash."

Yi nods slowly, accepting the Wendigo's reasoning without much question. "Suppose so. There's also the Get of Fenris, if they are around. Quite a few are of higher rank, I think." She glances up at the galliard briefly.

Leonard smirks. "Elan. I know him. I trust him to be fair. And he knows me." He shakes his head, sighing. "I'm elder of our tribe now. I think I'm actually the youngest but I've been here longest, so." He shrugs. "I'm trying to make it official with the fostern thing."

Yi attempts a smile, only achieving some mediocre medium of the intended effect. "Things are changing fast, aren't they..." she gazes back to the fire. "I'm not sure, what I should be doing really. The sewers?"

Leonard shrugs. "Same, little better. Oh, Banecruncher's dead. On one of the sewer trips. Electricity bane got him. Those things pack a punch. Nailed me, knocked me for a loop." He shakes his head.

Yi does look up at the mention of Banecruncher and his parting. Yi's lips part to say something, but then she shakes her head and lowers it again. Eyes close momentarily for a soft whisper of parting words, a hand clenching into a fist, and then she reopens her eyes. "There has been progress, though?" Yes, all the recent things should be said.

Leonard nods. "Some. It goes."

Yi nods again with the very vague response, and crickets again fill some of the silence. "Is that most of it?"

Leonard hesitates, then nods. "I think so. All that I know. Isn't it enough?" He smiles at you teasingly.

Yi gives the galliard an affirmative nod, and rises to her feet. "I... think I'll go change, out of these wet clothes." She picks up her duffel bag and heads behind the sweatlodge for a few minutes. The few minutes eventually becomes a little longer than that, until eventually it's obvious that one changing clothes should not take that long - even a girl in a changing room could try on at least 3 pieces within that amount of time.

Leonard is patient enough, picking idly at the meat left on the haunch as he waits for your return, but when you don't show, he finally starts talking, a bit loudly, so his voice will carry to you. "So, now that you're back, I've been thinking maybe we need another pack member or two... maybe bring the other Wendigo into the fold, if they're willing. You know."

"It's not my decision, right?" comes the quiet voice of the newmoon, still behind the sweatlodge. "Have you asked Sepdet?"

Leonard shakes his head. "No. She just got back a few days ago, too. She was off in the Umbra for almost three weeks. Something bit her, I think. Her tribe's cubs were going crazy. You cold? I can put more wood on the fire."

Yi's tone grows concerned. "Bit...her?" There's some rustling, then the sounds of a zipping of the duffelbag and Yi steps back out in a long sleeve shirt and sweats. In response to the second question she shakes her head and sits back down by the slowing burning fire. "What cubs?" The hints of the scars previously seen poke out from under the long sleeve, despite the newmoon's efforts to try and pull the sleeves down over them. The shirt is a tad small, perhaps, but not uncomfortable.

Leonard frowns. "She asked me the same question, and I don't remember who they were. A male and a female."

Yi responds with a quiet 'oh' and continues picking a little at the sleeves. "Lots of cubs lately. A good thing, na." Her eyes flicker as she notices the frown and she folds up to hug her knees. "Where do you think... it...bit her?"

Leonard thinks a moment, quietly. "Side maybe. She was favoring her left side, I think." He glances at your wrists, then back at the fire.

Yi follows with another 'oh', following the quick glance down to the scars on her wrists. "They're nothing." It's quite obvious the words aren't telling the truth, as she folds her arms up again.

Leonard arches both eyebrows, looking at you. "What's nothing?"

Yi shakes her head, drawing in a little further. "Er...nothing." She tightens her lips after, and eyes cast down. "I'm... going to sleep. It was a long flight back. Good night... Leonard." She peers over out of the corner of her eye at the galliard, and then stands back up and heads around towards the back of the sweatlodge again.

Leonard nods, slowly. He doesn't seem insulted or bothered by the brushoff, merely accepting. He turns and watches the fire. "Goodnight. Sleep well."