Faint flecks of silver sent by the wind riffle across the lake, first gleam of the new moon. Darkened ripples spread out from an area near the shore, where the Strider is indulging again in Salmon's element. Small plashes grow louder as she strokes towards the shore.

Since the retaking of the caern, Yi hasn't gotten over the fact that there still is the possibility of being followed around. She takes no chances, and approaches close enough to be considered silent. Leonard's teachings have been fairly useful. At least, to a point. For a while, she looks at the shimmering edge of the lake. From the shadows the girl melds into view, quietly thanking the spirits of air and light that bend the mind's eye around her form. Silent still, she approaches with her arms hugging her body, nervous nonetheless from the phase of the moon.

Flecks of color seem to scatter and dance as Sepdet hauls herself up onto a fallen tree angled out into the water. Leaving wet black footprints on the old bark, she dances up onto the bank and hops off into the grass, dripping. Giving herself a good shake before coming over, her glance around is more careless than the no-moon's. ~All quiet? Ah, how could it not be. What news?~

Yi rubs one of her arms, glancing up at the sky first and then satisfying her thought that it won't rain on her tonight. "Not much," she answers, steadily moderating herself from any freak-out attacks that might come during the testy timing. "How about out here? Things looking... up?"

Sepdet leans down, inspecting a yellow-edged leaf. ~We have a caern instead of a hive, and have given the Apocalypse a black eye. We have Totems that will actually speak to us. I'd say things are looking up for everyone, unless you happen to be Little Bear.~

Yi actually winces at mention of the Wendigo galliard. The kind of wince one might have when someone has embarrassed themself without knowing, and the observer feels the pain. "That brief conversation with Wendigo did not exactly please him. But, I would have said he should be happy the spirit deemed to showed up."

Sepdet exhales. ~I still need to talk to him. He will hold me to blame for it, although I carefully did not promise to push for Wendigo as Totem. We need more Wendigo here-- reliable ones, ones that can lead but also rely on other tribes, as Joseph did-- before the spirit belongs here again.~ She folds herself onto a patch of dry grass folded over into a bed by sleeping deer. ~What do you think, my friend? Do we go into winter on the proper foot?~

Yi tilts her head at Sepdet's comment. "I don't know about you, but I would not care what foot I go into winter on. So long as I have a jacket and a pair of shoes." She shrugs, moving a step or so closer, still standing.

Yi then adds as a softer query, "You don't think Leonard will be a good leader?"

Sepdet gives Yi a wry grin. ~Not yet. At least, not enough to lead the caern. I /do/ mean to find a Wendigo alpha or Warder, someday. He's got to change a great deal to be fit for either.~

"What about the other one, the one they call Touch Deer," Yi presses on, furrowed brow indicating her churning thoughts. "I think Leonard would do better now. Now, after he's really gotten to see his tribe totem up close."

Sepdet shakes her head, obviously not quite so sure. ~Touch Deer has been through the Silver Forge. With Joseph gone...~ she spreads her hands. ~I trust him. We'll see.~ She shrugs. ~Not for a while yet, anyway. Andrea's alpha. And I have served none better, save perhaps Justice.~

Yi peers over at the Strider elder. "Justice?" she echoes, unable to make if the theurge might mean an actual Garou, or an abstract concept. But nonetheless the girl shrugs further into her jacket.

~A Silver Fang, a Lady born of high blood who actually deserved the honor she demanded.~ The Seer smiles faintly at some memory, then holds out a hand. ~Which must sound strange to someone who asks nothing for herself. Yi. What is it? I still see shadows on you. I thought it was my job to fear the future.~

"For one born on the darkest moon, of course there must be darkness within as well," Yi answers her, peering towards the lake instead of at the offered hand. "When the caern was taken back, and repairs made, I thought all would be well." She blinks once slowly.

Sepdet prods gently, keeping her hand steady, ~...But?~

"But there is still much to do. Still things left unfinished. Debts unpaid," Yi replies, losing herself in other thoughts. It's just so easy. "And other things, of concern." She tightens her lipline.

Sepdet gives a soft laugh. ~Yes. We are Garou, and we cannot be content with a simple miracle. We are back where we were before all this began: concerns, a chance the enemy may strike, a chance anyone may get killed. But somehow, now, it doesn't feel the same, because we've seen nearly the worst the Wyrm can do. And /beaten/ it, Yi. Remember that.~

Yi shakes her head, dubious of the Strider's claim. "You are right. Back to where we were before it all began. The only difference is that close friends are gone, and forces and feelings remain scattered." She turns on the Strider. "Somehow," she says rather bitterly, "I doubt that -that- was the worst the Wyrm could do."

Sepdet raises an eyebrow. ~No. It could destroy everything.~ She takes a deep breath. ~What do you want me to say? Yes, we destroyed the greatest menace this caern has ever faced, a danger greater than any /I/ have seen, and--what? That the victory is meaningless? That the fact that this sept put forward greater effort than I have seen of it was useless? That the fact that the cubs before this started are now tackling things like the Sewer banes, finding new spirit allies, helping Western Eye... these things don't matter? That we should all drown ourselves in the lake, instead of going on to the next job that needs doing, which I'm trying to set in motion even now?~

A moment of silence passes, letting everything sink deep. Yi's jaw works itself, as she debates what exactly to say. "No, no we should not forget all that has been done," she says quietly in response, sucking in a shaky breath. "But that is just it," she continues, turning to look at the Strider. "Sepdet...rhya. It is my place to doubt. And now, with... with a lull in the battle, I have begun to feel the bonds fraying again." She pushes a bang out of her face, trying to explain. "I mean, our pack."

Sepdet exhales, coming back to the present. ~Yes. We walk different paths.~ She looks around, surveying the tranquil beauty of the place. ~And also, we have now done the goal the pack was made for: to cleanse, to protect spirits, to unite city and wood for a common goal. Salmon was key in winning back the caern. You ran messages. Little Bear scouted. But we each act alone, except to hunt. It's odd: if this Lake had ever come under threat, we would have moved as one.~

"That much is true," Yi nods once. "Does it not make sense though," she says quietly, drawing closer to the Strider and slowly sitting down upon the grass. "Salmon. She is so wise, and struggles so hard. Always fighting, always searching out the challenge to pull herself up from. In the end, she performs the greatest miracle of all. She gives herself to this, alone yet with others. And now, with the miracle done... she fades away."

Sepdet sighs and props her head in her hands. ~Should she have died, then?~ the Strider wonders softly. ~I hope not. I feel winter coming, when she sleeps... and who knows what spring will bring. What do you want to do?~

Yi looks over to the Strider elder. "No, no that wasn't the idea. Silverscale gave so much. She was the miracle. And, I do not know else to pay her back except to tell her that she can go and rest." The Gnawer wets her lips, and looks out towards the lake. "And, looking at what we have come to, I came to see what you thought. Perhaps, my doubts are without a solid base."

Sepdet shakes her head. ~No. The sept is struggling to cope with a new dawn after a night it did not expect to face, and the shape of things is strange. Our pack... Salmon is strong, but /we/ are scattered. I don't know if there's ties enough to hold us together as more than old friends.~ She picks up the leaf and tosses it out onto the water, watching it spin away. In spite of the topic, her voice is unhurried, untroubled. ~We should gather with Little Bear and see. Also Rags and Tyler, who still hope, I think, to run with us.~

Yi lowers her tensed up shoulders, sighing out now that she's finally managed to push out what was tumbling and pounding through her mind like the water beneath the falls. "Wendigo told Little Bear to 'show them'," she murmurs quietly. "And... after that, I felt the difference in him." Yi looks to Sepdet, uncertainty clouding around her. "And you have fully stepped into the role of adren, so your duties will keep you."

Sepdet wipes her hands over her scalp, where water's beaded up on her stubble of new growth like frost. ~I...~ She looks up at Yi, measuringly, a curious mixture of delight and wariness in her eyes. ~I... yes and no. Adren I may be, but no longer with that burden on my back: 'Bring hope and healing to a place well chosen.' Tomorrow we may face another crisis, but I know in my heart this is what the prophecy meant. I've atoned for my birth. I am going to live now, for myself, not just for all of you.~

Yi blinks, at the same time turning her gaze back to the theurge. "No regrets?" she asks, testingly, a twinge of something more hidden within the question. As if, searching for a sort of confirmation.

Sepdet gives a soft sigh. ~Fears,~ she says with a bemused twinkle in her eye. ~Ah, Yi, you know me well. But that's my own look-out. They can only kick me out of the sept. And where would you be without me? No, I'll still look after things, but now it's not... prophecy... saying I have to do what no one else can. All I have to do now is try and be a good Adren, and help where I'm able.~

Yi nods slowly, turning to look back out to the lake. "There is much still to be done. A city to clean up. Cubs to rite. A tribe to be a part of." The ragabash trails, musing over the wind and the stars. "I am surprised Chimera came to answer the call."

Sepdet shakes her head. ~I'm a bit stunned myself. But there is poetry. Dylan always cared for this place, and now--his tribe's gone, but his Totem is here. Also, Chimera is she of many faces, many dreams, many paths. That does suit us, I suppose. We must take dreams in our hands and seek them now.~

"Dylan must have been... one of the Stargazers?" Yi asks, head gaining a little quirk. "It does make sense. Chimera, totem of wisdom... I suppose only she could make any sense of what this sept truly is like. So many differences, but so much the same."

Sepdet sighs. ~Dylan was Stargazer, and nearly as close to me as Joseph. We were what made the last pack what it was.~ She falls silent, looking up at the young Gnawer. ~Yi?~ she asks eventually, expression quiet. ~You know what I meant. You're a no-moon but no fool. I'm hardly liable to change my mind-- I thought it through very carefully, for it's a serious thing to have done-- but do you think the less of me?~

Yi shifts her eyes from the lake to the Strider. She blinks once. "How do you mean?"

Sepdet cocks her head. ~Ah. Then you do not know me quite so well.~ She looks down at her hands, cupping them together to let the water slowly collect in her palms. ~I... I have a secret. It means no harm to sept or caern, but it would not be well-received by the sept. Perhaps it's better if I leave it be, so that I'm not putting you in a position where you would have to decide whether to tell others or keep my secret for me.~

Yi narrows one of her eyes, tongue starting to slip out from between her teeth. "If you think you are going to just bait and hook me then leave me to struggle with the line, then you do not know me either." The ragabash smirks at the Strider.

Sepdet looks sheepish. ~I blithely assumed you'd figured it out already. All right.~ She takes a deep breath. ~You may call me a charach. Or not. I do not know what you think of the Furies' attitude on the First Law.~

Yi, evidently, hasn't figured it out indeed. "Charach? Why?" She blinks. Well, besides you know the obvious connotations, the Gnawer makes not a connection. "What about the Furies?"

Sepdet sighs. ~The Furies claim it's not charach if there's no chance of mule-cubs being conceived. They lie one with another, woman and woman. I've never been sure whether that's a cheat.~

Yi blinks again. And a few more times. Then, she looks away back to the lake, to ponder this. Silence flows easy, but when the no-moon responds it's with a bold statement. "So you slept with another woman. That's not so uncommon nowadays, I hear." The asian girl scratches at a part of her cheek. "There has been a lot of questioning to be done upon that rule now, I believe." She glances back to the Strider. "Like one asks, if a girl kisses a guy, and both are Garou, is it to be assumed the action would lead to the act of sleeping together."

Sepdet grimaces. ~I hate being one of those who bends the rule, especially because I/am Adren, and should set an example. The Law is the Law, and only Stargazers should sit around debating fine meaning. All I can say is that I have earned it, and I /need/ it. I can face my duties easily, because I know...when I'm done each day... she is there, waiting for me, and wants me only for myself.~

Yi shrugs, apparently treating the idea with a feeling of an issue not really needing to be debated. "You mean only -halfmoons- should sit around debating fine meaning." The Gnawer yawns. "Really though, Hope-Star-rhya. The way Gaia has chosen to provide for each one of us, even Chimera I think could not begin to imagine. If the Furies can do such and get away with it, then I don't see why you can't either." She crooks a finger at the elder. "But you also don't go around posting up signs in neon to proclaim it either. Just not smart to do that. There's still the old-fashioned kinds of Garou out there."

Sepdet sets her shoulders. ~No. They will not hear of it, and they will /not/ hurt her. I'm a mule. I'll take the scorn I'm owed, and throw it back at the world by being too useful to cull. But I'll be damned if I let anyone ever lay claw to my loved ones again.~

Yi quirks a smile over towards Sepdet. "That works out well then," she comments with a nod. "Wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sepdet smiles back sheepishly. ~No, and thank you. I trust you. Otherwise I would not have said it, nor cared what you thought of me.~

Yi mms emphatically. "You are welcome. But Dr. Song does not give out freebies." She prods the Strider verbally. "Or at least, you could help me with something that I would request as a favor."

Sepdet lets out a dry peel of laughter at that. ~Ask away. All clever no-moons should keep blackmail material handy.~

Yi smiles. "I wouldn't think to use that secret as blackmail material. But as for the favor... I need a bit of advice. A way to appeal to a fox. I have asked Luke and Jamethon, though so far I have not come up with a good method of finding Fox and asking the spirit to teach me."

Sepdet's brows knit. ~Ah, Coyote's little cousin. Well, there's always two ways to win a spirit's regard: deeds of a sort the spirit will approve of, or offerings of a sort he likes. Fox likes cunning, trickery, and stealth.~ She adds with a wink, ~He also likes chickens. Especially ill-gotten ones.~

Yi nods slowly. "I can do with the cunning and trickery and stealth. Chickens, I don't know. I do not see many chicken farms around here." The girl mulls over the prospect. "But I suppose there will be a way somehow. Part of the challenge, I guess?" She looks over at the Strider, as if trying to ponder what she is pondering.

Sepdet suggests, ~Sniff around south of Kent Crossing. I think there's still one farm down there. Of course, it may belong to Summer's parents, but they'll just grumble about foxes and not be the wiser.~

Yi hms at the suggestion, and nods. "I will look down there then." She stands up again, stretching upwards to limber up her muscles. "And you? What will you be doing?

Sepdet glances westward. ~Preparing a spot for the Pathstone. We finally have wards again.~

Yi looks in the direction of the caern as well, and runs her fingers through her hair. "Good news. It's good to know, things are going back to normal." The girl's smile, this time more genuine, is aimed towards the Strider. "So then I can carry that back to the city with me, yes?"

Sepdet raises a finger. ~Subject to the Warder's approval, yes. And this also. I have a job for /everyone/, which should give the caern more defense than it's ever had before, but still let us take care of everything else. The Guardians are the caern's eyes and ears, but they need more hands. So let's all vow an oath, one month out of each year, to take out time from our other work and patrol the bawn. It's an honor. It's also a duty we shouldn't shirk, in the name of all those who have died defending that place.~ Her eyes grow keen. ~Tell them we shall be bound in one Circle that stretches around the year and the whole sept. Tell them to discuss this amongst pack and tribesmates, so that each can pick a different month, and not weaken their own patrols.~

Yi wets her bottom lip, and nods. "As it should be. I will tell them," she replies to the Strider elder. "It will be an honor to live out, one month at a time."

Sepdet says firmly, ~And never will they catch us offguard again. If any are watching, they'll no longer be sure who, or how many, defenders there are. I'll call a meeting soon.~ She raises a finger. ~Let me know if you need help with Fox.~

Yi nods again, this time more acquainted with the orders and the nature of it. "As one wolf can howl as many," she notes. "Let's be on guard, eh. I will let you know when I have gotten to finding Fox. Until then." She gives the Strider a small wave, before turning and starting down a different path out of the lake.

Sepdet follows the no-moon out with her eyes, a fond ~Go well,~ whispered on the wind. Once Yi's safely on her way, the Strider sees to her own path, heading back towards the caern.