Rite of Contrition & Hapless Hiker Seth
4/9/2005
06:18 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waxing New Moon phase (4% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is mostly sunny today. The temperature is 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the southwest at 13 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.19 and steady, and the relative humidity is 42 percent. The dewpoint is 33 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius.)
It is currently 17:55 Pacific Time on Sat Apr 9 2005.
Big Red Barn(#3420RA)
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:
Basil
Obvious exits:
BarnYard
Yi steps into the barn this late afternoon with a calm, but pensive atmosphere shrouding her like an extra coat. The Gnawer lets out a soft breath, and looks around to see if someone in particular, the lost cub, is in. "Basil?" she calls, "Are you in here?" The ragabash pauses, and then utters to herself, "Maybe he is in the farmhouse instead..."
Basil stiffens in his hiding spot as he hears someone enter : He didn't particularly feel like being bothered, and he's discovered that hay is great for staying hidden. Through the dry, loose strands he peers at Yi, lifting his head just a little. After a moment of consideration he sits up from a belly lay into a cross legged position. "Hey." He shakes his hair violently like a shaggy dog, sending hay flying from his locks. "You need somethin, Yi-Rhya?"
Yi's eyes swivel to the spot and sound of the cub's movement, like a security camera focusing on its target. "Yes, actually. And I would like you to come with me today. Do not bother with your clothing, because I would prefer that you shifted to your lupus form for our ... outing."
Basil's nose twitches soon after the mention of no clothes, then again at the mention of Lupus. "If it's an order, just so we're clear. I was told not to go out in anything but human form, but if you say it's an order, you are an officer... So... " He shrugs, then lowers his hands. He's used to stripping infront of guys but hardly used to girls yet, pausing momentarily before peeling off and tossing the shirt.
Yi wets her lips, and decides to turn around for the cub's sake. "I won't look," she replies sympathetically. "But as it is, I would like to bring you out to the woods today, and allow you to see a part of our sept's borders so to speak. And to learn your way around in the wolf. It is an important part of you, and you do need to learn more. And, the best way to do so is to experience it." She waits, her back to the cub, giving him time to shift.
Basil bows his head again, even though she can't see it. "Thank you, Yi-Rhya. I know it's silly... Heh, But I'm shy." He turns his back to her just in case as he stands, then drops his pants. "Is there any way we can talk while we're in this state?" The boy soon starts his slow, cautious shift to the new form, the dull popping cracks and drawn out twisting of sinew sounding like an organic bubble wrap.
Yi nods, despite her back being turned. She waits a little bit after hearing the initial sounds of shifting, and then turns back around. "Yes, we can talk to each other in lupus. How do you think wolves talk to each other?" Her voice might be a bit sharper and louder because of the increased sensitivity to the cub's ears, but not too garbled. She hopes. With a come on wave of her hand, she pushes the barn door open, glances about, and then motions for the cub to follow. Quickly.
Barnyard
The lane wends its way back and around the farmhouse to here, where it widens into a broad, grassy sward contained only by the woods which encircle it on three sides. Buildings break up the purity of the landscape: an open-sided structure which serves as a garage and the big barn, empty of livestock, to the east. A good-sized vegetable and herb garden furrows the land south of the barn, while a pyramid-like pile of rocks, of similar consistency to the gravel of the lane, rests a few yards south of the garage.
North of the buildings, the fields have long been fallow, hastening a conversion from farmland to natural prairie. A sliding glass door allows admittance to the farmhouse, the interior obscured by Levolor(tm) blinds in a wood-grain pattern. The lane leads out around the house to the southwest. The discerning can just barely pick out the beginnings of a faint path into the woods towards the southeast.
(Non-Garou, please "+view curse")
Contents:
Tobin
Obvious exits:
FIelds BArn Farmhouse Lane Woods
Tobin is striding up the lane, a tall figure in faded black making a dark spot in the late afternoon sunlight.
The Gnawer ragabash opens the barn doors to the northeast, and can be seen looking around for people. At first she doesn't immediately see Tobin, and thus looks back behind her to motion to someone or something to follow her, and exits out of the barn. Only by the time Basil in his lupus form is out of the barn does she spot the Silver Fang, and the ragabash tenses up all of a sudden, frozen like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
Basil walks out of the barn behind Yi at her beckoning, the young wolf's large white head appearing on her right side from behind her. He gives her a brief sniffing, brushing his nose against her jean's leg then lifting it to the air to breath in nature's scent once again. His tail makes a dull thump sound against the barn door when he briefly wags it, then moves past Yi out into the open. The wolf's head rises when he catches the scent of another, his attention quickly turning to Tobin, staring intently at the young man.
Tobin smiles when he sees the Ragabash and changes course slightly to approach her. "Hello Yi," he says, sounding amiable enough. His eyes shift to Basil then and he spends a few moments looking him over. "And who is this?" he asks, still friendly, though there's an edge to his voice now.
Yi, to Basil's sharp sense of smell and lupine bodyposture radar, could be interpreted as wary and fearful, but relief soon enters as well as she breaks herself from the spell of stillness and takes a few steps around the barn front. "Ah, uhm, good afternoon Tobin. I was just taking the lost cub Basil," she indicates the lost cub, "out to the Bawn to allow him to get used to his other forms." She doesn't explain beyond that, though, and hesitation evident, tacks on a fast blurt, "Please excuse us then..." She doesn't move further, and clearly has her eyes at a submissive slant towards the Silver Fang.
Basil can't exactly talk himself in this form but he trust Yi to do his introductions for him. He stares at Tobin for a few moments longer with his ears perked high. As soon as Yi's done explaining the situation, he uses his head to nudge her in the leg. His awkward walk evens out as he starts to pass Tobin and get a feel for the form once again, glad inside he doesn't look like a complete fool.
Tobin's eyebrows go up a bit. "Lost cub, you say?" he says, squatting down to get a closer look at him. "Well met, Basil. I am Tobin, a Silver Fang. My, I do wonder what blood gave you those markings," he says, sounding more than a little curious.
Yi nods again, eyes still downward cast. "If... if you'll excuse us Tobin," she says awkwardly, "I hoped to bring the cub to the Story Tree on the bawn. I... have need to go there and meet someone. One of the Guardians." Her posture fidgets a bit, like a mouse just a few feet away from its bolt hole that's been passed over by a falcon.
Basil turns his head to look at Tobin from the side, his shoulders lifting out then falling in again in a decidedly un-lupine like gesture that was probably a shrug. He can't help but give Tobin a sniffing too while within close range, regarding him with a vague curiousness. He decides to sit and curl his tail along his flank, waiting patiently for Yi to lead the way.
Tobin gives Yi a curious, slightly troubled look. He stands, though doesn't seem to mind Basil sniffing him. "Yi, is something wrong?" His eyes flick briefly at the cub and he tilts his head a bit.
Yi sucks in a breath and sighs out softly to calm herself. Her eyes lower further and she explains, "I must go and find White Bear to perform the Rite of Contrition. I dishonored him and the Guardians awhile ago with my mistakes, and I must make amends." She glances over to the cub, then back up to the Silver Fang. "I felt this would be a good lesson for the cub."
Basil's ears flick and twist back, turning to tune themselves to better hear the woman behind him. It doesn't work and he just turns his head instead, watching her with interest. He can't resist an urge he has and stands, walking over to Yi once more to brush his body lightly across one of her legs in what seems to be a reassuring gesture, coming to stand at the opposite side.
Tobin's eyebrows go up again and he makes a soft 'ahhh' sound. He looks only mildly surprised and not really disapproving. In fact he seems to be repressing a chuckle. "May I accompany you," he says, sounding suddenly grave. "I could stand as a witness."
Yi is standing not far from the barn doors to the northeast, beside her Basil in the lupus and looking to Tobin is quiet conversation. The Gnawer ragabash bobs her head once to the Fang, her reply audibly so to the immediate vicinity around the trio. "I would be... honored with your presence," she answers. "But hopefully we can reach the area before the sun sets."
Basil sits down at her side and grunts, lifting a leg to awkwardly try and scratch at an itch on his shoulder. He lifts his head after a moment, giving her hand a lick and a quick nuzzle. She seems to be nervous and apprehensive to him and the wolf tries to disperse that, not only for the sake of moving on, but because he generally likes the woman.
Tobin nods once at Yi and gestures for her to lead the way. "Let's be on our way then. The sun does not wait!" he says, a fierce enthusiasm showing through just then.
Around the Story Tree
This quiet little clearing is home to soft grasses and bright flowers almost year-round. Near the center stands the Story Tree. The squat pine has broad branches for sitting under, and a thick, climbable trunk for a Garou to sit in. Sharp, green needles can be found buried in the grass.
A pathway leads out to the northwest toward the Caern, and a much less-worn path leads into the forested foothills to the east.
Contents:
White Bear
Obvious exits:
Forest
The Silver Fang's enthusiasm on the trip's outlook bolsters Yi, and she nods to Tobin with a small pat of gratitude to Basil's head as well. Leading the way, she walks at a fairly swift pace over and through the wood, not stopping to answer any questions or humor the cub's explorations before they reach the wide pine tree. When the trio reaches their marked destination, Yi looks at the tree for a long moment, and then slowly takes off her outer jacket, bandanna and cap to lay them at one side of the tree's base. The Gnawer then shifts to lupus and howls out loudly, letting her voice ring through that area of the bawn. Three-Blades of the Bone Gnawers seeks out White Bear, honored Guardian of the Hidden Walk! She waits underneath the Story Tree!
Even though the air is still a tad cool from the breezes that roll in over the city, the sky is bright enough, and the light filters through the bud laden branches of the story tree to cast a smattered glow on the clearing. The grass has since turned green once more, and the flowers look to be ready to start their fight for survival and week now. The Guardian is slow to respond, a howl echoing from one of the valleys to the east that he's heard Three Blades, and is coming. Now fewer than twenty minutes elapse before the white wolf shows up, having made his way at a fast trot from practically the other end of the bawn. He doesn't look up to much faster than that, undersides well padded as it's readily apparent that he's gorged himself on some source of food quite recently. His posture is quite alert, reading almost 'caution!' as he hurries on in.
Basil follows Yi with no mischief through the woods, staying right behind her. Though slow for someone in Lupus form, the wolf keeps up and does his best. When they arrive he sits down again on Yi's left flank, ears perking upright in a sudden bolt when her howl pierces the air. He understands some, but not all of her howl and he tries to think of how he did so. The expression on his face would surely be cross eyed if he was in human form. He's only snapped out of his thoughts when he smells an almost familiar scent that smells almost like himself, but different in so many ways. His eyes and ears are retuned on White Bear, nose twitching as studies him.
Calls-Spirits has taken his crinos form since arriving at the glade and sits in an easy crouch. He stands when White Bear arrives and sketches what appears to be a courtly bow to the Guardian, acknowledging his position in the sept. The human gesture is executed quite gracefully for the form he's in. Mayhaps he's practiced. ~I come to stand witness to the procedings,~ he rumbles, a formal tone to his words and posture.
Aubrey, having heard the howl, is a rather snoop these days and is in the proximity of the area. She walks in towards the Story Tree, more or less to find out what is going on. The Fianna arrives a few moments after the arrival of the Guardian, looking fairly surprised at the gathering here. "Hi?" she greets shyly, unsure of her buiness here, other than wanting to know what has been going on around the sept.
Three-Blades sits in silence at the tree's base, waiting, and waiting some more after the replying howl had reached the ears of the gathered. And more waiting commenced, up until White Bear's arrival. Then, the Gnawer ragabash slipped down into a half-crouched and readily submissive posture to the ahroun Guardian, acknowledging his presence and at the same time somehow thanking his swift reply to her call. The ragabash's tongue slips out from between her teeth as she notes, This one called White Bear to show him her apology. Will you allow it?
White Bear draws himself up to a halt, tail lifting for a moment as he faces the unfamiliar Silver Fang and Lost Cub with some degree of trepidation. Licking the sides of his muzzle, he holds in the same place rather tense while sniffing a few times in the general direction of Calls-Spirits and Basil. His attention is only reluctantly dragged away from from those two as Three-Blades explains herself, licking his nose again as his tail lowers to a slightly less alarmed height. This one will allow Three-Blades, he agrees rather brusquely.
Basil notices Tobin's reverence of the new arrival, then Yi's respectful gestures. Basil goes with the flow and bows his lupine head down, touching his nose to the ground in the direction of White Bear. He gets a sense this make take a while and so the wolf settles down on his belly in the grass, putting his head across his paws.
Calls-Spirits turns slightly when Aubrey arrives and dips his head to her in greeting, but otherwise he keeps his attention focussed on Yi and White Bear.
Aubrey remains quiet as she approaches, nodding her head to Calls-Spirits as she remains behind the others.
Three-Blades swings her ears back in another clear, submissive gesture to the Guardian. When Aubrey arrives, the Gnawer ragabash looks to the Fianna for only a moment, before she turns and steps away from the Story Tree. Her muzzle dips, and the ragabash bids White Bear to listen to her in the place at the base of this tree, where the stories of the Garou have been told. And she too, will tell about her foolish actions, so that all here will know that she was the Fool, and White Bear, the Wise. The Gnawer moves to the west, pacing out about 30 feet away before she turns. Then, she shifts upwards back to her homid form, takes a deep breath, and waits for White Bear to hopefully take up the spot that she had indicated. Now the Gnawer is very humble in all her body language, very serious and not a flicker of a smile crosses her face as she faces the Guardian. The scars that show themselves on her exposed arms add just a bit more chilling factor to the ragabash's grave state.
White Bear stands there mute for a moment, watching the Ragabash before he finally does as she had asked. He heads on over to the base of the tree, sniffing at the first foot or so of trunk before he remembers that, oh, yeah, he's watching Yi. He spins himself about, head cocking to the side as he stares unblinking in her direction.
Calls-Spirits merely sits in that easy crouch, his blue eyes watching everything.
Aubrey walks a little closer and sits beside Calls-Spirits on a patch of needles covering the ground under the larnge story tree.
"This Story Tree, Tobin Calls-Spirits, and now Aubrey Fairy-Spirit shall stand as witness to this Rite of Contrition," Yi begins. Another short intake of breath, and the Gnawer proceeds on. "Not more than three moons before, I dishonored you, White Bear. I also dishonored the Guardian pack which you are a part of. I was truly a fool's fool." The ragabash pauses, eyes set purposefully looking down, her head never lifting, all of her reading shame and embarrassment. "I met Tamara Spider-Eyes at the farmhouse, and thought to bring her onto the Bawn before I even knew the truth of standing at the Sept. She was not given permission to be on the Bawn. /I/ was not given permission to bring her either. Again, I was a fool." A tense undertone reveals itself underneath the humiliated tone the ragabash speaks with.
White Bear stays put from there, watching the Gnawer without much of anything registering on his posture immediately. His jaws stretch wide open for a moment, straitening his head out of the crook.
Basil merely listens quietly, his eyes perked high above his head, his eyes darting between Yi and White Bear every few moments.
Yi continues. "I did not have any gifts of my own to sense Spider-Eyes' truthfulness. I assumed she was allowed on the Bawn. I forgot the rules, and dared to break them. I... almost let the caern be violated. Were it not for you, White Bear, to stop me, it could have happened." Yi never looks up as she tells of the events, her mind reminded of the sharp embarrassment of her actions. "You performed your duty, and kept the Weaver from the Bawn's pureness. And I dishonored you by calling you names. My howls, harsh and /stupid/, dishonored your name. I called you tribeless. I called you a dog. I called you an idiot. I called you unworthy. I /dared/ to challenge your judgement as Guardian, and could not see my mistakes. I brought an outsider onto our sacred Bawn. Worse, I brought a /metis/ onto our Bawn, and dared to say she was more fit than you to be on it."
White Bear's posture becomes more upright, White Bear looking fairly alarmed right and quick. Four eyed Metis is a weaver thing? he asks, concern radiating from his posture once more.
Calls-Spirits' ears betray his surprise at that news also and he grunts softly to himself, but otherwise keeps his peace.
Aubrey remains quiet as well, looking towards the others, an eyebrow arched curiously.
"Spiders-Eyes was Garou, and not Weaver. But I did not have any Gifts that could tell me such. You were right to put the protection of the Caern, and the purity of the Bawn ahead of any outsider's safety." Yi narrows her gaze, growing tenser. Her eyes dip, only able to just see the forelegs of the ahroun. "However, it is the Alpha of the Guardians who has the say to allow outsiders on the Bawn. Not a foolish ragabash such as this one. And Jacinta Pierces-Ice-rhya said she was not allowed on the Bawn. I questioned your pack alpha's judgement, like the stupid urrah Gnawer I am who does not understand the true ways." Here she begins to approach as the sun flares red behind her, and the ragabash shifts as she walks about a third of the distance between herself and the Guardian. Even as she shifts, Yi maintains the humiliated, submissive and apologetic posture adopted for the rite. The Gnawer returns to her lupus form, and crawls like the lowest ranked wolf of all, inching towards White Bear. This one no longer questions White Bear's wisdom and honor. This one no longer questions White Bear's pack alpha's wisdom and honor. This one is a fool. This one, asks to be allowed to give her apology for her mistakes. All unwise acts, all dishonor, is on this one's pelt. Please forgive her. By the time the ragabash reaches White Bear's feet, she has no more pride in her than a worm. The ragabash turns over, tail tucked and ears flattened back. Her throat exposes itself to the Guardian, his to take.
White Bear's posture draws more upright, head bobbing up high as Yi wiggles her way across the ground towards him. As she rolls over, he goes right to work, stepping on over the Bone Gnawer and reaching down with his mouth to clamp his jaws over her muzzle in a fairly normal gesture of active dominance over the other. He pulls his head back up after a moment, planting his front legs on the other as he 'rides up', his whole posture fairly erect.
Calls-Spirits looks faintly troubled by Yi's story and subsequent groveling, but keeps his jaws clamped shut and just keeps watching.
Three-Blades is utterly still as White Bear expresses his complete authority over her, with just the scent of nervousness perceptible in the air. The sun in the west completely disappears behind the far horizon, and with a soft, placating whine the Gnawer makes an extremely humble request to perform one more act- to give White Bear something that will she will miss, and thus always be reminded to never be so foolish again.
Basil isn't used to the way thinks work with wolves and is left to watch the two, feeling a little uneasy as White Bear's jaws come around Yi's muzzle... Then again, it doesn't exactly seem violent, so he merely continues to watch.
Aubrey listens quietly, drawing out her legs in front of her as she stretches then and watches as Yi submits to the Ahroun.
White Bear hops on off the other after a moment, turning around with a funny looking stiff legged walk so to face the Ragabash again. He blinks cocking his head at the announcement of a gift, and the Ahroun presses his head forward as he watches Yi rather curiously.
Three-Blades slowly rolls back over when the ahroun lets her up. Though she stands up to four paws, her head is bowed low as close to her forepaws as she can get, tail remaining tucked between her legs. The Gnawer scoots over to where her jacket lies, noses around in the cloth and gently picks up a small rabbit-furred pouch no larger than a quarter. Tied to it on a sinew thong, a slightly battered, but still beautifully marked primary feather from some bird of prey. It smells distinctly of sage smoke, but around it also the scent of the Gnawer herself and undoubtedly a far off remnant of the city. With the bag between her teeth she slinks back over to White Bear, sets the bag down before him and backs away with a low crouch. This gift, was given to me by my packmate of long ago. A Wendigo galliard, Brings-the-Buffalo-Home. It was given to me because I had shown wisdom. But now, it is White Bear who is wise, and not Three-Blades. This one gives up her prize to the greater, and hopes he will accept. She crouches down very low, her bellyfur scraping over the dirt and grass.
White Bear leans forward to sniff at it as Yi sets it down, poking it with his nose a few times as he sniffs and snorts at the thing. Something about the smell disagrees with his nose, and he leans back to sneeze hard into the air. Shaking his head hard to clear it, he turns himself around and peers back over the Silver Fang and the Cub. Who are Large White Male-yuf and small black male? he inquires bluntly; despite how strait forward he is, Tobin appears to at least have some manner of respect ascribed to him as White Bear refers to him.
Calls-Spirits dips his head at the Guardian. ~I am Calls-the-Spirits-to-Battle, named so for my part in retaking the caern of the Hidden Walk. Cliath, born under the knife-moon to the First Tribe, second to Endures-the-Pain who leads our tribe in this sept. The cub has only a human name, Basil,~ he says, his manner deferential as he is in White Bear's territory, but confident of himself.
Three-Blades rises up once more as White Bear inquires, her expression confused at first when the ahroun does not take the Gift or give indication of accepting it. Given the Guardian's change of subject though, the ragabash doesn't seem all that keen to press the point, and instead also adds her answer to his query. The cub has no tribe. No cub-name. He was brought to see, and learn of the wolf's ways. The Garou ways.
Basil lifts his head as he hears himself being introduced by the other Garou, his eyes finding White Bear's but only for a moment. The cub works himself into a sit and bows his head down low enough to touch his nose to the ground, closing his eyes in doing so.
Aubrey remains as quiet as she was since she had arrived, although she raises her hand to give Calls' side a light pat.
White Bear starts forward towards Tobin, ignoring the cub for a moment. He sniffs at the other's feet and legs, raising his tail readily for Tobin to reciprocate. Alas, Gaia didn't seem to keep the lupus height in mind when when she placed the butt on the Crinos, and White Bear seems thoroughly thwarted by the taller Fang for the moment.
Calls-Spirits stares at White Bear for a moment, then shifts himself down to his lupus form to more easily accomodate wolf-greetings.
Star-Caller pages to Broom, Basil, Three-Blades, Kills-Wisely, Calls-Spirits, Aubrey, and White Bear: From the southern edge of the bawn comes a howl of warning. It is Star-Caller and she throws up the alert an intruder has come.
Three-Blades's head lifts with the howl of warning, tail lifting only a touch with tension. She glances back to Calls and the cub, a moment's indecision overcoming the Gnawer.
White Bear's posture freezes up when he hears the faint howl form the southern bawn, totally enscrewing the greetings as his posture rises to a distinct 'danger!', complete with tail panhandling behind him. He turns and bolts south full speed bounding south as fast as his little legs can carry him. Yi's gift, the cub, and all the others are totally forgotten.
Calls-Spirits whurfs at Yi. Go. I will guard the cub.
Three-Blades peels her lips back with a short whine, but concedes to the Silver Fang and looks right on at the cub. Do as Calls-Spirits says. No trouble. I will be back. Then, with a short chuff to the cliaths, the Gnawer turns and sprints off after White Bear.
Bawn: Southern Forest(#3017RAJ)
Evergreen trees spread their overhead branches wide across the forest floor. Each tree limb interlinks with its neighbor, forming a thick overhead canopy of pine needles that leaves the forest floor dim even at noon. An apparent tenseness seems to permeate the air here, and there is a somewhat less than subtle feeling that perhaps something is watching. The behavior of the wildlife in the area betrays a certain wariness that suggests the presence of predators nearby.
The southern edge of the bawn is marked here by the railroad tracks which run from St. Claire and Kent's Crossing to the west, towards the mountains to the east.
Contents:
White Bear
Kills-Wisely
Broom
Star-Caller
Seth
Obvious exits:
Ash Grove Railroad South Into the Caern Sept Compound Half Moon Pool Western Bawn Central Bawn Eastern Bawn
Star-Caller jerks back as her eyes sting and burn at the dirt that clouds them. Howling in rage, the Uktena gives her head a furious shake, snorting out dirt and snapping at the air. Squinting through her foggy, watering eyes, the philodox stalks forward, following her nose and ears towards the fuzzy form of the hiker.
Seth continues to scrabble backward, fear etched in his features, now. He tries once more to stand, but once more the his mauled leg betrays him and he lands again on his bottom. Even as he backs away, his fingers seek purchase on a stick, or rock, or any object he can use as a weapon.
[look Seth]
Five foot ten with red hair in wild disarray, Seth is a young man of apparent means, if not possessed of fashion sense. He appears healthy, strong, and fit, with muscular legs visible below his knee-length khaki shorts. The light blue T-shirt he wears bears the logo of a local band, a small tear along the shoulder. Around his waist is tied a red and green plaid flannel shirt. His hiking boots are of excellent quality, and the tan leather has been painted over with bright purple and orange designs.
His backpack is well made and of the upper end available in the finer sporting stores. Like his boots, the pack has been personalized in the most visible of ways. With enough room for a personal tent and sleeping bag, he probably carries enough for several days of hiking.
Around his neck, Seth wears a gold chain, a wolf's head pendant visible just below his collar.
Seth pages: Add mud and scratches and scrapes and dirt, oh, and a mauled left calf.
Once the wolf's eyes are cleared, the Uktena leans forward to sink her jaws into his pack and drag it away from him, putting herself between him and one more weapon he can use. She doesn't attack this time, but instead keeps a careful eye on the lame hiker, baring her teeth at him and ready to dance away from any flung objects.
Seth does indeed throw the first fist-sized rock he can grasp. His voice cracks as he shouts at her again, "Get! Get away!" His aim isn't great, but there is still power behind the throw. Even as the rock is out of his hand, he's reaching behind him for another.
Blood now soaks though his sock and the ground beneath his boot, and still more leaks from the torn calf.
Star-Caller jerks away from the rock but makes no motion to leave. She just keeps circling and pacing, as though she were aiming to keep him from escaping. She licks her jaws and stares at him down the length of her muzzle, nose twitching at the scent of blood.
Minutes pass, Seth's face growing pale. He doesn't get far, as the wolf circles and cuts off even his meager attempts at escape, but he does manage to get hold of a relatively large fallen branch. He makes a couple more half-hearted throws at the wolf between his attempts at cleaning the stick into a more useful weapon.
Making their way out into the open is Forath Ripper and Kills-Wisely. The large Get of Fenrir snarls loudly as he is seen in the lupine form, yellow eyes glowing brightly. Sniffing the air, he circles around the fallen, chuffing to Calls the Stars. Who is this?
The Wendigo, Kills-Wisely comes quickly through the trees but falls back slightly as Forath-Ripper continues ahead. He starts circling around the injured 'intruder' from a greater distance out, lips pulled back from teeth as he sniffs at the blood in the air.
Star-Caller does not know. The red wolf snorts and scratches her front claws through the dirt again, this time in more frustration than anger. She wonders if anyone recognizes this one? She growls lowly as she paces around to cover one side of the hiker, dark gold eyes fixing on him.
Seth's eyes grow wide as the other wolves arrive and his knuckles turn white around the stick he holds. "Wh-what the fuck is going on?" His voice is unsteady, his face pale, but the bleeding seems to have slowed.
Pacing side to side, Forath Ripper continues to watch the human, sniffing in his direction, then starts over in his direction, opening his jaws wide to reveal the sharp, bright teeth. He leaps forward, but to the side, looking to come around behind him and force him back away from the deeper parts of the bawn. What has he seen?
White Bear's cut a b-bline almost right down the bawn as fast he can, the Ahroun arriving later, despite his closer proximity to the southern bawn. He pants for air as he slows his arrival, slipping through the brush to the site of the commotion, the run across the uneven terrain of the bawn leaving him a tad short on breath.
Kills-Wisely quickly surges forward to take the Get's place when he leaps past the human. Leaning forward he shows no fear to the intruder, his muzzle only about a foot away from it's shoe. He sniffs deeply at the human, taking in all he can.
Three-Blades is around half a minute behind White Bear, her own lack of real familiarity with the Bawn causing the Gnawer's slight lag. Still, as she catches up to sight the white end of the ahroun Guardian's tail, she slows down rather. The Gnawer ducks down, her direction swinging off to one side. Only the quiet jangle of the chokechain around her neck betrays her presence audibly.
Star-Caller is not sure. She found him here. He was walking and planned to stay here. Star-Caller flares out the short ruff of fur around her neck, flinging her large ears forward to fix on Seth. She warned him. He would not go. The Uktena leans in and snarls at the hiker, the rest of her fur puffing out.
Seth swings his weapon out at the Get as he passes, but the stick passes only through air. When the Wendigo leans close, though, he gets a firm whack across the nose with branch, the small, sharp bits of wood tearing across his muzzle. "Get away from me!" he shouts, some strength coming back into his voice, as fear drives up his adrenalyn level.
Soon as the human swings away at the Wendigo, the Get has slipped off a bit, putting some distance between the group as he ducks behind a large amount of trees. He takes a moment to make sure the human's back is turned before shifting up into his breed form. Walking a good distance around behind cover, he comes out into view, holding what appears to be a heavy sledgehammer in his hands, jeans torn at the knees, leather jacket covering a heavily scarred upperbody. "Who the hell are you?" He calls over with a loud growl in his throat.
Kills-Wisely bites down a yelp from the smack on the nose as his face jerks away he circles back and around to face the intruder once again. He looks up to Brom now incredulously, far too intelligently to appear to be lupine until he catches himself and directs his snarls at the large man.
White Bear lifts his head, baring his clenched teeth as he utters sharp growl-bark at the Get, almost in effect a demand to know what the Get is doing. His hackles raise, prowling around and generally away from the Homid and the hiker.
Three-Blades remains where she is, concealing a fair portion of her smallish body from view as she watches. When Brom appears in Homid, the ragabash's eyes widen and her ears flatten back. It takes a bit of effort not to make a sound from where she is.
Star-Caller stalks for the fallen Seth and bares her teeth to the gums. If he is no one's kin, kill him. The philodox snarls and jerks her ear back towards the young man's knapsack. Does anyone know him? She demands again, tired of waiting with this threat on the bawn. She may not be a sept member, but an intruder is an intruder.
Seth swings his makeshift club again, but the sudden appearance of another stranger grabs his attention. "Wh-what?" He doesn't spare the large man more than a glance, the circling wolves still seeming the larger threat. Another swing of the stick and he reaches around, searching with his fingers for another rock. "Don't just stand there! Help me!"
Snorting at the other's reactions, Brom starts over towards the man, reaching out with a strong hand and yanks away his stick, snapping it with his strong fingers. "I asked you a question. Who the fuck are you? They won't bite unless I tell 'em too. So, you got about five seconds to tell me your entire life story before you have -me- to deal with. You're on private property and we shoot strangers out here. So, lets cut the bullshit and get to the point. Do you got family out here that you are looking for and trying to visit, those of Gaia's blood, or are you just the unlucky guy who walked into the wrong spread of woods?" He asks, blue eyes looming dangerously as invisible hackles rise, blowing out a hard breath into the man's face. "And don't try lying to me. I know when someone is lying."
White Bear turns around, growl raised into a full fledged snarl from his distance. Thing-Ripper will /not/ kill the ape! he practically barks once more, no uncertainty about that being an order to the Get Philodox.
Kills-Wisely settles for advancing once now on Brom, watching for another stick that may come his way from the stranger. ~Litany!~ he manages out roughly.
Three-Blades sharply perks her ears up at Kills, and cannot hold back her low sigh from behind the tree. Oh man.
Star-Caller lowers her head between her shoulders and fixes her eyes on Seth's prone form. All her senses are focusing in on him; eyes, nose, and ear. Her muzzle twists back and growls at the white wolf. Is he kin? If not, he dies. If he speaks, more will come. If he lives, the caern is in danger.
Seth holds tight to his only weapon and is half pulled from the ground before it slips from his grip, skin tearing from his palms and renewing the scent of fresh blood in the air. When he falls, he covers his head with his arms, leaning away from the big man defensively. "Jeezus man! Jeezus!" He's too panicky to put together a coherent thought, but through his uneven breaths he manages a few words. "I wa' just hiking. What the fuh? M' Seth. Just. Just, call them off, okay? Just hiking."
Snorting loudly, Brom stares at him, then heads over to his knapsack. "Don't fucking move." He says, eyes glowering over at White Bear and Kills Wisely, his eyes challenging the pair of them defiantly. He goes to pick up the bag, letting out a heavy breath. He is thinking, obviously.
White Bear snarls at the Uktena, cutting her reply somewhere in to the end when he summarily tells her he knows this. He focuses on Brom again: Thing-Ripper will /NOT/ kill the ape! he repeats his order all the more bluntly.
Kills-Wisely is almost at Brom's feet before the Get moves to go to the bag. He then circles back on the hiker. ~Get.~ Is all he growls out now, a forceful and angry sound to the roughly managed mother's tongue.
Three-Blades still doesn't move, her inaction saving her from sight.
Star-Caller has gone quiet as she moves around to the head of the hiker. She positions herself out of arm reach and sits, staring down at him. Why should we not kill him? She snorts out, fur beginning to puff out again.
As the large man moves away, Seth pulls his arms down from their protective positions. Now he fingers the pendant at his neck, alternately grasping it tightly and letting his fingers run around its edge. "These, uh, these yours?" His voice is still rough, his breathing not calm, and the pink in his cheeks from the fear is now fading to white.
"Hey motherfucker, you got a fucking better idea or are you just going to sit there like the useless mutt you are? I don't see either of you fucks /doing anyting." Brom says with a snarl, hurling the bag straight at White Bear with one hand, while the other clenches his sledge hammer. "You know what, you fucking deal with it." He says. "I'm not going to do a single thing since you /obviously/ know what the fuck you are doing." He snarls, openly challenging White Bear now as his eyes settle into his. "So go ahead fucker, do your thing. Sit around like a dog and continue to look confused." He ignores Seth now, his shoulders heaving as he /growls/ in the back of his throat.
White Bear turns to stare at Brom, hackles raised as he swells in size. He quivers, teeth bared at the other as his growl becomes uncontrolled. After a moment he steps forward, jaws opened. Thing-ripper will leave the bawn -now-. Thing-Ripper will not return to Hidden Walk Caern until White Bear has talked to Warder.
"I don't think so you fucking dog. Deal with it or shut the fuck up. You can't /order shit/." Brom says with a growl, squeezing the hammer tighter as he advances on White Bear, this time pushing the entire world out.
Kills-Wisely suddenly starts roughly barking as the hiker grasps at the pendant. Drop! He demands with hackles tightening, not letting his eyes part from the human. ~Away Get, or you deal with us all!~ He barks out in unnatural harsh tones.
Three-Blades switches out of her still state, finally appears out of the woods, with a huge raucous non-sensical barking. The chokechain around her neck weaves back and forth as she barks at the other wolves and the Get. No! Don't kill the human! she warns, although to Seth it would seem like any other barking sound. Kill this one and more will come! Let him leave! I will bring him away! It seems like a crazy thing for the Gnawer to say, but she stands there defiantly in the face of /all/ of the other Garou, eyes shifting back and forth.
By this point, the Uktena is livid. Star-Caller howls out a snarl of fury, a demand to be silent as she lurches up to her paws. Never does she takes her eyes off the hiker. Who of you can keep the caern safe and him alive? Tell me if you can. As Three-Blades comes forward, the philodox jerks her head towards the ragabash. The red wolf's eyes narrow, but only a moment passes before she barks. Take him. Make sure he does not return. If he does, it is your problem.
By this point, the Uktena is livid. Star-Caller howls out a snarl of fury, a demand to be silent as she lurches up to her paws. Never does she takes her eyes off the hiker. Who of you can keep the caern safe and him alive? Tell me if you can. As Three-Blades comes forward, the philodox jerks her head towards the ragabash. The red wolf's eyes narrow, but only a moment passes before she barks. Take him. Make sure he does not return. If he does, it is your problem.
From afar, to the room, Seth feels the need to remind everyone that we are at the very very very southern edge of the bawn.
Kills-Wisely looks to the Uktena after Three-Blades makes her demand. He makes a demand himself. ~Guardian decides.~
Seth is at once fascinated and afraid. When wolf and man appear to argue, his fingers tighten again around his pendant, but the nearer wolf barking at him causes him to panic further and he tries again to scrabble away, kicking dirt with his good leg, though he only manages to move a pair of inches. Yi's frenzied barking does nothing to eas his discomfort and he just starts to close in on himself.
White Bear doesn't even bother responding to the Get or the Uktena, the Ahroun livid in his own right. In a blaze of a motion the wolf streaks forward, boiling up to the war form to try and draw the blade edge of his spear across the Hiker's neck to slit his throat.
"How fucking hard was that?" Brom says in a snarl as he shifts up into the Crinos form himself, shooting a quick, wild look down towards Kills-Wisely. ~Thall shall not allow a Caern to be violated. Listen to the Uktena, she obviously knows what the fuck she is talking about. You let humans just come and go? Idiots.~ He says, twisting himself around to watch all, taking a step back to put some distance between him and the others.
Three-Blades cuts off her barking at the sight of two turning warform, and yelps in surprise, quickly backing off.
Star-Caller turns and fixes her eyes on Kills-Wisely. She did not see a Guardian here. Where was a Guardian when he came so far? But then, as everyone starts shifting, the Uktena's eyes go as wide as saucers as shock hits her like a ton of bricks. Mad. You are all mad! She howls and whirls away, leaving the man to his fate as she stalks past Three-Blades and off into the trees.
Blood spurts from the young man's neck, spraying from slashed arteries and bubbling as air escapes through the hole in his windpipe. Reflexive movements bring his hands to his throat, but it is a futile gesture that merely coats more of his body in his blood. Rattling, gasping breaths spray more red liquid into the air and onto fur and leaves and ground, as Seth slides downward. Eyes grow cold and sightless. His body grows limp. One hand clutches futilely at the pendant around his neck.
So close to the hiker, a hot spray of blood covers Kills-Wisely's face. He seems stunned for more than a moment, something about him becomes very still. Too still. His eyes look like they are blurring between red and black and his body quivers in place, jaw clenched what looks to be painfully tight as crimson drips from his fur. He is clearly on the edge of frenzy.
White Bear points the still bloodied spear at Brom, hackles raised. ~You moon-calf! You will -not- challenge the leader in a time of war! You will leave the Bawn /now!/And you will -not- return until the Warder says you may!~ The death of the young man seems almost lost on him, so infuriated he is. ~Three-Blades. You. Stay here.~
~ You are not the leader, at all. You are a tribeless dog and you have no fucking voice or council over me /or/ the Get of Fenris,~ Forath Ripper says with a loud growl as he points his war hammer at him. ~You need to act like a Garou and not like a dog. Humans do -not- come on the Bawn, or they die. The Caern shall /not/ be violated. It is the Litany. If a human got this far, then you are not doing /your/ job so you are not fit to be a leader. You aren't even fit to have a tribe or act upon your own true birth. You snarled when I spoke to him, you snarled when I did nothing. You sat there, on your ass and did /nothing/. He was bleeding, he was already attacked.~ The Get roars back. ~He would have came back with /more/ to kill the wolves. You are pathetic.~
With no one stopping her, Star-Caller breaks into a full run and leaves the scene, and the Walk Garou, to whatever may happen.
Three-Blades turns her head as the blood sprays. When White Bear tells her to stay where she is, she does so. The Gnawer crouches really low, clearly not intending to get in between the arguing Garou now.
A low growl starts to come from the ignored Wendigo's throat, building slowly in pitch. He doesn't move, except to shiver, eyes staring empty out into the trees.
~All you say may be true.~ White Bear intones dangerously. ~But I have the authority as war leader of the pack of the Warder, and so I /do/ have have voice over you. And you will leave. Now.~
Snorting loudly, Forath Ripper snarls cruely at the tribeless one. ~I will speak to the Alpha in the morning of this, and make sure that you are removed from not only your post, but perhaps your life for allowing the Sep to be endangered so carelessly because you have the logic of a mutt. No wonder cockroach abandoned you.~ The Get of Fenris says with a snarl, starting off, heading back towards the farmhouse, holding himself proud.
Almost as if he were the cause, or at least the proximity of him and White Bear together, as Brom starts to move away so too does Kills-Wisely begin to calm. When he finally stops shaking he manages the shift to homid, where he looks deeply saddened. "None of us did service to Gaia today. Let him go, Joshua. This is for Seeker and Firewatcher to... do... something." He seems to be deflated after having nothing to really target his rage on, during such a thin moon.
White Bear's teeth creak as they mash into each other, handpaw clenching around the shaft of his spear like he was strangling the Get by proxy. Shaking in place, he growls low as foam gathers at the edges of his muzzle. The Ahroun looks to be holding himself together and away from frenzy, only barely. He turns to Yi, eyes and nostrils flared as he attempts to being rational conversation, but with his rage so close to the surface all he manages to do is growl a whole lot.
Three-Blades flattens all the way down, tail sweeping underneath her at the Guardian's gaze, lips curled back and slightly up in a fear-placating smile of an omega. The ragabash still remembers her words to White Bear earlier, and looks at his toes rather than his face, almost expecting him to spear her through. This one... she ventures with a quiet whine. This one can make sure the human's death does not bring others here.
Michael kneels now at the body, wondering at that amulet. Prying the human's hands from it, Michael's curiosity takes over his attention.
White Bear grunts something gruff, taking one last moment to press the beast back into place. He gives the Gnawer a silent affirmitve. ~I have used man tools to kill him, not claws or teeth, so it may look like another ape killed him. You will take him to the scab and put him in a place where apes are likely to have their necks slit and their things taken.~ He breaths, pointedly not focusing on anything at the moment, just glaring off. ~Leave all his things with him, so when they find him, they may know who he is and they will not search the lands to the south. Are you able to do this?~
Michael reaches down suddenly, and as strange as it is for a Wendigo, he checks for a pulse of any kind at the man's ruined throat.
Three-Blades licks her muzzle lightly, looking briefly to the human corpse, and then back at the Guardian. She chuffs a short, quick and nervous 'yes', but looks at Michael. Please don't touch anything on the twolegs, she requests.
Michael sighs as he reaches around the dead man's neck to take off the chain, ignoring Yi for now. Lifting it up he stands again, resting the amulet in his hand. "Its solid gold. A Wolf's head. The sun behind it. This means something."
White Bear looks sharply over to the Wendigo, staring expectantly at the other Ahroun as if waiting him to finish some sentence.
Three-Blades doesn't move to stop Michael however, daring to rise back up to her paws. It... could mean anything, she notes with a subdued whine. Then, she slowly shifts back to her homid form, and is walking a little closer to the two Garou and the dead. "He could have been kin. Lost kin. But that doesn't matter now. I will get him away from here, and make sure no humans come looking this way."
Michael looks up to White Bear uselessly, then over to Yi. "We keep the amulet. Do what you will with the body. We'll get this to someone who would know what it means."
White Bear grunts at Michael, not bothering to disagree with him. ~Calls-Spirits-to-Battle is at the Caern. He is a spirit howler.~ He offers curt, leaning on his weapon hard. ~Do you know one who knows gift of calling Vermin that belongs to the Omega tribe, Three-Blades?~ He inquires bluntly.
Yi is still looking downwards at Seth, but when she glances back up to Michael about to say something, her attention is diverted back to the Guardian. "If... if you mean the gift that makes a sweet honey smell and calls bug and rat spirits to aid in distracting... yes, I do," she replies quietly. The Gnawer is, however, tensed and wary.
Michael nods and starts off towards the Caern, silent.
~They are vermin, yes? They eat the flesh of dead things, yes?~ He follows up, offering no 'good bye' to Michael as he leaves. He's rather focused Yi at the moment.
Yi looks from corpse to Guardian and back again. "Yes," she answers with a slight nod, "But it will take too long for them to eat the human, and they do not eat the bones. It will still be a danger. I can only take the body far, far away and make sure the humans find it far from the bawn, closer to the city." She looks back up to the Guardian then, but never in a challenging way. "If you will allow me. I must do so quickly, or else it will look more suspicious."
White Bear snorts, shifting down to Lupus; the weapon disappears as he falls to all fours again, coat a little bloody. It does not need to eat the whole ape. The vermin will eat enough so hides the bite from the Uktena when Three-Blades puts the ape in the scab."
Yi sighs quietly, and then simply nods again to the lupus formed Guardian. "I will make sure they do not know it was her, or any of us," she repeats again, shifting her weight rather tensely under the eye of the ahroun.
White Bear turns to the pack regarding it dumbly for a moment he heads forward a few steps, looking at it with a tired sort of resignation, before shifting back up to Crinos to pick it up. ~Not take pack with you.~ He explains. ~Two Leggers do not use packs in the scab. It would look odd.~ He starts to lumber off the other direction, eastward to the bluff, pack in hand as he leaves Yi to her own.
Yi starts to lift her hand, and takes a step forward. "No White Bear. He must have told someone he was out here in the woods. He needs to look like he died somewhere else, not here. And /with/," she says quickly, "his things."
White Bear stops, turning around to stare at Yi. Leaning on his weapon, he just stands there with a blank look for several moments before responding. ~If they find him in the woods, they will think that he had found a place for making bad poison, and they will search the woods for it, and maybe come into the bawn, no?~ He waits a few more moments, before finishing. ~It does not matter what he tells others. If they find body in the scab, they will not think he arrived in the woods, but died before.~
Yi sucks in a breath and grits her teeth. "Fine," she utters through clenched jaw. "But I must hurry," she notes aloud with a sense of urgency. "I need the human's things to make this trick work," she states plainly, a hand reaching out with palm up. "Please, White Bear. There is no time."
~I do not see why you need the ape's things to make the trick work.~ He replies bluntly, flexing his hand around the weapon shaft as he stares at Yi for a long moment, before the squat crinos tosses it over to near the Gnawer. ~Do not leave it with the ape in the scab. It would make no sense if it were there, and the others would know something is wrong.~
Yi shakes her head. "I will not leave it with the ape in the scab, of course," she replies.
White Bear grunts a noncommittal, turning as he resumes his pace away from her, this time bending more northward as he returns to the Caern instead.
Yi bows her head once to the departing Guardian, and thus sets to work with the body's disposal, shifting up to Glabro and hefting the body and pack up with her. The Gnawer heads in an opposing direction, away through the dark woods.
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