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The five cubs are taken by their tribal Elders to a secluded clearing
out in the woods south of the Caern. Here they have the cubs sit in a
circle, and give each a small bit of paste on a piece of bread of
wafer. The paste is eaten and the Garou lay down. Whatever the
concoction is, some of the herbs must be used to aid in sleeping,
because soon all five of the cubs are sound asleep. The ritual is
performed over their sleeping forms, with various glphs drawn on their
faces by the adults. Symbols for glory and wisdom and honor, as well
as safe passage and the glyph of each particular cub's tribe. When
they awaken, the adults are gone, the clearing is gone, and in fact,
they're in a completely different wood.
Derrick rolls over. "Wha da hey?"
Dante shifts into Lupus form.
Derrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Derrick shifts into Lupus form.
Laughing-Coyote raises his nose to the wind, searching for familiar
scents.
As the cubs awaken, they notice their companions are not there. Only
Derrick and Dante lie on this particular hillside.
Derrick ruffs in alarm. Where'd everyone _else_ go?
Laughing-Coyote turns to Leads. Laughing-Coyote assumes we are supposed
to find them and get home.
Laughing-Coyote grins feeling the warm weather.
Laughing-Coyote, but, soon, roots around the area, searching for
anything familiar, and waiting for Derrick to calm down.
Derrick snuffles around. I'm sure I would love this place, were I not
worried out of my skin. He shakes his ruff and settles down to looking
for anything useful.
As the pair awaken further, they notice that the woods has a different
character than that near the caern. The undergrowth is denser and the
trees are huge, conifers spiking up to a deep blue sky with no hint of
polluting haze. The air is deep and vibrant, and the forest seems as
ancient as time itself.
Deep Forest(#3805RFJ)
The ground here is sloped but not rocky, a densely forested stretch of
land that shows no signs of civilization. Rising ground leads to
distant mountains in one direction; beyond that, there are no visible
landmarks save for the trees that surround you. Faint animals trails
occasionally cross one another before winding out in various
directions, and tend to provide the easiest routes through the trees
and underbrush.
Contents:
Laughing-Coyote
Derrick
Obvious exits:
Clearing
Laughing-Coyote paws one of the trees, sniffing it. It is different,
Leads.
A breeze passes through, murmuring through the dark underbrush and
making the pine needles whisper against each other. The air carries a
definite scent: Garou, upwind.
Laughing-Coyote looks over at Leads to see what he is up to.
Derrick perks his ears up at the scent. Hey. Let's check that out...
Laughing-Coyote lolls his tongue. Waiting for you slowpoke.
Laughing-Coyote leaps off, following the scnet.
Derrick lolls a bit, too, and lopes off to flank Dante.
Laughing-Coyote tracks the scent as best he is able.
The two lupus run through the dense growth, startling a few mice into
their holes and getting a red squirrel to scold them with a *takka
takka takka* sound from high in her tree. It doesn't take too long
before the skid into a tiny clearing, to find Dusty cautiously
exploring the area around him in homid form.
Laughing-Coyote leaps upon Dusty.
Derrick lets Dante do the leaping. Hello, Dusty!
Dusty oofs as he goes down under a solid block of wolf, and attempts to
roll over immediately to see what hit him from behind.
Laughing-Coyote licks Dusty's face vigorously.
Derrick watches this display with amusement. Dante, give the man some
warning, yes?
Laughing-Coyote lolls his tongue.
Dusty, too relieved it wasn't something big and too ugly to argue,
submits to the licking, then lifts elbows and knees in a concerted
attempt to get his tribemate off of him.
Laughing-Coyote rolls over and off, standing back on all fours.
Dusty gets up, now covered in leaves and burrs and other companions,
looks over at Derrick. "So where's everybody else? And where are we?"
Laughing-Coyote thinks we are not on Earth anymore. Or Australia.
Derrick does not know, and does not know. Things are somewhat vague,
still.
The piercing shriek of a hunting bird echoes from overhead, some
distance away.
Laughing-Coyote glances up idlly, paying little mind to the bird.
Derrick cocks an ear. What sort of bird was that?
Dusty harumphs at that, then jumps at the shriek of the bord, wincing
slightly at the discordant call. He mutters, "Sheesh...well first
thing we gotta remember, it doesn't have to make sense." He looks
around. "This place is really old, wherever it is. Pick a direction."
The type of bird is unclear. A falcon, perhaps. Perhaps not. It does not
call again.
Dusty looks down at himself, then at the other two, makes a face, sighs,
and shifts to lupus form.
Dusty contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Dusty shifts into Lupus form.
Derrick lifs a paw, uncertain. I say we go toward the bird call.
Laughing-Coyote nods in agreement.
Dusty flicks an ear. This way, then. He turns his head towards Derrick,
as if waiting.
Laughing-Coyote snifs the air, again.
Derrick suggests Dante take the rear, and sets off.
Laughing-Coyote slides behind Dusty, and waits for him to leave.
Laughing-Coyote's mind working at 1000 miles per hour.
Laughing-Coyote wonders if someone is going to tell us a task.
The way Dusty carries himself as he lopes along suggests that he doubts
it, as well as something else.
Eventually, Derrick intercepts a familiar scent. Further sniffing
confirms it. Madeline passed this way.
Dusty snifs at the ground, after everyone else, then urns his head,
looking around.
Derrick whurfs. Hey, Maddy.
Laughing-Coyote stops, but doesn't look around. He keeps concentrating.
Derrick snuffles about, trying to find an actual scent trail.
Laughing-Coyote snurfles at himself.
Finding the trail seems easier than earlier attempts, back at the Wheel.
Perhaps it's the clear air. Judging by the strength of the scent,
broken branches, and the breeze, Madeline is north-west of the group.
Derrick sets off in said direction, nose to ground.
Dusty follows almosy as an afterthought.
Laughing-Coyote follows right after them.
Before Madeline can be found, a huge looming shadow comes out of the
underbrush. Positively imposing, the grey-furred hispo breaks across
the faint trail right in front of the group. He swivels his head
toward the pack and growls low in his throat. ~There you are. I'd
thought you'd been eaten by the fucking bears.~ The side of his face
is a ruin, claw marks showing clearly what lost him his left eye.
Laughing-Coyote ducks down to the ground, curling his tail between his
legs.
Derrick skids to a halt. Sir?
Behind the Hispo comes a second Garou, this one in Lupus. Did you get
lost? As he calls out, he moves around his packmate to approach the
trio. The Caern is this way!
Scarface growls impatiently, then lets out a short ragged howl. They are
found, unharmed.
Dusty turns his head toward Derrick. What about ~Madeline~?
Derrick looks askance at Scarface, but says, calmly, I was not lost. I
was but exploring.
Laughing-Coyote looks up, between the two adult Garou. We were not told
were to go.
The wolf goes over to Derrick and bumps him in greeting. Where is
Silverfur?
Scarface snorts again, seemingly unimpressed. ~At least you had the
sense to go with half your pack. Where's the rest?~ He then rounds on
the Gaian, turning so his baleful brown eye can meet the ragabash's.
~Are you cubs to be led to bed, Quicksilver?~
Laughing-Coyote meets his eyes for a moment, confusion and anger
flashing in them, then looks down. "No sir."
Derrick bumps back, attempting to deal with the fact that these people
know him and no vice verse. We are exploring... and attempting to find
the rest of the pack.
Laughing-Coyote looks down at himself and at his friends, scrutinizing.
Dusty looks in the direction of the trail they had been following, ears
perked, and simply waits.
Scarface snorts again, the dour old warrior again seeming unimpressed.
~Surely children of Lion can do more than attempt.~
Derrick says, again calmly, we have her scent. We are moving toward her.
That is more than attempting, I would think.
Laughing-Coyote nudges Derrick and whispers to him. We are in the past.
Smallpaw gives Laughing coyote a puzzled look, then the wolf moves
around to stand behind and to the side of his pack alpha.
Derrick flashes Dante a _look_.
Dusty barks once, clearly waiting for others, then looks back in the
direction of the trail.
Scarface acceeds that, if grudgingly. The warrior lifts his heavy head
and samples the breeze. ~Silverfur is not far, if my nose tells me
right. And my packmate is in that direction too.~ A noise of crashing
bushes comes to the group and the warrior tenses in readiness.
Laughing-Coyote backs down, whimpering.
Smallpaw looks up to see what's approaching. Although he's dwarfed by
his Hispo packmate, the small Get is still an effective Guardian and
can hold his own.
Derrick looks up, and moves somewhat away from Scarface, facing the
crashing, ready to move further as necessary.
Laughing-Coyote backs into the rear of the group, very submissively.
Madeline appears, crashing through the bushes. "There you guys are. What
the hell happened? And who's that?" She gestures towards Scarface.
Laughing-Coyote is just shutting the hell up.
Dusty turns his head towards the crashing, thouggh his manner says that
he has not forgotten about Madeline. and watches quietly.
Derrick barks happily. Hi!
Scarface bristles anew. ~You make enough noise to bring the bears down
on our very heads, Silverfur, and then you pretend lost of memory? I
am no rotagar, to enjoy such jesting.~
Smallpaw thinks we should get back to the Caern before we attract any
more attention.
Derrick whurfs to attract Maddy's attention. We will explain later. Ok?
Madeline says "Um, yeah. What're we supposed ta be doin'?"
Dusty appears to watch Madeline for a moment, then moves a few feet away
from the group and waits, lowered tail flicking back and forth idly.
Scarface growls. ~Let us return to the caern. I will assume your Shadow
Lord packmate can fend for himself, if he is not with you.~ The Get
turns toward the north, the way he came.
Deep Forest(#3805RFJ)
The ground here is sloped but not rocky, a densely forested stretch of
land that shows no signs of civilization. Rising ground leads to
distant mountains in one direction; beyond that, there are no visible
landmarks save for the trees that surround you. Faint animals trails
occasionally cross one another before winding out in various
directions, and tend to provide the easiest routes through the trees
and underbrush.
Contents:
Madeline
Dusty
Laughing-Coyote
Derrick
Obvious exits:
Clearing
Laughing-Coyote pokes Madeline in the leg. Lupus.
Madeline sighs. "Oh, fine."
Madeline contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Madeline shifts into Lupus form.
Madeline looks at Derrick. Can we trust that one?
Laughing-Coyote waits for the others, but is obviously waiting for them
to follow.
Derrick whuffs uncomfortably. Yes. We can talk later.
Derrick follows Scarface.
Dusty turns his head, surveying the area with eyes and nose, before
turning to quietly follow.
Scarface, luckily, has his back turned and doesn't see the question. He
moves on ahead, passing through the thick underbrush with practiced
ease despite his huge bulk.
Madeline doesn't look really pleased with the situation, but is willing
to follow reluctantly. She's expecting something bad to happen at any
moment.
Smallpaw sets off after his packmate, moving with considerable more
enthusiasm. The younger wolf moves on ahead, scouting the area to make
sure there is no danger for the others.
Laughing-Coyote follows last.
You move into a clear area of the forest.
Forest Clearing(#3814RFJ)
The change from dense forest to woodland clearing, though a natural one,
is nevertheless rather abrupt. No more than some fifty yards across at
the widest point, the ground here is level underfoot, the dirt
well-packed under the feet of both man and animal. A particularly
immense tree, a lightning-scarred and weatherworn testament to its
years, seems to be a focal point to this small area. Beyond it, to the
northeast, the land rises at an angle steep enough to make climbing
difficult at best.
Obvious exits:
Forest
The Guardian members lead the pack back to the caern, where five Garou
stand and lay in various positions around the great tree. Eyes are
immediately drawn to the one with his back leaning against it, but it
is another who first speaks. A tall blonde glabro man leaning on a
carved staff says pleasantly, ~We had thought you had forsaken Thor's
Tree so soon.~ The pale grey wolf bitch near him--the only female in
the clearing--gives an amused snort.
Derrick blinks innocently. Who, us?
The athro only chuckles. ~Well, we have no other visitors at this time.~
Scarface rumbles something about ~drunk on mead~ and stalks toward the
tree.
Madeline says, ~Who are you? And where are we?~
Dusty's tail droops a bit more, but he says nothing.
Laughing-Coyote covers his head with his paws.
Derrick says to Maddy, quite carefully, Could the pack perhaps talk in
private?
The other man speaks. Although he is in homid, he is easily the most
impressive Garou in the Caern. He wears his pure breeding like a cloak
about him at all times, exuding an aura of command and presence.
~Didn't run across any trouble while you were out, did you?~ asks
Odinson.
Odinson moves back toward the trees. If he notices Madeline's
questions, he doesn't comment on them. ~Of course, Falconwing. East of
here should be private enough. But don't get lost again.~ With a small
laugh, he pushes himself away from the tree and begins pacing.
Scarface grumbles to the bitch as he walks by. I think Silverfur got hit
on the head when they were exploring.
Derrick flicks an ear, and indicates politely, no, none. We were just
exploring. Looking at the cubs, he says, Come. We have to talk.
Derrick wanders off a tad.
Derrick heads back out into the forest.
Laughing-Coyote heads back out into the forest.
You leave the clearing for the denser stretch of forest that lies
beyond.
Deep Forest(#3805RFJ)
The ground here is sloped but not rocky, a densely forested stretch of
land that shows no signs of civilization. Rising ground leads to
distant mountains in one direction; beyond that, there are no visible
landmarks save for the trees that surround you. Faint animals trails
occasionally cross one another before winding out in various
directions, and tend to provide the easiest routes through the trees
and underbrush.
Contents:
Laughing-Coyote
Derrick
Obvious exits:
Clearing
Derrick butts Dante's shoulder. This is weird.
Laughing-Coyote contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Laughing-Coyote shifts into Homid form.
Madeline comes into view from some direction.
Dante says "No, I don't think so. It's pretty obvious to me what has
happened."
Derrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Derrick shifts into Homid form.
Madeline contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Madeline shifts into Homid form.
Dusty also trails behind.
Madeline says "What's goin' on here? Who are those guys?"
Derrick says "Doesn't make it any less weird. You explain, though, I've
only vaguely figured it out."
Dante says "Okay, we're in past lives, obviously. This is like the
Middle Ages, or something, and we must be in middle Europe somewhere."
Madeline raises an eyebrow. "Really? Then, who am I?"
Derrick says "I dunno, we seem to be ourselves. But we're certainly not
in Kansa - er, Washington anymore."
Dante says "Leads is Falconwing, you are Silverfur, Maddy and I'm
Quicksilver."
Derrick says "And they called you Silverfur... which fits as a deedname,
or it did before."
Madeline says "Huh. Well, okay. Next, where are we?"
Derrick says "They seem to know us. And act like we oughta know them.
Which is why I was acting like I did, 'cause saying we don't'll just
get 'em annoyed, or thinking we're crazy."
Derrick says "I dunno. Umbra, somewhere?"
Dante says "Germany."
Dante says "Or, maybe the Legendary Realm?"
Derrick says "Germanic Umbra. Ok. There's certainly enough Get around."
Dante says "or the Get homeland?"
Derrick says "I dunno. What's their homeland like?"
Madeline says "Wait. Are we Get now?"
Dante shrugs.
Derrick says "No. 'Cause he called Dillan a Lord and stuff."
Dante says "I think we're still our tribes."
Derrick says "And me a Fang. I think we're in the Legendary Realms,
which means we gotta do a specific something to get home, doesn't it,
Dante?"
Derrick says "Not that we know what that something IS..."
Dante says "I bet we're supposed to Learn an Important Lesson as
well..."
Madeline says "Do we know if we can trust those guys? Maybe it's a
trick."
The capitalization in his voice is obvious.
Derrick twirls his hand around. "Whee."
Dante says "Can we trust any Get?"
Dante says "I don't know, but we /were/ sent here, on purpose. I doubt
it's a trick."
Derrick looks at Maddy seriously. "I'm not gonna fall into bed with 'em,
but I'm also not gonna refuse their help. But you're right, we don't
know if what we have to do, or whatever, is something they'd like.
Derrick "
Dante says "Personally, I suggest we just hang out and discreetly snif
around until they say 'hey, this is what you're supposed to do.'"
Madeline shrugs. "Probably we have ta kill somethin'."
Derrick says "I bet there won't be any "Hey this is what you're supposed
to do" - it'll probly be a lot less obvious than that. But definitely,
hang around and try'n make friends, and stuff.""
Derrick says "Drew was tellin' me about his Rite, once. He was in
another -body-, but it was the same kinda thing - people knew him, and
he had to figure out what do to."
Dante grumps for a sec.
Madeline says "Huh. Well, I guess I'm glad I'm still me, ya know?"
Dante is quiet for a moment. "We need to make a decision."
Derrick blinks. "What kinda decision?"
Dante says "It's okay to sit and talk like this when we have time to do
it. But sometimes, you know, quick decisions have to be made. And
that's why someone's gotta be alpha, and when they say something, we
gotta listen."
Madeline nods. "I can do it. I'm an Ahroun, an' a Fang, and all that."
Dante bites his lip. "I'd rather have Derrick do it."
Derrick looks distinctly uncomfortable.
Madeline says "He's a Ragabash. Isn't that, like, not traditional?"
Dante says "So? I think he's the best for the job."
Dante says "No offense to you, Maddy, but I hardly know you, and I like
you, but I...just don't think..."
Dante says "I mean... I think Derrick's better."
Madeline says "Okay, well, now we gotta have a dominance struggle,
right?"
Derrick says, "I think we're doing that right now, actually."
Dante gets quiet. "Maddy, you think too much. You shouldn't say 'now we
gotta have a dominance struggle', you should /know/ it. Listen to your
instincts.
Derrick says "Look, I don't really care who does what. As long as it's
not Dillan."
Dante looks at Derrick. "Well, I do care."
Madeline says "Well, maybe we should hear what Dillan has to say, before
we decide."
Derrick sighs. "Yeah, I know. I'd kinda rather do stuff myself... And we
can redecide leadership stuff when we find Dillan, but right now he's
not _here_."
Dante purses his lips.
Derrick says "This kinda thing, we can get beaten before we even know
it. So we gotta be on our toes."
Dante says "It's not that I don't beileve you could be a great leader,
Maddy, it's mostly I don't know you that well. We all know Derrick,
and we all trust him to make good decisions, right?"
Madeline frowns. "This ain't cause I'm a girl, is it?"
Dante looks at her evenly. "Let's make a deal right now, okay? I won't
think that you aren't competent because you're a girl, and you don't
think I'm not competent because I'm Indian, all right?"
Derrick snorts.
Madeline says "Okay, fine. How 'bout we let Derrick be the Alpha, but
I'm the War Leader?"
Dante says "You mean you want to be alpha when we're in a fight?"
Derrick nodnods! "That's cool with me. 'Cause I can't fight, much."
Madeline says "Yeah. If we get in a fight, I'm in charge. Kinda like
that guy on Star Trek."
Dante says "That's okay with me, too. Did they teach you tactics and
stuff, Maddy?"
Madeline nods. "I've been studyin', with Timothy."
Derrick says "She's good, too."
Dante accepts that. "Have you ever read Sun Tzu?"
Madeline says "Nope."
Dante says "You should, I think."
Dante smiles. "There's something else I think we should talk about.
Derrick says, slightly warily, "Yeah?"
Dante says "I think, if we're going to be a pack, to help the both of
you be in charge, we should tell each other what we think our
strengths and weaknesses are."
Dante says "I think that will help you both with your decisions."
Derrick grins. "Ok... You start, then."
Madeline says "Okay. I'm good at fightin', and that kinda stuff. I'm not
so good at all that people stuff. An I don't have much book smarts,
but I got street smarts."
Dante says "Where are you from, Maddy?"
Madeline says "Saint Claire."
Dante says "Lived there all your life?"
Madeline nods. "Until they brought me to the farmhouse."
Dante says "Okay, well, I'm from the Zuni Reservation in New Mexico, and
my mom was an English teacher, so I read a lot when I was little,
espcially since there wasn't a heck of a lot to do..."
Dante says "So, I like to think I'm pretty smart. And I am kind of
quick, and Rose tought me a lot of tumbling things."
Dante says "However, I'm small, like you see. In crinos, I'm only about
as big as Derrick is now."
Madeline says "I'm not as quick as Rose, but I'm a lot tougher."
Dante looks at Derrick.
Derrick grins. "I'm from Connecticut. I'm pretty good at trackin' stuff
to begin with, and I've been buggin' some folks around here to help me
be better at it. I can pick stuff up pretty quick, and I'm an ok
people person. I'm not _good_ at fightin', but i can last awhile." He
pauses to think. "I read a lot. Um."
Madeline says "Well, is there anything else to do tonight? Maybe we
should get some sleep, to be ready. But I want someone standin' guard
from our pack always, just in case."
Derrick nods. "Me too. Hm. You take first, Dante? Then me, then Maddy,
then Dusty?"
Madeline says "Sounds good ta me."
Dante says "Okay."
Dante sits up, leaning himself against a tree, watching.
Madeline takes a spot under a tree, and lies down. "Man, I can't believe
we're really here on this."
Dante coughs, quietly, and starts singing, his voice surprisingly deep
and well-trained for his small form...
Derrick says "Me neither. I mean, Garou's weird enough, but we're gonna
become official adults!"
Dante sings, "Even in the quietest moments, I wish I knew... what I had
to do/And even though the sun is shining, well, I feel the rain..."
Dante sings, "Here it comes again, dear/And even when you showed me, my
heart was out of tune"
Dante sings, "There's a shadow of doubt that's not letting me find you
too soon/The music that you gave me, the language of my soul"
Dante sings, "Oh, I want to be with you, won't you let me come in from
the cold"
Dante sings, "Don't you let the sun fade away/Don't you let the sun fade
away/Don't you let the sun be leaving, won't you come to me soon?"
Dante sings, "And even though the stars are listening, at the ocean's
deep/I just go to sleep"
Dante sings, "Then I create a silent movie and become the star/Is that
what you are, dear?"
Dante sings, "Your whisper tells a secret, your laughter brings me
joy/And a wonderful feeling I'm nature's only poor boy"
Dante sings, "But still the tears keep falling, they're raining from the
sky/Well, there's a lot of me yet to go under before I get high"
Dante sings, "Don't you let the sun dissapear/Don't you let the sun
dissapear/Don't you let the sun be leaving, no it can't be leaving my
life"
Dante sings, "Say that you won't be leaving my life/Say that you won't
be leaving my life/Stay, won't you please... stay, won't you
please.../Stay, won't you please... stay, won't you please... "
Dante pauses for a moment, after his voice has grown passionate and
moving... and then sings again, in the same quiet, near whisper he
began the song with.
Dante sings, And even when the song is over, where have I been?/Was it
just a dream?"
Madeline drifts off to sleep, soothed by the rhythms of Dante's voice.
Dante sings, "And though your door is always open, where do I begin?/May
I please come in, dear?"
Dante quietly hums a few bars, and then stops, looking to see if they'd
both fallen asleep yet.
Derrick is half awake and half asleep, nearer to the former.
Dante whispers. "Night Derrick..."
Derrick falls asleep.
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