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Andrea gives the Stargazer a measuring look, then nods once. ~That is
well. You have come to me asking for teaching. It will be good to see
what strength you have in support of a rite.~ She gestures toward a
circle she has etched on the ground already, with small green stones
lining the edges and the spokes. ~The spirits I mean to call of those
of Nature, for vampires are certainly one of the things most directly
opposed to them. We will summon, then bind.~

Nightflash looks curious and a little surprised. These are not the types
of spirits he would have suspected would be asked to aid against this
particular foe.

Eyes-of-a-Child pads to the circle and gives it a sniff. He looks up to
Andrea, ears splayed. This one will help as he can.

Andrea says, ~There have already been talens made holding the strength
of fire and of the sun. I have heard some stories of vampires seen to
resist these things more than others. One must supposes that the Wyrm
has given them something like our shielding from Luna, that can help
protect us from our own weakness. But nothing can change that they are
unnatural beings and against the natural order of things. These talens
should take effect, if we can summon the type of spirit we need.~

Nightflash indicates his understanding.

Eyes-of-a-Child agrees. Better to be versatile. How should this one help
you?

Andrea concentrates for a moment, her head tilted. Forms shimmer into
being behind her, Touch Deer and Cassandra splitting off to watch the
rite participants while they call. She turns to the two that will help
directly and asks, ~Have either of you seen one of my rites when we
invoke the elements?~

Nightflash indicates that he has not.

Eyes-of-a-Child has not.

Andrea frowns, then nods. ~It has been a while since there has been a
need for me to do such at the caern itself.~ She leads the pair over
to the circle, careful not to blur the lines. ~There are four opposing
elements which also correspond to the seasons. Normally, I would use
the color for each in its appropriate quarter.~ She points. ~Earth,
winter. Air, spring. Fire, summer. Fall, water. But since I want to
summon a spirit that embodies such a cycle in itself, as well as other
things, I used only the color green. Nightflash, if you will take
fall, and Casper, spring. I will begin the cycle at winter and also do
summer. Nightflash will end the invoking, and then I will call for the
spirit.~

Nightflash moves around to the indicated area. Not knowing what the rite
calls for, but noting that Andrea is in a two-legged form, he decides
to mimic hers in case hands are necessary.

Eyes-of-a-Child shifts up to crinos and sits cross-legged near the edge
of the circle, hands laying on the earth. He watches Andrea to lead.

Andrea moves to the center of the circle, stepping over the lines. Now
that the two cliaths are closer, they might notice two small stones on
a flat piece of wood at the direct center. This is most remarkable
because the stones seem to be tiny crosses. She raises her hands and
shifts up into crinos, to begin. ~We call now for a spirit of the
seasons, a spirit of the strength of nature, a child of Gaia's heart.
We call on the bone-hard strength of Winter, the strength that culls
the weak from the pack, in order that we might turn that strength
against that which opposes the cycle. Winter, cold wind, bare branch,
we call on you!~ The wind picks up at the theurge's words, the breeze
ruffling the Garou fur with an icy hand.

Eyes-of-a-Child watches Quiet and runs his tongue quickly along his
muzzle. He closes his eyes and digs his claws into the earth, outside
the circle. A gentle rubmble, ~We call on Mother Spring. Birther,
claimer of the dead, maker of the new. We call on your wyld fecundity
and hopeful strength to fight off the static Wyrmspawn. Come to us
Spring.~ he spreads his arms out.

The faintest scent, as if a breath of honeysuckle, passes by the Garou
and is gone. Quiet gives a nod of her furry head, turning to the south
now. ~We go around the cycle, as all of Gaia must do. Next we call on
summer, with the bright fire and sunlight that so burns the foe we
fight. Summer is life, rich with growing things under the sun's full
eye. Summer, green tree, dry wind, come to us.~ The air brightens
around the Garou, just slightly. Where still no where close to the
sunshine of a summer day, the shadows would make one think more of
halfmoon than crescent.

Luc raises his arms to the sky, palms out. His voice is rough and his
accent strange, but his words are easy to comprehend. ~We call to the
quiet strength of autumn, when the wind turns cool and the leaves are
bright. The strength that comes in the form of wisdom, and the comfort
in the knowledge that there will be life after death. Come,
Grandmother Autumn, and bring the gentle death that has eluded these
beings.~ As he draws his arms down, his hands are clenched into fists,
but his words drop to just a whisper. ~Come, and bring them peace.~

A rustle sounds in the air, like the play of wind in leaves, though none
cling to the Umbral trees some distant. Quiet nods again, more soberly
and completes the call. ~Ashes and peace, to face the time that they
defy. Spirits of nature, of the cycle, hear us. Come!~ She then
stretches into a howl, leading the other two. It takes a short time
before any visible effect happens. Then the air begins to shimmer
outside the circle, a swirl of green and brown light that smells,
right now, of fresh-turned earth. Unusually, but not remarkably so,
the spirit chooses to speak Garou rather than spirit speech. Its
accent is even odder than Luc's. ~We have heard you, children of the
wolf. Speak.~ Another two spirits shimmer in as it speaks, one white
and golden lights, and another red and silver. The smell of old blood
and bluebells mixes with a stomach-turning equality.

Quiet looks toward Nightflash, as this is his chiminage.

Eyes-of-a-Child's eyes glimmer, entranced by the scene. He too looks to
Nightflash.

Luc gags quietly and snorts a couple of times to clear the smell from
his nostrils. He doesn't seem prepared to speak, until Quiet looks his
way. It's obvious that the ahroun is unused to addressing spirits, and
he fidgets. ~There are vampires in the city, unnatural creatures that
continue to exist beyond death in an manner that is a perversion of
Gaia's way. We wish to create a weapon to restore them to nature and
bring them back into the cycle.~

The lights brighten as the spirits swirl around each other. The colors
change, as do the scents: the ripe smell of a rotting deer, the smell
of fresh-cut grass, the cold burning of snow. Then the spirit--at
least, one of them, speaks aloud again. ~We know of the undead, and
will agree to aid the children of Gaia against them.~

Luc bows his head in thanks, the broad smile on his face revealing his
fangs.

Quiet steps out of the circle, motioning for the spirits to go in. They
do, in a tumble of colors and a nausea-inducing collage of scents. She
doesn't have the other two help with this part, circling around the
circle in the opposite direction, her voice rising and falling in the
binding ritual. The spirits then go into the stones, leaving a final
faint scent of ozone behind.

Eyes-of-a-Child gives a bow of his head as well and puts his hands
together, murmuring, in the spirit tongue, *You bless us spirits.*

Luc looks quite ill by the time the rite is over, but nevertheless quite
happy with the results.

Quiet swallows hard herself, but she picks up the stones, no longer
careful for the edges of the circle. She hands them to Luc with a
faint ear-splay, then says, ~Well-done, both of you.~

Luc takes the two small crosses and slips them into one of his pockets.
~Thank you both for helping me with this, I am in your debt.~ He
indicates Cassandra and Touch Deer, ~And you for standing watch.~

Casper shifts down, smiling to himself thoughtfully. He looks to the
others, "Glad to help and thank you for sharing this."

Quiet gives another satisfied whurf, not answer either directly. She
then shifts down to lupus. Touch Deer glances at Cassandra, but the
Wendigo is the one that makes sure that the strangers make it to the
edge of the territory unmolested.

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