Log edited with Logedit 2.6.6pl on Mon Aug 24 16:10:03 EDT 1998

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Mark says "Ask Shea about them sometime, or Brian. They both deal with them fairly regularly."

Duncan turns as he hears the knocking. He nods to Mark before slumping back into the couch and giving Andrea a wave. "Hello ma'am."

Mark looks over as Andrea comes in. "Hello."

Long distance to Diana: Andrea grins. Just get to me.

Andrea smiles and nods at the two Fianna. "Hello to you both." She looks around the room. "I'm looking for the new cubs. I think I'll just pop upstairs and see if they're there."

Mark nods. "A lot of them have been staying out in the barn if they're not up there."

Andrea nods again and mounts the steps with another smile. Andrea raps on the door before opening it. She peers inside around the edge of the door.

Louisa sits up quickly, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her voice is lower, quiet. "Oh.. hi Andrea." She glances around quickly to see who else is in the room.

Andrea closes the door behind her. "Hello, Louisa. You feeling better today?"

Louisa nods a bit, pushing her hair back from her face. "Yes, thank you." Her tone is the utmost in respect. She swallows, expecting some sort of forthcoming punishment.

Andrea settles on one of the chairs. Her manner is warm, with only a touch of distance that Louisa might begin perceiving as her normal manner. She continues, "You want to talk about it now, or when the others are here? If you wait, you'll only have to do it once, but I can see something's bothering you."

Louisa murmurs low, confiding, "I.." She considers Andrea, then goes on, ".. don't feel that I broke two laws and.." A softer voice, ".. I'd do it again, if I had to." She looks down, then back up, not wanting to break eye contact with the woman whom she suddenly wants so badly to impress, to befriend, to make proud. "Lawrence doesn't understand. I deserved to be punished."

Andrea nods once, then asks in a reasonable tone, "If you don't feel you broke the laws and you'd do it again, why do you think you deserve punishment?"

Louisa replies directly, "Because I did break one law."

You say "Which laws do you feel you didn't break, and which you did?"

Louisa answers, "I did disobey the command of an elder. I didn't trespass on others' land."

You say "Why don't you feel you tresspassed? And you said two laws you didn't break."

Louisa smiles slightly, elaborating, "I broke one law, not two." As to the former question, "He invited me to come nearer. He told me he wouldn't hurt me."

You say "Who did?"

Louisa shrugs her shoulders slightly, "I don't know his name."

You say "Was he a Shadow Lord?"

Louisa nods a bit, looking momentarily uncertain about the confidence she shared. Perhaps it was a mistake. She finger-brushes her hair.

You say "He told you to come closer. Where we you, by this point? And is he the one that punished you?"

Louisa breathes a slow breath slowly. Inhale. Exhale. "I was in the trees.. yes, he did. It was his right."

You say "The trees very near the cave?"

Louisa shakes her head, "There's a clearing."

Andrea presses, "But you were already near the cave?"

Louisa shakes her head. "I was in the trees. He told me to come out into the clearing." She looks confused. "Why?"

You say "Would you have tried to sneak into the cave?"

Louisa considers this. "No.. unless .. "

You say "Unless what?"

Louisa replies quietly, "Unless Alex was hurt.. or he needed me."

Andrea rubs her jaw, thoughtfully. "If you didn't intend to sneak into the cave, why did you insist on disobeying Elders to go? And say that you'd do it again?"

Louisa sighs quietly. "I wanted to make sure he was alright."

You say "How would you have made sure of that, without entering the Shadow Lord territory?"

Louisa replies logically, "I would have called to him.."

Andrea smiles slightly. "But wasn't he being kept in the cave, or nearby?"

Louisa nods. "I think so. That's what everyone said."

Andrea shakes her head. "Maybe you don't really understand what we mean by territory. You couldn't have gotten close enough to call in homid to call to him, and even if he's also begun shifting, he wouldn't have known your howl. A territory is not just a house, or a cave, but more. It's all the land about it, to boundries defined by scent."

Louisa frowns faintly, listening.

Andrea nods, seeing the cub listen. "Now, the Shadow Lord territory around the cave is not as large as many of our pack territories. But our pack territories are very like wolf territories, even to supporting many of us with food. Wolf territories are often as much as fifty square miles." She smiles slightly. "If you can call that far, you're a galliard, not a philodox."

Louisa sighs, "You can smell the territories?"

Andrea nods. "Most are marked."

Louisa nods quietly, tucking that piece of information away.

You say "I don't know why he told you he wouldn't hurt you and then punished you. Perhaps he meant only that he wouldn't hurt you badly." She smiles wryly. "Or perhaps he meant to give you an object lesson that you can't trust what everyone says."

Louisa smiles ruefully, "There's always a reason for what elders do.. even if they contradict themselves or act like hypocrites." Her brown eyes sparkle.

Andrea laughs. "Anyone that told you being a Garou made you a saint was blowing smoke up your skirt."

Louisa's grin melts into laughter as well, "I don't mind it so much.. except for when they try and act high and migh.." She clears her throat and turns more serious. "When they treat others poorly."

Andrea chuckles and nods. She holds up her hand. "Two things. One, I don't want you beating yourself over this. Angsting that you deserved beating isn't healthy. If you really accept that you deserved the beating, then there's nothing to mope about. Sometimes things are worth doing despite trouble." The second finger goes up. "Two, but remember that trouble as a human isn't necessarily anywhere near trouble as a Garou. You can be beaten far worse than I think you were. Cubs have even been killed. Teachers can be taken to task for what their cubs do, which means John or myself could be challenged to fight or shamed for your actions. There's a lot you have to learn about your new life. Until you learn those things, try to keep your nose clean."

Louisa nods solemnly. She murmurs, "You're the first person who has spoken to me.. Like that." Very clear, thoughtful brown eyes meet Andrea's. "Thank you. I will honor you."

Andrea smiles at Louisa. "That's why I'm Voice, Louisa. But I hope you do." She regards the teenager for a few moments, then adds, "I'm over fifteen years past my First Change. In some ways I hardly remember what it was like to be 'just human.' But one thing you'll discover very fast is that you're on the brink of adulthood. Our lives make you grow up very fast. For better or worse, your childhood is nearly over." She reaches down to touch the girl's shoulder. "That's why I treat you like an adult. Because you are, nearly. Once past your Rite."

Louisa gazes up at Andrea, "I would like to pass my Rite as soon as I can."

Andrea frowns slightly, but her eyes don't look angry. She steeples her fingers together. "Choosing the time of your rite is a delicate balancing act, Louisa. Too soon, and you won't survive it. But I can understand wanting to charge forward." She smiles slightly. "I was never very patient, though I ended up being forced to wait almost two years for mine. Listen, learn, do the tasks assigned, stay out of trouble. These things lead to a quick rite, but one you can survive. At least in our tribe."

Louisa nods her head. "Is there.. something I should call you?" She wraps her arms around her knees.

Adam climbs up the stairs from the second floor preceded by the creak of aging wood. Adam heads up the stairs, soda can in hand. He crests the top, and smiles. "Hi. Mark said you were looking for me, ma'am?"

Andrea shakes her head. "Andrea. Moon-Laughs-Quiet is my proper deed-name, but many just call me Quiet. Homids are always prone to nicknames." She half-turns toward the door and smiles a little wider. "I was looking for any of the cubs. Come in, Adam." A strange shadow crosses her face. "It's strange. Did you know there was another Adam that was a philodox of our tribe here once? Several years gone on now, but odd how things repeat."

Adam shakes his head. "Well, most everyone calls me Adam, even though my fist name's really Fletcher. What...what happened to him?"

Louisa sets her chin on her knees, still watching Andrea. She is sitting on a sleeping bag, a large leather jacket around her shoulders. There is a visible measure of respect in her gaze.

Andrea grimaces slightly, then her lips twist in a wry smile. "Well, I suppose that it'll do you both a disservice if I try to pretend many of us have peaceful deaths. He made the rank of fostern before he was killed fighting a powerful Garou of the Wyrm. He fell bravely defending others, levelled by the blow of a silver whip while already injured."

Louisa swallows. "Do Garou believe in anything After?"

Adam winces a little. "Damn. And by Black Spirals, too?" He looks to Louisa, her question piquing his interest.

Andrea turns to Louisa. She smiles slightly. "We not only believe in the after, there's actually proof of it. Do you know much about reincarnation?"

Louisa shakes her head. "No... but I'd like to learn." A slight smile, solemn-eyed.

You say "In human beliefs, reincarnation says you can come back as other species. I've not seen any proof of that. But each tribe has a homeland, except the Striders who lost theirs long ago. Spirits of slain Garou go there when they die, to either come back as reborn Garou or as voices of wisdom for other newly-born Garou. Those homelands are real places. I've been to the homeland of our tribe three times."

Adam looks stunned. "Did you die before, or go into the Spirit world? The Umbra?"

Louisa listens closely. She does not presume to speak further, mulling the idea over in her mind.

You say "I went in the spirit world. There's a rite that allows living Garou to go to the Homeland of their tribe, and to take their pack with them. You can also get there by taking moon paths, but that can be far more dangerous."

Adam blinks. "Moon paths?"

Andrea nods. She smiles slightly. "I'm teaching you advanced calculus before you've had basic algebra. But moon paths are ways of getting about the Umbra that's further from this side of the Gauntlet. Like paths in a forest, except they wax and wane with the moon."

Adam nods, a little confused. "What's the Gauntlet?"

Andrea tilts her head and makes a considering noise. "You know, this would be best from the beginning. Unfortunately, I should get back to the caern to check the wards. Can I find the two of you, and perhaps the other cubs as well, and teach you about spirit tomorrow?"

Adam nods. "Well, since I can't leave the farm, and have no desire to do so anyway, i'll be here."

Louisa nods quietly, "I will look forward to it."

Andrea stands. Her voice is warm. "Mother watch over you both. Until tomorrow."

Louisa murmurs very softly, "Run with the wind."

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