Bawn: Southern Forest

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:
Trevor
Emma
Signe

Obvious exits:
Ash Grove Railroad South Into the Caern Sept Compound Half Moon Pool Western Bawn Central Bawn Eastern Bawn

"Call them whatever you like, Emma." Trevor replies. "I'm certainly not going to weigh in on their behalf." Clearly he feels insulted by those absent. "That sounds like a good idea, Signe-Rhya. An excellent place for the Rite I have planned."

That, at least, makes the Get elder relax a little. Signe grunts out a small laugh, looking at Emma with approval. turning to Trevor, she asks, "Where would be best for this? The place of the old Bone Arches?"

Signe nods, to the Ritemaster. "Figured you might," she mutters and walks off in the direction of the arches.

The sound of running footsteps precedes the Walker Galliard; Nat jogs in, running a hand through her hair in a vain attempt to tame it as she nods to the group. "Got your message. Sorry I couldn't get here sooner. There was an accident on 90 and everyone had to stop and gawk."

Signe looks relieved at seeing the Walker. "Hey Nat," she greets. "We're heading over to the old Bone Arches. Come on."

[Travel deleted]

The Clearing Formerly Known As 'Bone Arches'

This clearing stands deep in the forest, hidden by tall trees, and feels strangely ...empty. Though it's a perfectly normal clearing, there's the haunting feeling that there should be something here, beyond the grasses and small shrubs that stand sheltered from the wind by the surrounding woods - but those are all that can be seen.

Winding through the underbrush, a number of trail-like impressions can be seen in the dirt. The most prominent of these leads southwest.

Obvious exits:

Forest

Once they reach the area where the Rite will be performed, Trevor withdraws a large drum from his backpack, which he places in the centre of the area. Next come some folded blood-red robes, Crinos-sized, which the Fianna passes out. "This is what we will wear for the Rite, once we take the Warform."

Natalie falls in behind Signe, looking around curiously, her hands in her pockets. "Just let us know when."

Signe takes the robe meant for her, unfolding it and looking it over. "Never... actually got dressed while in the war form." she says, absently.

"It is a little tricky." Trevor admits. "Since these are the right size, they should, in theory, stand the shift. I do have spares, should anything go wrong."

Signe gives the robe one more look and wraps it around her. The Get's body blurs and changes, then, shifting up into the war form.

Natalie snorts and begins peeling out of her vest and t-shirt. "That's what I get for not thinking ahead." Her bra joins the pile of not-dedicated clothes; so do her boots. Goosebumps rising already, she drapes the oversized robe around her and shifts.

Emma gives a faint nod and looks around, "So, if I got my dedicated stuff on, does that gotta come off, or don't it matter?" Prudish little Emma.

Defiant-Storm answers. ~Don't matter, just throw it over.~ She adjusts the garment a little on her shoulders, giing Natalie and Trevor a 'how do I look?' pose.

"Very nice." Trevor nods to the Get, as he finishes emptying his rucksack. The rucksack is moved out of the sacred space, and he begins to prepare some herbs and saliva in a mortar and pestle.

Holds-the-Line says, ~This where I tell you it makes you look fat?~ She too adjusts the hang of the robe, then folds her clothes neatly and sets them to one side of the clearing. ~Feels strange, though, wearing something like this that actually fits and isn't shredded.~

Fire-Dancer does as the others do, throwing the robe on first, then shifting. She stands tall, and looking much like Beast did when the enchanted castle pieces put bows in his hair.

Defiant-Storm snorts at Natalie, showing her teeth a bit. ~Very funny,~ she says, though she does sort of mess with the robe, seeing how it flows and how it allows the crios to move or not move.

"Now girls, play nice." Trevor laughs, finishing his prepations. He then throws on his robe and shifts up to the Warform himself. ~When you are ready, form a wide circle around the drum.~

Defiant-Storm looks around, spots the drum and then lumbers into a position between Emma and Natalie, across from Trevor.

Holds-the-Line flashes Defiant-Storm a toothy grin. ~They don't call us bitch for nothing.~ She subsides at Trevor's instructions, picking a spot a third of the way around an invisible circle from the Elder Get.

Defiant-Storm:

The fur is thick, course, and shaggy. It's dark, too, almost as if her perfect ash grey coat had been doused with soot. The ebony fur covers a massive lupine muzzle, the ruff forming a kind of mane around her neck that filters down the length of her back. The color fades back to an ash-grey around her hands and feet. In shape she's a monster from out of legend. Half wolf, half man, her frame takes the best of both creatures. She stands over nine feet in height with powerful, massive muscles, deadly claws, and a jaw spiked with jagged, sharp teeth. The fangs of those teeth are a good five inches in length. Most compelling in all this fury are two golden amber eyes.

Fire-Watcher:

A towering giant of fur, this half wolf-half man shaped creature gazes out of hard, alert eyes. Tight, bulging muscles sit taut and ready behind the thick grey fur that covers her from head to toe to tail. No human speech comes from this creature, rather growls, snarls and body language do her communicating for her. Standing at what must be near eight feet, and with tooth and claw gleaming with wicked sharpness, there is little doubt that this is a predator among predators.

Sings-To-Spirits:

This isn't a man, nor is it a creature. A horrific mix of Man and Wolf, standing roughly 9' high. His entire body is covered with black fur, and has obviously seen some rough usage in the past. A bestial creature, all sinews and muscle, his fangs and claws are long enough to leave you in no doubt about his fighting abilities. The creature practically oozes anger and looks like he could start killing at any moment.

When everyone has taken a place, Sings-To-Spirits, in the center of the circle, nods approvingly. ~I will now apply a paste to your eyelids, an essential part of the Rite, and then we are ready to begin. As I apply this paste, think hard about why you are here today, and what you hope to achieve.~

Ashley emerges from the forest.

Defiant-Storm once again looks vaguely apprehensive, but she takes a deep breath and does what the Fianna Ritemaster instructs, thinking on her reasons for being here.

Lumbering into the clearing is Lures-The-Beast in her battle form once she made the shift from outside the bawn. She looks winded, but clearly confident and focused as she strides, head held up high. She glances around at the others gathered, then allows her eyes to fall upon the Fianna.

Holds-the-Line echoes Defiant-Storm's breath, using the exhalation to center and calm herself. The Walker's eyes half-close, allowing her to watch for the Ritemaster's approach, yet isolating herself from her soon-to-be packmates.

~Ah, you are here.~ Sings-To-Spirits offers Lures-The-Beast one of the blood-red Crinos-size robes all the others present are wearing. ~Put this on, then take your place in the circle. I will shortly coat your eyelids with a preperation. As I do so, think about why you are here today and what you hope to achieve.~

Lures-The-Beast reaches over and takes the robe from Sings-To-Spirits, snorting at him good naturedly. She clasps him on the shoulder, then slips the fabric over her body in a smooth motion, allowing it to settle about her. With that, she turns and strides towards Signe, taking one of her sides if it is open.

Holds-the-Line noticed the Fury's appropriation of the spot between her and Signe and snarls silently. The Galliard pulls her attention from the Theurge with an effort, returning to at least an outward semblance of calm and contemplation of the forest floor.

Defiant-Storm cannot help but grin ferally at the way the others vie for the second spot. She lets them, turning her attention wholly on Sings now.

The Black Fury continues to stare towards the Fianna, ears only flickering once as she barely picks up on the Walker's irritation. Her thick arms cross over her chest, raising her chin up only a bit higher, her features a mask of seriousness. Nothing but business.

Sings-To-Spirits approaches Defiant-Storm first, applying the paste to her eyelids with a great deal of ceremony. Then he moves onto Lures-The-Beast, with just as much ceremony. Then Fire-Dancer, and so on, until Holds-The-Line is done, the last one. The amount of ceremony does not alter throughout.

Defiant-Storm remains still as the Fianna touches her eyelids. Her hands are the only things that move, curling and uncurling in a restless way.

Lures-The-Beast rumbles softly as she can feel her eyelids become coated. She remains still, her breath warm against the arm of the Fianna before he moves on.

Holds-the-Line submits to the ministrations with as much good grace as she can muster. Her weight shifts foot to foot, her hands curled into light fists, ears flicking to follow the sounds of the others.

Stepping back into the centre, Sings-To-Spirits places aside the bowl. Reaching for another clay bowl, he also takes up a wickedly sharp, very ornamental knife. It is decorated with the Garou symbols for the names of those in the pack. The words and names 'Wolverine' and 'War' and 'City', also appear. ~Now I will shed your blood, and mix it together. Hold out your hand, palm up, unless there is somewhere you would rather be cut.~ The Fianna steps up to Defiant-Storm, first.

Defiant-Storm eagerly holds out her arm, offering it up to Sings with a little snarl that is anything but defiant. In fact, it's rather gleeful.

Holds-the-Line, opposite Signe, is ready as well. She holds out both hands, palms up as if making an offering - or expecting a gift.

Lures-The-Beast holds out her arms to the Fianna, grinning ferally as she awaits the sting of the knife to slip under her flesh.

Collecting the blood from each in the same bowl, Sings-To-Spirits ends facing Defiant-Storm once again. Mixing the blood with his finger, he addresses those gathered. ~Now I shall annoint your faces with your mingled blood, freely given, in the ancient and wonderful language of our people.~ The Glyphs he uses are 'Wolverine', 'Pack', 'City' and 'War'.

Defiant-Storm once again quiets down as the Ritemaster draws the glyphs on her. Muscles tighten and relax as she anxiously awaits.

Lures-The-Beast looks relaxed as she is drawn upon, nostrils flaring to take in the scent of fresh blood. Her fingers slowly flex once, looking oddly content and at ease.

Holds-the-Line's hand closes over the wound, blood trickling still from between her fingers. She regards each of the other females in turn, then submits to Sings' minstrations, chin tilted up.

Once all is done, Sings-To-Spirits takes his place behind the drum in the centre. Tipping what is left of the blood over the drum, the Fianna takes his knife and carves the Glyph for Wolverine into the flesh of the top of each hand. Then he begins to pound the drum to a slow, steady, rythem. Clearly this represents Wolverine forging those present into a pack through the Rite currently being performed by the Ritemaster. ~Now, as I begin the invocation, open your hearts and minds in welcome to the Spirit we seek.~

Defiant-Storm's restless anxiousness increases as the Fianna begins beating on the drum. Like a heartbeat, it works on the Get's blood, moving it faster. She closes her eyes to get an image of the spirit they seek. When one comes to her mind's eye, it raises the hackles on the Get's back and neck.

Holds-the-Line stares off into a spot in the middle distance, her lips shivering and curling as the Rite works its way on her.

Listening to the drum in the back ground, the Fury rumbles quietly along with the beat. She keeps her eyes closed, her mind focusing easily upon the spirit's image in her Theurge's mind, taking in a deep breath, then out, letting the excitement fill her veins with liquid adrenaline.

~Mighty Wolverine!~ Sings-To-Spirits roars out, blood flowing from the glyphs on his hands as he continues to beat the bloody drum. ~Merciless Wolverine! Here are Garou who have shed their blood in your honour, who have mingled their blood in your name! They seek your guidance, your leadership! Grant them your ferocity, your merciless rage, that they may make war on the Wyrm within the City! Lead them in their noble quest to cleanse everything that is tainted from Gaia's face!~

Seconds tick by turing into minutes. The Fianna's words hang in the empty air. Tension grows thick, palpable, as no response seems to come. Then, in the place where once great bones stood in honor, a shimmer begins. At first, it is a small glow, almost easy to miss, but within moments it has grown to the size of the crinos garou standing nearby. The form then becomes solid. Teeth bared in a feral grin, a wolverine stands where before there was nothing, ~Who calls to me?~

Defiant-Storm's ptience is tested almost to its limits. The wolverine's appearance comes just as the Get begins to growl in her throat, losing her concentration. Hearing it's call, her eyes snap open and fix upon the giant version of the predator. ~I call,~ she answer in a clear voice. ~Defiant-Storm, warrior of the Get of Fenris.~ She leaves each of her would-be packmates to answer for themselves.

"And I, Dances-On-Coals, also warrior of Fenrir!" is Emma's quick reply to Signe's call. She looks on, anxious, and curious.

~And I call,~ Hygieia answers boldly. ~Hygieia, warrior of the Black Furies!~ She looks proud and composed.

"I do," Holds-the-Line supplies in a low growl, her earlier agitation easing at the spirit's appearance. "Holds-the-Line, Galliard of the Galss Walkers."

~I am known as Lures-The-Beast-To-Its-Death. Spirit seeker and warrior for the Black Furies." Rumbles the Crone as she throws her head up proudly, staring at the Wolverine, her lips tugging back to reveal a row of sharp teeth.

The grizzled muzzle follows each introduction, a dark eye, sharp, on each. The soft breeze sends a ripple through his dense fur and the wolverine turns back to the one who spoke first. ~Warriors, all,~ he says, turning at this to the Theurge. ~You seek to slay the Wyrm in it's lair? You seek to carry the war to the heart of the beast - never to look back, never to show weakness, never give quarter?~

Defiant-Storm again speaks up, showing teeth that match the giant spirit's. ~I do.~

~I do.~ Lures-The-Beast rumbles in her breast as her voice growls proudly.

~I do.~ And there's not a shred of doubt in Hygieia's quiet growl.

Fire-Dancer follows suit, grinning as she answers, ~I do.~

"Carry it there, yes," Holds-the-Line rumbles, her hands fisting and unfisting themselves.

The wolverine almost seems to smile at this, though there is little in his bearing that suggests humor. ~Then follow. Prove your mettle. Show me the glory that we can together attain.~ He turns, steps toward the treeline, and shimmers once more into shadow.

Vex leads the pack through the umbral forest, his pace is quick and as unforgiving as his warrior spirit. Far enough away that this is no longer home, but close enough to find home again, he halts them. ~Nearby is your task. A problem which needs to be addressed.~

Defiant-Storm doesn't shift, but she uses all fours to keep up with the spirit, her eyes and attention focused on Wolverine as he moves. When he stops, so does she, looking around eagerly for something to kill when he speaks. Perhaps the Get jumps the gun with that assumption, but so pent up is she from the anticipation, she makes it nonetheless. She looks for anything out of the ordinary.

Right behind the Modi's coat tails runs the Crone Fury, barreling after her in a rush of speed. When she skids to a stop, so does she, nose twitching as she sniffs the air. Her ears flickering some as she rumbles in her throat, claws flexing about to crack a few digruntled joints.

Fire-Dancer keeps up with the others, alert and anxious. Her tail swishes back and forth with the tension and excitement as the group stops, and her eyes take a hard look around as her nose sniffs the air.

Hygieia comes racing after them, her teeth bared. She growls low in her throat, ready to get to the source of this problem.

Holds-the-Line's place in the pack is just to one side, so if someone stops suddenly no one gets a nose up the butt. She half-rises to sniff the umbral air when Vex speaks, a three-point stance with her other front paw lifted.

Vex watches each memeber of the pack, assessing, judging, taking their measure. He waits, not patiently, for each to take in the new surroundings before he continues. ~Along that path,~ he says, gesturing with his broad nose, ~is your test.~ And now that it has been pointed out, the faint, almost invisible, renants of a trail can be seen. Overgrown, untended for years, but once graveled over, a path leads to the northeast. ~Go, now. Show me what you are!~

Fire-Dancer snarls silently and snaps at the air, the tension and excitement of the pack serving to fuel her own. Fists ball up at her sides as she waits, still on her haunches, for Defiant-Storm to lead.

Defiant-Storm chooses to remain in crinos for the moment, stepping into the path to lead the pack. She moves only as cautiously as she needs to. She moves along the pack until she finds where it ends, or something that distracts her attention from it.

Hygieia is not far behind. She, too, stays in Crinos. She sniffs the air, trying to catch a scent of trouble. She's still growling -- being laid back and composed loses its appeal, she finds, the closer she gets to some actual action.

Following after the pack Leader, Lures-The-Beast continues to sniff about the surroundings, mentally counting in the back of her mind how many steps she is taking, trying to gauge distance of how they travel.

Holds-the-Line shifts down to lupus to follow, the smaller form more woods-wise and quieter than the hulking mass of Crinos.

The path continues without much change - the pack crosses a deadfall, and a stream that was once covered by planks, long since rotted through - for about a mile without incident. Beyond that lies a clearing, at the center of which stands a log cabin.

Trees tower over this small clearing, saplings and brambles warring for supremacy at the edges. If ever this area was tended, it was long ago, to which the blackberry tendrils and thistle patches grow in testament. Central to the clearing, along the almost invisible gravel drive, is a log cabin. It stands 15 feet at the apex of the roof, and at least 40 feet long. On the southern wall, visible from the drive, are a central door and two windows. The window on the left is boarded over, the one to the right so filthy it nearly does not reflect light. Behind the glass, a dark green curtain obscures any view into the building.

Holds-the-Line wonders if she should scout the edge of the clearing?

Defiant-Storm eyes the cabin, ears flicking thoughtfully. The mile long trek manages to help the Get calm down a bit. Seeing the human building, she decides to slip down to her near-man form and approach on foot. ~Doc, Emma, stay back til I call you.~ She expects the others to come forward with her as she goes to open the door.

Hygieia growls her assent to Defiant-Storm's command, and crouches in a guarded position, waiting for something to burst out of the trees. Just because there's a giant house here, after all, does not mean there is not a problem from a different angle. She flexes her claws.

Fire-Dancer might have complained, if she hadn't employed similiar tactics with Joshua on her Rite. She stands down, crouching low and waiting. Nose continues to sniff around her, ears flickering to funnel sounds in from all directions.

Crouching forward, Lures-The-Beast follows after Defiant-Storm, glancing about with her eagle eyes and taking in every detail as possible. Her claws flex and click against each other, before shifting herself down to the Glabro form as well.

Defiant-Storm nods to Holds-the-Line and continues to the door with the Fury theurge. Her hand tests the door to see if it's open, though she doesn't barge in.

Holds-the-Line skirts the edge of the clearing - just outside of it actually - heading counterclockwise from the others until she's parallel with the cabin door.

Ashley lowers herself down slightly and leans forward, pressing her ear to the door for a moment, closing her eyes and concentrating. She begins to use her free hand to draw slowly along the dust next to the doorway, glyphs of protection as she moves her lips in the form of a prayer.

Ashley leans over and gently taps Signe', motioning to the dust once she opens up her eyes. She points to a pair of glyphs. Forath. She motions to the door, tapping her ear, silently.

Signe hesitates for a moment, as if she's considering what the theurge told her. She gestures for Lures-the-Beast to stand back. Then the Get takes a step of her own and attempts to kick the door in.

Stepping off to the side, Artemis reaches down and jerks out a long toothed knife from her boot, spinning it around so that she points the tip forward. At the kick, she readies herself, crouching, ready to pounce forward.

Vex pages: There are two window on the other side of the building, both have the same green curtains. No windows on the east or west sides. Nothing particularly interesting around the clearing, except blackberry brambles to the northeast.

Holds-the-Line completes her circuit of the clearing safely - at least, without signaling any danger. She gives the two rearguards a quick look before crouching down at the edge of the clearing, plainly waiting for a clear shot inside.

The door breaks inward with a crash, the hinges, as well as the latch, giving up the ghost to years of neglect. Startled screams can be heard as far as the edge of the clearing.

Ears flicker quickly to the direction of the screams as Fire-Dancer waits with the Fury further back. A growl echoes from her throat as she holds herself back.

Hygieia has been ordered to stay back, so she does, but it pisses her off. She snarls and poises to leap ahead at the slightest command that she should.

Holds-the-Line holds her place, waiting until the door is clear.

Signe immediately moves back up to crinos, but she does not blindly attack. Turning to Ashley, she says, ~Get the others up here.~ Without waiting for the orders to be conveyed or carried out, Signe moves into the house, stepping to the side to both let the others in and move around an object in her way.

Twisting her head, Artemis turns around and barks out a loud grunt of a howl, letting her voice carry past the Galliard and to the others. Her voice is shrill and demanding, signaling them to move in, now.

Fire-Dancer wastes no time to answer that call, rushing forward as fast as she can without being mindless. She is still keeping a lookout for the area around her, but her intent is to get caught up to the others now.

Hygieia leaps forward, ready to go. She races towards the door and through it, cause they said move in! Besides, she's not particularly keen on waiting around to see if they meant 'move in to the door'.

Holds-the-Line's last to the door - by choice, not accident. When the two guards rush the doorway she follows after more slowly, shifting up to glabro once she's out of sight of those grimy windows.

Moving forward into the house, Artemis whips her head from left to right, then steps to the opposite side that Signe is on, facing down what is ever approaching them.

Dust is settled deeply in the corners of this large, open cabin. Much of it is in disrepair and covered in the filth of years of neglect. A counter runs the full length of the east wall, broken only by a narrow doorway in the middle. On the door, faded green paint still reads 'storage', though the lock was obviously broken long ago. There are two windows on the north wall, both small and covered with grime. Green curtains cut off any outside light that might have come through the filth. Between the windows, a long, picnic-style table sits slightly off balance; it's paint cracked and chipped. Ten bunkbeds are carefully placed within the western half of the room to make the best possible use of space. There are also two single beds near the only entrance to the building, along the south wall. A wood stove, recently used, sits on a flagstone base in the center of the building. It is the only thing that seems to be in good condition.

On each of the beds, a young girl sits. Each wears a pale green top and long green slacks. To the left of the door are two young women, perhaps in their early twenties, also wearing green. There is a crinos Garou on the other side of the wood stove, a green sash running shoulder to hip.

The girls are huddled on their beds, some crying outright, some simply whimpering.

Signe rounds the other side of a wood burning stove--which sits in the middle of the room. Unsure whether to attack or not, she chooses not to. While her own pack files in behind and around her, she holds up both claws, palms out. Signe keeps her eyes focused on the other crinos.

~I do not sense the Wyrm in this room.~ Ashley grunts over towards Signe as she grips the knife tightly in her hand, staring down at the Crinos for a moment, before drifting her eyes to each of the girls. "Who the fuck are you, girl scouts?"

Hygieia 's ear twitches once. This confuses her. She doesn't like things that confuse her. Her hackles stand straight up as she stares malevolantly at everyone in the room, including the poor crying girls.

~What are you DOING! You'll ruin everything!~ pleads the stranger garou.

Signe's massive muzzle expresses more than one might think -- a look of irritated chagrin. ~Knew I should've knocked,~ she mutters before turning to address the crinos with the sash. ~Sorry about the door. A spirit told us there was trouble here--trouble we should take care of.~

Molly, climbing up onto the top bunk, puts her arm around Gracelyn, and stares, fearfully, but without tears, at the arrivals.

Natalie, last in, takes in the scene of... girl scouts, apparently, as confused as the others. She takes two steps toward the counter, to clear the doorway, and watches the two older women.

The two women to the left of the door seem startled by interruption, a little edgy, and they back away, toward the younger girls on the beds.

Fire-Dancer is halted and feels much the same as Hygieia, grunting and growling as she tries to restrain herself. A snarl hits her lips and she growls again.

Ashley continues to not look convinced, staring at the sash for a few moments, before rumbling in her throat. "Garou, do not become girl scouts. What shit are you pulling here?" She snaps, glancing back up to the Crinos. "There is no delerium here, you got them dressed up in uniform. I doubt you are a 'scout leader." She says. "Unless I missed something at the last Child of Gaia moot, I'm chalking this up to bullshit."

Whistles to Sun holds up her hands toward the girls and, with some difficutly, speaks to them in English. "Rest easy, girls. I'll talk to these others. Just remember what I've said." She then turns to the pack and, looking at them one by one says, ~Shall we go outside? You're disturbing my girls.~

Defiant-Storm darts a glance back at Ashley, something the theurge says making sense to the Get. ~Actually,~ she says, holding up a hand again to block Whistles form moving further toward the door, ~the girls will be fine. Let's talk here. Who are you?~

Arianna starts bawling, again, and Jessie whisper-shouts down at her from the top bunk, "Shut the fuck up before you get us all killed." Robin pulls her sleeping bag over her head, and Katie stares, a trail of drool, obviously hours old, linking her bottom lip with her knee.

Ashley continues to watch the Crinos approach like a hawk, fingers gripping tighter around the handle of the knife. She squints her eyes, then starts to move, slowly, towards the girls. She puts a bit of distance between her and the sash bearing Garou, but makes sure that nothing gets in her way should she need to rush into battle.

Fire-Dancer stays by the door, glancing out on occasion and letting her ears be alert for any other noises. She growls low again, wondering why everything always involves cute innocent looking kids these days.

Hygieia moves around toward the edge of the room, figuring, hey, why not surround the Great Weirdo Girlscout Troupe while Signe's talking to the Great Weirdo Girlscout Leader? Makes sense to her. She stalks into a posistion she likes and crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes. Her ears lay flat against her head.

~I'm Whistles to the Sun, Galliard of the Children of Gaia, and this is MY troup. Why you think you should barge in and ruin what I'm trying to accomplish, I have no idea. Don't you think knocking would be polite? Introducing yourselves?~ She, in turn, advances toward Signe. The other two women sit quietly and watch. Ariel, the one with brown hair, sitting next to Kerry, and patting her gently on the arm while Flo stands at the edge of one of the bunks, arm resting on Sherryl's knee.

"What -are- you trying to accomplish?" It's Nat who asks the obvious question, glancing toward Whistles before turning her attention back to the adults.

Defiant-Storm obliges, without looking all that sorry about the door any more. ~Defiant Storm. of Fenris' Get. And, like I said, we thought we had reason. Personally, I'm not convinced we still don't. Your...'girls' don't look too pleased to be here,~ she adds, pointing to Katie's drool. ~So tell me, Gaian, just what the fuck you're doing here so we can get on with our business.~

Continuing to move, Ashley makes her way over towards the girls, furrowing her brows, sniffing at the air. She looks the first pair of girls over that she reaches, checking for markings, bruises, discoloration of skin.

Josie rocks back and forth on her bed, muttering under her breath.

Anger flashes in the Gaian's eyes. ~What I'm TRYING to do, if you haven't RUINed it, is begin to undo the damage to the human race inflicted by our kind.~

Oookay. Hygieia stares. ~She's inflicting the Delirium on them? Purposefully?~ She demands in incredulous tones.

Defiant-Storm's got a lot less patience than most others, and the 'Gaian's' tone does not help matters. A gutteral snarl issues from the Get's throat, no doubt increasing the girls' fears. And she takes a step toward Whistles. ~Quit fucking around and get to the point. Exactly what are you doing, and how are you doing it?~

Ariadne sidles over to the edge of her bed, carefully, slowly, and leans down. Her hand slides between her bed and the wall as she reaches down toward her bunkmate. Annie, seeing the hand, slides over to take the note, trying not to be noticed.

Fire-Dancer snarls from the doorway, alternating glances outside, to those within.

Ashley moves from child to child, soon making her way over towards the movement of the other two kids. She stays silent the entire time, her feet swift, quiet. She tries her best to allow Signe to distract the Crinos, reaching out and snags the note, giving the kids a quick 'look', then glances it over quickly.

Natalie mutters, "Everyone's a nutbar." Her gaze shifts from the adults to the girls, then Ashley. When the Fury steals the note she frowns, but doesn't interrupt.

Whistles to Sun sighs, but it is the sigh of frustration, and her crinos jaw clenches, lips curling away from glistening fangs just a bit. ~I told you. I'm trying to cure them. Teach them that Garou are Friends of Humanity. We can undo the damage of the Impergium. They don't need to fear us.~

Natalie says, "One Gaian in a cabin with..." She counts swiftly, "Ten terrified girls is going to undo thousands of years of predation?" Nat snorts, folds her arms over her chest. "You're as likely to teach a dog not to wag its tail when its happy."

Defiant-Storm suddenly agrees with Natalie. The Gaian gets a wrinkled muzzle 'You're a nutbar' kind of look from the Get. ~So, you just pick them off the street, keep them locked up in this cabin, and ...bake cookies? That's supposed to cure the Delirium?~

Ashley starts moving around once more, to the next couple of kids, keeping a careful eye on the Crinos as she rounds behind her. She doesn't once let her knife arm drop away from its defensive position.

Fire-Dancer rumbles where she stands, eyes flitting from the children to the 'scout leader'. A fiercer growl can be heard as she thinks about exactly what this all means. -Or might anyway.

Whistles to Sun scowls at Natalie, a small snarl issuing from her throat. ~Not all at once. I am not stupid. It will take time. Many small steps.~ Absently, the Galliard picks at one of the small badges on her sash. She continues, her words now a response to Signe. ~Not off the street. These are the chosen. The willing. These are the ones who are most open to learning the truth. Young enough still to open their hearts. Already leaning toward the ways of Gaia.~

"They are murmuring amongst each other, afraid that you are going to hurt them, and eat them." Ashley says from behind the Crinos as she heads to the children. "Most of them are not mentally stable, and they are perhaps sick. It is obvious their minds have been blown away from the delerium and have been whittled down. You are destroying them, not helping them. Stupid bitch." She snarls, checking over the next girls she comes to.

Ariel looks up at Natalie, whose words she understood. "Of course it will take time. We're going to help them. As they heal, their children will also be healed."

~I'm no philodox,~ Doc growls, speaking up once again, ~but I'd say this is a pretty freaking huge breach of the Litany.~ She fixes her glare on Ariel. ~What role does that one play in this?~

Hygieia thinks about it for a minute, swears, and shifts down, while she's at it. Like her being in Crinos is helping. Bah.

Fire-Dancer stays in her crinos form, not willing to give an inch. Little kids play tricksess on her they do, yessss. She is growing more and more impatient though, and the bristling of her hackles shows just that.

Natalie's got a short, sweet answer for Ariel. "Idiots. Who the hell are you two, anyway?"

Whistles to Sun snarls at Hygieia. ~The Veil was created because WE made a mistake. We can unmake it, and we should.~ Ariel stands up and moves next to Flo, who puts her arm around the darker haired woman. Her voice is soft, gentle and warm, despite being used with determination. "I am Ariel Waters. Kin to the Children of Gaia. This is my cousin Flo. Samantha and Flo and I are the leaders of troom 208. We are not idiots, we're simply trying to make a difference for these children."

Signe looks from the crinosed Gaian to her kin, and then to the troop of girls. The Get doesn't hide a sneer as she turns back to the three women in charge. ~I think maybe you're right. We should step outside and talk.~ she turns to her side to allow Flo, Ariel and the Gaian garou out the door. In the meantime, she eyes Ashley, and Doc, telling them, ~Wait with the girls. Keep them calm.~ It's implicit, she hopes, that Emma and Natalie will follow her.

Doc eyes Signe. Keep them calm? She scares humans just by asking for peanuts on the plane...but she nods. She'll do as she's told. "Y'all wanna toothpick?" she asks the girls, holding out a big box of them. "You just chew on 'em, makes the world seem a little better." In a moment, she hopes, she'll think of something better than 'Y'all wanna toothpick'. Alone with a buncha kids...

Whistles to Sun nods, seemingly satisfied that the Get has finally accepted her earlier proposal. She waves a hand toward Ariel and Flo. Through a hoarse voice she calls to them, "Come. We'll talk outside."

Nat steps back to allow the kin out first, offering them what would be a toothy smile were her lips not closed. Oh-so-polite of her.

Ariel gives a squeeze to Shannon's arm, a concerned look crossing her face. She and Flo exit the building, the elder kin seemingly without fear.

Fire-Dancer looks to Defiant-Storm and follows out after her. The snarl on her lips seems to have become permanent, and her ears continue to flick forward and back, listening.

Defiant-Storm doesn't stop once she's outside the cabin. She moves off, closer to the woods, out of sight of cabin windows and certainly out of casual hearing before stopping. for the moment she waits to see if Whistles says anything first.

Inside the cabin, the girls remain where they are. Some completely lost, some cowering in fear, and some, defiantly curious.

Oh wow. Doc exchanges a look with Ashley... and Ashley is not exchanging back cause she's lost in thought. Poor kids. She moves to the front of the room and leans against the wall near the door. Seem calm enough for her, but she's not going to let them get out. She'd love to nuture them, but there's gotta be some sort of degree you have to get, you know, PhD in Counseling with Speciality in 12 Step Program for dealing with Aftereffects of Crazed Ass Tree-Huggers... yeah. Definately not Hygieia's area.

Whistles to Sun follows Defiant-Storm over to the edge of the woods. The kin hang back, uncertain whether the conversation is truly intended for them. The Gaian has no such indecision, and asks with conviction - ~You understand, now? How important our task is?~

Natalie brings up the rear, playing Border Collie to the little group. The Walker closes the door behind her, careful to make sure it doesn't swing open again before she moves to join the others. She takes up a spot opposite Defiant-Storm. It's likely complete coincedence that places her at Whistles' back.

Fire-Dancer is remaining quiet and at the ready for anything. Her own mind is already set that these Garou fucked up bad, ruining the lives of those innocent girls. Her claws are already seeking to vent some of that anger.

~Oh, I understand perfectly,~ Defiant-Storm answers with a mockingly sympathetic nod. ~Which is why I won't gut you like a fish in front of the kids. I'll do it out here where they can't see. You've broken the Veil. Broken the Litany. For that alone I could have killed you. but to torture a bunch of kids along the way pisses me off enough to almost enjoy doing it.~

Whistles to Sun is taken aback, and backsteps. ~No! Not torture. They're so close to understanding! You've got to let us finish. They'll understand, then! We're on the same side!~

Ariel and Flo, not understanding the words spoken, react only to the obvious emotional content and huddle closer together.

Natalie shifts her weight, shaking out her arms and legs in preparation. ~The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted,~ the Galliard rumbles. Her stare bores into the back of Whistles' head. ~Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to Be Violated.~

Fire-Dancer looks to Defiant-Storm. Her gaze is dancing between those that are being spoken to, and her Alpha. Her posture suggesting it'd take only a nod and she is ready, steeled to do what must be done.

Defiant-Storm makes flo and Ariel's day a little worse, her snarled and growled words coming out of a mightily pissed off Get ahroun's jaws. ~Understand what?? that those who aren't already mush-headed enough to do little beyond drool in a cup will release our secret? You cannot erase the Imergium one girl scout troop at a time, even if it were possible. Which it's not!~

Inside the cabin, Maggie scratches against the wall with her pocket knife. Up on the wall of the cabin, next to Kelly (Heart) James, and Cyndi was here.

Inside the cabin, Doc pushes off the wall to go read what Maggie is scratching. She sort of ambles over -- nobody has the art of the "amble" down like someone from the south -- and takes a quick peek.

Ariel swallows and steps back, dragging Flo with her. Whispers to the Sun leans forward against the onslaught of the Get's words. ~How will you know, if we don't try? These girls are ready. They can be brought into the fold.~

~Kill her,~ Natalie suggests, the kin temporarily forgotten as she leans forward, hands fisting and releasing. ~Then the others.~ Lest Whistles think 'her girls' will be spared she adds, ~They all have to die.~

Inside the cabin, Doc makes a noise of disgust. Her name. What the hell else would she be writing? She folds her arms and stalks back to the door. This is what she gets, she supposes, for spending all this time as a Guardian. All the action is outside... she decides she can keep the girls calm while doing a search of the cabin. Maybe something interesting will turn up. She's not hopeful, but she's going to go nuts in here if she doesn't do something useful.

Defiant-Storm cuts off the Gaian's comments. ~Enough! I know enough to know you've doomed them. they'll have to be put out of their own misery, and for the sake of the Veil. This is no glorious task we've been given. But it's necessary.~ Natalie gets a look when she speaks up, and the Get nods in return. The kin are left to Emma and Natalie. Storm takes the crinosed Gaian, attacking.

Fire-Dancer growls out and clenches her teeth tightly together. This is no glorious battle, but as her alpha stated, it is necessary. She will aim to do this quickly, the idea of making the mislead suffer pointlessly, making kin suffer, is not her idea of a proud fight. She reaches out quickly towards the closest kin to her, aiming to grab her head and hurry to snap her neck.

Holds-the-Line flashes into Crinos in an eyeblink and turns on the kin. She leaps for the pair, jaws wide, taloned paws ready to bat either or both of them should they try to run.

A great scream rends the air as Hold's the Line's teeth find purchase on Flo's shoulder, just as she is turning to flee. The shrill sound is joined by another, higher pitched shriek, which ends just as suddenly as it begins. Fire-Dancer's clawed hands still holding Ariel's limp body by the neck. At the other end of the clearing the battle is more fierce. Claws flash as both combatants use the fire that burns within them to make their point clear. But, within seconds, it is obvious that the Child of Gaia is no Ahroun, and no match for Defiant-Storm. Moments later, and bloody from snout to the ends of her claw tipped feet, Signe stands over the fallen, now homid body of Whistles to the Sun.

Defiant-Storm hovers over the Gaian's homid form, little if any of the tension of her own relaxing. She turns to look at her two packmates to assess their progress. ~Make it quick,~ she tells Natalie.

Holds-the-Line doesn't nod - Flo will thank her later. Or would, if she could. The Galliard brings her left arm around to pin the Kin, trapping her arms, her teeth firmly planted in Flo's shoulder. She reaches up with her right to grasp the top of Flo's head, then twists and pushes away simultaneously.

Before anyone else can react further, Flo's screaming also ends in a sickening schlorp, and Holds the Line stands with Flo's bloody head dripping from her right hand, clawed fingers entwined in her once-blond hair. Her limp body held tight against the Glass Walkers' body, blood seeping into fur.

Fire-Dancer is seething, her fangs gnashed together at the task she had to perform. She looks up to her alpha and waits to see what is to be done now.

Defiant-Storm looks back to the cabin. She doesn't seem to be much better of than her tribemate--her anger and pent-up desire to fight working its wya through twitching muscles. she attempts to be intelligent. ~Now, the question is, how to handle the girls without causing a panic.~ the Get looks at herself, still covered in the Gaian's blood.

Holds-the-Line says, ~I don't think that possible, Defiant-Storm-rhya. One of us should stay in the doorway to prevent accidental escapes. The rest... It is necessary.~

Defiant-Storm glares back at Natalie, but eventually nods. ~Let's just do it and get the hell out of here.~ Defiant-Storm returns to the cabin, entering without hesitating. Doc and Ashley will know her intent the moment she enters the room. Most likely, so will the girls. Whoever comes in to the cabin last is automatically appointed Guardian of the Door.

In the cabin, Ashley has made her way across the room towards Maggie, eyes narrowing, reaching out to snatch at her arm, jerking it towards her to peer at it.

Holds-the-Line drops the bloody head, shaking her hand with distaste. Flo's body is pushed away, no longer held in a parody of lover's embrace. ~Lures-the-Beast!~ she roars, springing for the cabin, ~They die!~ She's not planning on being the rotten egg, not this time.

Fire-Dancer growls as she walks, one paw swiping angrily at a nearby tree. Fire-Dancer will take that position, and would rather not have to slay another child, or image of a child.. or anything to do with a poor innocent child. She will however, guard that door and stop anything coming towards it.

Hygieia closes her eyes. When she opens them, she's shifting back into Glabro for the added strength. Who cares what they see now? Having much the same "make it quick" thought as the others, she reaches for the nearest one, the little drooling one, and grasps her head, wrenching it around to snap her neck. "Sorry, little one," she murmurs.

While many of the girls die without causing any problems for the Garou, the more courageous girls are making attempts to flee, or fight back. Screams fill the room, even as blood sprays the walls.

Defiant-Storm catches one by the back of the shirt before she can reach the door Fire-Dancer guards. With one yank, the crinosed Get has her off the ground. It take little more than the squeeze of her claw and a twist of the other to snap the girl's neck. The young body is dropped on the floor with the others. The distasteful business makes Storm snarl again.

Shifting into the warm form, Lures-The-Beast grabs Maggie by the back of her head, then shoves it face first into the wall, being none too gentle in her approach to silence her screams. In the back of her mind, she blocks out the faces, the screams, the fact these are little girls, and she puts an image of some great Wyrm beast in her place. Once the body stops twitching, she drops it to the side, then begins to examine the wall a bit lower, to uncover something.

Kelly, in the bed nearest the back corner, makes a break for the back window. Heedless to the danger the glass poses, she dives through it, into the relative safety of the outside.

Holds-the-Line's flattened ears show that she does not relish this task, but she goes about it grimly. The least she can do for the poor girls is give them a quick release - perhaps not mercy as Wolverine would judge it, but mercy nonetheless. She slashes at throats with fang and talon, delivering death as swiftly as she can in this girl scout abattoir. Undoubtedly some of the more aware girls are able to escape her, but she trusts to her packmates to deal with them.

Hygieia snarls and goes diving out the window after Kelly, not much caring at the cuts she gets in the process either. In fact the cuts make her feel a little bit better.

Defiant-Storm snarls as one escapes, but seeing the Fury is quick to react, the returns to the task. She falls back to the now opened window to make sure no one else does the same thing.

And as Hygieia returns, Kelly's battered body under one arm, the rest is over. In the room awash with blood the only sounds are the pants of the Garou and the soft creak of the floorboards as the blood seeps through.

Lures-The-Beast peers at the wall some and lets out a soft breath, ears flattening against her skull. She reaches out with her claw and slowly traces a heart shape circle around the words.

Holds-the-Line shifts back to homid after a wild-eyed search shows that there are no girls left. "Damn head cases," she mutters, stooping to check under the bunks for any last survivors. "I think we should torch this place, Signe-rhya. Bring the other bodies in here too, and set it on fire."

Hygieia scoops a piece of broken glass off the floor and squeezes it in her palm, letting blood drip onto the floorboards. "As do I," she growls. "I was gonna suggest the same. Want me to drag the bodies of the others in?" She flings the glass away and rolls her neck around.

Fire-Dancer is still stuck in perpetual snarl and growl, and stands by the door with a sour look on her face.

Defiant-Storm agrees with Holds-The-Line. ~I'll get the others. See if you can find something to make the fire burn faster and hotter. It's too wet and cold to be any great danger to to the forest, so we're safe there.~

Upon completing the heart shaped circle, Lures-The-Beast drags her claws over the small marking and rumbles quietly in her throat, she rises up to her full height and begins to drag the girl's bodies to a focused spot in the cabin, piling them upon each other, taking great care not to memorize their features or faces.

Defiant-Storm goes outside to retrieve the three bodies still outside. Once they're piled with the girls, the Get makes a disgusted expression, showing off her teeth. ~Remind me, when we see Wolverine again, to take a bite out of his spiritual ass.~

Holds-the-Line pushes herself upright and crosses to the eastern side of the cabin, clearly intent on searching within the storage room.

"Is the stove she was cooking on a gas stove?" Hygieia asks tonelessly. "That'll about do for faster and hotter, if it is." She goes to look herself a second later...her body and brain aren't working in concert just at the moment.

Whistles to Sun pages to the room: Nope. Ancient wood stove. Good condition, but wood stove.

Defiant-Storm begins breaking up the bunk beds and furniture, spreading it like kindling about the room. ~Just use what we have. Find the stores of wood for the stove.~

Whistles to Sun pages: The storage room is pretty dark, and fairly cramped and crowded with stuff. As you dig around, you can hear someone breathing, ragged and as though attempting to stay hidden.

"There's something in here," Nat warns the others, her head coming up at the sound. "Come out come out..." She picks her way toward the sound, shoving at the piles of stuff to make more room.

Glancing over towards Natalie, the Crinos Fury lumbers her way over, rumbling out a soft breath. She sniffs the air to try and catch something if possible.

Hygieia pauses in the act of helping Signe rip up furniture -- she thought Nat was about to find the wood anyway, and heads over towards the storeroom.

Sqeezed between two large boxes, a small girl with blond hair and a gaunt face cowers. She looks as though she may have been in here for a while. She certainly isn't one of the girls that was in the other room, earlier.

Defiant-Storm, pre-occupied with building her bonfire, isn't sure what Natalie says. ~What?~ she asks, tossing what's left of the last bunk-bed down into the pile. With the others moving toward the storage, she eventually follows, repeating her question. ~What?~

"And who are you?" the Walker asks curiously, squatting down to be more on the girl's eye level. Never mind that she's covered in blood - obviously it would be her height that would frighten the girl.

"A girl, not one of the others." Ashley says after making a quick shift down before stepping out into view. She taps her nose slightly, glancing over her shoulder towards Signe. "I don't think she saw anything up there."

Defiant-Storm, still in crinos, quickly shrinks down. She glares back at Ashley. "how the fuck do we know what she's seen up here?"

Hygieia grunts sourly and steps back into the main room so she can shift over into homid again. She glowers at the pile of girls on the floor, glowers at the pile of wood, shoves her hands in her pockets, finds her toothpicks. She dumps every last toothpick on the pile of girls except for the last three. She shoves one into her mouth so savagely that she tears her lip, making it bleed, and throws the other two in her pockets.

The little girl cowers still, a tear running down her cheek in reaction to her fear. She sobs out an attempt at an answer. "Wh-wh-whe's Awiel?"

Natalie glances back at the others. "Ariel had to go away, sweetie. What's your name? Is Ariel a friend of yours?"

Ashley rolls her shoulders slightly and remains calm, despite Signe's anger. She glances to the girl, then back to the others in the room, and lets out a grunt. Flexing her fingers slightly, she pops a few joints in the knuckles, then sniffs the air again.

The little girl does not look at all as though she's about to trust these strangers, and pushes herself back a little further between the boxes. Her eyes travel over the Garou between her and the doorway of the storage room and lets out another small sob.

Signe turns away from the kid, away and back toward the front door. It gets a violent kick, just to make the Get feel better.

The door finally falls all the way off its hinges, crashing to the floor.

Hygieia stares at the door for a moment. Then looks back at Ashley and Signe. "You know," she says quietly, "I heard that kid in there asking for Ariel. If the kid's related to that Ariel woman, then that makes her Kin, at least. That kid in there that Natalie's talking to."

"It's all right," Nat tells the little girl, ooching infintesimally closer and reaching a hand out for her to clasp. "You can trust us, sweetie. You kinda look like a friend of mine. Her name's Megan. What's your name?" For now her packmates are just going to have to trust her as well.

The little girl sobs louder, but reaches out to take Natalie's hand. She's wearing a brown uniform, much like the ones the older girls were wearing.

Signe, for now, lets the galliard handle the child. Doc's input is noted, and the Get nods to it. She waits to get her first look at this young child--see how old she is, and assess, perhaps, if she is indeed kin.

The little girl looks to be 8 or 9, to the 10 - 12 years of age the other girls were. If she resembles anyone, it's Flo, based on haircolor. Her chin has the same line as Maggie, who also had light hair.

Natalie's careful to keep herself between the little girl and the carnage of the cabin. "Is Ariel your sister?" she guesses. "You're too big for her to be your Mommy." She gently draws the girl closer - not pressing it if she struggles, but insistent.

Pacing through the house, Ashley takes out her knife once more, glancing it over slightly. She looks impatient and frustrated, flipping the blade around, end over end, glancing once more to Signe. "You think Wolvie is trying to get us to learn something from all this shit, or does he get off of watching us butcher young girls?" She makes sure she is out of hearing range of the others.

The little girl makes a sudden leap, and clings to Natalie, sobbing hysterically now. Any words she might be saying are entirely lost in Natalie's shoulder.

Natalie startles at the leap, reflexively baring teeth, but clutches the girl to her. She soothes the girl with low shhs, rubbing her back as she turns to look at her packmates. She doesn't say anything, but by her expression clearly waits for a decision as to the little one's fate.

Signe grimaces, looking back at Natalie. She shakes her head.

Continuing to pace, Ashley squints her eyes some and then lets out a frustrated breath. Turning back to head towards Natalie and the kid, she tries to keep her features calm and sedated. "Hey." She says, keeping her voice soft without much malice behind it. "You are a girl scout, huh? How long?"

Hygieia keeps her hands in her pockets. She just watches, eyes narrowed, glinting green with fury.

The little girl clings tightly to Natalie, her sobs subsiding somewhat as the Glass Walker rubs her back.

Reaching over, Ashley nudges the girl. "Hey, don't clam up everytime we ask you a question." She says. "Or do you just not have anything to say?"

Natalie carefully stands and turns so the girl - should she unbury her head from Nat's shoulder and open her eyes - gets to look back into the storage room. "C'mon, kiddo," she urges, "You can talk to us, right? You can trust us. That's Ashley - she's a friend of mine. And I'm Natalie. We'd really like you to answer questions for us. You can do that, I know you can." She manages to free one of her own hands and, while watching Signe, draws a finger across the air near the girl's neck, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

The little girl turns her face to the other side, breathing slowly returning to normal.

"We're girlscouts too. Just, older ones who have graduated." Ashley says with a slight grin on her face. Her eyes glance everywhere but to the girl, trying her best to play 'nice'. "So, what is your name?" She asks again.

Signe waits on the decision. There's no rush at the moment, and if Natalie can get the child to answer some questions it might weigh on what the get decides. From her hard-lined eyes, however, it would take a lot. With a gesture, Signe tells Ashley to back off and simply let Natalie -- who seems to have more of a rapport with the girl -- do the work. The ragey Get ahroun, in the meantime, remains as far back as she can -- since her presence, kin or not, will only make the child worse.

"Sweetie," Nat repeats, bouncing the girl a little, "You need to talk to us. Is Ariel your sister? Maybe the other one? You kinda look like her, you know. Do you have a sister?"

Ashley pushes herself up to her feet and lets out a soft breath, heading away from the pair as she slips her hands into her pockets. She heads out to meet Signe, nudging something along with her foot.

The little girl sniffs, wipes her nose on the Glass Walker's shoulder, and pushes her head back so she can look Nat in the face. "Muh... muh... Maggie."

Natalie repeats, "Maggie's your sister," her voice light and cheerful as she smiles down at the girl. "You must really like your sister, huh? To come out and camp with her? Here now, you hang on tight, OK?" She begins to pick her way out of the storage room with only that much warning.

Signe's scowl deepens. Hard, dark eyes grow even angrier. She says nothing, but gives Natalie the same quick gesture the Walker offered a minute ago. A finger drawn across the neck.

The little girl rests her head on Nat's shoulder, holding tight with both arms.

Natalie gives her alpha a brief, almost unnoticeable, nod. Then under the guise of shifting her grip on the girl, she reaches up, grasps the girl's chin, and pulls sharply to the side, snapping it.

The little girl falls limp in Nat's arms, breathing stops, heart stops.

Signe looks around, "Ok, are there any puppy dogs Wolverine wants me to kill, now? No? Good. Doc, set it on fire. Let's go."

"We haven't checked for bunnies," Nat growls, carefully laying the girl atop the impromptu pyre.

As the pack stands outside the cabin and flames lick up through the open door and windows, Vex shimmers into existance behind them. The more perceptive may notice his arrival before he speaks. ~You have completed the task. You have finished what needed to be done.~

Ashley turns about and stares cooly at the Wolverine, arms crossing over her chest, scowling. She doesn't look too happy at the moment.

Signe's near-black eyes mimic the ferocious spirit's legendary ones. "We did," she answers. And right now I'm considering doing the same for you."

Natalie doesn't notice the spirit's arrival until after her packmates have spoken. She turns, her scowl mimicing the others'. She too remains silent, letting her alpha chew the spirit a new one.

Vex looks at each of the five in turn, once again taking their measure. ~And was this task any the less necessary because you found it uncomfortable?~

"Its what we had to do. Its over with and in the past." Ashley says with a growl in her throat. "Of course it was necessary, regardless if we were comfortable or not. Shit happens, you gotta let it go and roll off your back."

Signe's impatience shows in her answer. "If it wasn't necessary, we wouldn't have done it. It's done. Get on with it."

"I think we expected something a little more... dangerous from Wolverine," is Nat's contribution. "A single insane Gaian, two kin, and ten little girls is hardly a worthy foe."

Vex's shoulders hunch forward and his head drops low. ~You have done what I asked. And you showed no mercy. You are all warriors in spirit. If I showed you the enemy, it would not have tested your resolve. This task was no less important.~ He gives a great huff, a snarl which pulls lips away from his great, sharp teeth. ~If your will is still strong, I will take you as my children.~

Ashley tilts her chin up slightly and stares back at the great spirit, flexing her fingers slowly. She glances over to Signe to field that question, still looking confident in their choice.

Signe shows Vex her will, slipping back down to her hispo form and matching his snarl with one of her own.

Natalie echoes Signe's snarl, though she remains in blood-soaked homid.

Vex lets out a low growl of approval and, one by one, captures them with his gaze. ~Look, then, deep into the fire in my eyes, in my heart. Let me give to you a piece of what lives there. Look. Feel. Be.~

Staring evenly into the Wolverine's eyes, the Black Fury rumbles loudly in her throat, opening up herself to his glowering will. She aches to taste that fire which will burn its way deep into her blood and feel the rage of what their pack will become.

Natalie gladly catches the spirit's eyes, letting Wolverine's anger match and enhance her own.

Defiant-Storm shows no fear in looking into the spirit's eyes.

As the pack stares, the world around Vex's eyes fades, the images deep within all they can see. Red waves of fire burn, but as they watch, these waves move outward, past them, and there is almost the sensation of floating. Red fire fades, replaced with green. Balefire hangs at the edges of vision as a montage passes through and around them. A man in a straightjacket screams. He is not insane - something lives inside his head and struggles to take his body. He stops, the white of his jacket turns red at the center and then rips as black tentacles reach out from his chest. The image fades, another replaces it. A river in the mountains, seeming very familiar, is littered with the bodies of dead and dying fish. A canister lies on its side, cracked and oozing orange filth. The image passes and again, another replaces it. The city burns, green fire rises from the very streets. Bodies litter the sidewalks. The image fades once more, this time pulling back, and there is a feeling of falling as all of the other scenes pass by in reverse, being sucked back past the Garou. Finally, all that they can see is the balefire, and then, that too fades, and is replaced by the sheer red flames of rage.

Defiant-Storm takes in the images Wolverine gives--the feelings, sensations--and the guard hairs of her hackles rise. She snaps and snarls in response, eyes glittering with the fury it all provokes.

Staring forward with a look of pure rage upon her face, Artemis clenches her fists tightly together to the point where her knuckles bleed white. Finding herself shifting into the war form, her claws dig hard into her palms, leaking warm crimson down about her wrists. Her eyes glitter dangerously, ears snapping forward as she seethes with anger.

Natalie's fists clench until her nails drive into her palms. Fresh blood trickles between her fingers now, her lips pulled back in a fearsome grimace as she is absorbed by Wolverine's rage.

[End of log]