Porch

A lathe-turned wooden railing runs the length of the porch save where the steps are, well-worn with use. To the right of the stairs, a wide swing is suspended from the overhang which shelters this area; to the left, a small table is the centerpiece for several chairs pulled around it, all of which face out to the front yard and the fields and trees beyond. The biting cold of winter is tempered somewhat by the sheltering of the roof, but it is still enough to make the porch an inhospitable place to tarry for long. Even the low shrubs seem to avoid it, their leafless woody stems closed in tight upon themselves.

An aging screen door newly refurbished stands between the heavy inner door of the house and the outside air. Four steps lead down to the lane, a number of pots with small flower seedling carefully arranged alongside them.

Contents:
Joshua
Signe
Megan

Obvious exits:
Front Door Lane

Signe ignores Joshua beyond the look she gave him upon first coming through the door. "Not your typical Furies," she says. "And after all Emma and I may be Get, but we're female at least. As for the Guardian pack, it fell apart before I had anything to do with it. I just picked up one of the pieces." After all this explaining, the Get seethes a little more, angry at herself for even bothering to 'explain'. She shakes her head. "The advice was about territory."

Joshua does his best to ignore the other two, heading forward and leaning against the rail as he blankly stares out to the lane.

Megan is not quite ignoring Joshua as much as she's paying more attention to the seething Get of Fenris. "What about it?"

Signe supplies, along with a shrug of the shoulder, "Suggestions for the best way to make use of this new pack."

Eamon clomps up the stairs and grins at the gathered garou. "Hey there. What is this, a convention or something?"

Joshua just stands there, really not listening. Eamon distracts from his staring out into space, and he mutters out another 'evening' to him. All the rank on the porch has him edgy, now.

Natalie pushes her way out onto the porch from inside. She stops short at seeing the gathering, her eyes flicking from Signe to Megan and Josh, finally lighting on the stranger's face. "Evening," she offers, adding a, "Signe, wanna talk to you sometime," as she hooks her thumbs into her pockets.

Megan's eyebrows go up, and she comments lightly at Eamon with a grin, "Now that you're here, Smiley, it's a party. We should chat soon." But she then turns her attention back to the edgy Get of Fenris. "Outside of as Guardians?" she asks, with a hint of acerbity. "There are two packs out here, only one in the city, and one that is splitting territory on either side of the river. No, I don't ask questions, either. So, anywhere in the city, just about." She pauses, then asks, "Is what they say about being under Wolverine true? Are you feeling even... more rageful, now?"

Eamon glances between Megan and Signe, fully expecting them to start trying to tear each other's throats out again. When this fails to happen, he shrugs and finds a seat, producing a flask from his jacket pocket. "I'm startin' early," he says to Megan, with a wink.

Signe pushes up from her seat. "Thanks," she says to Megan, gruffly, as she goes to make her way out. Her answer to the alpha's question comes only as an afterthought. "I don't need a spirit to piss me off." Accidentally, she pushes past Eamon to get down the stairs, gesturing Natalie to follow her.

As Signe passes, the Fianna ragabash calls out to her, "Hey, heard anything from Salem about that thing with the Russians?"

Joshua shrinks back a little bit, leaning on the railing hard and trying his dead level best to ignore the presence of the other, especially Natalie and Megan. The sight ot the Alcohol doesn't help either.

Natalie starts after Signe, making it so far as to cross between Eamon and Megan before the Ragabash's question draws her up. She looks between the two, then places Megan under her gaze as well, just for fun.

Megan snorts in response to Signe's careless answer, but then looks from Signe to Natalie at Eamon's question. When she catches Natalie's look, she says, "Unless you know something." It's more statement than question.

Signe looks back to Eamon over her shoulder. Her expression changes as the subject changes--becoming slightly more business-like. "I don't have any new news, yet. I'm waiting on the Shadow Lord to simply set the time. When we have it, I'll call you."

Eamon nods. "Gotcha. Thanks."

"Nothing I haven't said already," the Walker says, letting her eyes slide away from Megan's. "Thought Signe might want me to do the info dump, though." She steps away from Eamon, slipping her hands further into the pockets of her jacket.

Signe nods to the Walker, indicating she should if she has something Megan doesn't already know.

Natalie considers for a second. "...Only thing new I know is that our invisible boy is Alex, not Boris like I thought."

"Alex?" Megan echoes questioningly. Apparently the name isn't ringing any bells with her.

Natalie glances at Signe apologetically, then shrugs and turns around to fill in the others. "Alex. Called Ironskin, though it's an obvious alias. Jer has info on him, Boris - he's the spider guy in that video - and the Doctor. I've seen a clip of Alex breaking out of restraints. Arm and leg chains."

Megan nods once, business-like. "Okay, that's better." She then glances at Eamon, seeing if he has anything further to ask.

Eamon seems as if this is the first he's heard of this person as well, listening intently to Natalie and storing away the information for later. "Huh." He shrugs at Megan's glance, indicating that he has nothing else to add.

Signe continues on toward the barn--her earlier destination--telling Natalie with a glance to catch up when she can.

Signe heads for the lane, descending the three steps from the porch.

Joshua is still just standing there, looking nervous for it.

"If that's everything, Megan?" Nat asks, giving Eamon another glance. She's certainly as diffident as Josh's ever seen her.

Megan shrugs her right shoulder, eyeing the departing Signe before giving Natalie a nod, and a forced smile. "I think that's everything. Thanks, Natalie."

Eamon nods and waves to Natalie, then swigs from his flask. "How's the pack coming, Megan?"

Natalie, taking this as her cue to flee, flees.

[Scene change]

Big Red Barn

The barn is built in the old style, a vast three level structure that is greater in height than a mere three stories, actually closer to five. Great wooden posts support the weight of the upper levels and roof, sunk into the hard-packed dirt floor of the first level like a sparse forest of regularly spaced, naked trees. The stalls and flagstones which once were here have been torn out to leave a rather open area where even crinos Garou may roam freely without fear of running into anything but the supports or the walls or the ladder at the back which allows access to the other two levels.

The first two levels are relatively open to each other, the second being only little wider than a catwalk going around all the walls but the front one, which has massive, twenty foot tall doors set into it. The third level is a true second floor except for a place cut out that allowed hay to be tossed down to the ground floor when the farm was actually worked. Now, it is a hayloft where Garou can sleep outside of the house.

Contents:
Signe
Jamethon
Ashley

Obvious exits:
BarnYard

Standing in the center of the barn, talking to James is Artemis, holding a battle axe with a double headed blade. She holds it proudly in her hands, talking to him in a calm tone of voice.

Signe hesitates as she comes in the barn, her eyes drawn immediately to the axe. "It came?" she asks, stepping forward and not taking her eyes off the weapon.

Jamethon narrows his eyes as he sees her looking towards the door, "You think you leave without testing your worth with that blade?" He seems undesiring to comment on the Furies' words, as he steps away to a bale of hay in the darkness and retrieves a finely crafted spear sticking straight out of it. "You promised a duel... I intend to collect." As he steps back, the spear comes into the light, and shines... It has been stained a dark red, like that of blood which it probably is, then shined bright with resin. Along the haft are many runes, carved intricatly for well over a year now. The tip hewned to a firehardened point, is colored with some kind of bright blue pigment. The glyphs speak of the theurges, spirit, knolwedge, gaia, war, blood, and finally... spaced near to the tip is the glyph for Chimera.

Signe backs off a little bit, eyes glittering and eager. She's smiling, too. "Before this thing starts, I want specific boundaries set. She's a child of Wolverine now, James. No Mercy."

Having almost sensed her Alpha's return, Artemis stares at the Jarl for a moment, before turning back towards the Godi wordlessly. She lifts her chin up proudly, then slips her way into the Glabro form, gripping the axe easier now as she twirls it slowly, end over end between her hands. "I did not forget." She says with a growl in her throat, her eyes becoming intense, raging with an electric fire behind them. With that, she moves forward in a quick rush, swinging the weapon forward towards him, hoping to use it to barrel his weapon away.

Jamethon leaps, of all directions, forward. Bringing his spear up and catching it in the curve of the blade he pulls himself and the Fury close together. "I was one a child of Wolverine too!" He speaks quick and fiercly, "First to land three blows with their weapon, wins... surrender is always accepted." He growls the last part in a bit of humorous mockery as he pushes away, slipping his spear out and standing a good few feet away from his foe. Watching and waiting for her next strike.

And it's into this little scene that Natalie arrives, carefully closing the door behind her before truly seeing what's going in inside. "Crimeny," she mutters under her breath before joining Signe, her arms folded now. "What's this about?" The Galliard pitches her voice low out of courtesy to the combatants.

"Then surrender now and save yourself the embarrassement." Rumbles the Fury as she steps back after the quick staredown into his eyes, flipping the heavy axe once more, using one hand before her fingers grasp the war weapon. With a loud howl, she blazes into him, using the weapon as a shield as she approaches, then hurls it upwards in a sweeping uppercutting arc, going from knee to throat, not about to allow him a chance to move to blow, unless he wants to have his guts torn open.

Signe's smile's turned to an all out, toothy grin as she watches. She leans closer to Nat to answer, as if it's some sort of giddy secret. "Just a debt collection. Ash's got a new 'toy'." She nods towards the axe. It appears, too, that the Get Jarl is drooling over the weapon.

Jamethon falls right back on his ass with a loud thump as the attack comes in from the Fury, and bringing the spear up to his body rolls just enough to be out of the way, then strikes out with the spear towards the Furies' leg with rage driven speed.

Moving quickly upon instinct and battle driven abilities, Artemis drops the blade down quickly to her ankles, letting the spear clang against the hard steel of her axe. She stares down at him from his bottomed spot and once more wheels around, using the flat of her foot to kick the axe up, then lashes forward, aiming for a knee cap.

"Lovely," Nat says dryly, though she watches the action with interest that belies her tone. "...Oh yeah. 'Ve you heard about Leala? Her Challenge?"

Signe doesn't take her eyes off the fight, white knuckles folded over her chest as evidence of the investment she has in the violence in front of her. Yet, even with this, she keeps up easily with Natalie's conversation. "The terms? No I hadn't heard. What are they?"

Jamethon uses his Tai Chi training to flip his body backwards like some kind of rolypoly bug, fast enough to avoid any serious injury but not quite fast enough to not get the underside of his leg knicked by the corner of the axe, which bites sharply spitting blood with a clean flow from even the slight wound. With a grunt the Fenris acts like a spring, his legs brought back fly forward and propel James right back on his feet, the spear flying forward towards the Furies' shoulder with a good deal of force.

Natalie says, "She's got to decide what to do with Joshua." There's the slightest of hestitations before she says the name. "Then convince three people: Megan, an Elder of her choosing, and an Elder of mine. 'Course, if he gets himself killed or adopted by another tribe first, it's a hypothetical decision, but that's fine too."

Signe grunts, still watching the action. "I was gonna say, ain't it pretty much up to Wolf?" She nods towards Natalie, though, and then shifts her weight from one foot to the other. The battle is making her itchy.

Dancing backwards, eyes focused on the blood that dances into the air, Artemis whirls the blade up once again, shifting to the side, but not fast enough. She rolls her neck away and takes a glancing blow from the spear, opening up her shoulder as she hisses lightly. If she even feels the pain, she doesn't dare let it show as she blurs into motion, giving off a loud growl as she whirls the blade once more in a dangerous arc at him, trying to get in close and out of reach of his distance weapon.

Natalie lets her teeth show at her alpha, just for a second, the fight likewise itching along her nerves. "S'a long story." And probably not one the Walker wants to go into. Again.

Signe doesn't press the issue, more wrapped up in what's going on than anything else. "Damn," she mutters at Ashley. "I want one."

Natalie sidesteps away from her packmate, jerking her head from side to side to make her neck pop. "You want to judge it? 'F you don't, I'll probably ask Alicia."

Signe grimaces faintly, but the Get does think about it. She actually takes her eyes off the fight to look at Natalie. "I wouldn't be the best judge. I'm not a philodox, and while I know it's not necessary for me to be one, it is a half-moonish thing. Besides, wouldn't me being your packmate be considered bias?"

James reels back from his strike, almost as if bouncing from Artemis as he skips back step for step while the Fury swings forward. towards him. The Get's superior strength shows, helping his simple leaps cover more distance. It is clear however that his attacks just aren't as smooth and quick as the Furies, despite his discipline. For now, the two trickle blood but cease to slow in their movements. The Get continues to dance back with the fierceness of the Furies attacks, and when he senses an obsticle bale of hay close at his back he stops and makes a stabbing motion with his spear towards the Fury's feet.

Natalie's eyes don't leave the fighters, her fists loosely clenching. "...Maybe. Anyway, this is, you're to judge him - her - as an Elder, not just a Philodox. Since she wants to be Elder." She hahs at a particularly clean exchange before continuing absently, "If I wanted Philodox, I'd've had Salem do it."

Barreling forward upon him, Artemis jolts herself as she lifts up her foot in a near like crane manner, balancing herself upon the other. She hopes her quick thinking and hawk like eyes are enough to stop the spear from driving into her foot as she soon lurches forward. If successful, she plans on stomping her foot upon the spear and swinging the axe chest high.

The reaction from the Get is instantaneous, and he seems to be willing to take the cut along the chest in exchange for bringing the spear back, pivoting it at the end, and catching the Fury's other shoulder with her own momentum. Both wounds bleed well as the weapons pull out of the way, but the shallow wound dug across the Get's chest nearly sprays forward, covering the spear, the axe, and the Fury with a quick gout of crimson. The pain, perhaps seems to not even register to the Get as he pirouettes away in a smooth motion, jumping with a spin in the air and landing facing his foe, attack stance readied with the spear held firmly in both hands, pointed from the Get's hip towards the Fury. The blood flows eagerly from the Get's chest.

Signe eventually answers, but it takes her long enough that the Walker might think she'd forgotten all about it in favor of the fight. "Alright. I'll do it," she says, nodding once.

Whirling around with a snarl on her face, Artemis revels in the pain that fires its way up her body, soaking in the anger that Wolverine bestows upon her. She twirls the blade a few more times in her hand, shuffling her feet quickly as she attempts to throw him off, making him wonder which direction she'll come from. Stepping forward with a foot, she blurs herself into motion once more, swinging the axe in a criss crossing motion towards him as she angles her body well enough so that she can use her rage born gifts to drive her to the side if need be. She gets in close again, hissing in a furious anger as she locks eyes with the other Theurge.

As Artemis surges forward with her crazed attack, James takes a leap back, striking forward with his spear to provoke the other into the defense she telegraphed so well. They find themselves on equal footing again, facing each other, but James now circles around to get his back away from the wall while his chest weaps blood.

Prowling the edge of her defense, Artemis continues to move, hoping to trap him back up against the wall once more as she glares at him with bared teeth. She swings forward once more, aiming for his arm, keeping her body behind the attack so that she could edge it side to side if must be and block a glancing blow that may come her way. By now, her shirt is soaked with blood, both shoulders crying crimson rivets as her hair wildly flops backwards as she moves.

Natalie bares teeth at James' escape and 'Hah!'s again. "'ll send Leala email. She'll tell you when." Galliard or no, Nat's eloquence is swiftly slipping away.

The two square off for some time, dancing around each other, trying to keep their backs away from the wall as they make vicious attacks and dodge those of the enemy. James surely has more vicious attacks, but the more graceful and elegant attackes belong to the Fury and her weapon fresh from the forge. The two appear to begin to tire and a few feints from one cause the other to cover up exposed vulnerabilities. James growls out and presses and attack, whirling the spear back around his head, as Artemis swings heavily towards the Get's arm. James brings the spear down towards the Fury's favored arm and in a moment that is too close to call the Fury's labrys bites deeply into the Get's upper arm near the shoulder, hitting bone while the spear pierces into, and through the muscle of Artemis' arm. The wound the Get takes causes his arm to hang limply at his side while his other arm jerks up cleanly, pulling the spear out with a human roar of triumph, following by labored huffing of breath.

Nearly channeling her rage through the weapon, Artemis's eyes widen at the stab in her arm, that which causes her to nearly tighten up as she can feel herself go numb. The sight of James's wound brings about an inner satisfaction as she draws herself back, holding the axe closer to her as she grips the handle tightly, staring at him, slowly breathing, controlling her pounding heart as she growls. "Three and three, James. Do you wish to call it a draw or do you wish for us to kill each other?" She asks, her lips pulling back into a feral grin as she inches towards him.

Jamethon only answers by flowing up into the glabro and holding his injured arm in place to heal with the other arm. "I think..." he grunts with the deep voice of his form, "You have satisfied your end of the deal." Already the wounds begin to close up, "You've practiced before," he states with a questioning tone and winces as he seems to just now feel the pain of the wound.

"I told you that." The Black Fury says with a wide grin as she takes a moment to pause, allowing the wounds to knit themselves back together as she huffs out a loud breath, working one shoulder, than the other. "You aren't that bad with the spear either." She turns her head slightly, staring over towards her pack mates, before nodding her head.

Signe, seeing the battle is done, comes inward away from the barn wall. "James, that thing is... very pretty. Where'd you put your dirty little hands on it?"

Jamethon huffs with a quiet chuckle at that, and eyes the labyrs, the blood groves etched in the side well filled with his lifeblood. As Signe questions him he jerks his head up and scowls slightly, though takes no other action or change in tone to show offense. "A kin back home, one of those who have seen battle with the Wyrm and still lives... a gifted blacksmith, crafted it."

Natalie drops Ashley a nod in return but doesn't approach, apparently content to let her ongoing feud with the Fury wait another day. "I'm heading back now that I've found my keys," she tells the barn in general, turning for the barn doors.

Signe meant no offense, but she's too busy staring at Ashley's weapon to even notice Jame's reaction. "What price would he ask of me for a smiilar... gift."

Jamethon flexes the recently injured arm and finding it satisfactory he reaches up and scratches at his head. "I can ask. But... he has little he wants. I will ask however. Realize, though, that this weapon is no simple axe. It is a Labrys, a weapon made for the Furies."

Staring at the Walker for a moment, Artemis lets out a soft breath, then glances back towards the pair of Get. She ponders before clearing her throat slightly. "Natalie." She says with a proud voice. "I would like to apologize to you, for losing my temper the other day. It was very Garou of me, but, I was being honest when I said I was merely joking around and trying to warm up to you. I am unused to human culture of communicating or sharing 'bonds' outside of living within a pack of Amazons. Every day is a struggle for me to be a woman, and not a warrior."

Signe's dark eyes grow angry for a moment. "A labrys is an axe. A weapon our people have used just as long as the Sisters have." A darting glance is passed to the Fury in the room, as if challenging her to argue the point. Then, she looks back to James, but the Fury's words stop whatever was coming next. Instead, she simply mutters to the Get theurge, "We'll talk later."

Natalie stops at the door, turning with one hand on it to consider Ashley. "...Accepted," she says after a moment. "Jer twitted me once for doing the same thing to him." Clearly expecting that to be enough, she pulls open the door and ducks outside without another word.

[End of log]