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Post by Shehrazad on Jul 18, 2009 15:14:29 GMT 1
Afternoon turned to evening, and the five Garou returned from the rite of cleansing. They walked through the forest until they reached the edge of the bawn. Even Tristain could start to feel spiritual energies of the place as they approached, and the closer they got to the Library, the stronger it felt.
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Post by Corinna Cannstein on Jul 18, 2009 15:49:02 GMT 1
As they approached, Cloud-Dancer walked out to meet them.
"What is going on?" she asked. She looked from Tristain to Danny, to the other three, and raised her eyebrows. "Who's the new guy?"
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Tristain
Cub
"Monsters are as Monsters do. Am I a Monster?"
Posts: 170
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Post by Tristain on Jul 18, 2009 15:52:26 GMT 1
Tristain walks along with the others, glancing nervously, suspiciously from one to the next as he goes. He shifts forms briefly as they walk so his hand heals, then slips back down and resumes spinning the knife.
As he walks, he considers what Yvonne and Danny had been saying. Considers whether or not he'd accept this... precaution. But how could he? Whatever he might deserve for what he's done, if he accepts that mutilation is acceptable where does that leave him but back where he started? He continues to walk, hoping that this owl spirit doesn't decide to agree with Yvonne.
Distracted as he is, he barely notices the change in the atmosphere closer to the Caern, and only notices Cloud Dancer when she speaks. He looks at her a moment then looks away. How many more Garou are there here?
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Kasiya
Cliath 
Treads the Darkest Path
Woof.
Posts: 598
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Post by Kasiya on Jul 18, 2009 16:06:24 GMT 1
Kasiya walks as a wolf at Tristain's heel.
Not as subservient a gesture as it might seem. He hadn't had a chance to properly sniff the Cub over yet and the lack bothered him on an instinctive level. He settles for being near and taking in residual odours, hoping that if something stupid happened he could at least help, though he's not sure how he could in any case.
He doesn't say anything. Right now it's not his place to do so.
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Post by Danny on Jul 18, 2009 18:15:56 GMT 1
Danny hesitated. He would have to explain sooner or later.
"This cub once ran with the Black Spiral Dancers," he said. "But he has left them, and is here to seek redemption. He has been cleansed, and awaits Owl's judgment."
Cloud-Dancer's eyes narrowed. She gritted her teeth and growled at Danny. Even in homid, it was a very threatening growl. Danny stood his ground, and stared at his former packmate.
"Do you want to challenge me too?" he asked. "Judgment-from-the-Skies already has."
Cloud-Dancer glared at Tristain, and then back at Danny.
"Do you expect Owl to afford him much more than a quick death? Even that is more than they deserve."
Danny shook his head.
"We'll see," he said. She might disagree with him. But Fenrir or not, she too was a child of Owl.
He looked at Tristain.
"We will need to step sideways to speak with Owl," he said. "You can come back for your clothes later, if you need them."
He led the way across the gauntlet, letting the others follow.
(Sorry about that. Had to get that out of the way rather than log in with separate accounts.)
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Yvonne
Cliath
Elpis' Ardour
Posts: 528
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Post by Yvonne on Jul 18, 2009 18:44:29 GMT 1
Yvonne walks along with them silently, offering Kasiya a faint smile despite his thinly-veiled hostility. Though she believes in just punishment for the guilty, Yvonne is forgiving of the innocent crimes. Any bad feeling between them could still be healed if he overcomes his hubris and accepts their better's judgement.
She looks down at Cloud-Dancer's response and stays silent for a moment. The Adren hasn't even heard the crimes yet, even Yvonne had waited for the facts before condemning Tristain.
"Vasara has taken his pack from the caern, he doesn't want them staying where they could be killed in their sleep."
She can't really argue with the idea, her own home and kin have been endangered over this matter already.
She follows through the gauntlet at her usual slow but steady pace.
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Kasiya
Cliath
Treads the Darkest Path
Woof.
Posts: 598
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Post by Kasiya on Jul 18, 2009 18:49:52 GMT 1
Well. The Fenrir certainly didn't seem to like converts.
How could they ever hope to turn Garou back from the wyrm if they welcomed them like this.
The black spiral dancers took Gaian garou and changed their allegiance. Why not the other way around?
Feeling quite sad at the prevailing intolerance, Kasiya waits until Tristain has stepped sideways, then follows, leaving after, yet probably arriving before the Cub.
Am I the only one who knows how easy it is to mislead the young?
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Tristain
Cub
"Monsters are as Monsters do. Am I a Monster?"
Posts: 170
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Post by Tristain on Jul 18, 2009 18:54:15 GMT 1
Having never attempted to step into the Umbra without the aid of some reflective surface, Tristain casts about a little, then remembers he's spinning his knife still. He cleans it quickly in the crook of his arm, then turns it to look into the flat of the blade. A few seconds later the knife and his clothes hit the floor.
On the other side, Tristain relatively quickly shifts into lupus to be a little less naked.
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Post by Danny on Jul 18, 2009 20:06:19 GMT 1
When the others reached the Umbra, they found Danny waiting, still wearing his human form. The difference was that in the Umbra, he had large white-feathered wings which grew out of his back, a gift from his totem.
The group of now six Garou their way silently towards the Caern. Both Tristain and Kasiya were in Lupus, but the other four stayed in their homid forms.
They didn't need to summon Owl. As the patron of the Caern, he was always close by, and Danny never had trouble finding him. A perfect specimen of a large, snowy owl, he sat on the branch of a large tree, watching silently. He let his eyes wander over all of them before settling on Danny. Beside Owl sat the small skeletal mouse which was Hans, its yellow eyes darting nervously from one Garou to the other.
Danny stopped under the tree and lowered his head slightly in respect for his Totem.
"Owl, Keeper of the Library, I bring before you a cub who has strayed, and returned to Gaia of his own free will. I have heard his crimes, and have chosen to show him mercy. He wishes to atone, and he seeks your guidance."
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Post by Shehrazad on Jul 18, 2009 20:22:09 GMT 1
Owl's eyes eyes swept over the six of them, and lingered on Yvonne and Cloud-Dancer for a moment.
"Where is the rest of your Sept?" Owl asked with an accusing tone. He didn't wait for an answer though. "How will the Caern stand together if the Sept won't."
Though Owl was not talking to them, Kasiya and Yvonne couldn't help feel the accusation was also directed at them, if only in some small way.
"I wonder if the Garou would have won the war already, if they didn't spend all this time fighting among themselves."
It fixed both Danny and Cloud-Dancer with an accusing stare, before turning to wolf-Tristain.
"And you. Hans has told me what you have done," the small skeletal mouse trembled and tried to make itself even smaller.
"Are you ready to atone for your crimes? To pay for the suffering you have in inflicted, in blood, pain, and tears?"
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Tristain
Cub
"Monsters are as Monsters do. Am I a Monster?"
Posts: 170
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Post by Tristain on Jul 19, 2009 7:21:23 GMT 1
When Tristain sees the skeletal mouse sitting next to the owl, he freezes, waiting for the others to move a bit further forward before he continues. As they continue on, he watches the mouse carefully until the owl addresses him personally.
He considers the question a moment before realising that he was about to answer a question that hadn't been asked. Instead he shifts back into homid and says simply "yes."
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Post by Shehrazad on Jul 19, 2009 17:22:38 GMT 1
"You have inflicted pain and humiliation on your victims before they died. You did so because you allowed others to dictate your actions. You allowed others to choose for you.
But my children see the wisdom in mercy, even if others choose not to.
If you choose to atone, you must return and face your crimes. Face your victims, and that which they have left behind. Only then can you return to me as Garou. Then you can start your new life and make your new choices, without the burdens of your actions haunting you. You will renounce Tristain, and nobody will speak of him again."
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Tristain
Cub
"Monsters are as Monsters do. Am I a Monster?"
Posts: 170
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Post by Tristain on Jul 19, 2009 17:34:19 GMT 1
"How?" Tristain swallows hard, wishing he had his knife about now. Oddly, it wasn't the idea of facing what he'd done that scares him as much as being sent off to find them. Without backup, it'd be suicide to go nosing around the Guiding Star's old stomping grounds and it doesn't look like backup would be forthcoming. "I don't know who they were. And I doubt Jess'd tell me if I asked nicely." Or is that my problem and you're just finding complicated ways to tell me to fuck off?
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Post by Shehrazad on Jul 19, 2009 17:51:40 GMT 1
"You must only face them, not find them," Owl said. "That part has already been done for you. Waiting for you under the tree where you were cleansed, you will find the White Dove. She will guide you, though she cannot help you. She will witness your progress through the gauntlet, but she will not join you in the physical world.
If you have more questions, ask them now. I will not send you out blindly, but I will not be there to help you once you are gone."
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Tristain
Cub
"Monsters are as Monsters do. Am I a Monster?"
Posts: 170
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Post by Tristain on Jul 19, 2009 17:59:13 GMT 1
Ok, so depending on how much help this dove can offer in finding people, perhaps it might not be quite so suicidal. "What do I have to do once I find them? And do I have time to get some clothes and have them... dedicated?" He wonders if he'll get to find out what happened to the young girl, but then she wasn't really a victim, so probably not.
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