07/03/89 - The Rite of the Totem - Maria's return

[Adiyah]

Adiyah smiled warmly at Maria's triumphant return. It was quite an amazing honor to be recognized by totem spirits and avatars for your deeds, and the theurge could empathize with that. "Congratulations and welcome back, Limp Paw."

At the sound Adiyah looked up and around for the spirit and soon spotted it. Her face immediately fell, because the sqirrel wouldn't have left his post unless consequences were dire. In it's condition and fear, the Fian's worst fears were quickly coming to light. She leaned down to speak to it and expamine it's injuries. "Thank you little one. You did well in coming to me."

She looked stricken as she looked over at the others. "This jaggling is charged with protecting my family, my home is under attack and the squirrel says it's wolves."

She spared them all a glance, one that spoke of a mother, a wife, who's heart was already threatening to break. If this spirit was already hurt..............she didn't want to think about it. No, not Klaus........not Keith. Adiyah indicated the jaggling. "Someone needs to help this fellow, I do not have the gift. I need to get to my family now, come with me."

Something of rationality left her in her building rage, because she didn't want to wait. Immediately she shifted to lupus, tawny wolf form already set to run. She looked back after running a few steps to see if anyone was coming, then had a thought. She looked around for another jaggling to try to send one off to Danny to let him know. There wasn't time to do it in person, and every second counted.

[Maria]

Maria was joyful, but she could still feel her sadness towards the death of the scientist. But now she had her pack to trust and rely on. Somewhat, of course.

" I have one of my quest, Max,but-" Maria started, but as she noticed the wounded squirrel, she became silent and watched Adiyah as she listened to the animal. The reaction on the theurge's face told Maria that something grave was happening.

After hearing what Adiyah had to say, and her run off, Maria quickly reacted the best she could.
"Wait, Adiyah! I am not a warrior and I lack the stability of the legs you three have, so let me handle your guardian's health and get help from the rest of our caern!" Maria shouted after the pack theurge, then looked at the other two members of her pack.
" I am guessing a great new tale is about to begin,Max" Maria said to Max, holding a bitter smile.

[Yvonne]

Yvonne momentarily goes wide-eyed, supressing a gasp of suprise and worry.
"You're right, no time to waste..."
She looks from Adiyah to Maria, and her deformed leg.
"Maria, you're coming with us, we're a pack now so we stand together. Max, is your car nearby? That might be faster."
Even as she talks she's attempting the shift to Glabro form, more out of instinct at the raising anger than anything else. She might not have as personal a stake as Adiyah, but Ahroun don't take as much to get angry.

[Max Heller]

"No time," Max said, shaking his head at Maria. "You'll soon see how a pack fights, three legs or four. I'll let the others know."

He shifted to Lupus immediately and howled a low warning, a call to battle, to those in the Umbra, letting them know the details:
Danger at the Orlen home. Send help to the edge of the bawn. A friendly spirit is in need of care.

He had already started after Adiyah as he was howling.
"Yvonne's right, let's take my car," he suggested, returning to homid and getting ready to step sideways. "It's faster."

[Maria]

" All right, but I have to keep hidden, then. My quest was not without it's setbacks" Maria says, and looks at Max. Then she turns to face Adiyah.
"Do not fret or feel alone, as long as Lion unites us, you will not have to suffer alone, we are here to help you" she says, knowing she is stating the obivious. Maria then shifts to lupus and joins the two of her packmates all ready running.

[Adiyah]

Adiyah pauses at the sound of the howl and her pack's insistence. She was a hundred feet away from them already and was tempted to just keep running. But it was true the car might be faster. When Max howled the warning too, to help the spirit squirrel, she reluctantly shifted to homid instead, and followed. The fian could only nod at the support she was being offered. She was thankful, but overall she was already numb with shock and rage. Her home. Her husband.
Her little boy.

Tense with the anger of it all she looked to Max, and her eyes were just a bit wild. "Fine, thanks, we take your car. Step on it and don't stop for anything. No traffic will keep me from mine."

A carefree Fian could quickly become pretty fierce when all was at stake. She stepped sideways, feeling like it took way too long to do everything right now.

[Yvonne]

Changing to Glabro takes away the softness and gentility of Yvonne's natural form. She frowns at Maria's quizzical statement.
"You can explain later."
Then she steps sideways with the others.

[Shehrazad]

Next Post at >>Orlen Home<<

[Kasiya]

Arriving in the PenUmbral Caern, Kasiya instantly flattens himself down low, keeping still and silent.

The Wyrm is about today. No place is safe.

He breathes the clean air of the Caern in deeply and slowly, looking for scents that don't belong, listening for sounds that shouldn't be there.

((Silence and Sense Wyrm))

Fred moves off at a sedate pace, immaterial and unconcerned.

[Corinna Cannstein]

The Caern's umbra looked as peaceful as undisturbed as ever, and as always it was the purest of places, untouched by the Wyrm's taint. It did not take Kasiya long to make his way to the place where Micah had said the spirit was.

He recognised Cloud-Dancer there, standing over the spirit of a squirrel. The jaggling spirit looked badly hurt. Its colours shifted from white, to grey, to pure black. Kasiya could see its distress.

Cloud-Dancer looked up when Kasiya approached.
"He is badly hurt," she said. But she had nothing left to help the spirit, having given her essence to Stonetooth the night before.
"Where is Walks-with-Death-rhya?" she asked.

[Kasiya]

Continuing to sniff for the Wyrm's bitter taint as he runs, kasiya almost ignores Cloud-Dancer once he's identified her scent, so intent is he in his surroundings.
He feels like prey and he doesn't like it.

Baring his throat for the briefest of instants as he reaches the Fenrir and her charge in deference of her rank, Kasiya pauses for a second as if listening.

"Fred says Walks-with-Death-Rhya takes the other Cliath to defend the Caern.
He says they were looking for you."

With his most pressing concern as the injured spirit, Kasiya leaves further talk to Simeon and gently touches his wet nose to the maimed squirrel.

"Well done my friend. Your service to one Garou is a service to us all. We are grateful"

Willing his vital energies into the small spirit through their touch, Kasiya doesn't even stop to think that he might need them later. It was simply something that needed to be done.
The moment might be fraught but the work was intensely satisfying to Kasiya. All the small ones were his to tend.

((Offering 2 Gnosis.))

Giving it a moment to recover itself:

"Can you tell me what has happened?"

[Simeon]

Slipping through the Gauntlet almost on Kasiya's heels Simeon paused, though unlike his dark counter part he froze and lifted his nose high to take in the various scent, closing his eyes briefly as he savored them all. His yellow eyes opened and he proceeded to where Cloud-dancer and Kasiya were, stopping to listen to the brief conversation. Seeing Kasiya taking care of the Spirit he looked back over at Cloud-Dancer. "What has happened here Rhya?" he asked as he nodded his head towards the Jaggling.

[Corinna Cannstein]

"I am not quite sure," Cloud-Dancer said. "I heard Max howl, and I came to see. That's when I found the spirit."
She turned to Kasiya then:
"Defend? He is expecting an attack?"

The spirit recovered enough to regain some of its usual energy, and it sprang to its feet and started swishing its tail twitchily.
"I watch the home of Eyes-of-Light," said the squirrel. "Every day, every night. Two wolves came. One big and black, one small and grey. I could not hold them. I came to warn Eyes-of-Light."

Since neither Simeon nor Cloud-Dancer could understand the spirit, they looked to Kasiya to explain.

[Simeon]

Simeon nodded as he replied. “ It is thought they maybe on this side of the wall. Vasra-rhya and Danny saw fit to spilt our forces. He and his went to investigate while Danny and his will defend the Caern if an attack comes. We,” And he looked to Kasiya “were sent to find the spirit and see what it knows.”

As he spoke he started to pace a bit, the week of inactivity having given him an abundance of energy. Energy that became more evident as the spirit squeaked. Tilting his head he looked over at Kayisa “What does it say Brother?”

[Kasiya]

Rubbing his muzzle against the little Jaggling if it stays in one place for long enough, he offers it what comfort it can.

"You are an excellent guard. What you did was for the best. Two packs of Garou go to fight off the tainted Wolves. Well done."

Turning his head to tilt an eye at Simeon, Kasiya endeavours to maintain contact with the little spirit. It had been through a lot, and there was much comfort in simple physical contact.

"This brave spirit guards Eyes-of-Light's Den.
Two Garou came and attacked it.
He came to warn her. She will have taken her pack to defend her Cub."

Looking up at Cloud-Dancer, Kasiya fills in the last blank in the picture for her.

"Slagbroder are following Dammerlicht to help them."