Seeking out Merlin (Jess)

[Shehrazad]

It was evening, and the umbra was lit only by the light of the gibbous moon. Very soon, it would be full. But Jess' connection to Luna was not too strong, and the spirits in the umbra were much too soothing for the moon to stir her rage. She was actually quite calm as she headed in search for a spirit.

[Jessika]

Jess heads out in Lupus, away from the familiarity of the city, towards the woods where Merlin was more likely to be found. Once she was a little way out, she calls out to see if here Totem is around.

[Shehrazad]

Although Jess doesn't glimpse her totem in the immediate vicinity, she is greeted by Cat as soon as she crosses the gauntlet.

"I saw him," Cat said. "Close by. Follow me."

[Jessika]

Jess grins when she sees Cat, and happily follows her friend into the woods.

[Shehrazad]

The small colourful falcon was perched in a tree not far from the Caern. He seemed to be expecting her, and he turned his head sideways to look at her.

"I heard you found something shiny," he said. "Very shiny. Tell me about it."

[Jessika]

Jess trots up happily, and flops down under the tree. "We found something called Hrafnsmerki - some old powerful Fenrir banner that they're gonna use in the battle against the huge bane at the wall. Apparently it's cursed so the person who carries it dies, but at least Jona didn't get his hands on it. Some local Fenrir called Hands of Mercy ended up carrying it."

"It's a raven-banner, with Raven as a spirit of death, though it seems the banner itself's not around any more - Hands of Mercy kinda became the banner or something. We had to go get something from the Ratkin in return for the banner - the Silver Moon. Looked like a disco ball. One of the others died getting it, a Shadow Lord called Zachary. We also had a Strider called Simeon with us. He seemed to really hit it off with the Rats. Dunno why they'd like a Owl-child, though." Jess finally trails off her rambling explanation so Merlin could ask her to expand anything it wanted to know more about.

[Shehrazad]

"Hmm, what the rats don't know can't hurt them," Merlin said. "You've done well."

Cat crawled into Jess' lap when she sat down, and eyed the bird like... well, a cat.

"What else are you up to?" Merlin asked.

[Jessika]

"Well, they're gearing up for the fight now. I don't know whether they're gonna want us in on that or not. I mean, a couple of medics might be handy, but we're not really the front-line types. After that, we need to figure out what's next for healing the City." Jess pauses. "I was also looking for someone to teach me how to smell the Wyrm," she says hopefully. "It's something I've been meaning to learn for a while, but never got 'round to it."

[Shehrazad]

"It is not just a smell," Merlin said. "No more than it is sight or sound. You must learn to tell friend from foe, as the Wyrm takes many forms. Not all are hostile. Many are subtle and hidden. You must learn to see the signs. It will be difficult at first. But the more you learn about the Wyrm, the easier it will become."

[Jessika]

"So you can teach me?" Jess grins again, fussing Cat as she looks up at her totem. "How do we start?"

[Shehrazad]

"We have already started," Merlin said. "Now you must practise. I can help you recognise the signs, but with time, you will no longer need me. However, be careful. This gift can be deceiving. Not all enemies will show signs of the Wyrm, and the opposite is true. Use this gift to guide your pack, but don't let it guide your actions."

((Jess gains Sense Wyrm))

[Jessika]

Jess blinks and just stares into the distance a little as she realises that she knows how to do something she didn't know before. Then she looks back up at Merlin. "Thanks. I won't" For a while, Jess sits under the tree, enjoying the quiet company of the spirits before heading back to the Caern.