East Patrol (Kasiya & Katrine)

[Shehrazad]

Katrine and Kasiya were positioned in the eastern side of the bawn, just at the edge of the forest. They were well within sight of the Caern, and only needed to yell loudly for those inside to hear them.

In itself, it wasn't the most obvious of groupings. But the idea was to patrol in pairs. Having being absent from the Caern for a few days, both Katrine and Kasiya were only vaguely aware that the rest of the Sept was near the wall battling some dangerous bane, and that they had a weapon that would secure their victory.

And with the guardian pack gone, someone needed to pick up their duties at the Caern. It was their lucky night. Except it was cold and rainy, and the moon was obscured by grey clouds so seeing anything was difficult. Add to that, the lights at the Caern went out and they had very little source of light.


You are the red dot on the map.

((OOC: You've both been away. But you've both been informed of the High Ban. Glabro or Homid only.))

[Kasiya]

((I'm really sorry about this but I'm colourblind. Your map gives me only confusion.
I'll edit the post to a proper one as soon as I know what's going on.))

[Katrine]

Katrine trotted along side Kasiya with her sports bag containing Tyrfing, wrapped in a blanket in her homid form. It was the new rules and she had not asked question, just doing her duty. Her blue eyes found the forest edge, it had been great being back home in the Danish forests, paying her respect to her ancestors and consulting old friends, she had corrected past mistakes and more than ever felt ready to move forward. It had been her choice to come back to Berlin, it was not like last time, when she had been exiled and banished like a little whiny child. Glancing at Kasiya just to get a feeling about if he sensed anything or needed anything, after all he was not born human like herself.

[Shehrazad]

Sorry about that. The image doesn't add much, just an aerial view of the caern to give people a feel for the general area. There is no information in there that's not in the post.

[Kasiya]

Stopped for a moment in the deepest patch of shadow he can find, Kasiya was wearing his new second hand clothes tonight, and with them, his Glabro form. Cloud-Dancer had suggested it and who was he to say otherwise.

He was unarmed, and beginning to think that his lack of skills with any weapons might get him into trouble under the High Ban. Of course as far as Kasiya was concerned, his lack of people skills had caused him greater problems to date, and his lack of a wolf's scent and hearing might bring yet more by the end of the night. Black Spiral Dancers didn't have to obey the Ban after all.
Like his companion he had accepted it without question though.

Returning Katrine's look he shakes his head to indicate that he'd heard nothing, felt nothing yet.
He listens a moment longer before they continue their patrol.

((Silence is active. Listening, smelling, looking and feeling for anything out of place.
Can I have a rundown of Rage/Gnosis/Willpower please? If I'm rich in Gnosis I'll use Heightened Senses.))

[Shehrazad]

Rage and Will can return to their usual maximum since you've had a fun restful week. Gnosis is still 2.

After a short while, both Katrine and Kasiya noticed they could smell smoke. This wasn't unusual for this part of the woods. Kids came out here often for campfires and picnics, and some of them often stayed til dawn. But Katrine could tell from experience that this wasn't that kind of fire. It burned green and it burned hot. And besides, it was a bad day for campfires.

Kasiya tried to move silently, but this bulky Glabro form was less familiar to him. Still, he managed to call on the gift of silence and not move loudly, and the darkness and bad weather provided enough cover. Katrine, on the other hand, moved effortlessly, both unseen and unheard, through the forest, without even trying.

(Silence successful. Everyone is on +1 diff to hear Kasiya.)

[Katrine]

For a moment she stopped death in her tracks, something was very wrong indeed. Her eyes found Kasiya again, she pointed at him with one finger, then again with two fingers at her eyes moving them in a gesture to the woods, where the smell seemed to come from and then back at him. Carefully she began to sneak forward, getting ready to change up into something bigger, if there were signs of trouble. Sneaking was something that she was good at.

[Kasiya]

Resisting the instinct to respond to Katrine in the complex handtalk that he and Danny enjoyed the use of, Kasiya nods agreement.

He moves slowly and deliberately a couple of paces behind Katrine so as to be able to watch her back, not trusting his gifts to keep him silent and unseen, keeping low, treading carefully.
He scents the air to take another perspective on the smoke, nostrils flaring.

((Sneaking, Sense Wyrm))

[Shehrazad]

The pair moved quietly through the woods, confident that if anyone were close enough, they would have quite a bit of trouble seeing or hearing them. Kasiya couldn't sense any signs of the Wyrm, not this close to the Caern. As they headed deeper into the woods, he thought he could sense some signs of taint, although he couldn't be sure they hadn't always been there.

As they crept forward, both of them could hear two loud cracks echoing in the distance. They sounded like they could be gunshots, and came from the West, in the opposite direction of where they were heading.

They could both smell the fire now, and they could see a lot of thick black smoke not too far off. Despite the darkness, the bad weather and the cover offered by the woods, both of them were sure they saw a figure move behind through the smoke.

[Katrine]

Her white teeth was lighted by Luna’s bright full face shining down on them, as she flashed her companion a quick smile. He had understood her, not perfect but enough and not needing to talk would be an advantage. She moved up front and was not able to resist the urge to flinch, when they heard shots in the distance. It made sense right away, distractions to confuse the enemy and then make the real attack. Waiting, she led him catch up with her, pointing to the figure behind the fire and smoke. She moved her head up to his and whispered so low, that she was afraid even he might miss something. “Go, I watch this, maybe more out there, bring backup when you can.” Slowly she started to full the blade, from her bag. He was faster than her, all the Striders run away Propaganda told her so and right now she trusted it and it was not a bad thing. All she needed to do was make the forest was not burned down in the meantime

[Kasiya]

As Kat leans close and whispers, Kasiya puts two fingers gently against her cheek to keep her close a second longer. He has concerns.

"Alone we are weakest.
The others will have their own problems right now, they will be investigating the shots."

He'd been shot and shot at enough to know the noise now.

"Our greatest strength is when we work together as a Pack does."

He's not about to leave her alone out here, whichever of their enemies was brave enough to attack the Caern had little to fear from one cliath, and two might make all the difference.
Besides, Cloud Dancer had accused him of being capable of abandoning his fellow Garou. He wasn't about to let that become a truth.

[Katrine]

She waited till he finished and on second thought, he was properly right about this one, the alarm must have been raised by that shot and as much as getting this piece of intelligence back to Danny or whomever ran things at the moment, they would find out soon enough. Suddenly it hit her, that Striders had this thing with the death and Kasiya being born a theurge, could use one to get message back to the others, the smoke and the shots, it smelled like a distraction. “If we pass over, we are able to see if any of this has a spirit side and maybe you could send a spirit, to warn the others, I smell a distraction.” Part of her wanted to get back, but they needed to know that this was no real danger

[Kasiya]

Respectfully nodding, Kasiya agrees. In the Caern any gaian spirit could be expected to aid the defence of their home, Hans or any one of his smaller friends could be nearby.

"That I can do. Let's go."

Crouching down and facing the fire, Kasiya steps sideways, wary of attack just in case there was a spiritual element to the fire. He might have to fend for himself a while if Kat has trouble navigating the Gauntlet.

[Katrine]

(Slash follow Kat steps sideways too, not spending any points)

[Shehrazad]

Although both were still quite close to the Caern, they found it relatively difficult to step sideways. The gauntlet was usually not so thick here, and stepping back and forth was a simple task for Garou much less spiritual than Katrine and Kasiya.
But they finally made it across at roughly the same time, and Kasiya was relieved to see he didn't need to wait for Katrine. She arrived, her bag and sword in tow, and they both got a good look around.

The fire which had been spreading quickly in the physical world showed no signs here yet. But then it was fresh and judging from the way it was spreading, it was man-made.

Both Kasiya and Katrine got quite a shock when they stepped sideways, however. Apart from the gauntlet being thicker, there was something dead and lonely about this place. It looked nothing like the usual Umbral Caern. They had both seen the spirits here, and they were usually lively and energetic. Now the few spirits that were around looked sick and tired. A cold desperate feeling washed over Kasiya and Katrine as well. The usual peace and open-mindedness they experienced at this Caern of wisdom was draining away, and they felt as dull and mundane as they did in any normal place.