Meeting Kasie

[hazlogs]

[7/11/97]

Aerin says "You got it. This is Kasie. Kasie, this is Erik."
Aerin grins tat Erik. "This is the one that the Stag dragged me off to find."
Kasie's eyes widen as looks at him, then they drop groundwards. Peeking up 
  through her bangs for only a second, she half-whispers, "Hello."
Erik seems to regard the girl for a moment, one gloved hand on the porch 
  railing. "Welcome to the, ah, family."
One of Kasie's hands wanders towards her backpack, seemingly without the 
  girl's notice. As he finishes speaking she takes another quick look up. 
  "T-thanks." She takes a breath in and bites her lower lip before asking, 
  "You're a Fianna, too?"
Kasie ohs! sharply and looks quickly to Aerin, then leans in to whisper.
Erik seems to be acutely aware of the cub's mood and takes the blame upon 
  himself. He makes no move to approach either of them. "Erik Sings-in-Shadow. 
  Galliard of the, er, Fianna, yes. Guardian of the Wheel. And Metis."
Aerin leans over to listen to the whisper from Kasie.
Aerin says "It's Ok, Kasie, He's ok."
Kasie's hand tightens on her pack as she whispers, her face turning downwards 
  once she's done whispering.
Aerin says "Sit with us, Erik, if you have the time."
Kasie's head tilts back and forth, listening to each as they speak while 
  looking at neither. She takes a deep breath in and nods, "Sorry," she 
  mumbles in Erik's direction. Instead of fading, her blush seems to be 
  growing.
Erik ducks his head meekly and moves further onto the porch, choosing to lean 
  against the railing rather than sit. "I hope I'm not... disturbing you."
Kasie's eyes dart up to see who he's addressing.
Erik's remark seems more directed toward Aerin, but it's not specific.
Aerin hrmms. "I'm trying to explain about us, Erik. Our race. "
Erik murmurs a quiet, "Oh." A pause, then he asks, "Have you told her, er, 
  about the Triat?"
Kasie pulls her black pack into her lap and holds it there with both hands. 
  She keeps her face down, her breath slowing a bit as the two talk between 
  themselves.
Aerin hrmms. "We haven't gotten hat far."
Erik hesitates, loathe to correct one of his betters, then suggests, 
  "Perhaps... the story might make some things clear to her. If I told it."
Aerin hrmms. "I think a Story would help clear the clouds from the mind, Erik."
Erik spreads thin, gloved hands, slowly. "I am a Galliard," he replies 
  quietly, then turns to the cub.
Kasie's head lifts. She looks at Erik, though not directly. She peeks through 
  her long bangs, "A story?" She cocks her head at 'galliard', looking away to 
  give Aerin a questioning look.
Derrick climbs the three steps up from the lane, a soft creak of old wood 
  announcing his presence.
Derrick has arrived.
Aerin nods her assent. "Galliards are the equivalant of Bards or STorytellers, 
  Kasie."
Kasie is sitting next to Aerin on the swing-chair, listening to Erik.
Kasie ohs and nods. She whispers, "Gilliard," as she looks back to Erik. She 
  seems not to react to his mask any more now than she did when he first 
  arrived.
Erik straightens, no longer leaning against the railing. Taking a deep breath, 
  he begins. As he speaks, the angelic voice takes on a faintly rhymic, almost 
  hypnotic quality. "In the beginning, there were Three, and there was 
  balance. The Wyld sang and brought forth the raw stuff of matter and energy. 
  The Weaver spun and brought that foundation into order, creating life and 
  structure. And between them stood the Wyrm, the Judge and Balancer. It was 
  he who made sure neither grew too powerful."
Aerin nods silently in greeting to the newcomer, then turns her attention to 
  Erik's story.
Derrick makes his way up to the porch, whistling to himself, and then stops in 
  slight embarrassment as he notices the people, and Erik's telling. He comes 
  to a halt near the bottom of the steps and listens.
Kasie hasn't seen Derrik. She reaches up with one hand to shoo back her bangs 
  as she listens to Erik. As he continues to speak the cub leans in, her 
  attention fully on him.
Erik brings his hands up, cupping them as though holding something carefully 
  within, like sand, perhaps. "For a time, all was well. Then the Weaver, in 
  her spinning, found the spark of self-awareness... and madness. In her 
  insanity she increased the rate of her weaving, forcing the Wyrm to work 
  ever harder to keep her from engulfing all Creation in static pattern... but 
  the task was too much for him, and he grew weary. And in that state, he fell 
  prey to the Weaver's webs, and was ensnared."
James comes out from the house, closing the screen door behind him.
James has arrived.
Esther climbs the three steps up from the lane, a soft creak of old wood 
  announcing her presence.
Esther has arrived.
Erik starts to close his hands. "Panicked, the Wyrm fought in the Weaver's 
  webs, but the more he struggled, the tighter drew the strands, until 
  finally, unwillingly, he was dragged into the same madness that had struck 
  the Weaver." The Metis' hands are fists now, and empty. "And his madness 
  turned dark, and his rage lashed out over all the world. He was no longer 
  Balance, but destruction and corruption, caring not for order or chaos but 
  only for death. Death without life, death without end."
Aerin listens with interest to the story.
Derrick, at the bottom of the stairs, does as well, arms folded.
Esther pauses, leaning against the railing of the porch. Seeing that a story 
  is in progress, she doesn't interrupt.
Kasie's eyes move from the Gilliard's masked face to his hands, watching as if 
  the events were happening within. Her grip on the backpack loosens until the 
  bag rests in her lag, alone and forgotten.
James is behind the screen door, listening to the story. (OOC: There is a 
  screen door, right? :)
Erik takes in a breath. "This is what we fight. The Wyrm, once noble Judge, is 
  now mere Destroyer, and he tears at our Mother, Gaia, with his poisonous 
  claws. Long ago, she cried out and gave us birth so that we could defend 
  her. We, the Garou." He opens his hands and lets them drop. "That is what we 
  are."
Kasie sits up as his hands fall, the spell of the story broken. "Oh," she 
  breathes as it ends. She tilts her head to the side and dares a longer look 
  at Erik before she looks back to Aerin. "These things," she asks softly, 
  "are they dream-things? Like the deer?"
Kasie's voice is low, probably not carrying much futher than the pair.
Derrick comes further up the stair, evidently aiming for the door, eventually. 
  "Good tellin', Erik."
Erik jerks his head up and looks around, completly unaware of the larger 
  audience until now. "Er. Thank you."
Aerin smiles at Erik. "Well told." she looks at Kasie.
Esther nods. "Evening." sge says, taking a good look at those she doesn;t 
  know. She gives Erik a smile. "Sounded good, what I heard of it.
Derrick gives the metis a nod, and goes in to get something to eat.
Derrick opens the front door with a creak, and walks through, closing the door 
  behind.
Derrick has left.
Kasie says "I mean," her hand returns to the pack, again fidgiting with it, 
  "You said dreams can be real?"
Aerin smiles and nods to Esther in greeting, then answers Kasie. "The Weaver 
  and the Wyrm manifest themselves in many ways, Kasie."
Aerin says "We will teach you these things and you will recognise them."
Kasie ohs and nods as if she understands, but her expression belies the 
  movement.
Erik shifts his weight a bit and leans back again against the railing.
Esther lifts an eyebrow at Erik. "Gone quiet?"
Kasie half-whispers, "Okay." Her glances quickly around at those gathered 
  here. She swallows then looks back down at the pack in her lap again.
Erik tilts his head, turning toward Esther. "Erm? Yes, I guess." He glances 
  over at Kasie again.
Derrick comes out from the house, closing the screen door behind him.
Derrick has arrived.
Aerin smiles and lays a reassuring arm on Kasie. "Things will get confusing, 
  but they will all make sense in time. Trust me."
Derrick wanders back out with a sandwich, and says a muffled "Heya."
Kasie stiffens for the slightest moment as the arm touches her, fast enough so 
  it would be easy to miss, then she nods and seems to relax a little.
Aerin grins, then looks around at everyone. "I don't know some of you, but 
  allow me to introduce a new cub to you. This is Kasie."
Kasie shifts her head enough to allow her to peek at Erik. If he's not looking 
  towards her, she studies him.
Aerin says "Kasie, I'm not sure of names, but people here are friendly."
Erik doesn't seem to be looking at the cub, though with the mask and hat and 
  all, it's hard to tell.
Derrick gives a nod through his sandwich, and swallows. "Derrick Herr. I dunno 
  how new you are an' if any of the rest of this'll make sense, but I'm also 
  Falcon's Wing, Ragabash cliath of the Silver Fangs, packing with the Usual 
  Suspects."
One corner of Esther's mouth twitches in what might be amusement. "Welcome to 
  the Last Frontier, Kasie. I'm Esther. Half-moon fostern of the Uktena, if 
  that means anything to you yet."
Aerin grins. "And for those of you who don't know me yet, I am Aerin O'Ruan, 
  Runs-With-Moon. Theurge for the Fianna."
Kasie draws her eyes quickly from the tall storyteller as she's introduced. 
  She looks to Drick as he speaks, but her expression goes confused again at 
  his full introduction. She stumbles over a 'hello' towards him.
James says from behind the screen door. "I'm James, Light-of-Belief, Theurge 
  Lost Cub. Hopefully a trip to Frisco will clear up that Lost bit." He looks 
  through the screen at Esther.
Esther frowns, peering at the screen door "Hello, James."
Derrick explains, "Silver Fang is a tribe, just like Fianna is. Auspice, well, 
  I oughta let your teachers explain that stuff. And we group together in 
  packs, like wolves, and my pack's called, well, the Suspects. 'Cause we're a 
  scouting pack."
Erik shifts his weight again slightly from one large booted foot to the other. 
  He folds his arms across his chest, each hand grasping the opposite elbow.
James tilts his head to one side. "Why the long face there, Es?"
Kasie's eyes move to each person as they speak. Her expression says the full 
  names sweep over her in a blur. To the group she repeats, "Hello. I'm Kasie. 
  Kasie MacMullen." Her voice is hardly loud enough to carry to those furthest 
  away.
Aerin grins at Derrick. "I've been trying to explain this stuff for her and 
  not overload her. "she chuckles.
Kasie tilts her head, listening closely to Derrick. "Auspice?"
Kasie offers Aerin a tiny smile at the overloading part. She leans a little 
  closer to the seer.
Derrick nods sympathetically. "It's a lotta stuff to absorb in a short amount 
  of time..." He trails off. "Um. Auspice. Yeah. Well. Whichever moon you're 
  born under, according to the Garou, determines some've your role in our 
  society. Me, I was born under a new moon, so I'm a scouter/questioner type."
Derrick says "But, like, Erik'n Aerin oughta explain the rest of it."
Aerin looks at Kasie. "I was born under the Crecent moon. I deal mostly with 
  Spiritual things."
Esther lifts an eyebrow, and steps up up to the door. "I'll let you get on 
  with it."
Esther tips her head to look at James. "Come on in for a bit?"
Kasie glances upwards towards the sky, then to Aerin to listen. "Is it like a 
  horoscope, kinda?"
Aerin has disconnected.
Derrick says "Yeah, only more accurate, most've the time."
Erik lifts his head a bit. "Not quite, though," he corrects, mildly.
Kasie nods and smiles a little more, then looks to Erik. "No?" she asks 
  curiously. Then, "What am I? Can you tell?"
James nods and opens the door for Esther.
Esther opens the front door with a creak, and walks through, closing the door 
  behind.
Esther has left.
Erik considers this for a moment. "When were you born?"
James closes the door behind Esther and follows her into the house proper.
James opens the front door with a creak, and walks through, closing the door 
  behind.
James has left.
Kasie says "December eight."
You say "Year?"
Kasie shifts her seat, slipping her feet down and sitting 'normally'. "Uh, 
  '82."
Erik lowers his head slightly and is silent for a moment or two. Then, 
  quietly, he says, "Gibbous moon, probably. Galliard."
Derrick gives Erik an odd look.
Kasie tilts her head as she starts to swing her feet. Pushing the pack to the 
  side (between her and the arm rest) she asks, "Is that good?"
Erik lifts his head and coughs slightly. "Well, er. Yes. In my opinion. Um. 
  Such as it is."
Kasie smiles at Erik, one of the first true smiles since she arrived. "Good!"
Derrick breaks into a slow smile. "It helps he's one too," he comments.
Kasie's smile grows further at Derrick's words and she shrugs. To Erik she 
  asks, "So what does it mean? Do we do stuff besides telling stories?"
Erik seems to consider his words carefully. "We remember the tales, old and 
  new, and tell them so that nothing is forgotten. We inspire the others to 
  great things by telling the legends of greatness."
Kasie oh wows. She places her hands on the seat's forward edge, leaning 
  further towards Erik. Her legs keep swinging as she smiles, "That sounds so 
  neat! There're lots of stories to know?"
Erik's tone suggests a smile; the tall Metis is, perhaps, charmed by the cub's 
  enthusiasm. "Countless numbers. We have a long history of oral tradition." 
  He pauses, then asks, "Can you sing, perchance?"
Kasie draws back a little, her feet slowing to a stop. Her smile slips away 
  and she shakes her head, her eyes no longer meeting Erik's (or the shadowy 
  place his eyes should be). "Not really," she mumbles. "Never did much.
Erik ohs, only mildly disappointed. "I was just, er, curious. What... hat do 
  you like to do, er, Kasie?"
Kasie shifts on the seat a little as she shrugs. "D'know. Sometimes I draw." 
  She moves a hand towards her pack and touches it lightly with her fingertips.
Derrick has retreated into the background, letting the two get acquainted, 
  and, in addition, finishing his sandwich.
Erik tilts his head. "I... I used to know someone who could draw," he says, 
  the sweet tenor voice dropping a bit. "A long time ago."
Kasie lifts her face, the first tendrils of curiosity pushing past the 
  fear-touched shame expression. "Yeah? Did he draw well?"
Erik clears his throat uncomfortably. "Yes, er, she did."
Kasie draws her feet back up and onto the chair, hugging her knees to her 
  chest. She almost seems to hide behind them as she quietly says, "Sorry."
Derrick looks from the one to the other, while munching, expression, what you 
  can see if it behind his sandwich, a bit disturbed.
Erik shakes his head. "Don't be. It's nothing." He changes the subject. "Are 
  you doing all right, so far?"
Kasie nods, her arms loosely wrapped around her knees. "It's nice here, Ilike 
  it. It's just..."
Kasie says "I really should call my aunt. She'll be worried... but Elan said 
  there were no phones here."
Kasie sits up a little, "Do you have one at your house, maybe?"
Erik shifts his weight. "You'll get a chance to call home... sometime." He 
  hesitates. "Er. /My/ house?"
Kasie rubs the palms of her hands against the legs of her jeans at the added 
  'sometime'. She nods to the house part.
Erik shrugs a shoulder faintly. "I don't have one."
Kasie ohs? She shifts, sitting up so that she can rest her chin on her 
  upraised knee. "Do you live at home?" She takes another look at him
Erik makes a gesture toward the woods, vaguely southwards. "I live out there. 
  Not in a, er, house." He shrugs, lets his hand drop. "You could say I camp 
  out a lot."
Kasie's eyebrows raise and she looks southwards. "Must be nice," she says, 
  almost to herself.
Derrick smiles into his sandwich. "You'll get the opportunity, too..."
Erik nods. "It is. Mostly, I think the farmhouse is so that the human-born can 
  get acclimated. Many live out in the forest. It's even, erm, comfortable, 
  when you take the wolf."
Derrick nods. "Yeah, that's the idea. Th' better acclimated we get t'bein' 
  Garou, the more we stick out in the Caern. Or at least, that's what happened 
  durin' my tenure as a cub."
Kasie looks back quickly towards the voice. "Oh, eh, sorry, uh? Denis? I 
  forgot you were here..." Her voice trails off.
Derrick scuffs the floor. "Um. Derrick. Yeah. Actually, I should probly go 
  guard something, come to think."
Kasie ohs and nods. She shifts again, this time folding her legs under her and 
  sitting on them. Her cheeks pinken, "Derrick, sorry."
Erik clears his throat a bit and glances at Derrick, his eyes apologetic 
  behind the mask.
Kasie doesn't seem to catch the look between them. "Will I... can I see it 
  sometime? Can I see the wolves?"
Derrick gives Erik a shrug, and then says, gently, to the cub, "Not a problem. 
  I keep forgettin' names m'self. There's like a billion people to meet here, 
  an' all. Anyway, I'll see you later."
Derrick heads for the lane, descending the three steps from the porch.
Derrick has left.
Kasie starts to wave to Derrick, then freezes as he turns away. Her hand hangs 
  in the air a moment before she drops it to her lap.
Kasie shrugs a little to herself, eyes turning sad. She shifts her seat again.
Erik considers. "I can show you the compound, if you like. Garou often gather 
  there, and you can practice your wolf form, as well as the others, in 
  safety."
Kasie smiles! Restlessly she changes positions again, back to the 'normal' 
  one. She kicks her feet, causing the swinging chair to jiggle. "I'd like 
  to," she pauses, then adds in a softer voice, "When you have time, that is."
Erik pushes off from the railing. "I have time now, if you like, Kasie."
Kasie jumps up, grabbing her backpack as she does. "Really?"
Erik nods. "Really." He turns toward the lane. "Pace yourself. It's a long 
  walk."
Kasie trots to his side, nodding as she goes. "Ok!"

[travel time snipped]
[woods]

Erik asks, as they walk along, "Have you learned to shift forms yet, Kasie?" 
  His voice remains soft, almost absurdly gentle.
Kasie shakes her head, stops, then nods a little. "I did it once, last night. 
  Elan helped me..."
Erik pauses. The trail is all but gone now, and there's nothing but forest 
  around the pair. "Do you want to try now? You may find the going easier."
Kasie shifts her weight. She glances further along the path; indeed it is 
  almost gone. She holds her pack before her, both hands on one shoulder 
  strap. It swings a little as she shifts her weight. "Eh, don't know if I 
  can," she whispers. Taking a little glance up at him, "Maybe, uh, if you 
  don't mind, could you show me how you do it? Last time Aerin helped me, I 
  think."
Kasie adds, "She became a wolf first, you know?"
Erik tenses reflexively, then forces himself to relax. His head turns, and 
  it's clear he's not looking at the cub anymore. "No... you don't want to see 
  that. I'm sorry."
Kasie cocks her head. She sees the reaction, but does not question it. She 
  looks down, "Oh, sorry..." She glances around then asks, "You want me still 
  to try? Or we just shouldn't?" Though her voice is sad, it sounds ready to 
  become moreso.
Erik glances back at the cub. "Go ahead and try," he urges gently. His voice 
  is faintly apologetic.
Kasie starts to take a step back towards what's left of the path, then stops. 
  She looks down at the backpack in her hands and uhs. Slowly her eyes move 
  towards Erik, then up until they come to his face. She looks at him for a 
  moment, then seems to come to a decision. She holds her pack tighter for a 
  heartbeat, then holds it out to him. "Co-Would you hold this? I don't want 
  to leave it here."
Erik nods and accepts the treasured pack from her hands, every gesture gentle 
  and oddly graceful.
Kasie watches him closely, then smiles. "Thank you." She now steps to what's 
  left of the path and kneels down. Tone embarassed, she murmurs, "Don't know 
  if this'll work..." She gets down on all fours.
Kasie lets her eyes close. She's still for a while, then cracks one eye open 
  and glances down at her arm. She frowns and squeezes her eyes closed again.
Erik's shoulders lift and fall. "There is no price taken for failure and it 
  doesn't hurt to try." He pauses. "Don't force it. Don't think. Just be. The 
  wolf is all instincts and feelings."
Kasie nods to his words, not opening her eyes. Her breathing comes slower and 
  she rocks forward and back a few times. She presses her fingers into the 
  dirt of the path and her mouth opens as she starts to breath through it. 
  Suddenly her form shimmers and she shifts.
Kasie contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Kasie shifts into Lupus form.
Kasie stands stock-still, tatters of her clothing drifting down around her. 
  Her muzzle twitches as her nose takes in the suddenly rich flow of scents.
Erik ducks his head and nods. "There. Oh. Your clothes. I hadn't realized..."
Kasie's eyes are still closed as she takes in the scents. Slowly she cracks 
  them open and looks down at her 'arm'. She yips! and jumps forward, only to 
  fall onto her chin as she stumbles over her own paws.
Erik winces at the sound of impact.
Kasie's tail wags, sweeping across the ground as she untangles her paws. She 
  makes her way to her paws again, raising first her hind, then her front.
Erik watches with grave concern for the cub, seeming to be infinitely patient. 
  "When you're ready..."
Kasie 's muzzle opens into a grin and her tongue appears as she pants. Tail 
  still wagging, she tries this four-legged walking thing again. After a few 
  steps she finds her rythem and almost makes it to Erik... then she's 
  disracted by some scent on the ground.
Erik hefts the backpack and waits while the cub gets used to the vast array of 
  scents and sounds, the intensity of wolf perceptions. His own scent is 
  wistful.
Kasie's nose works the scent for a moment longer, then her tongue darts out to 
  lick it experimentally. She makes a soft huffing sound and making her way to 
  Erik's side. She turns her head towards him, sniffing his leg.
Erik lowers himself onto one knee and extends a gloved hand toward Kasie, 
  gently. One might think he was afriad of breaking her.
Kasie thrusts her dark muzzle into the hand, nose-first. Her tail keeps 
  wagging the whole time, then she steps closer to him.
Erik ducks his head slightly and, hesitantly, moves his hand to rub at the 
  base of the cub's ears, at just the right spot.
Kasie's brown eyes half-close and she leans into the rub. She makes a throaty 
  urr urr'ing moan in time to his fingers.
Erik utters a soft laugh as he scratches her behind the ears. "There are, um, 
  advantages to the wolf form, see?"
Kasie keeps turning her head one way then the other in time to the scratching. 
  As her head passes at the right angle, she reaches in to dab-lick him on the 
  mask under his chin.
Erik jerks back, startled, as Kasie gets a tongueful of fuzzy-cloth taste 
  (cotton, mmm). "Uh." He seems more surprised than anything.
Kasie grins, her ears held high. She wiggles around, looking like a puppy 
  that's rather pleased with herself.
Erik leans back on his heels, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck 
  under the mask. "Um. Well, yes. Do you feel ready to continue to the 
  compound?"
Kasie's ears cup forward and she woofs softly. Her tongue appears between her 
  teeth in a flash of pink as she grins.
Erik nods. "Right." That lick thing still has him staggered, oddly enough. He 
  pushes to his feet and starts heading southwards.

[more travel, la la la]
[sept compound]

Erik pauses at the treeline, leading the rather unsteady young wolf. "Um. Here 
  we are."
Kasie trots after Erik. Her ears are high and she's grinning a wolfy grin. Her 
  tail is high and wags like a flag.
Alexandra smiles warmly. "Hi, Erik. Who's your friend?"
Tsah looks to Kasie, then towards Erik,"Is she a cub?"
Aaron is sitting by the fire, pretty silent.
Kasie stops, stumbling just a little. Her head turns this way and that as her 
  nose works the scents. Her tongue darts out and across the leather, then she 
  sniffs some more.
Erik gestures vaguely. "This is Kasie, a Galliard of my tribe. And yes, a cub. 
  Kasie, this is... er. Alexandra, Tsah, and, er." He doesn't seem to know who 
  Aaron is.
Aaron grins at Erik. "Aaron Jacobs, Strider Galliard Cub."
Erik echoes, "Aaron Jacobs." He clears his throat a bit, vaguely embarrassed.
Aaron shrugs.
Kasie's ears prick as she looks up at Erik, then to the others. Her muzzle 
  opens and she starts to pant. She plops her rear down and sits, her shoulder 
  almost touching Erik's leg.
Erik folds himself into a sitting position, crosslegged. "Um. Are we 
  interrupting anything?"
Aaron shakes his head. "Nah, just a Strider world takeover." He grins.
Tsah sits back, watching each of the arrivals in turn.
Kasie's nose twitches again, the sound of her breath coming through it almost 
  audible as she sniffs. She lowers her head to the ground and leans to her 
  left as she follows it.
Alexandra chuckles and whispers conspiratorially, "Yes, in fact, we're 
  practicing to be Shadow Lords."
Aaron shushes. "Shh, we can't led them know!"
Alexandra grins.
Tsah looks to Alexandra, then to Aaron, then towards Erik,"You're not 
  interrupting anything."
Kasie raises her head back up, blowing out sharply through her nose. She licks 
  her muzzle.
Erik gives the A-Striders a curious look. "Oh. Er." He glances down at Kasie. 
  "Are you doing all right?" Mother hen with one chick, anyone?
Aaron smirks.
Alexandra chuckles and stagewhispers to Erik. "She looks like she snuffled up 
  a muzzleful of grass clippings."
Kasie's tail thumps against the ground. It hasn't stopped wagging since she 
  arrived.
Erik turns toward Alexandra. "Grass clippings?"
Alexandra nods gravely. "Yep. You get grass up your nose, it's really 
  irritating."
Aaron raises an eyebrow. "Guess it would."
Erik erms and looks down at Kasie. "Yes, that would be... irritating."
Kasie looks anything but irritated. She seems hardly able to sit still. Her 
  head darts back and forth, ears shifting and nose working.
Aaron glances at Erik. "I'm going to venture that she's not been in this form 
  much."
Stormcloud enters the compound.
Stormcloud has arrived.
Alexandra grin and nods in agreement with Aaron.
Erik pulls a knee to his chest and leans his head forward, resting his chin on 
  his knee, watching the Fianna cub with eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat.
Tsah sits, watching nothing in general.
Kasie almost jumps up as another wolf enters. Tail beating quickly against the 
  ground, she woofs! to him.
Aaron rubs his chin. "Does she know the mother tongue?"
Stormcloud limps into the compound, looking none-to-happy at the moment. 
  Finding a place away from the others, he lies down without a word, not even 
  paying attention to the woofing.
Tsah continues to watch as he begins to shift to a more comfortable form.
Tsah contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Erik shakes his head. "She was only cubnapped last night."
Tsah shifts into Lupus form.
Aaron ahs. "Cool."
Alexandra says "Whee. So she's got a whole world to explore."
Windsoul sniffs the air now, taking in the scents.
Erik nods quietly.
Kasie's bright eyes follows the wolf as he makes his way on three legs. 
  Finally she does stand up and, butt waggling with her tail's quick movement, 
  she starts across to him. She's none too graceful on her paws.
Erik tenses very slightly as the cub approaches the Red Talon.
Windsoul looks to Erik, then towards the other garou in their lupus forms...
Stormcloud looks up from where he lies and just *stares* at the cub.
Aaron oys. He looks over at Erik. "Wouldn't be good for her to get mauled on 
  her first day."
Kasie's steps slow as Stormcloud finally looks to her, but her grin remains in 
  place. She takes another step, then one more and stops. Her tail keeps 
  wagging and she tries another hopeful woof to him.
Erik says, very quietly. "She will not get mauled." Though his eyes are still 
  shadowed, it's clear he's watching the Red Talon very carefully.
Aaron shrugs, turning his attention back to the ground.
Stormcloud stands up to his full height, tail straights back and hackles 
  raised as a light sneer crosses his lips, telling the cub to go away without 
  saying a word.
Erik murmurs, just loud enough to carry, "Kasie. Come here, please."
Kasie 's ears shoot forward and her tail wags even quicker (if that's 
  possible) as the other stands up. The reaction does not stay in place long 
  as she takes in his expression. Slowly, inch by inch, her ears and tail 
  lower. At Erik's voice she glances back towards him, then looks to the 
  Talon. Tail still giving a few small wags from its straight-down position, 
  she turns and trots back to the standing Gillard.
When the cub is back at his side, Erik rests a light hand on her head, barely 
  brushing the fur, and leans down to murmur something quietly to her.
You whisper "That is a Red Talon. They are not.... friendly. Especially not 
  that one." to Kasie.
Stormcloud peers after the cub for a few moments, then turns around, circles 
  three times, and lies back down.
Kasie turns her head and pushes her nose towards Erik, sniffing him as he 
  whispers. Once he finishes, the cub looks back over her shoulder at the 
  male, then back up at Erik. Again she plops her hind down as she sits.
Erik shrugs a shoulder, the gesture vaguely apologetic, and briefly rubs the 
  base of the cub's nearest ear.
Kasie seems little phased at the matter. She's soon grinning again. Slowly her 
  front paws slide out from under her and she flops down.
Erik scritches Kasie's ears a bit mmore, then sighs. Leaning down again, he 
  murmurs, "I have to go on patrol for a while. You can stay here, if you 
  want, or I can escort you back to the farmhouse."
Kasie lowers one ear, the expression making her look rather silly. She lowers 
  her head to her paws, making no motion to get up.
Erik nods, then gives Kasie a final pat as he moves to rise.
Kasie lifts her head as he stands up. She wags her tail a few times, then 
  lowers her head back down.
Erik pauses to glance back at the cub, almost absurdly concerned for her 
  welfare, and then duty tugs him and he slips off to patrol.