Out to the Sticks

[hazlogs]

It is currently 15:26 Pacific Time on Sun Dec 1 2002.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 41
degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in
from the southwest at 5 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.20 and
steady, and the relative humidity is 93 percent. The dewpoint is 39
degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning Crescent Moon phase (20% full).

Barnyard

The lane wends its way back and around the farmhouse to here, where it
widens into a broad, grassy sward contained only by the woods which
encircle it on three sides. Buildings break up the purity of the
landscape: an open-sided structure which serves as a garage and the big
barn, empty of livestock, to the east. A good-sized vegetable and herb
garden furrows the land south of the barn, while a pyramid-like pile of
rocks, of similar consistency to the gravel of the lane, rests a few yards
south of the garage.

North of the buildings, the fields have long been fallow, hastening a
conversion from farmland to natural prairie. A sliding glass door allows
admittance to the farmhouse, the interior obscured by Levolor(tm) blinds
in a wood-grain pattern. The lane leads out around the house to the
southwest. The discerning can just barely pick out the beginnings of a
faint path into the woods towards the southeast.

Out of all the times that the young Get of Fenris could have walked away
from the farmhouse, she has remain here. Here she is, the air is cold and
all she has on is a hooded sweatshirt. She picks up a heavy rock from the
pasture and throws it as far as she can across the yard before picking up
another and doing it again.

Renee is making one of her irragular visits to the farmhouse and later,
the Caern. Hands stuffed into her pockets, the Gnawer comes around one
side of the formhouse and pauses when she catches sight if Kansas. She
watches the cub for a few minutes, before speaking up. "Hey, what ya
doin'?"

The Gnawer's cheeks are a little red for being out in the cold. She picks
up another rock and chucks it across the yard. At the rate she is going,
she could have a quarter hand sized rocks half across the yard by the end
of the evening. She gives Renee another look as she scoops up another rock
and gives it a good-sized throw. "What does it look like?" she answers
dully.

Renee hitches one shoulder in a shrug. "Looks like yer bored outta yer
mind an' pitchin' rocks around."

Kansas nods her head bluntly as she picks up yet another rock. She narrows
her eyes for a moment and pulls up her hood over her cold ears.

A tall, dark figure emerges from the forest behind the farmhouse lands and
approaches at a brisk, long-legged stride. Salem's hands are buried in the
pockets of his coat, and the ever-present dark sunglasses hide his eyes.

Susan heads out of the farmhouse, and the door slams behind her with a
bang. The woman shakes her head ruefully and then looks out over the yard
to see who all is here. Her posture shifts into wariness as she fails to
recognize people in the fading light.

"Got nothin' better ta do?" The Gnawer asks. "By the way, I'm Renee. Ya
got a name?" The Galliard quickly scans the area and freezes in place, jaw
tightening as she reconizes Salem's distinctive gate. She wasn't expecting
to run into him, outside of the city.

"Ya'll have been callin' me Kansas, but my real-name is Erika." the girl
answers lowly. The next rock she doesn't throw, just lets it rise and fall
from her hand. As she notices Salem, she bites her lip, afriad of what to
say to the man. There is still a lot that this young Fenris as to learn.

Salem greets the other three with a curtly polite, "Evening," as he comes
close. "Susan, Renee... and Kansas, wasn't it?" He tilts his head toward
the Get cub. "How are you settling in?"

Renee slips her hands into her pockets and leans back on her heels,
looking between the gathered Garou.

Kansas eyes fall again on Salem. "Does cruel punishment mean anything to
ya'll?" she asks. "Why in hell do you think I am standin' out here thowing
stones across the field?" Simply, the young Get of Fenris has been bored.

Susan's voice cuts over the field. "Target practice, I'd assume. Evening,
Salem," she greets as she heads over towards the trio.

Salem arches an eyebrow at the cub, then shakes his head slightly, lips
thinned. "Nevermind." He tips Susan a nod as she comes up.

Kansas stares up at Salem and folds her arms across her chest, letting the
rock in her hands to simply drop down to the ground. She looks to Susan
for a moment, wondering how many Garous there are actually in this city.

Susan glances over towards Renee and gives her a nod as well before
turning her gaze upon the cub. With a tilt of her head, the no-moon sweeps
an apraising glance over Kansas. She seems to be waiting on something.

Renee grunts and takes a step backward, then turns and starts walking
toward the woods. Only to pause, as she comes alongside Salem. "Hey, got a
question for ya. Ya seen Lyra 'round anywhere? She was actin' weird the
last time I saw her. Got me worried."

"Introduce yourself," Salem says to Kansas, promptingly. His jaw tightens
slightly as Renee comes up, but he answers her calmly enough. "She made it
to Rhiannon's place and spent the night. She might still be there."

Kansas looks to Salem, lips tightening for a moment before she speaks.
"Erika Christensen, Get of Fenris...uh, half-moon, cub." she answers,
still unsure on her title. She only has been picking up on how much she
knows so far, which isn't much.

Renee closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. As if she has a
headach. "Right. I'll head over there later an' look fer her." The girls'
hand drops to her side and she reopens her eyes. "Do ya know anyone with
Questing Stone? I'm workin' on tryin' ta track down this Elizabeth Hunt
chick."

Susan gives a nod to Kansas and is about to answer her when Renee speaks.
That draws her attention instead, and she says "Andrea has it. And I keep
meaning to hunt down someone who has Sense of the Prey and learn that from
them...wonder if Eamon has it."

"Alicia knows it as well," Salem informs the Bone Gnawer.

Kansas seems to be very quiet now. Those around her are speaking in
jargons that only educated Garou can understand, which doesn't seem to
include the young Get of Fenris. She gives a light huff and remains
standing where she is purely out of respect.

That little tidbit of information causes Renee to smile, ever so faintly.
"Cool. Thanks. That'll make things a bit easier. You tryin' ta do anythin'
'bout this UL shit?"

Susan's lips quirk. "Enlighten those of us who only hit the city for pizza
and ice cream, would you Renee?"

Salem lowers his head slightly, eyeballing Renee over the tops of his
sunglasses. "I'm on Guardian duty this month," he tells her, flatly. "So
there's little I can do about that particular issue."

Kansas arcs a brow towards Renee. The girl slips her hands into the
pockets of her hoodie, while watching everyone in turn.

"Oh," Renee replies to Salem's statement. "Well, if I get the time I'll
come up here an' give ay updates. Need ta bring my cubbie up here ta see
the Caern at one point, anyway. THe Gnawer looks over her shoulder at
Susan, then turns to properly face her. "Short story. Soemone statred
handin' out a new drug at certain raves. Red pills, with UL stamped on'em.
Pills were like 'E', but had organic bits in'em. Like blood. Seen some
diffrent pills out there more recently, with ULUL stamped on'em. Higher
blood content. From what we can tell, they're makin' people stronger an'
more agressive. Then, the mornin' after one of these Raves somethin'
happened. The family of this Elizabeth Hunt chick was ripped apart an'
their blood collected in a bowl. Chick is missin'. Someone who lives in
her area saw her grow a extra set of arms, walk inta the house, heard
screams, then saw her leave. All covered in blood an' shit. Chick is
obviously a Formor, so I'm tryin' ta find someone ta help me track her
down. Got her name an' workin' on gettin' a good picture of her an' mabye,
if I'm lucky, somethin' that she used ta own."

"Renee, does anyone in your tribe know how to sense Wyrmtaint?" Salem
pushes the sunglasses back up his nose and appears to be studying the
fallow fields.

Susan's eyes widen. "My." It takes a second for the Fianna to fully absorb
the information being passed along, but when she gets it, she nods.
"Andrea suggests Nephandi as well. Although she says that she didn't know
about the extra set of arms."

Salem glances at the Fianna, frowning slightly. "I'm not familiar with
that term."

Renee scratches at her cheek. "Someone hasta have it, but tryin' ta get
ahold of my Tribe has been like pullin' teeth." Brown eyes focus on the
Fostern. "Huh? Nephandi? Whatcha talkin' 'bout?"

Kansas shifts on her feet, looking a bit uneasy. The cub also gives a look
of confusion as listens.

Susan waves people towards the farmhouse. "Inside? Where I can sit down?"

Salem rubs at his chin, then nods. "Warmer, too." He heads inside.

Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room

Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's
kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist
height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin refrigerators
occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on the south. The
kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, broken only by the
double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the counter and a
twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small pantry is set
into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably holding the deep
freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.

Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the
ceiling, lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to
the kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three
chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a
large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set
into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves
containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few
decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room
from the kitchen.

An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of
the house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing
behind the house.

As Susan moves towards the house, she says to Kansas, "I'm Susan. I'll
give you the full introduction in a bit, but right now, just know that I'm
Fianna, Ragabash, Child of Uktena -- that becomes important for this bit
-- and not at all scary." Once inside, she snags a glass of iced tea from
the kitchen and moves into the living room. "It's just something Andrea
wanted checked out really."

Farmhouse: Hallway and Living Room

All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a
J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door
hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway
up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining
room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated
with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the
right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which
serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a
place to hang coats or to toss shoes.

The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the
hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as
it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the
south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that
manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety
of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly
presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which
line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to
allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner
of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor,
apparently left out the last time it was used.

An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen
and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up
at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the
base of the J lets out to the front porch.

In the back of the house, Since she is in a kitchen, Renee pays the fridge
a visit. Snagging some sandwitch meats, before heading into the living
room.

Salem follows the Fianna into the front room, pausing to hang his coat up
in the hall closet. The sunglasses are removed as well, tucked into an
inside coat pocket.

Susan appears to be aiming her pseudo-lecture to the lowest common
denominator: the cub. "Kansas, have you gotten a general grounding in the
various types of nasties that we face off against on a regular basis?"

Kansas gives a light shake of her head to snap out of her daze as she
notices that she is being spoken to. "Well, I've heard vampires mentioned
once and 'em things that used to be Garou, whatever they're called."

Susan curls up on the couch and nods. "Think your teac...oh, hell; it's
Owen. If he doesn't like me teaching you about things you're going to
fight, he can come kick my ass." She grins to lighten the words and says
to Renee and Salem, "Excuse the basic primer if you know it already. But I
hated being ignorant as a cub more than anything else, so I want to make
sure Kansas knows what we're talking about as well."

Salem makes a 'go ahead' gesture as he settles into a chair. "Be my
guest." The Glass Walker stretches his legs out, crossing them at the
ankles.

Renee grunts and rests her back against one wall, before sliding down into
a sitting position. Opening up the package of sandwitch meats, she sniffs
at it, then pulls out a couple of slices.

Susan's eyes unfocus for just a second before she shakes her head and
looks back to Kansas. "There are any number of supernatural type creatures
that exist in this world, but there are four basic -- ah, mortalish --
ones and one quasi-one that gets lumped in that I know almost nothing
about. The shifting breeds you know about -- although you may not know
that there are creatures other than Garou that can shift forms such as
Ratkin, Bastet (the cats) and even bears. The ones of the Garou who fall
to the Wyrm and to evil are known as the Black Spiral Dancers."

Kansas nods her head slowly, trying to absorb the information. "Ah," is
all the girl replies to.

Renee eats about two slices of the sandwitch meats, then wrinkles her nose
and sets the remainder down on the floor beside her. THe Gnawer isn't all
that hungry, it would seem. Curling her arms around her legs, Renee rests
her chin on her knees and listens to the Fianna.

"Wraiths. Those are the ones I know almost nothing about. They don't
interact with us much, and I don't know anyone who deals with 'em. They're
like ghosts as far as I know." Susan shrugs and continues her lecture.
"Changlings are strange and have some dealings with the Fianna. But so do
the full-blooded fairys -- like ones you may have read about in tales --
and I'm not Fianna enough to know all that details." She blinks and says,
"Renee? Andrea would like to know the location of the house if possible.
And she agrees that the description sounds likea Fomori."

Salem speaks up. "There is, though, one slight complication." He leans
back, hands linked, elbows propped on the arms of the chair. "Both Alicia
and Raeye have sniffed the pills for Wyrmtaint, and both agree that
whatever _is_ in them isn't..." He pauses a beat. "...normal. Not what
you'd usually smell on a fomor or in something that would cause the
creation of one. Or so I've been led to understand."

Renee grunts. "Was in the paper. One sec." The Gnawer digs around in her
pockets, pulling over several pieces of scrap paper. She paws though
these, eventually coming up with a folded newspaper clipping. She reads it
and rattles off the location given in the story.

Susan's eyes unfocus as she passes that tidbit along to her pack. "Let me
see what Andrea says to that." Then she takes a deep breath and continues
her lecture. "The last two are the easier ones: Vampires and Mages.
Vampires you're probably the most familiar with. They suck blood, tend to
be pretty nasty, and live a long long time. They don't tend to get along
well with others and a lot of them have left the city if there are any
there at all."

Kansas nods and lightly makes a mental note. "What are form..whatever? All
of 'em are bad nasties too?" she asks.

Susan holds up a hand. "Getting there. Promise."

The front door opens and closes with a careless slam, letting in a large
man, who ducks his head but still taps his cowboy hat on the sill.
Removing his hat and rubbing his forehead, Reggie stares about as though
expecting an apparition to float out of the walls.

Susan's gaze is pretty abstracted for a few minutes. "Salem, Renee? Andrea
would like a sample of the pill to take a look at. And she wants to know
if anyone's looked at the umbra. She knows the moon's pretty thin right
now."

Susan gives a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. My pack is going to stop using
me as their mouthpiece and just come over here. Now, where was I? Mages?"

Renee's nose wrinkles. "I gave mine ta a kinsman, who ran some tests
on'em. Don't have any left. How 'bout you, Salem?"

Salem casts a glance ceilingward. "Alicia should have one. Jeremy Winters,
one of the Walker kinfolk, has a sample as well." He casts a look sidelong
at Renee.

Susan nods, and looks up to give her packmate a brilliant smile as he
heads into the room. "Touch Deer," she says as she introduces the various
people in the room at least by name.

"Right," says the no-moon as she refocuses her attention. "Mages. There
are good mages, and there are bad mages. Good mages seem to come in two
flavors as well. Good and inclined to help the Garou, and good but
inclined to try and use our caerns as powersources. Most Garou mistrust
all mages for that very reason, but that doesn't mean that they're all
evil. The evil ones are known as Nephandi."

Touch Deer enters, smiles towards Susan, and heads towards where she
stands. He waves and flashes a genial smile towards Reggie, and nods as
Susan introduces him to those he does not know. Once she's done, he speaks
to the room: "I'm Touch Deer Cries-No-More, Fostern Ahroun of the Wendigo.
Child of Uktena with Ouroboros."

Salem gives the arriving Wendigo a nod, then focusses his attention back
on Susan.

"Hey," Renee replies, in response to the greeting.

Reggie flourishes his dented cowboy hat with a tap towards Touch Deer,
then busies himself in undenting it as he disappears shortly into the
kitchen, only to reappear nearly as quickly, opening a can of beer.

Kansas gives a quiet yawn and slips towards the stairs.

Susan looks up as her alpha arises. "Ah, excellent. Andrea, you can
explain what a Nephandi is."

Salem rubs at his beard, giving Touch Deer another look, his expression
quite neutral. He's distracted by the arrival of more members of Ouro, the
pack's alpha in particular.

In the back of the house, Andrea glances toward the front room, as she
shuts the door after her Gnawer packmate. With a faint dryness to the
tone, she answers, "Always happy to oblige."

Touch Deer doesn't seem to take much notice of Salem's second-look. He
nods as Andrea and Elan arrive and leans against a wall, listening.

Renee ducks her eyes and sinks back against the wall, as the Alpha
arrives.

Elan laughs a bit, as he comes in with Andrea.

The front door opens as Aubrey steps inside, the front dorr is closed
gently behind her as she looks at the large crowd in the famhouse. "Hell's
bells..." she mutters. "Where did all of you appear from?" Then as she
sees Andrea, the Fianna grins. "Well that explains some things." chuckling
lightly to herself.

Andrea gestures at Susan. "Called in so she could stop playing relay,"
Andrea explains, after a nod of greeting at the room. "Now, did someone
have a specific question about Nephandi, or just the overview?"

Reggie tucks a dangling set of rings into a pants pocket, as he juggles
not spilling his beer and finding a lampshade to park his cowboy hat, and
in the progress walking about the living room with the question, "A
lesson? Who's getting taught?"

"Susan mentioned the term," Salem says from his place in the armchair.
"And I asked her to explain it."

Touch Deer, not giving much of a hint towards whether he knows anything
about Nephandi or not, simply loos from apeaker to speaker, and listens.

Andrea turns to face Salem--apparently the student of the moment. "Most
simply, mages have traditions that function somewhat like our tribes do.
They are not typically related bloodlines, like tribes, but they are even
more closely aligned to the philosophies that that group ascribes to.
Nephandi are their Black Spiral Dancers, those mages that have turned to
the Wyrm for power."

Elan raises an eyebrow, but folds his arms and leans against a pillar to
listen.

Aubrey arcs her pierced bow as she listens to Andrea and looks around to
everyone else. "This little pill problem a little bigger than you have
orginally thought?" she asks, looking over to Renee.

Susan gets up to brush against her packmates in greeting and then refills
her glass with tea. She adds two more without saying anything, adjusts
sugar levels for a second and then makes her way back to the living room
where she hands one to Elan and the other to her alpha before settling
back down.

Salem scratches at his chin, looking thoughtful. "Hmn. Interesting." His
voice is bland.

Renee looks up, then quickly dips her eyes again. "Always figured it was a
problem. Smelt like one from the beginin' an' I've been workin' on it, but
progess has been fustratingly slow. Been findin' out tidbit here an'
there, but nothin' ta tell me who is makin' these things. Or handin' them
out."

Touch Deer looks to Renee. "Smelt like one? Did you use a Gift?"

Andrea raises her tea to sip it, giving Susan a small smile of thanks.
"Has anyone had a chance to check out the home of the murder in the
umbra?" she asks, as she lowers her drink. "The moon's getting thin for
much city work, as I mentioned to Susan, but I can should be able to see
any spirits there from the realm. But if someone already has investigated,
or plans to soon, I don't want to intrude on someone else's territory."

Renee shakes her head. "Naw, naw. No Gift. Jus' didn't seem right. If a
new drug hits the streets, it dosen't come out the way these things did.
An' no, I haven't been ta the Shadow 'round the house. If you'd be willin'
ta help out with that, I'd be greatful."

Aubrey crosses her arms against her chest, "I haven't been around those
parts, but I'd volunteer to scout about to look for you if someone hasn't
yet." The Fianna Theurge volunteers. "Tobin is out in Guardianship this
month, I believe, so our pack isn't really active at the moment."

Touch Deer seems to smiles slightly toward Aubrey. "That's probably a good
idea Aubrey. Ah, Renee...how did these 'come out,' that they were
different than normal pills. Um, normal drugs...?"

Elan sips his tea, and listens quietly.

Salem folds his arms across his chest; the Glass Walker seems quite
willing to let Renee, the Galliard, tell the tale.

Andrea frowns thoughtfully. "Without your pack to support you, I would not
go into the umbra in the city for long under this moon, and it waxes only
thinner. If you would come, though, you could come with me and who of my
pack can be spared to inspect the place in the realm. If I don't see
anything to make us wary, the same gift that allows me to see spirits at
all times will let us go into the Umbra without searching out a mirror."
She turns toward Salem. "I'd meant to fine you or Kaz to ask for other
reasons. Other than this drug and the related murder, what are the other
issues of concern in the city?" Her crooked smile returns, briefly. "There
are always issues in the city."

Elan says "Aye."

Reggie looks sideways at Elan's tea, raises his beer, and jabs a thumb
kitchenwards with a mutter intended for the Gnawer, "There's more left."

Renee scratches at her cheek. "Someone has been organizin' raves, jus' fer
handin' these things out. Passin'em out fer free, too. Normally, ya get a
buncha conected dealers, that'll hand out any new shit. Free at first,
then they start chargin, when people are hooked an' comin' back fer more."

Susan chuckles softly. "We really need to get Patrick to start giving us
more regular reports. Or I should shift some of my time to city living."

Elan says "I should go back, then, and be our ears and eyes there."

Salem glances at Elan for the first time since the Gnawer Theurge has
entered the room, but the neutral, unreadable expression doesn't change,
and his gaze is soon back on Andrea. "The hospital. The sewers. We still
have a contingent of Russian mafia skulking about as well. The usual, in
other words."

"Russian mafia?" asks Susan with a hint of almost amusment in her tone. "I
know that's probably a lot more serious than it sounds, but it sounds like
a plot from a bad James Bond movie."

Aubrey nods to Andrea absently, while glancing about the room. "If there
is anything odd happening around campus, I would likely notice it." the
Theurge says. She almost as to smile towards Susan, giving a light
sniffle.

Andrea dips her head in return. "I was speaking to Nightfire about Peggy,
and he offered his pack's strength in the city, since nothing currently
threatens the woods. I doubt they'd be much good against anything that
requires investigation, but they no longer follow Cougar, so fighting
should be more possible for them."

Touch Deer frowns at the mentioning of his packmates moving to the city.

Salem's gaze shifts briefly to Susan. Dryly, he notes, "Yes, and
eco-terrorist werewolves sounds like a bad Saturday morning cartoon. But
so it goes."

Touch Deer furrows his brow. "So, we must locate the people or the group
behind the 'Raves.'"

Reggie asks, with a heavy handed touch of surprise, "You mean Buffy is
just a show?"

Aubrey shrugs her shoulders towards references to TV shows. "I don't watch
TV." the Fianna mutters lowly. "Anyway, I'll try looking for more fliers
around campus and look intrested in attending. I am sure that some of you
have kin about to look also?"

Andrea's gaze becomes somewhat distant.

Touch Deer hmms and looks to Aubrey. "Don't go to any, though."

Renee rubs at the back of her neck and stands, picking up that package of
uneaten sandwitch meats as she moves. "I should get goin'. Came by ta duck
inta the Caern fer a bit, but I can't stay too long. Gotta new cub I'm
workin' on trainin'. If anyone needs me in the next little bit, I'll be in
the Caern. Other then that, if yer gonna do anythin' in the city, could ya
give me a shout? I'm livin' in the Junkyard, so ya can normally catch me
there."

Susan laughs softly at something. "Seems we've a number of new cubs.
That's good to know."

Touch Deer gives Renee a nod as she announces leaving. "What is the new
cub's name?"

Elan smiles, and glances to his packmates back and forth.

Andrea's lips curve up, and she gives Elan an amused look over the top of
her tea glass.

"Craig Takes-Chances. Ragabash," Renee informs.

Touch Deer says "Thanks. All good medicine, Renee."

The Uktena looks over to Renee with interest, "Sounds like a name with a
good story behind it."

"All no-moons take chances," says Susan with a grin. "Or we ought to."

Aubrey nods to Touch Deer, "Of course not." She seems to give disappointed
look that anyone would tell her such things. "Going alone and getting into
trouble has a probablity of resulting in death." The Fianna gives a light
sigh and ventures into the kitchen for a moment before appearing with a
longneck bottle of beer in her hands.

Touch Deer flashes Aubrey a thin smile of acknowledgement and apology.

"This one more than others?", Reggie prompts Renee, evidentally expecting
some story of a cub episode.

Andrea turns toward Renee. "It sounds like some of us are going to
investigate the home of the possible fomor. Also, my pack had made some
plans to investigate the zoo site, though I'm not certain when we plan to
go. We'll certainly keep you updated. Do the same--many of us out here are
needed to guard, but not all. We can help each other."

"After Tobin is done with his term as Guardian, Andrea." Aubrey informs
the alpha. "It is Crescent Wing that had decided to scout the zoo."

Renee shakes her head and smiles a bit. "I gave him the name, 'cause it
seemed fittin'. Hasn't done nothin' particularly memorable yet, but I
figure its only a matter of time." The Gnawer's tone holds a certain amout
of fondness, as she talks about the cub. At the Alpha's words, she nods.
"That be cool. Could certainly use all the help I can get, with this
thing. Thanks."

Andrea glances toward her packmates.

Touch Deer seems slight uncomfortable with the mention of doing
city-rounds of any kind. "I prefer to lend my guarding to the wilds."

Susan nods to Aubrey. "Tobin and I talked about it. Your pack is the one
leading, but Ouroboros offered our aid, and he accepted. If anything has
changed, we understand of course."

Renee ducks her eyes again and tilts her head to one side, giving a brief
show of throat before she takes her leave.

In the back of the house, Renee stops in the kitchen, just long enough to
open the fridge and toss that package of sandwitch meats inside. She only
ate a few of them, so its mostly full and there is no sense in letting it
go to waste.

Aubrey smiles slightly, "That is how I understand it, Susan." Then she
looks to Touch Deer and Andrea, "but I understand it that Tobin had
volunteered some of his time to the sept in return for the Ouroboros
helping with scouting the zoo. I believe that Wilbur is looking into who
now owns the property as well."

In the back of the house, Renee slides open the door in the kitchen,
passing through into the back yard.

Susan tilts her head towards her tribemate. "You okay, Bree?" she asks
gently. "You're seeming sorta jittery. I promise you that we're not gonna
go stepping on your toes or anything."

Reggie scratches the stubble on his chin as he blinks Aubreywards. "I
didn't know guardianship was a negotiable position thesedays. I may have
to rethink things."

Touch Deer looks over towards Reggie. "I think I heard something about
Sepdet asking for people to Guard the Caern for a month-at-at-time."

"Well, yes. Guarding the caern's one thing", Reggie talks, "But trading it
for others to help you is another."

Aubrey looks to Susan. "Sorry," she apologies. "It's our pack's first time
being involved with anything." Then she nods in agreement to Touch Deer.
"Sepdet has asked some to volunteer to watch other the bawn and cearn."

Andrea glances away from Aubrey to Reggie. "It's my understanding that
Tobin's offer was clear of obligation," she says mildly. "Much as our
offer of help was. It could be looked on as a trade, but there was no
negotiation."

Touch Deer takes a short, but calming, breath. "I was the one to offer
aid, initially. I was only thinking that it would be usefull in that some
of my pack could help out Crescent Wing in their scouting. We could share
some of our knowledge about such things."

Susan's rebuke is mild. "Ouroboros follows the laws of our people, Aubrey.
We will not steal into your territory and chase after your glory. As my
packmates have said, we wished only to offer our aid. The task you set
yourselves too may not prove to be an easy one, and we are a pack of
scouts." She smiles at the Wendigo. "It would be good to work with another
such pack for a change.'

[Disconnection.  Some lost.]

Susan chuckles towards Reggie. "It depends on what you're volunteering
for. Being awarded large piles of money might be an excellent thing to
volunteer for."

Aubrey gives Reggie a sidelong glance. The Fianna lightly snickers with
light amusement.

Andrea turns to glance at Aubrey, then says in the same mild tone. "Come
speak to my pack after you have spoken to Tobin and when you wish our
aid."

Andrea turns to glance at Aubrey, then says in the same mild tone. "Come
speak to my pack after you have spoken to Tobin and when you wish our
aid."

Touch Deer hefts his pack and moves towards Reggie, since things seem to
be winding down and everyone isn't talking as a group so much. "How are
you doing Older-Brother?"

Aubrey nods to Andrea, "I'll do that." Then she lightly tips her unopened
bottle of beer. "Thank you very much, we are all grateful for your offer
of service. If you mind, I have a bow that needs some finishing touchs out
in the barn." She gives a light wink as she begins to slip towards the
kitchen.

Reggie leans toward Touch Deer with a mock punch on the shoulder. "I'm
getting in line to volunteer, just as soon as I find out which line has
the large piles of money to volunteer to give a nice home too."

Touch Deer just wrinkles his brow at the larger man's words. "What...do
you mean?"

Reggie jabs a thumb Susanwards, and explains with exagerrated pauses
between words, "Volunteering for money. It's an 'as if' thing."

Salem shifts his weight in the chair, sitting up and stretching slightly.
His gaze follows the young Fianna out, then focusses on the Sept's Alpha.
"Andrea." Despite the lack of 'rhya' suffix, the Walker's tone is nothing
but respectful. "Are you still available for teaching?"

Andrea shifts her gaze from the door where Aubrey departed back to Salem.
She nods. "I am."

Touch Deer clears his throat, and shuffles his feet. He's almost blushing.

Elan smiles a bit at his Wendigo packmate.

"Good," says the Glass Walker evenly. "I'd still like to learn the Rite of
Passage from you, at your earliest convenience." His lips twitch, not
quite a smile.

Susan grins at Touch Deer. "One day, I'm going to give you Loki to hold --
just for twenty-four hours. Then you'll never have to worry about not
getting a joke again."

Touch Deer runs a hand through his hair, the embarrasment over. "All
medicine Reggie. I'm gonna head to the Caern, I wanted to ask Renee
something, and forgot."

Touch Deer chuckles at Susan's suggestion, and heads out the door.

Andrea murmurs to Touch Deer. "Run away." Her mood only slightly lightened
by the exchange, she soon returns her attention to Salem and nods her head
again. "I'll need to gather a few ingredients for the paste, but we could
begin the discussion as early as this evening. I've taught Susan the same
rite."

Reggie thumps Touch Deer on the shoulder. "Give my regards to those at the
caern. Catch you another day."

Salem absently brushes back a few strands of hair that have escaped the
elastic holding the rest of it back. "I'm here, I'm listening." He arches
an eyebrow.

Andrea finds an unclaimed seat, and gestures for the others to take a
similiar rest if they have such an inclination. Touch Deer gets a brief
smile of farewell. Turning back to Salem, the alpha begins with a
question. "What does it mean, to be adult?"

Salem tilts his head slightly, considering the question for a moment
before answering. "Mainly," he says, "a sense of personal responsibility.
A child is taken care of. An adult takes care of himself. More or less."

Elan nods to Andrea as she starts the lesson. "I'll see you later,
Andrea-ryha," he says softly, and takes his leave out the front door.

Reggie comments to no one in particular, "Oh, more teaching--and soon
people will start getting volunteered to demonstrate or be demonstrated
on. I think I hear my motorcycle calling, it needs more oil", he segues as
he retrieves his cowboy hat and sidles to the exit.

Susan watches Reggie walk out, and her lips quirk. "Pity," she says once
he's left. "My gifts tend to just bring me pizza."

Andrea comments dryly to her ragabash packmate, "I begin teaching, and
people flee in droves." She then turns back to Salem and nods. "Yes. The
sense, and the fact, of personal responsibility is very important in the
Rite of Passage. The cub sees, perhaps for the first time, that his
actions are important. That they make a difference. If nothing else, the
Rite of Passage often puts the cub into a situation where his decisions
could risk his own life."

Salem settles back in his chair. "Right."

Susan curls up and sips quietly at her tea. "You're Glass Walker, right
Salem?"

Salem cocks his head slightly at Susan, eyebrows lifting a notch at the
question. "I am," he confirms. "Why?"

Susan shakes her head, beads clattering as she does. "Just curious to see
how Andrea teaches to a Glass Walker as opposed to a Fianna. Or if there
is any difference at all."

"The tests themselves will be different," Andrea replies easily. "But not
the ritual, at least not at heart. I will teach them the same way, and
Salem will adjust them as he finds appropriate."

Salem nods once. "Indeed."

Quiet, soft footsteps, and blue eyes and a blond head appear at the top of
the stairs. Cat peers owlishly down into the living room, frowning a bit-
he'd woken up with a headache and was coming for some water. He eyes each
unfamiliar face in the room warily, coming to a halt when he notices
Salem. Blank surprise, and then a small, but highly excited smile.
"Salem-rhya?" the cub calls out, clutching his sketchbook to him. Nope,
even when going for a glass of water, he doesn't put it down.

Salem glances up. "Evening, Cat. Getting on all right here?" He doesn't
smile, not really, though there's a definite note of warmth in his
greeting.

Andrea glances toward Cat as he comes into the room. She smiles and nods
slightly toward him in greeting.

Cat nods, wispy bangs flying about. "Yessir. It's okay. I made a friend a
few days ago. Rusty-rhya. He said he was going to come see you to ask if
he could teach me things." He takes another step down the stairs, but
Andrea's smile instills shyness in him, and he pauses. "Hello," he murmurs
softly to her. A glance at Salem, and then he adds, "M' Cat."

Salem arches a brow. "What kind of things?" His gaze hardly wavers from
the boy, studying him carefully. Measuringly.

Andrea answers before the cub has to turn back to Salem. "I'm Andrea. Full
introductions can wait for now." Again, she smiles, but seems content to
take a secondary role in the conversation.

Cat nods again to Andrea, taking another wary step down the stairs. Women,
girls, females in general- odd creatures. Then he looks to Salem, and
shrugs, a little sheepishly. "He didn't really say. We started to make
turkey sandwiches," he admits.

Salem makes an 'ah' noise and steeples his fingers, his chin resting
lightly on top. "I don't have any objection, provided that he doesn't try
to turn you into a..." He has to think for a moment. "Fianna?"

Cat nods again, quirking a half smile at the thought of the tiny ragabash.
Imagine, someone smaller than himself! It really does boggle the boy's
mind. "Does that mean no drinking?" he asks, timidly. "Rusty-rhya wanted
to know if I could drink."

Andrea's lips quirk, but she remains silent as the exchange continues.

Salem's eyes narrow. "No drinking. Not until you're Rited or you turn
twenty-one, whichever comes first." He's frowning now, albeit only mildly.
"Ditto smoking."

Cat only looks mildly disappointed. He wasn't too fond of the idea of
consuming alcohol- look what it did to his father. But the thought strikes
him... "Does...that mean no parties too?" the cub adds, looking a little
hopeful with this question. "Rusty-rhya wanted to know if I could come to
parties too."

Andrea does not smile any more obviously at the cub's situation, though
there is the mild sense of amusement around her distant manner. She
glances up toward the room's front right corner and tilts her head,
apparently at empty air.

An odd look flickers across Salem's face, difficult to read completely. He
rubs at his jaw and says, with a note of bemusement, "You can go to
parties as long as you promise to behave responsibly."

Cat quirks another half-smile, looking quite pleased, the way real cats do
when they present a dead mouse to their owner. He hops down the rest of
the stairs and takes a seat across from the couch, on the floor, resting
his skechbook on the coffee table. "I promise," he tells Salem with great
seriousness.

"I'll hold you to that," Salem replies, just as seriously. "What else have
you been up to? Explored the woods at all?"

Andrea continues to look up into the corner for another few breaths. She
then frowns quellingly at the air and looks away, back toward the two men.

Cat blinks, then looks down at his hands before glancing back up at Salem,
slightly abashed. "N...no?" he volunteers. "The...fields, out back, a
little, but not much else..." Sensing Salem's not going to be overjoyed
with that response, he tries his ace in the sleeve, his good news.
"Gabriel followed me here, just like you said."

Salem arches an eyebrow. "Did he?" He actually does seem somewhat pleased
at this, though if the cub was hoping for him to be demonstrative about
it, he'll be sorely disappointed; the halfmoon doesn't even smile. "Good.
Developed quite an attachment to you, hasn't he?"

The cub was hoping for Salem not to reprimand him about his 'hiding in the
farmhouse'; wish granted. "He's my friend," Cat says softly, but head
tilted a bit in pride. "Another theurge...um...Lana? She pulled out a
knife and spoke to him." A pause, and then excitedly, he asks, "Will I be
able to do that too someday?"

"What, speak to spirits?" Salem nods, tilting a look over toward Andrea.
"Yes." He looks back at Cat. "Some day, you may even be able to see them
all the time, even when you're not in the Umbra."

Maybe other people would be bothered by seeing spirits everywhere they go,
but honestly, no news could have made Cat happier. The boy is almost
glowing...no, no all-out smiles, but there's a little pleased tilt to his
lips and a definite shine in his eyes. "Soon, soon," he murmurs to
himself, opening his sketchbook.

Salem regards the cub for a moment, then murmurs, "...Yes." He passes a
hand back across his head, smoothing back escapee strands of hair, then
pushes to his feet. "It's time I took a run around the bawn. Andrea-rhya,
if you would, let me know when you're ready for the rest of that lesson?"

Andrea gives Salem an amused look, like someone discovered in a joke.
"Certainly," she adds in reply. "I'll see if we can find each other
tomorrow evening."

Cat looks up, slightly...fearful? "You're leaving already?" he asks softly.

Salem inclines his head. "Excellent." He heads out the back way, pausing
to ruffle Cat's hair briefly. "I won't go far. Remember what I said, about
December? I'll be around the woods and this farmhouse until the beginning
of the new year."

Andrea glances to Cat again. "I take it he's a Glass Walker, Salem?" she
asks, before the cliath slips out into the night.

Salem looks over at the Gaian and nods. "One of ours, yes."

Cat gives Salem a pained look, carefully readjusting (to no avail) his
curls after the Walker's hand leaves. "Everybody does that," he pouts,
giving Andrea a worried glance- oh no, don't let her do it too. But then
he looks back to Salem, slightly relieved by the news the Philodox will be
near by. "I'll...come outside and visit," he promises.

Andrea nods, continuing to inspect Cat with dispassionate interest--not at
all like most women with children.

"Good," Salem says. Thankfully, he doesn't scruffle the blond hair again;
he just gathers his coat from the closet and slips out the back door.