(May 7, 1997) (This is a resumption of the previous night's scene, also available on this web site.) The Stargazer rubs at his chin with one hand, the other crossed over his chest to prop up the elbow of the first. ~I have heard of such a one.~ Quiet's look of interest sharpens. Will you tell us what you have heard? Seer's Chance laughs. ~I could do so, I suppose. You have already told me something I did not know,~ and he nods towards Sebastian. ~But I would also know why you seek it. Such power is dangerous.~ Scab-Survivor fixes rapt attention towards the Gazer for a moment, surprised that he knows what he says he knows, and equally surprised that the group has just /happened/ upon him so early on their journey. Sebastian snorts at the Stargazer. The spirit seem less than thrilled at being the focus of such attention, although he makes no move to leave. Tastes-Ashes remains on guard, eyes scanning the surrounding area for any threats. Cyllan moves towards Eligio, ducking her head and whispering to her packmates. The Elder Uktena nods and looks back at the Stargazer. ~So is walking the Deep Umbra,~ Sepdet comments drily, after another quiet glance at the Ritemistress. ~We seek hope and healing for a caern which, if left as it is, will not be strong enough to face the perils in the dark days to come. Many things have been tried, save the most drastic--the power of the Wyld to change it.~ Seer's Chance looks over Sepdet with the same curiousity with which he studied Sebastian. ~Many caerns fall,~ he says, gravely. ~Few have the dedication to undertake such a quest.~ Quiet says softly, ~Many have the strength to do great deeds, but not the will to focus it. Our need has focused our will.~ Cyllan's wings carry her to the Wendigo, and she drops down to speak softly to him as well. Sepdet's hands twitch into fists. Her own answer is a quiet glance towards the rather large group of Garou here for this very reason. Scab-Survivor contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Scab-Survivor shifts into Homid form. Touch Deer shifts up to return Cyllan's soft-spoken words. Touch Deer nods to Cyllan sincerely and returns listening to Seer's Chance. Seer's Chance Smith cocks his head and watches, now, Cyllan and Touch Deer. ~Secrets?~ Touch Deer shrugs. "She was asking me a question. Please, tell us of this Fetish, if you would?" Cyllan says smoothly to the Stargazer, "I had a question to ask, and did not wish to interrupt you, honored one. My apologies if I did so." Seer's Chance smiles again, but this time some of the humor is gone from his eyes as he looks towards Quiet. ~I have spent a long, long time here in the Deeps,~ he says. ~You hear some things, in that long a time. There are rumors, things said, spirits that tease with a half-answer or only a word or two. I cannot guarantee that what I have heard is accurate, for I have never gone to look for it.~ Quiet understands. ~We will not follow advice blindly. But any knowledge, even possible half-truths, is more than its lack. If you will share, we will listen.~ Seer's Chance settles down cross-legged, though his seat is not on the same level as his feet were, but a foot or so higher. ~Then I shall tell you what I have heard. Spirits, other adventurers, dreams and visions have told me these. There is such a fetish, strong in the Wyld and therefore both a magnet for the Weaver and a bane to it.~ Patrick's eyebrows go up, and he takes an almost involuntary step closer to the ancient Garou. Quiet's ears prick forward as she listens. She does not interupt. Touch Deer tenses, ready to listen. Dark eyes watch the reactions, but now he is serious. ~Here - I am not sure you have learned it, so I will tell you. Sometimes, at least, directions are...not real directions. Here there is no north, you may have discovered. There is usually a direction towards each of the Triat, and a direction away from it. All three," he moves his hand in a direction, "dimensions are valid ways to travel to get where you are going. To go towards the Wyld is not to necessarily go away from the Wyrm or the Weaver; they are too close to each other. And there are places that are close to none, many places - that is why I say it is only sometimes.~ Quiet has begun to see. But I did not think the Triat laired that close one to another. Seer's Chance shakes his head. ~Not close physically, in distance. In...purpose. Do you see? They still struggle against each other, and it is reflected in the directions. They are not _close_.~ He pauses a long moment, then says, ~Besides, sometimes there are pockets of Wyrm or Wyld or Weaver in the oddest places. It is not all continuous. Making your way reliably here, from one place to another several times, is not an easy thing.~ Sepdet looks sidelong at Quiet. ~We had to cross parts of all three Reaches, when Gauntlet and Whispers travelled out here. But we had a road, that time.~ She sighs. ~Now, Seer's Chance, we have a goal, and only our own instincts to follow. And even still we don't know what it will do, when we find it. the Wyld is certain onl in one thing: it defies certainty.~ Runs-In-Shadows opens his mouth in a huge yawn and then snaps his jaws shut again. Seer's Chance turns his eyes towards Sepdet, and smiles faintly. ~I have often wondered what it would do if it was dropped into Malfeas. The Wyld is chaos, the Weaver order. I already told you some of what it does.~ Sepdet glances back towards the ahrouns at the sound with a start, guiltily checking to make sure their feet haven't started sinking again. Touch Deer shifts position a little, trying to take in everything that is being said. Seer's Chance rises after a few more moments, poised to leave though he does not yet move further away into the fog. Sepdet frowns and looks back at him, seeing no immediate emergency. ~Then the only other question is, seeing that here there are no roads, have we any better tools than instincts at our disposal? For we must choose _some_ direction, and seeking the Wyld seemed the best way to start, dangerous though its shifting spaces can be. If the fetish is not where we go first, perhaps we may find spirits who know of it.~ Seer's Chance curls his hands into light fists and props those on his hips, the stance of a teacher disappointed by a star pupil or a parent by a child. ~I told you,~ he says. ~Learn to listen, child. It will take you farther.~ Quiet's eyes remain on the Stargazer, though she makes no reply. Her head is tilted, as if at a distance noise. Sepdet grins and ducks her head at that. ~Right. There are no directions.~ She adds under her breath, ~Even away from home, we're still walking in circles.~ Seer's Chance gives Sepdet another frown, then appeals to Quiet, ~Surely you listened better than your companion did.~ Quiet comes out of her inner comtemplation. ~To trust our instincts, yes, since our instincts define direction. Though it also sounds as if this fetish might be in a place where the Weaver and Wyld both hold stray, if the Weaver is lured to is like a moth to the flame that burns it.~ Serves-Honor gives Quiet and Sepdet a curious look, but remains silent and well behind them, not interupting. Sepdet glances questioningly at Quiet. ~Any of the Three will take us where we need to go, I thought?~ Seer's Chance gives an approving smile to Quiet. ~You are closer. Perhaps that will help you to find your way, then. Hold that thought: like a moth to the flame that burns it.~ Without warning, he turns and vanishes into the fogs; even as he does, dark forms come from behind, noticed only by Tastes-Ashes as she looks in her guard in that direction. Tastes-Ashes growls a warning, sharp and fast. The Get turns to face the dark forms, body blurring up into Crinos form even as she spins. Runs-In-Shadows shifts as his Jarl does, turning to look in the direction of the threat. Runs-In-Shadows contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Runs-In-Shadows shifts into Crinos form. Serves-Honor reacts quickly to his packmate's warning, turning and taking a few steps forward to guard her flank. He, at least, is in a more defensive than offensive posture. Sepdet is staring after the Stargazer with a bemused frown, but at the warning, she pivots, shifting up as quickly as she can with claws out and braced to fend. A good eight or nine creatures appear: human forms, but skinny, somewhat elongated limbs, and what at first might seem to be billowing cloaks but as they come closer, they are seen to be skin, stretched between foot and hands - hands that end in long, long claws. Without hesitation, they throw themselves towards Tastes-Ashes, Serves-Honor, Runs-in-Shadows, and Scab-Survivor, two to each, claws first. Patrick starts to turn, then purposely decides not to, instead looking forward and to the sides, trusting those behind to guard the back for now. Cyllan gives a tremendous downbeat with her wings, followed closely by Eligio and Therru as Gauntlet takes to the air and shifts into war-forms. Cyllan contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Cyllan shifts into Crinos form. Touch Deer curses and pivots as quickly as he can, shifting up with the speed of Rage to the War Form to meet the creatures. Touch Deer contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Touch Deer shifts into Crinos form. Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Sepdet shifts into Crinos form. Quiet does not shift, already in one of the war forms. She makes a link between Patrick and Touch Deer, neither guarding the front-turned back nor joining immediately, but rather closing a side. Sebastian turns to face the attackers more quickly than one would expect of a spirit his size. At the heart of the arrowhead formed by Tastes-Ashes, Runs-in-Shadows, and Serves-Honor, he lowers his head, horns forward, and rumbles dangerously. Runs-In-Shadows waits until the creatures are within striking distance then leaps to one side, the Ragabash attempting to dodge their attacks. One claw rakes across the torso of one of his attackers as he moves. The pair attacking Tastes-Ashes split and circle around her, to come at her from either side. One of those headed towards Touch Deer jumps, arms and legs extending to bring him gliding a little to the side and forward, past Touch Deer and slashing instead at those behind him. For Runs-in-Shadows, too, they split and circle, while for Serves-Honor they repeat the one-attack, one-glide - save that the second, gliding one rips down at Serves-Honor as it passes over, and turns back to attack him again rather than go against those behind him. Seeks-the-Truth's spear materalizes in her hands as she calls the fetish out of the tattoo where it resides. In unison, she and Eligio descend upon the attackers, striking and then swooping away as quickly as they may. Quiet holds her side. Sepdet takes up at her left flank, in front of Patrick, her eyes on the fight. Cassandra flows into hispo to match her alpha as she takes up the other side, making Touch Deer the attacking end of a diamond formation. Touch Deer, oblivious to his pack's formation behind him, at least consciously, ducks as one of the Wyrm-things soars over him. The ahroun's slash toward the bane directly in front of him is more than a little tinged with Rage's fury. The dark cloak around him ripples with the motion. Cassandra contorts and blurs as she is transformed. As the attackers strike at him, the air around Serves-Honor hardens into a glowing, silvery mail that fades almost as quickly as it appeared. A trace of glinting light remains, outlining him, in reminder. The blows of the creatures leave long, bleeding marks down his back. Cassandra shifts into Hispo form. Tastes-Ashes reaches out as the two pass her by, trying to get a grip on each thing and bring them together with a crash. Sebastian lunges forward to intercept one of the attackers who is attempting to evade the guardians and strike at the less-defended theurges behind. The mass behind his attack is truly impressive. The creature attacked by Touch Deer falters backwards, a rip appearing in it but no blood coming out. The same can not be said for Touch Deer, who has a slash along one arm, though fairly shallow. Behind him, the other makes a sudden flurry of strikes against Quiet, drawing some blood from her as well. Serves-Honor contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Serves-Honor shifts into Hispo form. Both of the two attacking Tastes-Ashes are snagged, though her claws leave only rents rather than shifting them as she desired; nevertheless, they circle her more warily, their own attacks having been thrown off. The dodge by Runs-in-Shadow is enough to leave one of his attackers striking at empty air, the other drawing blood from his arm just as happened with Touch Deer; this is a deeper cut, and the rent on the creature shorter but a little more deep. Both of his attackers are together again, their attempt at circling foiled by the quick dodge. And Serves-Honor's attack against the one in front of him rips a flap of skin from the edge of the 'wings', while Sebastian attacks the one that landed behind the Fostern Ahroun. Runs-In-Shadows makes no sound as the thing's claw draws blood. His movements are carefully measured, the Ragabash letting the beasts come in and then darting aside, trying to stay out of the range of their claws and striking when he can. Serves-Honor's tactics, Earth to Runs-in-Shadow's Air, seem to involve simply waiting for an attacker to approach him and then overwhelming its attack with his own, properly timed and backed with power to throw the enemy's blows into confusion and strike in turn. That is the theory, at least, the practice, as is always the case, more uncertain and difficult. The swooping attacks from Eligio and Cyllan target two of those not already past the front line: one of those attacking Runs-in-Shadows and one of those attacking Tastes-Ashes. The rip into the 'wing' of the first is met by a backhand strong enough to stun Eligio, and the spearstab against the other pierces right through the creature's body, causing a piercing scream. The spearpoint, however, pokes a small hole in Tastes-Ashes. Tastes-Ashes, like her packmate, seems much more inclinded to simply absorb the blows that come her way, and lash out when the creatures are near enough to strike. The spearblow annoys her, and she growls a warning to the Uktena as the two continue their own battle. Quiet's reaction to being attacked is rather predictable; the theurge lunges for the thing that blooded her with a snap of her heavy jaws. Behind her, the two ragabash mobilize to the intensifying of the threat by splitting between their two attacked packmates: Mark-of-Thorns to Touch Deer and Patrick to Quiet. Patrick shifts upward into a war form and moves toward Quiet, poised for attack. Mark-of-Thorns lunges for the bane's wings, as Touch Deer holds his ground and delivers another wild slash. Enveloped in the Uktena pack, Sepdet attempts to latch on to Quiet's bane like a six-foot terrier, clingling to immobilize it for the others. Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Patrick shifts into Crinos form. The second of the two on Tastes-Ashes attacks her suddenly, taking a piece of flesh out of her shoulder as the spear rips a hole large enough to see fog through in his companion. That one succumbs to the powerful blow aimed against it by Tastes-Ashes, even as the spear is withdrawn, and begins to waver around the edges, becoming insubstantial quickly. The two against Runs-in-Shadows draw more from him than he from them, two to his one, but nevertheless there are significant chunks out of them as well, and they begin to show the same insubstantiality as the one killed by Tastes-Ashes. Of the two originally attacking Serves-Honor, he, too, takes pieces out of the one, rips and slashes and rents; they do much less damage to him than to his companions, though more blood does rise against his fur as his opponent fades. Sebastian tramples the other behind him, the slam of buffalo against spirit enough to slow him before he should accidentally hit his Fostern packmember. Patrick and Quiet and Sepdet, together, manage to tear pieces out of their attacker, particularly making rents in the 'wings'; it is not yet insubstantial or gone but it is certainly wavery. All three of them have long slashes in their arms and chest. Touch Deer and Marks-in-Thorn do less damage, enough to drive the creature back but not to destroy it. Runs-In-Shadows decides to end the losing battle quickly. He drops back out of attack range and waits for the banes to close again. When they do, he steps foward, underneath their attacks. With Rage to lend even more speed to his attacks, he manages to finish off one of the spirits immediately. The other gets in one last blow before he sends it stumbling back. Quiet and Whitestreak move forward in long-practiced tandem motion, he hitting high and she low. More scratches dot the hides of the black-cloaked pair as they press the attack. Sepdet clings doggedly to the bane, making its retreat awkward and slow, her teeth ripping away hunks of skin. Finally, the thing dissipates with a final tear as Quiet rips with teeth and Whitestreak with claws. Less practiced, but just as strong, Mark-of-Thorns and Touch Deer press the attack on the bane in front of them. Shreds of skin fly. Without the clinging weight on the former bane, the thing turns and stretches out in unalloyed flight. It disappears quickly, stretching into the mist and gone. Tastes-Ashes, with one of her opponents down, takes out the other with a flurry of blows strong enough to stagger it and to rip not only pieces but full chunks out of the creature, until it too vanishes into insubstantiality, leaving a bit of black goo on her claws. The last remaining one, sent staggering by Runs-in-Shadows, vanishes back into the mist as well after seeing the last living companion also running. Mark-Of-Thorns, having leaned her whole weight into her attack, goes flying as the thing abruptly disappears, sprawling into the Umbral dirt(?). She comes up, shaking furiously and swearing a blue streak in a rough approximation of Mother Tongue. Scab-Survivor slashes at empty air, cursing loudly before he falls back and, noticing the bane behind him as been destroyed by the rest of his pack, joins up with them quickly. Runs-In-Shadows starts to pursue but quickly gives up the chase. After only a half a dozen steps, he turns and makes his way back toward the group. Sepdet drops to all fours, panting and looking around with an almost cheerful toothy grin as she scans for any more problems. ~Should know by now the 'Gazers talk at you to distraction,~ she growls. Quiet turns her head to lick at a scratch. She snorts with wry humor, then moves through the group to find the most wounded and make assessment. Scab-Survivor, for his part, doesn't seem at all pained by his extensive wounds. At least, at first. As he stands and checks over his packmates, his gift of Resisting Pain begins to wear off and he starts grimacing. Mark-Of-Thorns flicks her tail in a last gesture of annoyance and drops to a slightly smaller form beffore trotting over to see who's hurt. Mark-Of-Thorns contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Mark-Of-Thorns shifts into Lupus form. Runs-In-Shadows doesn't seem too bad off, and he also seems to be doing a good job of ignoring the pain of his wounds. Serves-Honor pauses to lick his wounds, wrinkling his nose at the caustic taste, then pads in a slow circle around the group before settling back near Sebastian to watch for more attacks.