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Amanda and her pack have been watching the red wolf cubs for over six months at the time of this log, which is from Thom's point of view.
Amanda Grace goes over to the side of the enclosure, kneeling in front of it for a moment. Valentine sighs. Amanda Grace stands up, the cubs of course coming nowhere near her. Thom smiles very faintly down toward Amanda, quietly. Valentine says "Well, now it is quiet." Thom nods slowly. "Yeah... Got quiet real quick." He glances back to Valentine. "How've you been the past few days, by the way? I've been a bit out of touch since my little Umbral jaunt." Valentine says "I'm alright.. What news have you heard about when you were gone?" You say "Well... These cubs will be Croatan all right - they won't be integrated into other tribes. Their elders are going to be reborn, so the tribe will be returning for real - not just one or two individuals." Valentine nods.. "what else?" You say "Not too much more... Their Homeworld is closed, and will be until these cubs are of age to go there themselves. We need to just protect the cubs until they can stand on their own." Valentine nods.. "Did you hear about how I almost got killed for not being "Garou enough" Thom tilts his head. "I heard only a little about it, assuming I heard the same thing you're talking about." Valentine says "What did you hear?" Amanda Grace goes up the trail, around the area of the enclosure, watching the ruddy-furred cubs wrestle. You say "Just that you'd been in some kind of deep trouble, that's all. I didn't hear much about details - other than that you'd also gotten out of that trouble after spending some time away from the sept." The woods around the garou grow dark. Suddenly. With a yipping, wailing howl, a pair of creatures, one obviously crinos, the other, maybe not, come lumbering forth. The black furred one (Tears Eyes) rears up on her hindpaws, calling a challenge, while the other thing heftsrevs it's chugging chainsaw. Thom blinks and whips his head toward the noise. "What the hell?" Still well away from the wolves' enclosure, he scrambles quickly to his feet. Tears-Eyes: Tears Eyes is a nightmare of a crinos, hulking and powerful, as well as graceful yet somehow ungainly. Her body could be attached to the purest of the Furies, Yet her head is framed by many-branched antlers, each threatening at least five points. Her shoulders seem to twitch under her skin, as if ready to burst out of her fur. Possibly the most disturbing part of her is the constant drool that spatters her chest, marring the otherwise beautiful fur. Rent-by-Banes: This creature is only barely recognizable as a garou; it appears to have been completely stripped of every bit of skin and fur. It's slick red musculature shines as the beast moves, shifting as if to show each tendon. If the fleshless face of the creature, along with it's lipless, fang-filled grin wasn't enough, the fact that it's lugging around a black, oil-dripping, chugging chainsaw with a blade that looks like a set of fangs is enough to frighten anyone. Valentine says "Oh shit.." Val grits his teeth, and bones the sound of popping bones fills the air. He sees to grow abut a foot in height, and his brow becomes more pronounced...a gutteral growl echos in his throat, and hair sprouts sparcely across his brow and hands.. He lets back his head and roars, and with a sound of bone popping, and muscle shifting he grows about 3 feet...his clothing dissappers and his body covers itself with fur. His head modifys till it is no longer a head of a man, but of a huge beast. He turns and growls at you. Thom finishes getting to his feet, and in the span of an eyeblink, takes his natural form, the war-form. Softly, he murmurs, ~Gaia and ancestors, lend me your aid...~ Amanda Grace spins at the noise of the chainsaw.... Tears Eyes' horned form roars down Thom's prayer for aid. Her jowls pull back, her head hunches, and her entire aspect becomes that of the most dangerous predator most garou are likely to fight. ...Or not, that is. Rent-by-banes is more direct. The monstrosity of slick flesh seems almost pulled along by the happily scretching blade of the chainsaw as it dives at Amanda. Amanda Grace gives a howl of warning to her companions and blurs into her warform, attempting to dodge the weapon. The chainsaw misses her by a hairsbreadth. No doubt she'll have a really weird haircut when she goes back to homid . . . LaughsAtDanger leaps at Rent, clawing at the spiral. Rent-by-Banes is staggered back by Laugh's slash, but shrugs off the wound like any proper BSD. Spirit-Strength snarls briefly - obviously having not gotten an answer. He then leaps forward, toward Rent-by-Banes, and chomps for the BSD's leg - missing by quite a bit as he backs off. Tears Eyes tries her special trick again, wondering if she needs to oil her pecs more to appear properly terrifying. This time, Tears Eyes bellow brings Spirit Strength to a crashing halt after he snaps at the other Dancer. Rent-by-Banes gets all singleminded about tearing into the little crinos he set his heart on earlier, and takes a slash at her again, utterly determined to shed some blood this time. New-Age Fluff howls in despair and dodges out of the way, trying to distract the Spiral as best she can. Rent by Banes howls with her, quite unhappy his little chainsaw's not getting fed. LaughsAtDanger slahses at Rent, who is attacking his Alpha..his packmate..his friend.. Tears Eyes turns her attention to Laughs, as he's making bloody rents in an already rent enough BSD, and hits him with her battle aura. Not even Laughs can shrug off a solid blast of Tears Eyes aura, and he too begins whimpering. Rent-by-Banes chases after Amanda, swinging that silly chainsaw at her, and yipping in heavily accented garou, <> Rent probably couldn't cut down a tree with the silly thing. New-Age Fluff dives in, calling on the spirits known the the Glass Walkers. The chainsaw is the dangerous thing, if she can just disable it...and as she touches it, her Gift misfires. The chugging chainsaw smooths out, as if it'd just been tuned up, somehow. Tears Eyes, having stopped most of the problem, turns and leaps back into the darkness, retrieving a bundled up gurney sack that squirms in her grip. Rent spends his time pushing Amanda backwards, right up to a tree, then he starts pressing in. In case anyone's under 18, and shouldn't be seeing gory scenes, suffice it to say, her fur will need a good washing to get the blood out. New-Age Fluff tries to duck back, but can't go anywhere. She screams..almost like a homid...as the blades bite into fur and flesh. Spirit-Strength howls out in panic and frustration, even as he backs away slowly from where he'd landed, tail tucked between his legs. LaughsAtDanger coewers in the corner..helpless to do anything save watch her get rended New-Age Fluff tries to ignore the pain and kill her attacker...save her pack..and her cubs... Rent-by-Banes sees the desperation maneuver comming, and tries to get his buggy, exposed eyes out of the way of Amanda's claws. Tears Eyes watches the little tussle.. as is everyone else. That's probably why the vicious snap at Amanda's leg from behind is noticed. A mottled, grayfurred head pokes out of the darkness to rip a chunk of New Age's leg off. Rent-by-Banes tries to finish the job, even if the gray head retreats back into the darkness with nothing but fur. New-Age Fluff loks over for the cubs, but they've retreated into their den. She snarls ~You suck your Omega's shit through a straw!~ at her killer..and she knows she's dead... Rent-by-Banes pushes by Amanda, determined to kill a sparrow that was assuredly mocking him, just to Amanda's right. He goes into the darkness, there's a crash, a snaping of wood, and some nasty wet sounds following it. New-Age Fluff crumples. She restrains the urge to shift back to homid, her hands holding in her insides. Spirit-Strength cringes, trying to get up the nerve to move closer to Amanda, but also worried about that head that popped in briefly... It's not his fault he's scared beyond belief. Tears Eyes makes a disgusted sounding chuff, then takes over for Rent (who went off and hurt himself, yes). She doesn't do anything special, except to smash her head at Amanda, then lifts her up, impaled on her rack of antlers. New-Age Fluff cries out once more, holding onto the rack weakly. She tries to look back at her pack. Spirit-Strength cringes, trying to call up all the Rage he can to banish this fear... And coming up with nothing. Tears Eyes swings her head down into the tree, bucking it as a ram might.. Only rams don't usually have a shrinking crinos form on their horns to take the blow for them. Tears repeats this once more, then stands, letting Amanda's blood run down her horns to coat the Dancer's head. Tears calls out, then snaps her head down, flinging the body of Amanda Grace into the dirt. While TE displays, the mottled gray hispo slinks out from the darkness, this time, behind the two frozen garou... New-Age Fluff doesn't even whimper. She raises herself weakly and snarls ~Fuck YOU!~ Then she falls back and murmurs ~Unicorn...~ LaughsAtDanger cries out in angst as he sees Amanda killed...and as he is hamstrung.. He tries crawling for her body.. Hamstringer: Hamstringer's a low-crouched crinos with gray fur, rotted away in patches, and eyes that glint a dark green. It's claws furrow the ground as it swings it's head back and forth, snapping at any movements, and marking the trees around it. Hamstringer moves with the passion and speed of a Dancer that likes his job, rushing behind Strength, and collecting a few tendons before his leader barks at him. At Tears Eyes command, he goes bounding off into the woods, while she towers over the fallen garou, bends, and sprays scent on the tree Amanda was pinned against, then upon Amanda's body. She chuffs at the crawling crinos, ~Know you that we did not forget this place, and we will be back. This is just a reminder, followers of the Clutching Goddess!~ before shifting to hispo, then leaping into the darkness with the sack clenched in her jaws. Spirit-Strength slams down to the ground rather gracelessly, and tries to snarl at Tears Eyes - though it still comes out more like a pathetic whimper before she heads away. Wincing in pain, he picks himself up as best as he can and starts crawling toward Amanda's body. LaughsAtDanger crawls for Amanda's body, whimpering, crying, howling... IN Garou ~Amanda...no....no..NO!!!!!!!!!~ Spirit-Strength crawls until he's beside her as well, and looks over her quickly, before closing his eyes. A moment later, he tosses back his head and lets out a loud, anguished, wordless howl. LaughsAtDanger lowers his head, mane mingling in her blood, he mutters not even thinking who he is with.. < > Spirit-Strength lowers his head and falls mostly silent as well, cradling his head in his paws. ~Amanda....~ LaughsAtDanger sobs.. ~NO!!!!!!!!!!!~ Spirit-Strength cries in silence, balling his clawed hands into fists. LaughsAtDanger cries..no..howls.. He whimpers more...his voice loosing sound as he cries.. Spirit-Strength slams both fists down into the ground, and fights to get his breath under control. LaughsAtDanger starts hyperventalating over the body of his dead love.... Spirit-Strength forces his breath to a regular rate. ~Valentine,~ he says, no hint of any emotion in his voice. LaughsAtDanger says ~No..she can't be gone.. I wont let her go..~ LaughsAtDanger takes her body in his arms, holding her..her blood mingling in his fur Spirit-Strength falls quiet a few moments longer - the forced detachment obviously having been more difficult than he cared to think about. LaughsAtDanger howls out in anger, dispar, heartache..at the end of the howl letting her go, gently laying her on the ground. Spirit-Strength forces himself to recover his composure again. ~Valentine,~ he says again. LaughsAtDanger looks over..tears and blood cover his face.. Spirit-Strength gathers a breath. ~You have to get back to the caern. I can heal you, but I can't heal myself. Get help.~ LaughsAtDanger nods once.. ~What about the veil. Should I go Homid..~ Spirit-Strength shakes his head. ~Go through the Shadow. You're covered in blood; you'll never make it unnoticed otherwise.~ LaughsAtDanger nods.. ~I will try..~ LaughsAtDanger looks back down to his wife's dead body, and grabs the necklace from around her throat, taking it off her softly...gently..and placing it around his own Spirit-Strength closes his eyes, and places his paws on Val's leg, murmuring a soft prayer to Gaia and Unicorn. LaughsAtDanger glances into the reflection caused by the pool of Amanda's blood, and sidesteps.. (hows that for morbid) LaughsAtDanger disappears into the Umbra. Spirit-Strength opens his eyes as the hamstrung leg reknits, and sighs softly. Once Val's crossed, he takes Amanda's body to the hiding place. (Not long after Thom hides, Carol comes by, and sees the remains of the scene.) Walks-Thru-Fire appears in the realm. LaughsAtDanger appears in the realm. Dingo appears in the realm. Walks-Thru-Fire looks around, "WHERE?" ThundertheNight appears in the realm. Spirit-Strength straightens up quickly, and snarls self-defensively, until he sees who it is, and relaxes. He sighs, long and soft. His right leg is torn open at the hamstring, and Amanda's silent and bloody body lies at his knees. ThundertheNight races over tp Thom and kneels down besdie him checking his arm. "Wha' fookin' happened, lad?" Walks-Thru-Fire lopes over quickly, "Where Dancers?" he inspects Spirit-Strength. LaughsAtDanger says "Gone...escaped.." Dingo says "Cubs?" Walks-Thru-Fire growls, "Where?" Spirit-Strength looks down at the ground and shakes his head. ~They're gone,~ he says, softly. His leg looks like someone decided to take a nice bite out of it. ~The Dancers took one of the grey wolves before leaving - the Croatan cubs are safe, though.~ Carol walks up the trails, from the admin building. As she comes up, she frowns, as she hears the wolves.... Then as she checks the reds.... She hurries over, to examine the blood. ThundertheNight growls deeply and low as she sweeps her gaze around the area quickly, pausing momentarily at Amanda's body before swallowing hard and looking back to Thom. Dingo says "Where are the cubs?" Walks-Thru-Fire closes his eyes as he extyends his powers to heal the fallen garou. LaughsAtDanger kneels down by Amanda..crying Dingo growls, ~Did any of them say why they were here?~ Carol swears softly, and for a goodly amount of time. She checks around the tree, for other damage, and for any sign of the origin of blood. ThundertheNight sits back and lets Randal work as she turns and moves over to Amanda's body. Walks-Thru-Fire grrs, ~Where did they go?~ Spirit-Strength gathers in his breath, and sighs, as his leg knits back together. ~My thanks, Randal-rhya,~ he says, very softly. He gestures to the enclosure. ~The cubs are there... Past that human.~ He shakes his head to Randal, and gestures deeper into the forest. ~Somewhere that way. They didn't say why they came, but said they'd return.~ Dingo approaches Amanda's body, he sniffs it thoroughly, licks it once and sits down a few feet away. ThundertheNight says "Hey now...come on now, lad...there'll be tayme enough ta grieve rayght an' proper. Now..iss tayme ta help those wha' we can..we gotta find thjose cubs an' fast."" Walks-Thru-Fire nods, ~Then we stay, and watch. If Dancers return, They will die.~ he looks to the others, ~Can anyone track them?~ LaughsAtDanger whimpers softly over the body of Amanda..this is slightly more than a packmate over a fallen packmember. Dingo says "I can track.. but I cannot sense which way they went. They must have hidden their tracks with powerful magics." Spirit-Strength says to Emmi, ~The cubs are safe. They did not go near the Croatan cubs. But they did take at least one wolf from one of the other enclosures.~ ThundertheNight growls again, this time with more frustration. Dingo growls loudly. Walks-Thru-Fire growls quietly. Carol swears quietly again, then moves into the brush, to the side of the red wolf enclave, to see how the wolves are doing. LaughsAtDanger holds Amanda's head in his lap, brushing the hair from her bloddy face.. ThundertheNight takes a deep breath, stares down at Amanda's body again and shakes her head slowly. "Bastards.." Carol sighs, quietly, then makes her way to a secerity phone, trying to leave everything, for the most part, the way it was, and calls the police. Spirit-Strength turns his eyes to Amanda, quietly, before closing them. Dingo glances at Valentine, watching him intently through yellow-eyes before asking Thom, ~For their own numbers.. breeding stock.~ LaughsAtDanger growls, his anger surfacing. LaughsAtDanger growls louder, his rage surfacing.. Walks-Thru-Fire watches the woman, "Who is she?" Spirit-Strength turns to the woman and watches. ~She's one of the people who works here, to keep an eye on the wolves,~ is his soft reply. LaughsAtDanger sets down Amanda and stands.. Walks-Thru-Fire nods, "We need to find the spirals." ThundertheNight turns her attention from Amanda and Val over to the woman and shrugs. "No idea..." Carol watches for the police, like a good girl. LaughsAtDanger says "We need to do something.." Walks-Thru-Fire nods, "Hunt." ThundertheNight nods. "Aye...find spirals and they pay." LaughsAtDanger says "No..about her.." points to Carol.. "We need to do something about her."" Walks-Thru-Fire looks to teh woman, "Worry later. Spirals worse threat." Spirit-Strength shakes his head. ~We'll need to get out of here. It's too late to hide anything now.~ You say "And the spirals are gone - for now." LaughsAtDanger scoops up Amanda in his arms.. The sound of sirens slowly makes its way closer. Carol looks up, and frowns, Checking all the animals, as she waits. LaughsAtDanger says "Let's go."" Dingo loosk back at the sirens, ~Yes, let's clean up as quick as we can, and as much, then run..... The cubs are OK for now, but we will have to post more guards right away... ~ Spirit-Strength sighs and rises to his feet, nodding to Dingo quietly. Walks-Thru-Fire nods. LaughsAtDanger carries Amanda gently... Dingo says "Gather any evidence of us.... and leave." Carol stops, and swears. What the hell? She goes alone the side of the (gray wolf) enclave, searching, and checking the pack's reaction to her. The alpha she may be, but this is a bad thing. Walks-Thru-Fire watches the woman quietly, "What is she doing?" ThundertheNight frowns as she watches tghe woman. Walks-Thru-Fire speaks softly, "She may find the missing cub. what do we do?" Spirit-Strength shakes his head and frowns. ~Too late to prevent that now.~ Dingo says "Is it a cub or a full-grown?" Walks-Thru-Fire nods, "Sirens. Police. We MUST find the Spirals." ThundertheNight nods. "Aye...we deal with this mess now, find spirals and deal with woman later." LaughsAtDanger says "What I must do is take Amanda home." Dingo says "Val, bring her to the Caern... go now.. She must be properly sent." ThundertheNight says "Spirals long gone..down..." LaughsAtDanger sounds partally in shock, partially depressed, partially angry... The police pull into the parking lot and slowly make their way toward the trails. Walks-Thru-Fire nods, "We can hunt Spirals." ThundertheNight nods and pats Val on his arm gently. "Go now..we come soon...rest and say goodbye." LaughsAtDanger carries her and steps sideways, using the same reflection he used before..the pool of Amanda's blood. Spirit-Strength shakes his head to Dingo. ~I don't know. I couldn't see - the wolf was in a sack.~ LaughsAtDanger disappears into the Umbra. Walks-Thru-Fire nods, "Cub. Assume cub." Dingo says "Was it a big sack or a small sack?" ThundertheNight says "How big a sack?" Carol slips onto the trail, to meet the police. "There is a pile of blood over there, and a tree burned, and cut up."She states, before going to get a fellow staff member, to tranqualize the grey pack. Dingo damns..~Let's go, NOW~ Dingo disappears into the Umbra. Walks-Thru-Fire disappears into the Umbra. ThundertheNight nods and jumps sideways. ThundertheNight disappears into the Umbra. You cross into the Umbra. Spirit-Strength sighs as he sidesteps. (The Garou return to the caern through the umbra. The police find out what they can by searching the area - which isn't much.) Valentine kneels over Amanda's body, muttering softly to her..weeping quietly Thom quietly walks toward the two, no longer trying to hide anything. Tears stream down his cheeks silently. Valentine doesn't see you enter, he lowers his lips to the dead woman's, giving her a final kiss goodbye. "I love you, Amanda.. I'll miss you." Valentine closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath, holding it in cause if he doesn't he is going to use it to scream. Thom takes in a slow, deep breath - the first noise to announce his presence - as he walks closer. Valentine opens his eyes, turning his head to look at you, letting out the breath slowly..he looks back to Amanda, and stands, heading for the caern central Thom looks up to Valentine for a moment, before turning to Amanda. Just as silently, he kneels down beside the fallen Garou. ThundertheNight sparkles and blurs, the shimmering blue haze giving way to the form of a young woman who stares at you with detached amusement Valentine lowers his head, walksing away from everyone as they appear. He is silent, morose, and withdrawn..not at all his usual self. Emmi says "How many fookin' spirals were there, lads?" Valentine doesn't answer, he just walks away into the central caern Valentine heads east. Thom replies without looking away from Amanda. "Three. One with antlers on her head, another skinless one with a chainsaw, and another who stuck to the shadows." His voice is very soft, subdued. Randal frowns. Dingo thinks for a moment, not bothering with Valentine ~Tell all you can remember, from start to finish.~ Dingo says "Did they say anything?" Emmi curses in an unintelligible language. Ya dinna see them come or go then?" Thom replies to Dingo, "Only that they'd be back." He shakes his head to Emmi. "They disappeared into the woods - I wasn't in any condition to try to follow." He frowns, looking down at the ground. Emmi nods. "Aye...ya woulda been dead for ya reach the first one ennyways..." Valentine arrives from the east. Dingo says "We need to either post some more guards at the Nature Center.. or bring the cubs here..." Randal frowns, "Gaurds there." Valentine walks in, with a bouquet of flowers. He heads straight for Amanda's body and places the flowers on her chest lovingly, crossing her arms over the stems. Emmi glances over to val and softens her features. "Val..I know ya be grievin'...believe me I know how ya feel...bu' we need ta know everythin' ya can remember so we can get tha fooks and make them pay...slowly an' agonizin'ly." Thom nods slowly. "We'll need to be careful..." He looks back to Amanda, and sighs softly. "So that's what you meant when you said that some would fall to defend your children...." he whispers. Randal nods to Thom. Dingo says "Postig guards isn't the warder's job, but we need it done now. Any volunteers?" Randal thinks, "One of the packs." Valentine says "I remember darkness.. I remember a chainsaw..and terrifying fear.. I remember taking a chunk out of the fucker with the chainsaw...then I remember cowering in fear while i watched one impale her on its horns...killing her. That is what I remember." Thom looks to Dingo again. "I am going to continue guarding them," he says, resolutely. "And I am going to show those Spirals what fear really is when I see them next." Emmi urns to gekko and nods. "I'll be doin' me turn." Dingo says "Valentine, you're a guard... Vengeance will make you worth three Garou against thoe Spirals' next attack. Emmi, of course. Randal?" Randal nods, "I will as well." Emmi pulls her lips over her teeth in a very tight smirk. "I owe tha bastards....from way back." Valentine narrow his eyes..angrily..it's the emotions talking.. "It's about time you did your fucking turn.. Sending cubs to guard over supposed Crotean cubs.. You should have been there..The ahroun, the elders..... Dingo nods, ~I will take my turns when I can find Danny to act in my stead as much as I can~ Thom waves his hand to Valentine. "Val... Now's not the time for Rage," he says softly. Valentine growls..almost snarling.. Randal nods, "As do I." he grins, "And they may even know me." Dingo says "Shutup Valentine. I did my best to convince Seeks that you needed more help, but she was adamant that there was enough... you go complain to her ghost." Emmi arches a brow to Val, but lets him rant in his grief, knowing it needs out. Valentine's snarls turn to whimpers. and he just lowers his head Dingo says "Grive... as much as you need to, but the blame doesn't lie with allt he elders." Valentine says "I'm sorry...rhya." Dingo says "You will guard those cubs too, you will be sure to have your revenge. Until such time as a suitable elder organizes a guarding party, you wolves are it..." Emmi says "Tha blame lies with tha fookin' spirals....take oot yer pain on their bloody haydes, Val. " Thom relaxes a touch, and turns back to Amanda, gently brushing a lock of hair from her face, looking at her in silence. Valentine says "You don't understand...none of you understand.." Dingo says "Enlighten us, Valentine." Emmi frowns to Val and shakes her ehad. "Aye...bu' I DO understand..I been where ya are now...grieve an' then put it away..iss tha bloody way it is....we all know tha'." Emmi narrows her eyes a moment to Val. "Bu' don' ya ever say ta me face tha' I don' understand.." Valentine says "She was my WIFE Damnit!! No, we never broke litany.. We never mated...but we were in love! We were handfasted not more than 4 nights ago!" Dingo narrows his eyes at Valentine and pulls his ears back. Emmi nods. 'Aye..so we me an' me Danny, in love...joos be fookin'; glad she's no' turned ta tha wyrm ta come back after ya someday...be glad she is at peace..some never are." Thom looks up to Valentine, quietly. Randal nods to Val. Says nothing. Valentine sinks down to the ground next to Amanda, and weeps. Emmi says "Ya get by, Val..ya do because ya fookin' have to...cuz ya know tha's wha' she'd weant ya ta do." Valentine says "They are going to pay...." Thom nods slowly to Valentine. "Yes, they will," he says softly. "But more importantly, we have to keep those cubs - her children," gently touching Amanda's hand, "safe." Valentine nods quietly..nothing more to say Emmi nods. "Aye..priorities " Dingo says "Children huh?" Randal nods, "Turtles Children." Emmi Ahs... Thom looks to Dingo. "Amanda was the one who spent the most time with the cubs... She came to think of them as her children - her as their surrogate mother, keeping them safe." Valentine glances at Emmi.. "I'm sorry-rhya. I'm...not in my right mind at the moment. Emmi nods. "Aye...like I said..I know..joos grieve and then put it behind ya where it needs ta be. Ya can take it oot later..whenever ya want." Dingo glances at Thom, ~Rather presumptuous... but it is a moot point now. Someone should conduct the rituals for her passage~ Randal nods, "I know the rite." he looks to Val, "Do you know it?" Thom nods slowly, and softly says, "I would perform the rite myself if I knew it." Valentine takes a deep breath and stands.. "Think of me as a Charach if you wish, i've been called worse in my life. We loved each other, but we never physically expressed it in that way. Just...don't drag her honor through whatever mud you drag mine for. She died with honor, fighting, while the rest of us cowered in fear. Valentine shakes hishead to Randal.. "No." Dingo says "Who said she didn't Valentine? Save your defense for those with an offense." Thom looks toward Valentine. "Val. Love can never be wrong, no matter who it's shared between. Ever." Randal nods, looks to the others, "No-one will mind if I perform the rite then?" Valentine shakes his head. Thom nods to Randal. "Please," he says softly. Emmi shakes her head to Randal. "Not I.." Randal nods, "We are here to mourne the passing of New-Age-Fluff, of the Glasswalkers. She died in service to gaia, defending the cubs of the returned Croatan tribe. May Gaia accept her to her womb, and to allow her to be rebown again." Thom closes his eyes and lowers his head, in silence. Valentine closes his eyes and lowers his own head Emmi drops down on all fours and shimmers, stretching outward until the shimmering fades and a reddish-black wolf is left in the wake. She lifts her muzzle and turns sighting you. Randal looks to Thom, and Val, "You have words to express yourself?" Thom looks to Valentine quietly first. Nightrun sits back on her haunches and listens quietly and somberly. Valentine says "There isn't much more to say that I haven't already said. She was my love..my happiness...my joy...my life. Although we never knew physical love, what we had went so much deeper..to the soul. I am glad..for what time we had together...and the bitch that did this to her is going to pay...severely." Randal nods to Val. Dingo sits down. Thom speaks up. "Amanda ... I may not have known her quite as well as Valentine does, but we were close friends... She knew how important these cubs lives are, and she took it upon herself to guard them as best she could." He takes in a slow, shaky breath. "She was terrified at the thought of fighting, true, but when the time came, she fought with ever ounce of strength that she had. I only wish that I could have had more time beside her." Randal nods to Thom, speaking quietly, "Anyone else?" Nightrun nods. ~I knew her some..I respected her and her tenacity and devotion to duty..she will be missed by me.~ Randal nods. Dingo says "I saved her life when she was still a cub." Dingo seems to be doen with his speech. Randal nods, "I knew her little. But she will be missed." he turns his gaze to the sky, "Gaia.. We return one of your warriors to you! She is missed, and loved. may she return, someday." he shifts to Crinos, and howls. Valentine shifts and joins in the howl Dingo joins in Thom shifts to his Crinos form in a blur, and howls - long, deep, and anguished. Daniel arrives from the east; Daniel ambles into view, singing something. Nightrun lifts her muzzle to the sky and slips her howl gently and mournfully in with the others. Daniel makes his way toward the howling, stopping when he sees who's form it is that lays broken amidst the crowd................ Daniel's body explodes in a mass of fur and rage. He grows to be about 9ft tall and covered with black hair. His form is now that of a bipedal wolf creature. SingsToSpirits's voice is soon added to those already howling. Dingo stops howling when he's out of air. Valentine lets his howl fade, and shifts back homid Walks-Thru-Fire sighs, reverting back to Homid. Nightrun fades her howl out. Spirit-Strength slowly tapers off his howl, and turns his muzzle down to the ground, remaining in the war form. Nightrun sparkles and blurs, the shimmering blue haze giving way to the form of a young woman who stares at you with detached amusement Dingo walks a bit away and lays down. SingsToSpirits's howl lasts a little longer, having started later, and having well..just good lungs. Valentine turns from the group, having said his goodbyes, and walks for the main caern slowly. Emmi turns her gaze after Val as he walks off. Valentine heads east. Emmi turns back. SingsToSpirits turns his head to Emmi. ~Rhya?~ Emmi looks up and over to Daniel and twitches an ear in his direction. "Aye?" SingsToSpirits shambles toward the fallen woman, a clawed hand reaching out toward her. ~How has this one died?~ Randal says "Spirals." Emmi frowns and nods. "Aye...bloody fooks attacked her, Thom and Val..then stole a wolf cub from the center...not one of the red ones, though." SingsToSpirits lets out a low growl, which culminates in a snarl. Spirit-Strength's clawed hands tremble for a few moments as he gazes down at Amanda. ~Goodbye... Stands-Strong-Against-Despair.~ He smiles, very faintly, seeming to ignore everything going on around him. ~I hope you appreciate that name more than your earlier one.~ SingsToSpirits says "You renamed her?" Emmi stands and stretches. "Aye, well...there's thin's wha' need done..guess I best be off ta tha center ta keep an eye on those cubs." Dingo nods to Emmi. Spirit-Strength doesn't look like he heard Daniel's question, still looking down at Amanda, still trembling. SingsToSpirits's head whips back to the others ~We need to pick of the trail of the fleeing Spiral cowards...and kill them...~ Emmi looks from face to face and then just shakes her head. "Evenin'.." Emmi heads east. Dingo says "They use rites to cover their tracks. Even my gifts can't track them.. this time." Spirit-Strength sighs, shakily, and looks around slowly, blinking when he sees SingsToSpirits, and nods to him silently. SingsToSpirits reaches across, nudging Spirit-Strength. ~You re-named her?~ Spirit-Strength nods slowly. ~She... It was something she asked me to do. I had hoped it'd never happen...~ SingsToSpirits embraces Spirit-Strength briefly. ~I told her I would give her another name, once...Never knew her well enough to do so though.....She deserved it....I always hated the one they'd given her......~ Spirit-Strength nods slowly, and returns the embrace after a moment. ~So did she.~ He half smiles. Spirit-Strength sighs, and says softly, ~I need to get some rest... I feel like I'm about to fall apart.~ SingsToSpirits says "Go safely....." Spirit-Strength nods slowly, and turns to head back to the center of the caern.
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