Rat Pack...?

Windy sits in the bawn restringing his bow. The fire next to him roaring like the sound of an ancient dragon. Next to him sits a black rat eating out of a brown paper bag. The rat has a small collar and ID tag. The ID tag reads "Terran".

((pretty sure it's "Tarryn" or something. I know there was a Y))

From the underbrush slinks a mangy, red wolfdog. She pauses at the shadow line made by the fire for a moment, her eyes glinting green in the light, before she stepped into view.

<<Who is your friend?>> Carry growled to Windy in the wolf tongue, moving to a seat next to him. She remained in Lupus, content to curl up near the warmth of the fire.

I was out earlier and went by a pet store and saw this cute little ratty, so I had to get her. I named her after Taryn.

"So we are the only members of our pack left." Windy says as he puts his bow aside and looks to face Carry.

<<I'm quite aware.>> Carry grumbles, taking a moment to sniff slightly at the rat. The rat seems almost terrified of Carry, and scrambles into the bag to hide. Carry just snuffs.

<<My ties to Momma Rat remain strong, as I've often beared her as a personal totem. If you wish to continue to run with me under her, you are welcome to be my beta Windy. You've proven yourself to be more than useful over the years I've known you, and Omega doesn't fit you anymore.>>

Windy sits up a little. "Thank you Carry, that means a lot coming from you. It would be my pleasure to your beta, with all the new people around hopefully we can get the pack numbers back up there."

Carry's tail gives a small wag. <<Well that settles that then.>> she says, moving to stand. <<The question is, who are we going to try and recruit?>>

"That is a good question...we will just have to see who would fit well, there are plenty of new people to choose from."

He perks up and slides his black jacket over his arms, as he scoots closer to the fire.

It was at that moment that Alli stepped into the fire light. She smelled heavily of wolf, her clothes streaked with dirt and hair. She set her backpack down as she dropped to sit across from Windy and Carry, digging through it until she found a bag of jerky, which she pulled out and began to eat promptly.

"Is it only us tonight?"

Carry was startled by the sudden approach of Allison, the hair on her back raising slightly, and a slow growl escaping her throat before she realized who it was.

<<What brings you out so late at night Allison.>> Carry asks, watching her nibble on her jerky.
y.

Windy motions for Alli to sit.

"Please, join us..."

"It was an energetic day at work," she gestured to her clothes, "and sitting at home didn't seem like a good idea. I thought I'd pay a visit. I may not be part of this sept yet, officially, but it feels like more of a home than...well, home."

Alli glanced down and caught Carry's staring eyes, smiled, and pulled a larger piece of jerky from the large ziplock bag to hand to her before offering the bag to Windy. Then an uncertain look crossed her face. "Coming here wasn't a presumptuous move, was it?"

Carry leans forward, sniffing at the jerky slightly, before accepting it. The offering is gone in moments, scarfed down by the perpetually hungry. <<No. Not presumptuous. You coming back is a good sign, to me. It means we didn't scare you off.>>

Alli chuckled, eating the last of the first piece of jerky she had pulled out. "No, I'm not scared off very easily once I've decided to dedicate myself to something, and I really enjoyed spending time here with you and the rest of your sept. This is a beautiful place."

"This isn't just our sept, you belong to it as well young one." Windy says with a stern expression on his normally happy smiley face.

<<If you are willing to stick around and help us fight the good fight, that is.>> Carry added, licking jerky grease from her lips. <Gaia knows we need you young ones if we are to stand a chance against the Wyrm.>>

"It would be foolish to join a sept and not expect to do your part and fight. I may have known about my heritage for a short time in comparison to most, but it's become as much a part of me as my Homi- uh, my human life was before this." She offered more jerky to Carry before putting the rest back into her canvas bag of wonders. "So...tell me more about yourselves. There wasn't much covered the other night."

Carry takes the offered piece from Allison, and again scarfs it down as if it might be taken away. Once she is done chewing, she looks at the girl. <<What would you like to know? I'm Carry. I'm a Bone Gnawer. I'm a metis. I'm a Galliard. I'm an Adren, ((rank 3)) and I've been a member of this sept for six years now. This is home.>>

"I suppose I want to know more about the past of the sept. My uncle couldn't tell me much about anyone here, except that you're all good people. What has happened here in the last six years?" Alli scooted closer to the fire, relishing the warmth

Carry yipped out something like a laugh, and then took a moment to meld through her forms until she sat before the others in homid. "You want to know about the past members? Ha! So many of Gaia's children have walked through the park. Quiet and gentle Rhia, wise and powerful Speaks of Mist, ferocious and honorable Darien, tenacious and crafty Tarryn. So many of our brothers and sisters have passed through here. For a minute it seemed like there were more changing breeds here than Garou. I've seen a Gurahl with my own eyes, despite the stories our elders tell of them dying in the War of Rage. I've met Corax, and fought alongside the Bastet like they were my sisters. At one time, all were welcome to join us in our fight against the Wyrm, regardless of the beast you turned into. We called this place 'Fortune's Landing' because this was a place to come and make something of yourself, whoever you were."

She paused, seeming lost in thought.

[Story teller award 1xp, awesome summary, really pulled me in]

Windy wiping a tear from his eye.
"Yes, Many have walked through the park, others still remain that are quite amazing like yourself Eli, and Devon. And the new people we see coming in day by day give me a good feeling about the future here."

"You are counted in that list as well Windy, and don't you forget it." Carry added, and then stared into the fire for a moment. "The new people are definitely bringing new hope with them. I just hope it is enough."

Alli sat looking amazed and dumbfounded for a moment.
"Gurahl, Corax? I thought we'd killed all of them." She frowned, staring at the fire. "I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"You should feel confused. Manipulated. Lied to." Carry spat, her rage slipping through the cracks a little. "I find it hard to believe that I am a member of the first generation of Garou to work with our changing brothers and sisters, but why do we never hear about it? Why do we not sing their tales of bravery and sacrifice alongside our own? Are they not as worthy as us? Do they not give their lives just as fully fighting the Wyrm?"

Carry took a deep breath, doing her best to swallow her anger. "All I know is, that as a Galliard, my job is to tell the glories of my packmates and my sept, and that I will do that to the best of my ability, regardless of their form."
[Fuckin seriously? 1 bonus xp. No more for this thread. Stawp it. Schtawp]

"Well said Carry, it's always nice when the galliard in you shows through. We don't see it enough."

Carry just sighs in reply to Windy, looking up at him with sad eyes. She pokes at the fire for a moment, seeming lost in thought.