Needless to say, Yellowstone National Park was a beautiful place. It was potent with danger and glory and all of Gaia's intensity condensed into visual representation. Old Faithful and the gorgeous rainbow geothermal pools that had been there, a place of raw worship for their people and many other peoples as well (like a watering hole in the Savannah, a well of spiritual essence that many a spirit-tapped creature was drawn to).
Needless to say, Merlin's Wolves did not arrive there.
Rather, the Moon Bridge tumbled out a nauseated Rafaël, a more stalwart Morgan, and a far more put together Avery in a patch of worn-down dirt and tufts of grass in the forest, in a space where trees were sparse and the soil was sandy. A large male wolf with gray and brown in his pelt greeted them-- a Ragabash of the Warder's pack. He would take them to Blind Eye of Justice, follow him.
They did not have to go far, the Moonbridge did not deposit them any needless distance from where the Wolves of this Sept lived. There were one-story cabins to serve as homes for the Wolves who lived here permanently. Kinfolk lived in nearby towns, most all of them working for the Yellowstone National Park as rangers and barkeepers and tour guides and what have you. A stomped-down dirt assembly area with a crude (ancient) alter at the head. A pit in the center with seamless gray stone wrapped about the area, apparently carved carefully and buried beneath the soil so only the wall was visible. The inside contained charcoal, the stone blackened from many years of fire. It was cold and dead now, though.
Perhaps Avery had explained to her pack who Blind Eye of Justice was. She certainly would have sought out the identity to go with the name when she had learned it. It was not difficult for a Fostern of the Silver Fang Nation to learn this story, for its roots originally supped the blood of her own ancestry. Blind Eye of Justice, once Piercing Gaze of Falcon (ironically enough), had been a Fostern of the Silver Fang Tribe, much like Avery herself. She had mustered enough Renown to her name to be near to Adren, but had a sudden and drastic change of heart.
She left the Silver Fang Tribe. Renounced her lineage entirely. This was a particularly hard blow to the Tribe for she represented them in Yellowstone, for her family had been there for quite some time and worked hard to introduce their lineage to the wolf population. She was Lupus-Born herself, a rarity in a people dwindling from inbreeding and lack of healthy (pure) selection. Falcon was so furious with her that when he took his name from her, he took what it represented from her too-- her sight.
This Wolf instead joined the Children of Gaia, and stayed here dutifully dedicating herself to the Caern and the people of the Sept and, in particular, healthy relations with the wolf population and their numbers of Wolf Kin among them. But all of this was many years ago, back in the 70's and 80's. She was quite old now, plateaued at the rank of Adren, but a part of a Tribe of peoples who didn't believe in sending their old off on ice drifts to starve and freeze and drown. She stuck to the Caern proper these days.
Blind Eye of Justice lived in a hide tent instead of a log structure. She would be found in her Human body, as a tall old woman of thin (but not necessarily frail) build. Her hair was a long and healthy sheet of silver, her eyes milky white. She dressed in a T-shirt and denim jacket and denim pants as well. She had boots sitting beside the dusty old wooden rocking chair positioned outside the mouth of her tent. She was sitting in the chair when they approached, and didn't bother to rise. Instead, she smiled a thin-lipped smile of greeting and explained:
"Forgive an old woman keeping her seat. Welcome, Radiant Honor, it is good to meet you in person."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, and her smile was fleeting. Formalities were exchanged, and she would hear the names of both of the Ahrouns that accompanied Avery and acknowledge them, but soon it was down to business. Wrinkled hands grasped together on the top of a walking stick that she held between her knees to help support her while she leaned forward in her chair to address them.
"Did you notice our fire pit in the center of assembly? How it is black and cold with no smoke and no fire?"
Enough time for acknowledgement.
"It is because the Red Talons have taken our Fire to Mount Siyah, up north. Now the fire burns the mountain in the Umbra, chewing and consuming much more than it should be warranted. We have a long standing arrangement with Fire here, and Fire is needed here. Fire protected our Caern Heart, but now..." She shook her head.
"Some children--" her teeth bore on children, still pearly and straight and strong even in this age, "--made an arrangement with the Red Talons and promised them Fire. Came and convinced Fire to leave us in the night. And now they are hiding out, away from their Judgement.
"Seek them out. Hear their stories, their excuses, their whining and sniveling for forgiveness. Hear them explain why they have been hiding like children from their spankings. Then bring them to me."
This was a woman who took her Caern's protection very seriously. She leaned back in her chair and seemed to be looking down the long line of her nose at them, even though her eyes were as pure and white and the representation of Luna's Glow that Avery wore upon her entrance to the Caern. Then, after a judgmental huff, she continued on.
"Your pack lacks a Theurge. You may borrow one of ours-- a Silent Strider who has been here as of late. You should consider adding one to your number though, dear, they are incredibly useful."
Needless to say, Merlin's Wolves did not arrive there.
Rather, the Moon Bridge tumbled out a nauseated Rafaël, a more stalwart Morgan, and a far more put together Avery in a patch of worn-down dirt and tufts of grass in the forest, in a space where trees were sparse and the soil was sandy. A large male wolf with gray and brown in his pelt greeted them-- a Ragabash of the Warder's pack. He would take them to Blind Eye of Justice, follow him.
They did not have to go far, the Moonbridge did not deposit them any needless distance from where the Wolves of this Sept lived. There were one-story cabins to serve as homes for the Wolves who lived here permanently. Kinfolk lived in nearby towns, most all of them working for the Yellowstone National Park as rangers and barkeepers and tour guides and what have you. A stomped-down dirt assembly area with a crude (ancient) alter at the head. A pit in the center with seamless gray stone wrapped about the area, apparently carved carefully and buried beneath the soil so only the wall was visible. The inside contained charcoal, the stone blackened from many years of fire. It was cold and dead now, though.
Perhaps Avery had explained to her pack who Blind Eye of Justice was. She certainly would have sought out the identity to go with the name when she had learned it. It was not difficult for a Fostern of the Silver Fang Nation to learn this story, for its roots originally supped the blood of her own ancestry. Blind Eye of Justice, once Piercing Gaze of Falcon (ironically enough), had been a Fostern of the Silver Fang Tribe, much like Avery herself. She had mustered enough Renown to her name to be near to Adren, but had a sudden and drastic change of heart.
She left the Silver Fang Tribe. Renounced her lineage entirely. This was a particularly hard blow to the Tribe for she represented them in Yellowstone, for her family had been there for quite some time and worked hard to introduce their lineage to the wolf population. She was Lupus-Born herself, a rarity in a people dwindling from inbreeding and lack of healthy (pure) selection. Falcon was so furious with her that when he took his name from her, he took what it represented from her too-- her sight.
This Wolf instead joined the Children of Gaia, and stayed here dutifully dedicating herself to the Caern and the people of the Sept and, in particular, healthy relations with the wolf population and their numbers of Wolf Kin among them. But all of this was many years ago, back in the 70's and 80's. She was quite old now, plateaued at the rank of Adren, but a part of a Tribe of peoples who didn't believe in sending their old off on ice drifts to starve and freeze and drown. She stuck to the Caern proper these days.
Blind Eye of Justice lived in a hide tent instead of a log structure. She would be found in her Human body, as a tall old woman of thin (but not necessarily frail) build. Her hair was a long and healthy sheet of silver, her eyes milky white. She dressed in a T-shirt and denim jacket and denim pants as well. She had boots sitting beside the dusty old wooden rocking chair positioned outside the mouth of her tent. She was sitting in the chair when they approached, and didn't bother to rise. Instead, she smiled a thin-lipped smile of greeting and explained:
"Forgive an old woman keeping her seat. Welcome, Radiant Honor, it is good to meet you in person."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, and her smile was fleeting. Formalities were exchanged, and she would hear the names of both of the Ahrouns that accompanied Avery and acknowledge them, but soon it was down to business. Wrinkled hands grasped together on the top of a walking stick that she held between her knees to help support her while she leaned forward in her chair to address them.
"Did you notice our fire pit in the center of assembly? How it is black and cold with no smoke and no fire?"
Enough time for acknowledgement.
"It is because the Red Talons have taken our Fire to Mount Siyah, up north. Now the fire burns the mountain in the Umbra, chewing and consuming much more than it should be warranted. We have a long standing arrangement with Fire here, and Fire is needed here. Fire protected our Caern Heart, but now..." She shook her head.
"Some children--" her teeth bore on children, still pearly and straight and strong even in this age, "--made an arrangement with the Red Talons and promised them Fire. Came and convinced Fire to leave us in the night. And now they are hiding out, away from their Judgement.
"Seek them out. Hear their stories, their excuses, their whining and sniveling for forgiveness. Hear them explain why they have been hiding like children from their spankings. Then bring them to me."
This was a woman who took her Caern's protection very seriously. She leaned back in her chair and seemed to be looking down the long line of her nose at them, even though her eyes were as pure and white and the representation of Luna's Glow that Avery wore upon her entrance to the Caern. Then, after a judgmental huff, she continued on.
"Your pack lacks a Theurge. You may borrow one of ours-- a Silent Strider who has been here as of late. You should consider adding one to your number though, dear, they are incredibly useful."