* * * * *
Legal Stuff: I don't own Werewolf: the Apocalypse. I'm not actually sure who does own it these days, but I know it's someone at White Wolf. Anyway, most of the characters in this story (with the exception of a few cameos by White Wolf's signature characters) are my own creations. But the world they inhabit is not.
* * * * *
* * * * *
The First Change
by 18th Angel
* * * * *
Chapter 2
* * * * *
Elena seemed to be searching for the right words. "'We' are your people, Miriam. We're the Garou. Your mother was one of us, and now you're one of us too."
"Garou?" Miriam asked.
"Don't recognize that one yet, huh? All right, I'll use humanity's name for us." She looked straight at Miriam, capturing her gaze with her blood-red eyes. "Miriam, you're a werewolf."
"A...a what?" The world seemed to fall away. Miriam felt like she was standing on the edge of a massive cliff, dangerously close to toppling off.
"I know it's hard for you to believe, but it's true." Elena said. "Back there, when you killed those monsters; that was what we call the First Change. They attacked and you took the war-form to defend yourself."
"But the moon." Miriam protested. "It's not..."
"Full?" Elena finished for her. She sighed. "This is why I didn't want to say the 'W' word. Tell a homid cub they're a werewolf and immediately they flash back to every Hollywood cliché they've ever seen. That's not what we're about. We *are* monsters. Don't let anyone tell you different. But humans get it all wrong."
"I don't understand."
"A werewolf isn't a human who turns into a wolf when the moon is full." Elena said. "We're our own species, born from humans or wolves, but separate from them both. Haven't you always felt alone, alienated, even when you were with others?"
Miriam nodded, remembering how she had been teased or neglected by her peers her entire life.
"That's because they knew. The people who rejected you never understood the real reason. Subconsciously they knew what you really were. They saw the predator inside you, and they were afraid. But you won't be alone anymore, Miriam. You're where you belong now. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean your life will get any easier, just the opposite in fact. But from now on, you won't have to face it alone."
"You're...a werewolf too?" Miriam asked.
Elena smiled. "Yes." She said. "My full name is Elena Dreamwalker. I am a Theurge."
"A what?"
"When I say that I mean that I was born under the crescent moon." Elena explained. "My kind is best suited to mysticism, especially talking with spirits. What moon you're born under determines your place in society for us. For example tonight the gibbous moon is out. Any werewolf born tonight is destined to be a Galliard. They're the singers and storytellers, they keep the history of the Garou."
"History?" Miriam was beginning to calm down enough to begin asking coherent questions. "You...we...have history?"
"Of course we do." Elena said. "And a much longer history than the humans. See those webs?" She pointed the crackling metal webs and robotic spiders. "Those webs are part of the beginning." She gestured out the restroom door. "Come with me."
* * * * *
"So let me see if I have this straight?" Miriam said as Elena led her through the ghostly spirit reflection of the woods at the edge of town. "We're supposed to stop the Wyrm from devouring the whole world, stop the Weaver from spinning it all in her web, *and* keep the Wyld from getting too chaotic."
"That's about it." Elena confirmed.
"And how do we do all this?" Miriam asked. "I mean, I guess I must be pretty strong when I change, but I'm just like any other girl most of the time."
"Well there's one thing we need to get out of your head right now."
"What?"
"This notion that the change is some sort of random effect." Elena said. "All you need is a little training and you'll be able to change whenever you want to. In fact, go ahead and do it. Try Lupus. That's full wolf, a good place to start since it's the farthest from your birth form. If you can make that change, then the other's will be easy."
"How?" It was a simple question, and Miriam hoped the answer would be equally simple.
"Well for now just...pretend. Get down on all fours and...I don't know...howl at the moon or something." Miriam's face must have betrayed her misgivings. "I know it's embarrassing, but it's only necessary until you get the hang of it." She smiled warmly. "I promise I won't tell anyone."
Miriam sighed. "Okay. I'll try." She dropped to her knees, placing her palms on the ground in front of her. Feeling thoroughly ridiculous, she pawed at the ground, growling softly. Reluctantly, she lifted her head to the sky and let out a small howl. Despite her efforts, she felt exactly the same. "I'm sorry." She finally said. "I can't do it."
"What do you mean?" Elena asked. "Look at yourself."
Miriam looked down and found that her hands had become paws. Turning her head, she saw that her whole body had changed from a human being into a sleek, black and silver wolf.
* * * * *
Miriam's Lupus form, like her Crinos, was pure black, with parallel silver lines running the length of the back. Elena smiled. Miriam was turning out to be a quick learner.
"Well done." She said, taking a moment to shift into wolf form herself. "Now follow me, we've got a lot of ground to cover."
To her credit, Miriam kept up the entire trip, never faltering once. The girl definitely had good instincts. She would be a boon to any tribe that took her in. Of course, that particular decision was practically made already. *A girl like that... All she needs to do is show up and the Furies will accept her.*
Before she knew it, they had reached their destination. She had chosen to leave Washington from a different Caern than she had entered through. This Sept was Shadow Lord territory. And while Elena didn't look forward to enduring scorn from the Shadow Lords, it was worlds away better than pity from the Children of Gaia.
"Stop." She said. Miriam padded to a halt next to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Elena said. "We just need to reach back to the physical world now."
"But we don't have a mirror." Miriam said.
Elena laughed softly. The girl had instincts, but she also had a lot to learn. "I'm a Theurge, Miriam." She said. "I stopped needing a mirror a long time ago."
* * * * *
Miriam was dismayed to find that her new fur didn't protect her at all from the icy sensation that came with stepping between worlds. She was glad to emerge into the comparatively hot night air of the real world.
"Halt!" A voice called out. A tall man with long brown hair stepped into the path. "Show yourselves." He called.
Elena stepped into a patch of moonlight and Miriam reluctantly followed her lead. The man looked at them for a moment. "Perhaps allow me the courtesy of looking me in the eyes?" He asked.
Elena let out the canine equivalent of a derisive snort. Her body began to twist and grow, returning to her human form. Miriam followed suite, marveling at how easily she made the transformation.
"Nice fashion statement, missy." The tall man remarked with a laugh.
Miriam suddenly realized that she had left the tattered remnants of her clothes miles away when she changed into a wolf. Blushing furiously, she tried to hide behind Elena.
"You think if you tried you could make this any harder for the girl?" Elena asked, clearly upset with the man.
"It's not my job to make things easy for pups like her." He replied.
Elena rolled her eyes and took off her long trench coat. "Here you go." Miriam gratefully took the coat and pulled it on, knotting the waistband tightly to keep it closed.
"We need to open a Moon Bridge from here." Elena said. "Are you going to let us in or not?"
The man made a big show of gesturing down the path with one arm. "Go right ahead."
* * * * *
Miriam followed Elena down the moonlit path. "Who was that guy?" She asked.
"The Warder." Elena said. "He patrols the edge of the Caern. Just to make sure nobody's here who doesn't belong."
"We belong, don't we?" Miriam asked. "I mean, if we're all werewolves, they have to let us in right?"
"They don't have to." Elena replied. "But if they were going to stop us, he wouldn't have let us pass."
The dirt path led them into a large clearing. A pile of cinders lay in a large fire pit. Several men and women sat in a circle around the pit.
One of them, a huge man wearing what looked like a bear's skin stood when they entered the clearing. His muscular arms were covered with scars, as was his face. He ignored Miriam, staring intently at Elena.
"Go back the way you came." He said. "Your kind is not welcome here."
"Your warder let us in." Elena said.
"He is new here." Came the reply. "He will be informed of his error."
"I'm delivering a cub to her tribe. I need to open a Moon Bridge."
"The Children of Gaia aren't far." The huge man said. "Open your Bridge there. I'll not let this place be contaminated with your sin."
"Come on." Elena said furiously, turning quickly to head back out of the clearing.
"Hold on!" Miriam said. She was getting angry again. Not mad enough to kill like earlier this evening, just mad enough to say things she knew she shouldn't. "You can't talk to her like that!"
The people around the fire laughed as if Miriam had just told the funniest joke they had ever heard.
"Not even through her Rite of Passage and already she presumes to tell me how to speak." The big man said to no one in particular. "You're taking her to see the Furies aren't you?" He called to Elena, who was still in shock at Miriam's outspokenness. Elena nodded.
"Not at all surprising." He turned to Miriam. "So little girl; are you ready to join your tribe and put man in his place, hmm?" The condescension with which he spoke made Miriam want to scream.
"What tribe are you in?" She asked.
The big guy smiled broadly and made a sweeping gesture around the fire circle with his arms. "We are the Shadow Lords!" He cried. "Greatest of the Garou!"
"Oh." Miriam smiled sweetly. "Well now I know which tribe I *won't* be joining." She turned and left the clearing. Elena smiled and bowed slightly before following.
* * * * *
"What was that about?" Miriam asked, as Elena led her through the forest's Umbral reflection.
"What?" Elena asked.
"You know what." Miriam said. "What did he mean 'your sin'?"
"I don't want to talk about it." The Theurge said harshly. "Someone's bound to tell you sooner or later."
Another hour of walking through the Umbra brought them to another clearing. There were people here too, men and women. But these people seemed different. The Shadow Lords had been sitting solemnly in their circle. These werewolves, for Miriam assumed that was what they were, seemed to be having a party. Several of them were dancing, everyone was singing, and they were passing around a large, earthenware jug, each person taking a swig before passing it along.
A middle-aged man smiled when he saw them. He jumped down from his perch on a tree branch with a grace that belied his age. Smiling warmly, he walked over to where they stood.
"Welcome back Elena." He said. "I see you found your cub."
Elena nodded. "This is Miriam Foster." She said. "Miriam, this is Jacen Giver of Mercy, a Child of Gaia."
"You mean he's not a werewolf?" Miriam asked, confused. "What's a Child of Gaia?"
Jacen laughed, but it was a good-natured laugh. "You misunderstand." He gestured to his companions. "We are the Children of Gaia. One of the thirt...twelve Tribes of the Garou."
"Oh." Miriam suddenly felt very stupid.
"May I open a Moon Bridge from here?" Elena asked.
"Of course." Jacen replied. "But why not rest a while first." He indicated the interrupted revel behind him.
"We really are in a hurry." Elena said.
"In that case, I'll help you open the Bridge."
"I'd appreciate that." Elena said.
"Liana!" Jacen called. A girl, only a year or two older than Miriam, jumped up and ran over to them. "Perhaps you could help Miriam clean up a bit." He suggested. Miriam blushed, realizing for the second time that night how strange she must look, clothed only in a trench coat, nearly every inch of her covered in blood. She didn't even want to think about it.
The girl named Liana smiled and held out a hand. "Come on." She said cheerfully.
Miriam took her hand and Liana led her to a narrow, slow-moving river some distance from the clearing.
"Go ahead." She said, turning her back to the water. "I won't watch."
Miriam spent quite a while in the river. The thick blood had dried on her and it took several minutes to wash it all off her skin. And no matter how long she scrubbed, she couldn't seem to get it all out of her hair. When she finally stepped out of the water, she found that someone had brought clothes while she was washing. Liana handed her a long, light skirt, a loose fitting shirt, and a pair of sandals. The Children of Gaia seemed to be into the 'new age' scene, at least as far as their clothes were concerned.
"One more thing." Liana said after Miriam had put on the clothes. The older girl closed her eyes, whispered a few words in a strange language that Miriam thought she *almost* recognized, and touched each article of clothing lightly with her fingertips.
"What did you do?" Miriam asked.
"Just a small Rite. These clothes are dedicated to you now. They won't rip when you transform." Liana said. She winked. "Just in case you have to shift again tonight."
* * * * *
"You're a Stargazer, aren't you?"
Elena was in deep concentration when Jacen spoke up behind her. Opening a Moon Bridge was difficult to begin with. Opening one from a small Caern was even harder. And opening one from a small Caern to the other side of the country was damn near impossible. Elena found that meditating and communing with the Caern Totem before asking it to open the bridge usually helped. So she was slightly frustrated when Jacen interrupted her concentration.
"What?" She turned so Jacen could see her face, just in case her voice hadn't fully conveyed how annoyed she was.
"When you first got here, didn't you say that you didn't leave your Tribe, they left you?"
"It sounds familiar." Elena said.
"So why didn't you go with them?" Jacen asked.
"When did I say I was one of them to begin with?" Elena snapped back.
"You have a lot of anger for a Crescent Moon."
"And here I've been laboring under the impression that that was *my* business, not yours."
Jacen sighed. "Our Rage is one of our greatest gifts Elena." He said. "But unchecked, it can also be a path for the Wyrm to enter our hearts."
"I know." Elena said quietly. "But it's all I have left. They went their own way." She added in a near-whisper. "And by the time I found out, it was too late to follow."
* * * * *
"Trans Global flight 119, service from Mexico City, now arriving at gate A-21. Passengers will be disembarking shortly"
Mamoru Tenkawa glanced up from his newspaper. Sure enough, a minute or two later, people began to emerge from the boarding tunnel. Mamoru searched the crowd for his friend. It wasn't a long search; Aaron Foster was a hard person to miss.
Aaron was twenty-two years old. On an *extremely* good day, he could pass for twenty-eight. Unlike most Full Moons, Aaron's face was relatively unmarred. He seemed to have a perpetual five-o'-clock shadow, which added a year or two to his appearance. But the main source of his premature aging was his eyes. Those eyes spoke of hardships far beyond his years; of battles that were never really won, even when he was the victor.
Yet, despite all that, his was a pleasant face. Open, friendly, ruggedly handsome. Aaron smiled when he saw Mamoru. He had no trouble pushing through the crowd. One of the perks of being an Ahroun; even if people didn't know what you were, they knew instinctively not to get in your way.
* * * * *
Liana led Miriam back to the clearing, where Elena and Jacen seemed to be holding a deep conversation with two animals. Elena had a small white mouse in her hand. Jacen stood before a magnificent white horse. It was a second or two before Miriam noticed the horn in the horse's forehead.
"Is that...?"
"A Unicorn?" Liana finished. "Yeah. Took me by surprise the first time I saw it, too. Unicorn is our tribe's Totem, she watches over this Caern."
"What are they doing?" Miriam whispered.
"They're asking the Totems to open a moon bridge between two Caerns." Liana said. "You must be traveling pretty far. Normally a Theurge would only need to ask one Totem for help, but their asking two."
"I still don't get this whole 'Theurge' thing?" Miriam said.
"Basically, there are five phases of the moon that you can be born under." Liana explained. "New, Crescent, Half, Gibbous, and Full. That's called your auspice, and it decides the role you'll play in society. Crescent Moon people are Theurges. They're kind of like the wizards of the Garou. I was born under the New Moon, so I'm Ragabash. We're like...tricksters. We're supposed to keep all the others on their toes."
"Why?"
"Because we can't afford to be complacent." Liana replied. "There's way to much at stake. But we also can't afford to become too hardened by battle, so New Moons like me also make sure to show the others that life can still be funny. Trust me, it's a thankless task. Once you reach your destination, you'll learn your own auspice."
Miriam nodded.
"Speaking of which." Liana pointed to a bright, glowing circle that had appeared in the center of the clearing.
"We're ready to go, Miriam." Elena called out to her.
"Uh...thanks." Miriam said to Liana. "You know; for the clothes. And for all your help."
Liana reached over and hugged Miriam like a sister. "Safe journey, Miriam." She said. "Gaia watch over you."
"Thank you." Miriam said again. Then she followed Elena into the shimmering Moon Bridge.
If stepping into the Umbra had been cold, the Moon Bridge was freezing. Miriam felt unimaginable pressure on her as they shot forward. The trip was over practically before it began. They burst out into another wooded area. But unlike the quite woods they had left, this forest was filled with the sounds of the city. Cars honked, people yelled, and sirens wailed in the distance.
"Now where are we?" Miriam asked.
"New York." Elena said. "Specifically, Central Park." She turned to Miriam. "Welcome home."
* * * * *
From outside, the Red Wolf Bar looked like it was about to close down at any moment. All the shops and restaurants around it had long since boarded up their windows and locked their doors for the last time. People who lived nearby whispered that the owner, Anthony Marino, kept the bar open by providing a forum for 'family business'. In a way they were right. But Anthony was not connected in any way to organized crime. He catered to a different, and far more secretive, family.
"So how was Cancun?" Mamoru asked his friend. They had driven straight from the airport to the Red Wolf and were now sitting in a booth near the back of the bar, being studiously ignored by the other patrons. "Catch any sun?"
"It wasn't a pleasure trip." Aaron said. "I delivered the message and then I came back here."
"You need to learn to enjoy your work more, Aaron." Mamoru said, finishing off his second beer and signaling to the waitress to keep them coming. "If *I* got sent to a sunlit paradise like that, I'd stay a few days after I did the job."
"Not an option." Aaron replied, taking a small sip from his first drink, which was still nearly full. "I have to be in the Park at midnight."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with Elena canceling on us at the last second, would it?" Mamoru asked.
Aaron nodded. "I've got family coming into town."
"What do you mean?" Mamoru leaned over the table and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "You mean like *family* family, or just a relative."
"What the hell are you, a secret agent?" Aaron snapped. "Get on your own side of the table!"
Mamoru snapped back to his side, surprised at his friend's temper. "Damn!" He exclaimed. "Cancun must have been worse than you're letting on." He made a mock gasp. "You didn't drink the water there, did you?" He fell to laughing quietly at his own joke.
Aaron sighed and took a long gulp of beer. "It's my little sister." He finally said. "She's Firsting."
That shut Mamoru up. He blinked once. Twice. "You have a sister?"
* * * * *
"I have a brother!?"
"Yes." Elena said, scowling. "A very late older brother."
"Uh...now by 'brother', you mean like...because we're all werewolves...we're like...sort of family...like this guy's my brother in the same way that you and I are sisters...or...?" In the absence of a coherent reply Miriam seemed to be spouting whatever entered her head.
"I mean your mother had a son who is now half an hour late." Elena said.
"But see...but see...I don't have a brother." Miriam said. "Okay? I think I'd know if I'd had a brother."
"How?" Elena asked. "Have you ever been to Los Angeles?"
"No."
"Well that's where he grew up."
"That's it!" Miriam screamed. "I'm sorry. This is just to too much. Look; yesterday I was just a regular, slightly screwed up kid. Now I'm a werewolf and I have to learn all this stuff about spirits and moon phases and fighting this giant war, and now your telling me I've got a brother who I've never even met it's just...I need a break, okay?"
"Sorry." Elena said, sitting next to her. "You've been doing so well tonight, I almost forgot how new this all is for you."
"It's just a lot to take in all at once." Miriam said. "Well you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you went through all of this too, right?"
Elena looked away.
"What?" Miriam asked. "Elena; what's wrong?"
Elena sighed. She didn't want to lose Miriam's respect, which she certainly would as soon as the girl learned about breeds. *She's going to hear it eventually.* Elena finally decided. *It might as well be from me.*
"I'm...different from you." She said.
"Different?"
"You remember what I said, that werewolves have children with humans or wolves?"
Miriam nodded. "Yeah."
"There's a reason for that. Our first law is 'Garou shall not mate with Garou'." Elena continued. "I'm what happens...when that law is broken. Garou like me, metis, gain the ability to change at an early age. I had my First Change when I was only seven years old. But we're always twisted in some way. That's why I look...the way I do. That's why the Shadow Lords wouldn't let us use their Caern."
"I don't get it." Miriam said. "It's just blue hair."
"It's not the deformity itself. It's the principal. There are also much worse deformities." *Like the one you can't see right now.*
"It still doesn't make sense. You can't help the way you were born."
"It doesn't make sense." Elena agreed. "But that's the way things are. Nothing's going to change it."
"It's not right." Miriam maintained. Elena smiled, but it was a melancholy smile. Miriam was such a kind girl. Elena wondered how long could she live in this world before that kindness died?
* * * * *
"We're late." Aaron said.
"So I heard." Mamoru said. "The first eight times you said it." He added.
"I told Elena midnight." Aaron said. "I can't afford to gain a reputation for being late."
"You think Elena's going to go around telling everyone that you were a few minutes late once?"
"You wouldn't understand." Aaron said. It was true, Mamoru could never really understand. Aaron was a Silent Strider, a messenger. And for a messenger, punctuality was everything.
"Look. We got caught in a traffic jam." Mamoru said. "Unless you can control the flow of traffic somehow, I doubt anyone will hold this against you."
"Here ya are." The driver said. "Central Park West."
"I assume I'm paying." Mamoru said.
"Unless Charlie here takes pesos."
"So what's this sister of yours like?" Mamoru asked as the cab pulled away.
Aaron shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. We've never actually met."
* * * * *
"What's my brother like?"
"Aaron's a good guy." Elena said. "He's got a bit of a temper, but that comes with being an Ahroun. And he's a lot less high strung then most of them."
"Ahroun? Tribe or auspice?" Miriam asked.
"Auspice. Full Moon. They're the warriors. Well, we're all warriors but Ahrouns make the rest of us look like amateurs. When you absolutely *need* something hacked into a thousand pieces you call an Ahroun. They're not really into subtlety though..."
"Great." Suddenly, Miriam wasn't sure she wanted to meet her brother.
Her face must have betrayed her thoughts. "Don't worry." Elena said quickly. "Aaron really is surprisingly laid-back. He's a Silent Strider, that's a tribe, and they're usually really calm so I think that helps balance it out."
"What tribe are you in?" Miriam knew immediately that she had hit another sore spot. Elena frowned and seemed to tighten up. "I'm sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to..."
"No, it's alright." Elena said. "It's just been a while since I've had to explain this. I'm a Stargazer. We used to be part of the Garou nation, but recently the tribal elders decided that we needed to go off on our own to protect our homeland before the final battle. Only a few of us stayed behind. It's still a big issue with a lot of our people. Some aren't sure they can trust us any more. Others just don't want to."
Miriam decided to change the subject slightly. "So if my brother is a Silent Strider, does that mean I'm one too?"
"Not necessarily." Elena said. "In theory, you can petition any tribe to take you in."
"In theory?"
"Well some of them are pretty selective about who they accept. The Red Talons never take homids. The Glass Walkers rarely take lupus. The Wendigo only accept Native Americans... You get the idea. Tonight we're supposed to take you to see one of the Black Furies. Your mother was one of them, so they kind of have 'first dibs' on you, but they wouldn't force you to join them or anything."
"So why is my brother a Silent Strider instead of a Black Fury?"
Elena opened her mouth to answer but another voice interrupted her.
"Because the Black Furies are another very selective tribe." Miriam turned to see two men walking toward them. One was a thin Asian man with short brown hair and thick glasses. The other was tall, muscular, and imposing. In his face, Miriam saw a little bit of Uncle Jacob and a whole lot of herself. "No boys allowed." Her brother finished.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
"Miriam." Elena said gently. "Meet Aaron Foster. Your brother."
* * * * *
TBC
* * * * *
Legal Stuff: I don't own Werewolf: the Apocalypse. I'm not actually sure who does own it these days, but I know it's someone at White Wolf. Anyway, most of the characters in this story (with the exception of a few cameos by White Wolf's signature characters) are my own creations. But the world they inhabit is not.
* * * * *
* * * * *
The First Change
by 18th Angel
* * * * *
Chapter 2
* * * * *
Elena seemed to be searching for the right words. "'We' are your people, Miriam. We're the Garou. Your mother was one of us, and now you're one of us too."
"Garou?" Miriam asked.
"Don't recognize that one yet, huh? All right, I'll use humanity's name for us." She looked straight at Miriam, capturing her gaze with her blood-red eyes. "Miriam, you're a werewolf."
"A...a what?" The world seemed to fall away. Miriam felt like she was standing on the edge of a massive cliff, dangerously close to toppling off.
"I know it's hard for you to believe, but it's true." Elena said. "Back there, when you killed those monsters; that was what we call the First Change. They attacked and you took the war-form to defend yourself."
"But the moon." Miriam protested. "It's not..."
"Full?" Elena finished for her. She sighed. "This is why I didn't want to say the 'W' word. Tell a homid cub they're a werewolf and immediately they flash back to every Hollywood cliché they've ever seen. That's not what we're about. We *are* monsters. Don't let anyone tell you different. But humans get it all wrong."
"I don't understand."
"A werewolf isn't a human who turns into a wolf when the moon is full." Elena said. "We're our own species, born from humans or wolves, but separate from them both. Haven't you always felt alone, alienated, even when you were with others?"
Miriam nodded, remembering how she had been teased or neglected by her peers her entire life.
"That's because they knew. The people who rejected you never understood the real reason. Subconsciously they knew what you really were. They saw the predator inside you, and they were afraid. But you won't be alone anymore, Miriam. You're where you belong now. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean your life will get any easier, just the opposite in fact. But from now on, you won't have to face it alone."
"You're...a werewolf too?" Miriam asked.
Elena smiled. "Yes." She said. "My full name is Elena Dreamwalker. I am a Theurge."
"A what?"
"When I say that I mean that I was born under the crescent moon." Elena explained. "My kind is best suited to mysticism, especially talking with spirits. What moon you're born under determines your place in society for us. For example tonight the gibbous moon is out. Any werewolf born tonight is destined to be a Galliard. They're the singers and storytellers, they keep the history of the Garou."
"History?" Miriam was beginning to calm down enough to begin asking coherent questions. "You...we...have history?"
"Of course we do." Elena said. "And a much longer history than the humans. See those webs?" She pointed the crackling metal webs and robotic spiders. "Those webs are part of the beginning." She gestured out the restroom door. "Come with me."
* * * * *
"So let me see if I have this straight?" Miriam said as Elena led her through the ghostly spirit reflection of the woods at the edge of town. "We're supposed to stop the Wyrm from devouring the whole world, stop the Weaver from spinning it all in her web, *and* keep the Wyld from getting too chaotic."
"That's about it." Elena confirmed.
"And how do we do all this?" Miriam asked. "I mean, I guess I must be pretty strong when I change, but I'm just like any other girl most of the time."
"Well there's one thing we need to get out of your head right now."
"What?"
"This notion that the change is some sort of random effect." Elena said. "All you need is a little training and you'll be able to change whenever you want to. In fact, go ahead and do it. Try Lupus. That's full wolf, a good place to start since it's the farthest from your birth form. If you can make that change, then the other's will be easy."
"How?" It was a simple question, and Miriam hoped the answer would be equally simple.
"Well for now just...pretend. Get down on all fours and...I don't know...howl at the moon or something." Miriam's face must have betrayed her misgivings. "I know it's embarrassing, but it's only necessary until you get the hang of it." She smiled warmly. "I promise I won't tell anyone."
Miriam sighed. "Okay. I'll try." She dropped to her knees, placing her palms on the ground in front of her. Feeling thoroughly ridiculous, she pawed at the ground, growling softly. Reluctantly, she lifted her head to the sky and let out a small howl. Despite her efforts, she felt exactly the same. "I'm sorry." She finally said. "I can't do it."
"What do you mean?" Elena asked. "Look at yourself."
Miriam looked down and found that her hands had become paws. Turning her head, she saw that her whole body had changed from a human being into a sleek, black and silver wolf.
* * * * *
Miriam's Lupus form, like her Crinos, was pure black, with parallel silver lines running the length of the back. Elena smiled. Miriam was turning out to be a quick learner.
"Well done." She said, taking a moment to shift into wolf form herself. "Now follow me, we've got a lot of ground to cover."
To her credit, Miriam kept up the entire trip, never faltering once. The girl definitely had good instincts. She would be a boon to any tribe that took her in. Of course, that particular decision was practically made already. *A girl like that... All she needs to do is show up and the Furies will accept her.*
Before she knew it, they had reached their destination. She had chosen to leave Washington from a different Caern than she had entered through. This Sept was Shadow Lord territory. And while Elena didn't look forward to enduring scorn from the Shadow Lords, it was worlds away better than pity from the Children of Gaia.
"Stop." She said. Miriam padded to a halt next to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Elena said. "We just need to reach back to the physical world now."
"But we don't have a mirror." Miriam said.
Elena laughed softly. The girl had instincts, but she also had a lot to learn. "I'm a Theurge, Miriam." She said. "I stopped needing a mirror a long time ago."
* * * * *
Miriam was dismayed to find that her new fur didn't protect her at all from the icy sensation that came with stepping between worlds. She was glad to emerge into the comparatively hot night air of the real world.
"Halt!" A voice called out. A tall man with long brown hair stepped into the path. "Show yourselves." He called.
Elena stepped into a patch of moonlight and Miriam reluctantly followed her lead. The man looked at them for a moment. "Perhaps allow me the courtesy of looking me in the eyes?" He asked.
Elena let out the canine equivalent of a derisive snort. Her body began to twist and grow, returning to her human form. Miriam followed suite, marveling at how easily she made the transformation.
"Nice fashion statement, missy." The tall man remarked with a laugh.
Miriam suddenly realized that she had left the tattered remnants of her clothes miles away when she changed into a wolf. Blushing furiously, she tried to hide behind Elena.
"You think if you tried you could make this any harder for the girl?" Elena asked, clearly upset with the man.
"It's not my job to make things easy for pups like her." He replied.
Elena rolled her eyes and took off her long trench coat. "Here you go." Miriam gratefully took the coat and pulled it on, knotting the waistband tightly to keep it closed.
"We need to open a Moon Bridge from here." Elena said. "Are you going to let us in or not?"
The man made a big show of gesturing down the path with one arm. "Go right ahead."
* * * * *
Miriam followed Elena down the moonlit path. "Who was that guy?" She asked.
"The Warder." Elena said. "He patrols the edge of the Caern. Just to make sure nobody's here who doesn't belong."
"We belong, don't we?" Miriam asked. "I mean, if we're all werewolves, they have to let us in right?"
"They don't have to." Elena replied. "But if they were going to stop us, he wouldn't have let us pass."
The dirt path led them into a large clearing. A pile of cinders lay in a large fire pit. Several men and women sat in a circle around the pit.
One of them, a huge man wearing what looked like a bear's skin stood when they entered the clearing. His muscular arms were covered with scars, as was his face. He ignored Miriam, staring intently at Elena.
"Go back the way you came." He said. "Your kind is not welcome here."
"Your warder let us in." Elena said.
"He is new here." Came the reply. "He will be informed of his error."
"I'm delivering a cub to her tribe. I need to open a Moon Bridge."
"The Children of Gaia aren't far." The huge man said. "Open your Bridge there. I'll not let this place be contaminated with your sin."
"Come on." Elena said furiously, turning quickly to head back out of the clearing.
"Hold on!" Miriam said. She was getting angry again. Not mad enough to kill like earlier this evening, just mad enough to say things she knew she shouldn't. "You can't talk to her like that!"
The people around the fire laughed as if Miriam had just told the funniest joke they had ever heard.
"Not even through her Rite of Passage and already she presumes to tell me how to speak." The big man said to no one in particular. "You're taking her to see the Furies aren't you?" He called to Elena, who was still in shock at Miriam's outspokenness. Elena nodded.
"Not at all surprising." He turned to Miriam. "So little girl; are you ready to join your tribe and put man in his place, hmm?" The condescension with which he spoke made Miriam want to scream.
"What tribe are you in?" She asked.
The big guy smiled broadly and made a sweeping gesture around the fire circle with his arms. "We are the Shadow Lords!" He cried. "Greatest of the Garou!"
"Oh." Miriam smiled sweetly. "Well now I know which tribe I *won't* be joining." She turned and left the clearing. Elena smiled and bowed slightly before following.
* * * * *
"What was that about?" Miriam asked, as Elena led her through the forest's Umbral reflection.
"What?" Elena asked.
"You know what." Miriam said. "What did he mean 'your sin'?"
"I don't want to talk about it." The Theurge said harshly. "Someone's bound to tell you sooner or later."
Another hour of walking through the Umbra brought them to another clearing. There were people here too, men and women. But these people seemed different. The Shadow Lords had been sitting solemnly in their circle. These werewolves, for Miriam assumed that was what they were, seemed to be having a party. Several of them were dancing, everyone was singing, and they were passing around a large, earthenware jug, each person taking a swig before passing it along.
A middle-aged man smiled when he saw them. He jumped down from his perch on a tree branch with a grace that belied his age. Smiling warmly, he walked over to where they stood.
"Welcome back Elena." He said. "I see you found your cub."
Elena nodded. "This is Miriam Foster." She said. "Miriam, this is Jacen Giver of Mercy, a Child of Gaia."
"You mean he's not a werewolf?" Miriam asked, confused. "What's a Child of Gaia?"
Jacen laughed, but it was a good-natured laugh. "You misunderstand." He gestured to his companions. "We are the Children of Gaia. One of the thirt...twelve Tribes of the Garou."
"Oh." Miriam suddenly felt very stupid.
"May I open a Moon Bridge from here?" Elena asked.
"Of course." Jacen replied. "But why not rest a while first." He indicated the interrupted revel behind him.
"We really are in a hurry." Elena said.
"In that case, I'll help you open the Bridge."
"I'd appreciate that." Elena said.
"Liana!" Jacen called. A girl, only a year or two older than Miriam, jumped up and ran over to them. "Perhaps you could help Miriam clean up a bit." He suggested. Miriam blushed, realizing for the second time that night how strange she must look, clothed only in a trench coat, nearly every inch of her covered in blood. She didn't even want to think about it.
The girl named Liana smiled and held out a hand. "Come on." She said cheerfully.
Miriam took her hand and Liana led her to a narrow, slow-moving river some distance from the clearing.
"Go ahead." She said, turning her back to the water. "I won't watch."
Miriam spent quite a while in the river. The thick blood had dried on her and it took several minutes to wash it all off her skin. And no matter how long she scrubbed, she couldn't seem to get it all out of her hair. When she finally stepped out of the water, she found that someone had brought clothes while she was washing. Liana handed her a long, light skirt, a loose fitting shirt, and a pair of sandals. The Children of Gaia seemed to be into the 'new age' scene, at least as far as their clothes were concerned.
"One more thing." Liana said after Miriam had put on the clothes. The older girl closed her eyes, whispered a few words in a strange language that Miriam thought she *almost* recognized, and touched each article of clothing lightly with her fingertips.
"What did you do?" Miriam asked.
"Just a small Rite. These clothes are dedicated to you now. They won't rip when you transform." Liana said. She winked. "Just in case you have to shift again tonight."
* * * * *
"You're a Stargazer, aren't you?"
Elena was in deep concentration when Jacen spoke up behind her. Opening a Moon Bridge was difficult to begin with. Opening one from a small Caern was even harder. And opening one from a small Caern to the other side of the country was damn near impossible. Elena found that meditating and communing with the Caern Totem before asking it to open the bridge usually helped. So she was slightly frustrated when Jacen interrupted her concentration.
"What?" She turned so Jacen could see her face, just in case her voice hadn't fully conveyed how annoyed she was.
"When you first got here, didn't you say that you didn't leave your Tribe, they left you?"
"It sounds familiar." Elena said.
"So why didn't you go with them?" Jacen asked.
"When did I say I was one of them to begin with?" Elena snapped back.
"You have a lot of anger for a Crescent Moon."
"And here I've been laboring under the impression that that was *my* business, not yours."
Jacen sighed. "Our Rage is one of our greatest gifts Elena." He said. "But unchecked, it can also be a path for the Wyrm to enter our hearts."
"I know." Elena said quietly. "But it's all I have left. They went their own way." She added in a near-whisper. "And by the time I found out, it was too late to follow."
* * * * *
"Trans Global flight 119, service from Mexico City, now arriving at gate A-21. Passengers will be disembarking shortly"
Mamoru Tenkawa glanced up from his newspaper. Sure enough, a minute or two later, people began to emerge from the boarding tunnel. Mamoru searched the crowd for his friend. It wasn't a long search; Aaron Foster was a hard person to miss.
Aaron was twenty-two years old. On an *extremely* good day, he could pass for twenty-eight. Unlike most Full Moons, Aaron's face was relatively unmarred. He seemed to have a perpetual five-o'-clock shadow, which added a year or two to his appearance. But the main source of his premature aging was his eyes. Those eyes spoke of hardships far beyond his years; of battles that were never really won, even when he was the victor.
Yet, despite all that, his was a pleasant face. Open, friendly, ruggedly handsome. Aaron smiled when he saw Mamoru. He had no trouble pushing through the crowd. One of the perks of being an Ahroun; even if people didn't know what you were, they knew instinctively not to get in your way.
* * * * *
Liana led Miriam back to the clearing, where Elena and Jacen seemed to be holding a deep conversation with two animals. Elena had a small white mouse in her hand. Jacen stood before a magnificent white horse. It was a second or two before Miriam noticed the horn in the horse's forehead.
"Is that...?"
"A Unicorn?" Liana finished. "Yeah. Took me by surprise the first time I saw it, too. Unicorn is our tribe's Totem, she watches over this Caern."
"What are they doing?" Miriam whispered.
"They're asking the Totems to open a moon bridge between two Caerns." Liana said. "You must be traveling pretty far. Normally a Theurge would only need to ask one Totem for help, but their asking two."
"I still don't get this whole 'Theurge' thing?" Miriam said.
"Basically, there are five phases of the moon that you can be born under." Liana explained. "New, Crescent, Half, Gibbous, and Full. That's called your auspice, and it decides the role you'll play in society. Crescent Moon people are Theurges. They're kind of like the wizards of the Garou. I was born under the New Moon, so I'm Ragabash. We're like...tricksters. We're supposed to keep all the others on their toes."
"Why?"
"Because we can't afford to be complacent." Liana replied. "There's way to much at stake. But we also can't afford to become too hardened by battle, so New Moons like me also make sure to show the others that life can still be funny. Trust me, it's a thankless task. Once you reach your destination, you'll learn your own auspice."
Miriam nodded.
"Speaking of which." Liana pointed to a bright, glowing circle that had appeared in the center of the clearing.
"We're ready to go, Miriam." Elena called out to her.
"Uh...thanks." Miriam said to Liana. "You know; for the clothes. And for all your help."
Liana reached over and hugged Miriam like a sister. "Safe journey, Miriam." She said. "Gaia watch over you."
"Thank you." Miriam said again. Then she followed Elena into the shimmering Moon Bridge.
If stepping into the Umbra had been cold, the Moon Bridge was freezing. Miriam felt unimaginable pressure on her as they shot forward. The trip was over practically before it began. They burst out into another wooded area. But unlike the quite woods they had left, this forest was filled with the sounds of the city. Cars honked, people yelled, and sirens wailed in the distance.
"Now where are we?" Miriam asked.
"New York." Elena said. "Specifically, Central Park." She turned to Miriam. "Welcome home."
* * * * *
From outside, the Red Wolf Bar looked like it was about to close down at any moment. All the shops and restaurants around it had long since boarded up their windows and locked their doors for the last time. People who lived nearby whispered that the owner, Anthony Marino, kept the bar open by providing a forum for 'family business'. In a way they were right. But Anthony was not connected in any way to organized crime. He catered to a different, and far more secretive, family.
"So how was Cancun?" Mamoru asked his friend. They had driven straight from the airport to the Red Wolf and were now sitting in a booth near the back of the bar, being studiously ignored by the other patrons. "Catch any sun?"
"It wasn't a pleasure trip." Aaron said. "I delivered the message and then I came back here."
"You need to learn to enjoy your work more, Aaron." Mamoru said, finishing off his second beer and signaling to the waitress to keep them coming. "If *I* got sent to a sunlit paradise like that, I'd stay a few days after I did the job."
"Not an option." Aaron replied, taking a small sip from his first drink, which was still nearly full. "I have to be in the Park at midnight."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with Elena canceling on us at the last second, would it?" Mamoru asked.
Aaron nodded. "I've got family coming into town."
"What do you mean?" Mamoru leaned over the table and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "You mean like *family* family, or just a relative."
"What the hell are you, a secret agent?" Aaron snapped. "Get on your own side of the table!"
Mamoru snapped back to his side, surprised at his friend's temper. "Damn!" He exclaimed. "Cancun must have been worse than you're letting on." He made a mock gasp. "You didn't drink the water there, did you?" He fell to laughing quietly at his own joke.
Aaron sighed and took a long gulp of beer. "It's my little sister." He finally said. "She's Firsting."
That shut Mamoru up. He blinked once. Twice. "You have a sister?"
* * * * *
"I have a brother!?"
"Yes." Elena said, scowling. "A very late older brother."
"Uh...now by 'brother', you mean like...because we're all werewolves...we're like...sort of family...like this guy's my brother in the same way that you and I are sisters...or...?" In the absence of a coherent reply Miriam seemed to be spouting whatever entered her head.
"I mean your mother had a son who is now half an hour late." Elena said.
"But see...but see...I don't have a brother." Miriam said. "Okay? I think I'd know if I'd had a brother."
"How?" Elena asked. "Have you ever been to Los Angeles?"
"No."
"Well that's where he grew up."
"That's it!" Miriam screamed. "I'm sorry. This is just to too much. Look; yesterday I was just a regular, slightly screwed up kid. Now I'm a werewolf and I have to learn all this stuff about spirits and moon phases and fighting this giant war, and now your telling me I've got a brother who I've never even met it's just...I need a break, okay?"
"Sorry." Elena said, sitting next to her. "You've been doing so well tonight, I almost forgot how new this all is for you."
"It's just a lot to take in all at once." Miriam said. "Well you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you went through all of this too, right?"
Elena looked away.
"What?" Miriam asked. "Elena; what's wrong?"
Elena sighed. She didn't want to lose Miriam's respect, which she certainly would as soon as the girl learned about breeds. *She's going to hear it eventually.* Elena finally decided. *It might as well be from me.*
"I'm...different from you." She said.
"Different?"
"You remember what I said, that werewolves have children with humans or wolves?"
Miriam nodded. "Yeah."
"There's a reason for that. Our first law is 'Garou shall not mate with Garou'." Elena continued. "I'm what happens...when that law is broken. Garou like me, metis, gain the ability to change at an early age. I had my First Change when I was only seven years old. But we're always twisted in some way. That's why I look...the way I do. That's why the Shadow Lords wouldn't let us use their Caern."
"I don't get it." Miriam said. "It's just blue hair."
"It's not the deformity itself. It's the principal. There are also much worse deformities." *Like the one you can't see right now.*
"It still doesn't make sense. You can't help the way you were born."
"It doesn't make sense." Elena agreed. "But that's the way things are. Nothing's going to change it."
"It's not right." Miriam maintained. Elena smiled, but it was a melancholy smile. Miriam was such a kind girl. Elena wondered how long could she live in this world before that kindness died?
* * * * *
"We're late." Aaron said.
"So I heard." Mamoru said. "The first eight times you said it." He added.
"I told Elena midnight." Aaron said. "I can't afford to gain a reputation for being late."
"You think Elena's going to go around telling everyone that you were a few minutes late once?"
"You wouldn't understand." Aaron said. It was true, Mamoru could never really understand. Aaron was a Silent Strider, a messenger. And for a messenger, punctuality was everything.
"Look. We got caught in a traffic jam." Mamoru said. "Unless you can control the flow of traffic somehow, I doubt anyone will hold this against you."
"Here ya are." The driver said. "Central Park West."
"I assume I'm paying." Mamoru said.
"Unless Charlie here takes pesos."
"So what's this sister of yours like?" Mamoru asked as the cab pulled away.
Aaron shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. We've never actually met."
* * * * *
"What's my brother like?"
"Aaron's a good guy." Elena said. "He's got a bit of a temper, but that comes with being an Ahroun. And he's a lot less high strung then most of them."
"Ahroun? Tribe or auspice?" Miriam asked.
"Auspice. Full Moon. They're the warriors. Well, we're all warriors but Ahrouns make the rest of us look like amateurs. When you absolutely *need* something hacked into a thousand pieces you call an Ahroun. They're not really into subtlety though..."
"Great." Suddenly, Miriam wasn't sure she wanted to meet her brother.
Her face must have betrayed her thoughts. "Don't worry." Elena said quickly. "Aaron really is surprisingly laid-back. He's a Silent Strider, that's a tribe, and they're usually really calm so I think that helps balance it out."
"What tribe are you in?" Miriam knew immediately that she had hit another sore spot. Elena frowned and seemed to tighten up. "I'm sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to..."
"No, it's alright." Elena said. "It's just been a while since I've had to explain this. I'm a Stargazer. We used to be part of the Garou nation, but recently the tribal elders decided that we needed to go off on our own to protect our homeland before the final battle. Only a few of us stayed behind. It's still a big issue with a lot of our people. Some aren't sure they can trust us any more. Others just don't want to."
Miriam decided to change the subject slightly. "So if my brother is a Silent Strider, does that mean I'm one too?"
"Not necessarily." Elena said. "In theory, you can petition any tribe to take you in."
"In theory?"
"Well some of them are pretty selective about who they accept. The Red Talons never take homids. The Glass Walkers rarely take lupus. The Wendigo only accept Native Americans... You get the idea. Tonight we're supposed to take you to see one of the Black Furies. Your mother was one of them, so they kind of have 'first dibs' on you, but they wouldn't force you to join them or anything."
"So why is my brother a Silent Strider instead of a Black Fury?"
Elena opened her mouth to answer but another voice interrupted her.
"Because the Black Furies are another very selective tribe." Miriam turned to see two men walking toward them. One was a thin Asian man with short brown hair and thick glasses. The other was tall, muscular, and imposing. In his face, Miriam saw a little bit of Uncle Jacob and a whole lot of herself. "No boys allowed." Her brother finished.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
"Miriam." Elena said gently. "Meet Aaron Foster. Your brother."
* * * * *
TBC
* * * * *