Damien pulled over and stopped the car on the hard shoulder. He got out and stretched, then observed his surroundings. A deserted stretch of highway between Seattle and Redland City, it didn't have much in the way of scenery, mostly forests and hills. But still, there was something that seemed to call out to him. He slipped on his duster, then locked the car and leaned against it, lighting a cigarette. For a moment he just stood there, smoking and enjoying the early spring breeze.
Then his gaze fell on a path in the grassy ground, little more than a trail, which wound its way to the bottom of a nearby hill. Damien shrugged, and began walking on the path. After a few minutes, he reached the bottom of the hill, and saw that the path went around it. He walked on, and soon reached a point where another path branched out into the woods. He stopped, smiling to himself. After a second's pondering, he went back to his car, sat at the wheel and started it. It took him a few minutes of slow, careful driving through the high grass to reach the hill. He got out, then grabbed his old book bag. In deference to his high school days, the bag still bore an old Nine Inch Nails patch. Damien quickly stuffed some items into the bag: his wallet and car keys, an extra clip for the handgun that was already in the bag, a couple of roadmaps, a pack of cereal bars. From the icebox in the trunk, he took two bottles of mineral water, and slipped them in his bag. Then he stared intently at his car and the hill, marking the location in his mind.
Ready, he turned to the path and followed it once again to the crossing. He took out another cigarette and lit it. He caught a flicker of motion from the corner of his eye, and looked up.
To see a small brown hare looking quizzically at him from a few feet away. Damien chuckled to himself, and the hare hopped back onto the trail, into the woods. At least, it's not a white rabbit, he thought. Smiling again, he followed the trail, all senses alert, listening for anything that might sound out of the ordinary.
He walked for what felt like hours, but when he checked his watch, he was mildly surprised to discover that only twenty minutes had passed. The feeling that had drawn him here was still there, growing slightly stronger with each step he took. The young man walked on, determined to find out what lay ahead, drawn as though by a magnet.
After a while, he came to a small clearing, maybe twenty feet across, roughly circular. On one side, at the bottom of a small mound, a small spring gave birth to a happily burbling stream which went its tinkling way into the forest. Something about the clearing struck Damien as indefinably odd, almost as though its layout wasn't entirely natural. There were two flat stones, side by side close to the spring. They looked smooth and worn, entirely moss-free. On the other side of the clearing, he found the ancient remains of a fire pit, carefully dug into the ground and ringed with stones.
Then it struck him. No evidence of human activity. That was what felt disorienting. Not a single soda can, candy wrapper, or discarded newspaper. It was odd considering the clearing looked like the ideal camping ground, the ground smooth and rock-free, covered in thick grass. Damien shrugged, then sat on one of the two stones, thinking. Something about the clearing seemed to awake an old memory, half-forgotten words and images. A Glen, he thought. A place where nature is untouched, pure…
So deep in thought he was, he only noticed the crow when it landed on the stone next to him, and cawed. Startled, Damien looked up quickly, his hand automatically going to the knife at his waist. Then he looked down and saw the bird, right next to him.
"Hey, you scared me, little dude!", he said, smiling.
The crow looked up at him, tilted its head, and cawed again.
"Eh. I'm afraid I don't have anything for you, little dude," Damien said. Then he opened his bag, and took out a cereal bar. "Unless you want a bite of that", he added. He broke off a small piece and stretched his hand out to the crow. The bird looked up at him again, then examined the young man's hand. After a few seconds, having seemingly decided that the cereal bar was to its taste, it pecked the morsel from Damien's palm and flapped a few feet away, evidently enjoying its snack.
Damien smiled, then broke off about half of the bar, and ate the other half, putting the empty wrapper back in his bag. He drank some water, then stood up. The crow, undisturbed, looked at him again and cawed.
"Well, it was nice meeting you. I don't suppose you know where this trail goes, do you?", he asked, feeling a little silly to be talking to a bird. The crow didn't even dignify the question with a caw, and turned its back on Damien. The young man shrugged, and turned to leave the clearing, resuming his walk.
After a time that felt both like several hours and a few minutes, Damien found himself in another clearing, almost identical to the one he had left behind. After a closer look, it was exactly the same. There were the two flat stones, the old fire pit, and the spring. Confused, Damien glanced back over his shoulder. The trail was behind him, losing itself into the woods. He looked at his watch, and wasn't all that surprised to find that it had stopped. The hands still marked 4:15. Looking up, he saw the sky, still blue, but darker now, as if the sun was going down somewhere beyond the tree line. On an impulse, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. The small screen only showed a blinking "No Service" message. Sighing, he put the phone back in his pocket. OK, something's going on here, he thought. His time sense was still accurate, or so he hoped, even though he had no way of knowing how long he'd been walking. It felt like dusk, however, and he didn't exactly enjoy the thought of being lost in the woods. He sat on one of the stones, debating what to do next. It's not like I have tons of urgent stuff to do… so I might as well relax, enjoy the moment, and spend the night under the stars, he thought. Having decided so, he stood up and searched the clearing for some firewood, instinctively picking up only fallen branches and twigs. When he had what he thought was enough for a decent fire, he tore a few pages from the note book he always carried in his bag, and soon got a small fire going. He ate two cereal bars, drank some water, and washed his hands and face into the stream.
Then he sat close to the fire, his back against a large log, and pulled a book out of his bag, a battered, dog-eared copy of Dan Simmons' "Song of Kali". Strangely, even though the temperature should have gone down with the night, especially this early in spring, the small fire was enough to keep him comfortably warm, and he read quietly for a while. When the light from the fire was no longer enough to read by, he put his book away, and simply sat there, smoking in silence. When he was finished, he rubbed the butt out on the ground, and absent-mindedly put it in his coat pocket. Then he stretched down against the log, using his bag as a makeshift pillow, and soon fell asleep.
He woke up some time during the night. His time sense told him he'd been sleeping for three hours at best, and his fire had gone out. He sat and looked up and felt a strange, childish joy. The sparse clouds he'd seen earlier in the day had broken, and the full moon bathed the clearing in its cool silver glow, blurring the shapes slightly, and accentuating the shadows, so that everything had a dream-like quality. Smiling, he looked around, and saw a shape curled by the spring. The moonlight was enough to allow him to recognize a wolf, and he suddenly felt very cold. Trying to avoid any sudden movements which might awaken the animal, he slowly pulled his legs beneath him into a crouch, and put his hand on the hilt of his knife, the kris dagger Julianne had given him for his twentieth birthday.
Even this slight motion might have been too much, because the wolf's eyes snapped open and stared across the clearing, directly at him. Damien froze, a small part of him noting the reflected moonlight in the wolf's eyes.
It padded towards him, its glowing amber eyes never leaving him, and stopped a few feet away. Damien could see it very clearly, in more detail than he felt comfortable with. It was a smallish animal, its coat an odd blend of reddish-brown and lighter, almost blond fur. It wore a necklace of some kind around its neck, and Damien thought that its master might be close by.
The wolf came closer still, and Damien was very aware of his heart pounding, idly wondering if the wolf could hear it too. It stretched its muzzle towards Damien and sniffed the air, tilting its head slightly. Then it stepped back a foot or so. Damien took the opportunity to stand up as slowly and calmly as he could, his eyes never wavering from the predator.
The wolf cocked its head up to follow Damien, then moved forward again, and circled him slowly, sniffing at his legs and hands. The young man fought the urge to run, and forced himself to remain stone-still while the wolf continued its examination. Then he realized that there was something about this wolf that felt slightly out-of-place, although he couldn't pin down what it was. He closed his eyes, mouthing a short mantra. When he opened his eyes again, he could see the wolf's aura. And stared in shock, his mouth hanging open. The wolf had a strong, vibrant aura, more powerful than any he'd seen before. Before he could wonder what it meant, the wolf moved a few feet away and changed.
It shivered, then seemed to stretch out, its shape changing smoothly, like a special effect in a movie. It stretched and changed until it stood on its hind legs, then kept changing until Damien was left staring at a young woman, who looked at him with an obviously amused expression on her face.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of the metamorphosis he'd just witnessed. Thoughts flickered. Shit, it's a werewolf, changed into a human, that can only mean one thing, and I heard they don't like mages, they can grow to ten feet tall, can rip your head off with a slap!!
He took a step backwards, and stumbled against the log. Letting out a yelp, he fell flat on his back.
The young woman laughed, as if he was the funniest thing she'd seen in a long time. She looked to be somewhere close to his own age, but definitely not older than twenty-five. She had short, curly hair that looked dark blond under the moonlight. She was of medium height, five-six tops, he guessed, with a lean build. She was barefoot, wore jeans and a plain black t-shirt, and the necklace that had been around her neck in wolf form. She also had a rather large knife in a leather sheath, tied to a belt-loop of her jeans. His mind registered all this in the seconds it took her to reach him, extending her hand to him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you… I thought you were another traveler, just like me", she said.
Damien stood up, trying to keep a distance from her, looking at her uncertainly. Then, when he'd regained a semblance of calm, he spoke.
"Well, uh, you did startle me… I didn't mean to intrude, if this is your territory, or whatever… I'll be on my way now", he stammered, backing away slowly.
She laughed again. "No, please, stay", she said. "It's been a long time since I've had some human company…"
Damien stopped, and only then noticed he'd drawn his kris, the moonlight glancing off the long wavy blade. He stepped forward, still unsure. Not picking up any hostility from her, he calmed a little, put his knife back in its sheath, and sat rather heavily on the log.
The young woman crouched a couple of feet way from him.
"I'm Christie Johns", she said, holding her hand out. "They usually call me Smells-Like-Rain, though."
"Damien Valentine", he answered automatically, reaching out to shake her hand. She had a strong grip and firm hands, he noted. "Sorry about my reaction", he added, "but that's the first time I see a werewolf somewhere else than on a TV screen…"
"Don't worry about it… I didn't mean to scare you", she said, then paused. "You're a wizard, aren't you?", she asked.
"Yeah, bani Euthanatos, from the Cascade Chantry", Damien answered without thinking, still recovering from the shock. Then he turned to Christie. She was staring at him oddly.
"A what?", she asked, puzzled.
"It's the Tradition I belong to…", he added helpfully.
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm a Ragabash", she replied. "Of the Silent Strider tribe…"
"My turn. A what?", Damien asked with a slight smile.
"It's my Auspice, the phase of the moon I was born under", she explained. "Ragabash is the new moon phase."
Damien grinned.
"You're not gonna kill me, are you?", he asked.
Christie laughed again. "No, silly! Why would I kill you?"
His cheeks burning, Damien said "Well, I was always told that werewolves hate humans and want to kill them…", he trailed off.
"No, we don't hate all humans", Christie said. "Just the ones that go around defiling and raping Gaia." After a short pause, she added "It's true that most of us don't trust wizards, though…"
"And you do?", he asked.
"Well, if I felt I couldn't trust you, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you, Damien", she said with a feral grin that somehow chilled him to the bone. Then she laughed at his sudden recoiling motion. "Just kidding!", she said.
Ready to jump, Damien gave a nervous chuckle, then cleared his throat.
"So, uh… what are you doing around here?", he asked.
"Oh, I was just having a little walk in the woods, on my way back from Redland City", she answered with a smile. "What about you?", she asked in return.
"Eh. I was actually going to Redland City… and then I felt something odd when I stopped on the highway, not far from here. I wanted to see what it was, and then I found myself here", he replied. "I think I've gotten lost, though… I tried to leave this clearing and found myself back here."
Christie laughed again. "Not used to the woods, huh?", she asked without malice.
"You could say that.", Damien answered.
"Well, the Gauntlet is actually pretty thin out here, so it's kinda normal that you got lost…", she said.
"The Gauntlet? You mean I've been walking in the Umbra all this time?"
"Sounds likely… I've heard that there are some places like this Glen, where you can cross into the Umbra without even realizing it. That's how you must have gotten lost."
She stopped speaking suddenly, and stood up, glancing around nervously. Damien sensed her nervousness and was on his feet instantly, his hand on the hilt of his kris.
"What is it?", he asked, unaware that he was whispering.
"I'm not sure… there's an odd smell in the air.", she replied in the same tone. She sniffed at the air a few times, then mouthed a curse. "They've found me", she said. "We're gonna have to go. Can you step sideways?", she asked Damien.
"Who's found you? And what d'you mean, step sideways?", Damien replied. "Now that I think about it, why should I come with you?"
"Vampires. That's why I was leaving Redland City. Apparently, the Leeches don't like having pranks played on them. Looks like they got pissed off big time.", Christie answered.
Damien stared at her for a second, then grabbed his bag, took his P229 handgun, loaded it, and slipped it into his coat pocket.
"I don't know about you", he said, "but I've fought vamps before. I was lucky to come out of it alive, and I don't want a rerun of that. Where did you say we were going?"
Christie sighed. "We're gonna have to step sideways, cross into the Umbra. They won't be able to follow us there. Then we can go back to your car. What do you think?"
"Good plan", Damien answered. "Except I've never crossed into the spirit world on my own. Do you think you can bring both of us through?"
Christie smiled thinly. "No problem. I've done it before with my old pack. Just stay close to me."
Damien nodded. Christie drew her knife, a large, wickedly curved blade that shone under the moonlight. She glanced up, then angled the blade so as to catch a reflection of the moon. Then she put a hand on Damien's shoulder.
"Just look into the light", she said. "It won't take long."
Damien obeyed, trying to focus on the situation. After a few seconds, he became aware of an odd, disjointed sensation in his limbs. The sensation was following by a low rushing sound, like waves reaching the shore. Then it was gone, with a wrenching suddenness that made him stagger as if he'd been sucker-punched. His ears buzzed fiercely for a few seconds, then that was gone too.
"We're through", Christie said, putting her knife away.
Damien looked around, trying to see a difference in his surroundings. The forest looked the same, except that the moonlight felt different, brighter somehow. Then he noticed the sounds were sharper, the colors stronger, as though all his senses had somehow sharpened to superhuman levels. He still felt odd, and turned to Christie. She flinched back, then stared at him with an expression of wonder.
"What?", he asked.
She goggled at him. "You… you're glowing, Damien…"
Damien looked down at himself. He didn't think he looked different at first, but then he noticed an odd, faint bluish-white glow to his skin and clothes. He stifled a giggle, then looked at Christie. "So it's true", he said. "I was told that mages have a sort of glow when they cross into the Umbra, but I'd never seen it myself!"
"I wouldn't know", she replied. "I've never stepped sideways with a wizard before. Looks kinda cool, though", she added with a smile. Then she looked down, and her eyes went wide, her smile disappearing. "Why does your shadow have four arms and wings?", she asked in a tight voice.
Damien stared at her as if she'd suddenly gone insane, then he realized what she was saying. "That would be my Avatar", he said. "It's what makes me a mage", he explained as she stared at him blankly. "I've only seen my Avatar twice before, and it looked like the Hindu god Garuda… the one with four arms, wings and the head of an eagle?", he went on.
Christie nodded curtly, her eyes still fixed on Damien's shadow. "Right. Shall we go?", she asked after a moment.
Damien nodded his assent. "Absolutely. I know you said the vamps couldn't follow us here, but I don't feel like learning the hard way that they can."
Christie walked ahead a few steps, then stopped short.
"What's wrong?", Damien asked when she turned around to face him.
"Uh, I've got good news and bad news…", she said, looking at a point that seemed to be a few feet behind him.
"Let's hear it", he replied.
"Good news is, I've been here in the Umbra before", she said.
Damien smiled. "OK, so what's the bad news?"
"Bad news is, there used to be a moon path here that led straight back to where the highway should be."
"And?"
"It's gone. And we're not alone."
Damien's smile faded. "What do you mean, not alone?", he asked, then saw that she was apparently looking at something behind him. He turned around slowly, ready for everything.
But not for a gigantic bird, towering over him, with a reddish glow where its eyes should have been. Damien jumped back with a shout, just as the bird, apparently a crow of gargantuan proportions, let out a caw that sounded like a thousand birds cawing at the same time.
It cocked its head down to look at them, then spoke, in a bass voice that sounded like pebbles being rattled in a glass.
"Human", it said, its glowing stare on Damien. It tilted its head towards Christie "Garou." After a pause, it spoke again.
"Why you in Tokk's territory?"
Damien opened his mouth to say something, but Christie was faster than him.
"Please forgive us, Father of Crows. We were only seeking to escape from our enemies, and we didn't mean to intrude upon your hunting grounds", she said.
Damien looked at her strangely, but she paid him no attention.
The huge spirit cocked its head, glaring at Christie.
"Why Garou run from enemy? Who be you?"
"I'm Smells-Like-Rain, Ragabash of the Silent Striders, bound to the Hundred Hands caern in Seattle", she said, obviously used to introducing herself to a talking bird the size of a pick-up truck.
Seemingly satisfied, Tokk turned to Damien.
"And who the human?"
Damien cleared his throat, looking nervously at the bird.
"Damien Valentine, bani Euthanatos. Of the… of the Cascade Chantry in Seattle", he finished.
Tokk stretched its neck, its huge beak a mere foot away from Damien's face.
"Mage? First Tokk see. Tokk have no quarrel with you."
Damien and Christie looked at each other in surprise, as Tokk turned around with surprising grace for its size. Then it launched into the air with a flap of its immense wings and flew away.
When Tokk was gone, Damien looked at Christie again with an odd expression on his face. "Lemme get this straight", he said. "Tokk figured out I was a mage, and got scared?"
"I'm as surprised as you", Christie replied. "But look at it this way. If all you knew about mages was that they can make things happen just by thinking it, wouldn't you be at least a little apprehensive when you meet one for the first time? Especially if you don't know what said mage is capable of?"
"I guess you're right", he said. "Although I was told that most spirits treat mages like potentially dangerous and misguided children that are not were they should be", he added.
"Eh. I can see why. I've only met one other mage before you, and I got the impression that he was potentially dangerous. More than that, actually", she said with a smirk.
"Whatever. Can we just get going? Or are you as lost as me?"
"I'm not lost", she replied with an ominous note in her voice. "And we can go."
Damien knew better than to answer. He didn't know Garou, but he knew women, or at least he thought so. And he definitely knew when he was on slippery ground. So he walked on after her.
After a long time of walking in the forest, the mist blocking their sight after ten yards, Damien spoke, his voice breaking the silence.
"Hey, Christie."
"What?"
"How did you know Tokk's title was Father of the Crows? Did you meet it before?"
"No. But I know that spirits like to be flattered, and that was the first thing I could think of", she replied with a wry smile.
"Oh. And here I thought you knew what you were doing", he said with a grin.
"Hey, it worked, didn't it?", she replied, feigning annoyance.
Damien smiled again, then looked around. "Hey, shouldn't we be seeing the highway, now?"
Christie stopped. "You're right. We should be out of the woods by now. We should at least be in the open."
"Well, we're not. I'm gonna try something.", he said.
"What are you gonna do?"
"See if I can use Correspondence to go right back to my car."
"What?", she asked in a puzzled tone.
"I'm gonna try to teleport to where my car should be."
"Oh, okay. I didn't know mages could do that."
Damien didn't answer. He simply stood there focusing his thoughts. After a few seconds, his hands forming the vajra mudra, he closed his eyes and visualized his car. He pictured it in his mind until he could see it as clearly as if he stood right next to it. When the picture was clear, he formed another mudra, and tried to picture a path from where he was standing to where his car was.
And stopped after a minute, his head pounding fiercely enough to make him wish he had brought some aspirin. He opened his eyes, to find Christie looking at him.
"So? I take it what you tried didn't work?", she asked.
He sighed. "Nope. I can 'see' my car, but I can't find a way to get there by teleporting. Looks like we're gone have to walk", he said, massaging his temples.