The Caern
--------------------------------------------------
After landing on the island they made their way to Gazzam Lake Park. Technically it was open to the public, but there was limited access. The lake of course was a prime attraction for hikers and fisherman. But anyone who tried to venture too deep into the forest soon found themselves returning from whence they came. Strong magics protected the Caern. Any who actually made it past those would face the Caern's warders. The warders were all Park Rangers and would turn away people who got too close. Or kill them if need be, anything to protect the Caern.
They parked the bikes and the van at a ranger station and greeted the rangers within. Everyone seemed to know each other. They explained Oz was a cub they were taking in to see the den mother. With knowing smiles they bid everyone good hunting and waived goodbye.
"We hoof it from here Oz" said Hope. "No weaver craft, stuff made by man, is allowed into the Caern. That means no cars, trucks or motor bikes. No TV's, no radios. Heck, if you were wearing synthetic clothing you might find it ripped from you and burned. One ragabash tried to ban zippers, but we drew the line there."
They'd walked about 45 minutes and it was getting towards dark. At that point Oz felt the urge to turn around. He had urgent business elsewhere. He left the stove on. Grandma needed her medicine. Oz turned around and headed back the way he came. Krieg was expecting this and grabbed him. "Relax kid, that's the ward we told you about. Turn around and head into it. It won't last long. Once you're through it the first time, it won't affect you again."
Oz thought he was nuts, but did what he asked. He forced himself forward for every foot of one hundred, and then it stopped. "Cool" thought Oz.
They'd gotten perhaps another hundred feet when another Park Ranger stepped out into the trail. "Greetings Red Moon Pack!"
"Greetings Whiteclaw" responded Conn.
"Jeanette told me to expect you. Is this your lost cub?" indicating Oz. Whiteclaw gave Oz the once over as if deciding his threat level. He either decided Oz was not a threat, or that he could take him. The latter Oz thought. Extending he hand he said "Nice to meet you Oz, I'm Jeremy.
Oz shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too."
Looking around at the rest of the pack Jeremy told them "I'll see you all again later tonight" and he stood aside so they could pass.
After another 15 minute walk they came to an open glen. It was surrounded by tall trees; probably what was called Old Growth thought Oz. At its edges were various types of lodgings. A log cabin or two, some things that Oz thought were called Lean-tos and a few tents. In the center was a fire pit, with a low fire burning. Around it sat several people, and a few wolves. Conn led the group up to the fire.
"Wyrm Harrower, this is the Lost Cub Merlin sent us to find, his name is Daniel Osborne. Oz, this is Ed Goodwater, also known as Wyrm Harrower. He is the leader of our Sept."
Worm Harrower stood and walked over to Oz, extending his hand, which Oz took in a firm grip. "Greetings Daniel, and welcome to our caern. Merlin informed the Sept's totem of your coming and seemed to mark some importance to it. We shall see. Tonight will be for introductions and we will hear your tale. For now, sit and refresh yourself."
Food was brought out, some of which was packed in by Red Moon. Conn fetched up an empty wooden barrel and went over to a spring to fill it. There were no tables or chairs; everyone sat around the fire. As more came in, Oz was introduced to them.
He met Jeanette the Den Mother, and found that her Garou name was simply "Grandmother". She was an older woman, perhaps in her late 50's, dressed like the stereotypical earth mother.
Conn returned with the barrel. He reached into a pouch at his belt and produced some dried herbs and leaves. Crushing them into the barrel, he held his hands over the top and murmured some words, more like growls, that Oz could not understand. When he was done, Conn produced a wooden dipper and began filling cups for people. Oddly enough the dipper was shaped like a chicken! Someone passed Oz a cup, and nearly choked when he found it wasn't water, but beer!
After everyone had eaten, Wyrm Harrower stood. "Tonight we welcome a lost cub into our dens. He knows little of our ways, but that will soon change. Will the Rite Master please summon the spirits so that they might observe."
An elder man Oz had not met stood and faced the fire. He began a ritual facing the fire, and then turning outwards from it, circling as he went. Again the words were not in English, but in a strange growl. Oz thought he was actually catching a word to two. When he had made one complete pass around the fire, Oz could feel he was being watched. Looking around Oz could see the glowing shapes of various types of animals looking on, Wolf, Deer, Cougar, Bear and of course Merlin. "So these were spirits" he thought to himself.
The Rite master addressed the gathered Garou. "So that the cub knows in whose presence he sits, I call on all of you to recite your lineage and your deeds. We shall go from youngest to eldest".
A young girl stood and began the introductions. Her name was Wendy, and she'd only undergone her first "change" a few months ago. She was from the Children of Gaia tribe, and a philodox. Her accomplishments were small, only having just gone through her Rite of Passage, which involved planting trees somewhere.
And it went on. There were only about 20 Garou present, but with each the telling got longer. Apparently some attempted to brag a little, and were playfully laughed at and razzed. When it became the turn of his new-found friends, their list of accomplishments were many, especially Conn and Krieg. It seemed to Oz that the Red Moon pack was like the foreign legion of Garou. They traveled a lot compared to the other Garou present; and killed things when they got there.
At the end, the Rite Master stood again. "Daniel Osborne, you have heard the histories of those present. Now it is time for you to recite yours." Damn, Oz knew this was coming but still dreaded it. It occurred to him then that he's done more speaking in the last few days then he's done almost his entire life!
Standing, Oz began from when he was born in Sunnydale. He told of meeting Willow and the Scooby gang and his discovery of the Hellmouth. He spoke of the demons that he's fought with Buffy and the gang, of the evils they faced. His audience was rapt. He spoke then of his change, and his apparent problems with it. He spoke of Veruca and his betrayal of Willow and the circumstances that made him leave Sunnydale. He spoke finally of his journey north, his meeting with Sam White Cloud and Finder, and eventually meeting the Red Moon pack.
As he concluded, all were silent. He could see some of the Garou before him looking off as if in a trance, perhaps communing with their spirit guides.
The Rite Master stood again. "Well Spoken Daniel of Sunnydale. The spirits confirm the veracity of your tale. We are pleased to have you amongst us." That's when all hell broke loose. Confusion about a human "Slayer", calls for war on the denizens of the Hellmouth. The need to hunt down an apparent Black Spiral pit and wipe it out.
"SILENCE" called the Sept leader. "All of this troubles me as well. But we will not go running off into the unknown. Much must be learned, but let us see to this cub first. Daniel, in the Garou society, all are considered "cubs" until they pass a Rite of Passage. This rite usually involves a test of some kind. The type of test usually depends on the tribe the cub belongs to. It could be a test of wisdom, a test of luck or skill, most often though it is a test of combat."
"After hearing your tale I think all of us here would agree that you've already undergone such a rite. Killing a Black Spiral Dancer without benefit of a gift or fetish would more then fulfill any tribe's Rite. You've also shown great wisdom in leaving when you did to seek help. Does anyone deny this?"
Growls of acceptance and assent, but one who had introduced himself as "Killer of Banes" exclaimed "The forms must still be met Wyrm Harrower!"
"And so they should Killer of Banes. I therefore propose the following. There is much Oz needs to learn, but what concerns me most are the things that Oz does not even know about himself; his tribe, his ancestors, his kinfolk. Then there is the problem of his lack of control over his transformation. What I propose is that Oz spends the next two days with Grandmother learning about the Garou history and the Litany. At the end of those two days he will be sent on a Quest in the spirit world, to commune with his ancestors and learn the answers to his past. Does anyone doubt this wisdom?"
More agreement. Even Killer of Banes seemed satisfied.
"In the mean time we ourselves will dig into the mystery of this Hellmouth and the Slayer. I'm sure that Red Moon's pet human is already gathering his precious data on the subject." Conn stood as if he was about to let into the Sept leader. "Stick a cork in it He who Towers Over the Wyrm, I know he's provided us with valuable information. Excuse me if I don't like that it all comes from Weaver tainted sources."
The rest of the night was spent around the fire, finishing off the barrel of beer Conn provided. At some point he took a smaller bucket of water and made Whisky, which Oz stayed away from.
After the beer and whisky were gone, some unspoken signal said "the party's over" and everyone sought their lodging. Hope led Oz over to Red Moon's "Den". It was a circular tent-like structure that Hope said was a Yurt. It had short walls and a conical roof with a hole in the middle from which smoke was coming out. Its advantage she explained was that it was portable. They could break it down and take it with them when they traveled.
Next to it was a Lean-to, built half into the side of a small hill. Apparently the yurt was too small for Conn, so this is where he slept. Oz looked around for Conn and noticed he was still out at the fire pit, curled up in a really big ball of wolf fur, his nose tucked into his tail.
Inside the yurt it looked comfortable. Sleeping pallets made of furs surrounded the edges, while a low fire burned in the middle. Smoke exited through a hole in the roof as Oz already noted. The walls were made from strips of wood arranged in a lattice configuration, and the roof was made of sturdier slats of wood.
Hope directed Oz to a pallet. He took his shoes off and began to get under the covers. Hope called to him, "Oz, I don't know if you've been camping before," He shook his head no. "It's best if you don't sleep completely clothed. It's harder to regulate your temp that way. A lot of us just change into our wolf forms and sleep that way. Others get down to their skivvies. If you do that, it's best to put your clothes somewhere in your bed with you, that way they're warm in the morning when you get up."
With that she stripped down to her bra and panties. Oz had to wrench his gaze away when she started taking those off too! Embarrassed, he took his pants off and climbed in. John apparently chose to change forms and Krieg did the same as Oz.
----------------------------------------------------------
TBC
--------------------------------------------------
After landing on the island they made their way to Gazzam Lake Park. Technically it was open to the public, but there was limited access. The lake of course was a prime attraction for hikers and fisherman. But anyone who tried to venture too deep into the forest soon found themselves returning from whence they came. Strong magics protected the Caern. Any who actually made it past those would face the Caern's warders. The warders were all Park Rangers and would turn away people who got too close. Or kill them if need be, anything to protect the Caern.
They parked the bikes and the van at a ranger station and greeted the rangers within. Everyone seemed to know each other. They explained Oz was a cub they were taking in to see the den mother. With knowing smiles they bid everyone good hunting and waived goodbye.
"We hoof it from here Oz" said Hope. "No weaver craft, stuff made by man, is allowed into the Caern. That means no cars, trucks or motor bikes. No TV's, no radios. Heck, if you were wearing synthetic clothing you might find it ripped from you and burned. One ragabash tried to ban zippers, but we drew the line there."
They'd walked about 45 minutes and it was getting towards dark. At that point Oz felt the urge to turn around. He had urgent business elsewhere. He left the stove on. Grandma needed her medicine. Oz turned around and headed back the way he came. Krieg was expecting this and grabbed him. "Relax kid, that's the ward we told you about. Turn around and head into it. It won't last long. Once you're through it the first time, it won't affect you again."
Oz thought he was nuts, but did what he asked. He forced himself forward for every foot of one hundred, and then it stopped. "Cool" thought Oz.
They'd gotten perhaps another hundred feet when another Park Ranger stepped out into the trail. "Greetings Red Moon Pack!"
"Greetings Whiteclaw" responded Conn.
"Jeanette told me to expect you. Is this your lost cub?" indicating Oz. Whiteclaw gave Oz the once over as if deciding his threat level. He either decided Oz was not a threat, or that he could take him. The latter Oz thought. Extending he hand he said "Nice to meet you Oz, I'm Jeremy.
Oz shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too."
Looking around at the rest of the pack Jeremy told them "I'll see you all again later tonight" and he stood aside so they could pass.
After another 15 minute walk they came to an open glen. It was surrounded by tall trees; probably what was called Old Growth thought Oz. At its edges were various types of lodgings. A log cabin or two, some things that Oz thought were called Lean-tos and a few tents. In the center was a fire pit, with a low fire burning. Around it sat several people, and a few wolves. Conn led the group up to the fire.
"Wyrm Harrower, this is the Lost Cub Merlin sent us to find, his name is Daniel Osborne. Oz, this is Ed Goodwater, also known as Wyrm Harrower. He is the leader of our Sept."
Worm Harrower stood and walked over to Oz, extending his hand, which Oz took in a firm grip. "Greetings Daniel, and welcome to our caern. Merlin informed the Sept's totem of your coming and seemed to mark some importance to it. We shall see. Tonight will be for introductions and we will hear your tale. For now, sit and refresh yourself."
Food was brought out, some of which was packed in by Red Moon. Conn fetched up an empty wooden barrel and went over to a spring to fill it. There were no tables or chairs; everyone sat around the fire. As more came in, Oz was introduced to them.
He met Jeanette the Den Mother, and found that her Garou name was simply "Grandmother". She was an older woman, perhaps in her late 50's, dressed like the stereotypical earth mother.
Conn returned with the barrel. He reached into a pouch at his belt and produced some dried herbs and leaves. Crushing them into the barrel, he held his hands over the top and murmured some words, more like growls, that Oz could not understand. When he was done, Conn produced a wooden dipper and began filling cups for people. Oddly enough the dipper was shaped like a chicken! Someone passed Oz a cup, and nearly choked when he found it wasn't water, but beer!
After everyone had eaten, Wyrm Harrower stood. "Tonight we welcome a lost cub into our dens. He knows little of our ways, but that will soon change. Will the Rite Master please summon the spirits so that they might observe."
An elder man Oz had not met stood and faced the fire. He began a ritual facing the fire, and then turning outwards from it, circling as he went. Again the words were not in English, but in a strange growl. Oz thought he was actually catching a word to two. When he had made one complete pass around the fire, Oz could feel he was being watched. Looking around Oz could see the glowing shapes of various types of animals looking on, Wolf, Deer, Cougar, Bear and of course Merlin. "So these were spirits" he thought to himself.
The Rite master addressed the gathered Garou. "So that the cub knows in whose presence he sits, I call on all of you to recite your lineage and your deeds. We shall go from youngest to eldest".
A young girl stood and began the introductions. Her name was Wendy, and she'd only undergone her first "change" a few months ago. She was from the Children of Gaia tribe, and a philodox. Her accomplishments were small, only having just gone through her Rite of Passage, which involved planting trees somewhere.
And it went on. There were only about 20 Garou present, but with each the telling got longer. Apparently some attempted to brag a little, and were playfully laughed at and razzed. When it became the turn of his new-found friends, their list of accomplishments were many, especially Conn and Krieg. It seemed to Oz that the Red Moon pack was like the foreign legion of Garou. They traveled a lot compared to the other Garou present; and killed things when they got there.
At the end, the Rite Master stood again. "Daniel Osborne, you have heard the histories of those present. Now it is time for you to recite yours." Damn, Oz knew this was coming but still dreaded it. It occurred to him then that he's done more speaking in the last few days then he's done almost his entire life!
Standing, Oz began from when he was born in Sunnydale. He told of meeting Willow and the Scooby gang and his discovery of the Hellmouth. He spoke of the demons that he's fought with Buffy and the gang, of the evils they faced. His audience was rapt. He spoke then of his change, and his apparent problems with it. He spoke of Veruca and his betrayal of Willow and the circumstances that made him leave Sunnydale. He spoke finally of his journey north, his meeting with Sam White Cloud and Finder, and eventually meeting the Red Moon pack.
As he concluded, all were silent. He could see some of the Garou before him looking off as if in a trance, perhaps communing with their spirit guides.
The Rite Master stood again. "Well Spoken Daniel of Sunnydale. The spirits confirm the veracity of your tale. We are pleased to have you amongst us." That's when all hell broke loose. Confusion about a human "Slayer", calls for war on the denizens of the Hellmouth. The need to hunt down an apparent Black Spiral pit and wipe it out.
"SILENCE" called the Sept leader. "All of this troubles me as well. But we will not go running off into the unknown. Much must be learned, but let us see to this cub first. Daniel, in the Garou society, all are considered "cubs" until they pass a Rite of Passage. This rite usually involves a test of some kind. The type of test usually depends on the tribe the cub belongs to. It could be a test of wisdom, a test of luck or skill, most often though it is a test of combat."
"After hearing your tale I think all of us here would agree that you've already undergone such a rite. Killing a Black Spiral Dancer without benefit of a gift or fetish would more then fulfill any tribe's Rite. You've also shown great wisdom in leaving when you did to seek help. Does anyone deny this?"
Growls of acceptance and assent, but one who had introduced himself as "Killer of Banes" exclaimed "The forms must still be met Wyrm Harrower!"
"And so they should Killer of Banes. I therefore propose the following. There is much Oz needs to learn, but what concerns me most are the things that Oz does not even know about himself; his tribe, his ancestors, his kinfolk. Then there is the problem of his lack of control over his transformation. What I propose is that Oz spends the next two days with Grandmother learning about the Garou history and the Litany. At the end of those two days he will be sent on a Quest in the spirit world, to commune with his ancestors and learn the answers to his past. Does anyone doubt this wisdom?"
More agreement. Even Killer of Banes seemed satisfied.
"In the mean time we ourselves will dig into the mystery of this Hellmouth and the Slayer. I'm sure that Red Moon's pet human is already gathering his precious data on the subject." Conn stood as if he was about to let into the Sept leader. "Stick a cork in it He who Towers Over the Wyrm, I know he's provided us with valuable information. Excuse me if I don't like that it all comes from Weaver tainted sources."
The rest of the night was spent around the fire, finishing off the barrel of beer Conn provided. At some point he took a smaller bucket of water and made Whisky, which Oz stayed away from.
After the beer and whisky were gone, some unspoken signal said "the party's over" and everyone sought their lodging. Hope led Oz over to Red Moon's "Den". It was a circular tent-like structure that Hope said was a Yurt. It had short walls and a conical roof with a hole in the middle from which smoke was coming out. Its advantage she explained was that it was portable. They could break it down and take it with them when they traveled.
Next to it was a Lean-to, built half into the side of a small hill. Apparently the yurt was too small for Conn, so this is where he slept. Oz looked around for Conn and noticed he was still out at the fire pit, curled up in a really big ball of wolf fur, his nose tucked into his tail.
Inside the yurt it looked comfortable. Sleeping pallets made of furs surrounded the edges, while a low fire burned in the middle. Smoke exited through a hole in the roof as Oz already noted. The walls were made from strips of wood arranged in a lattice configuration, and the roof was made of sturdier slats of wood.
Hope directed Oz to a pallet. He took his shoes off and began to get under the covers. Hope called to him, "Oz, I don't know if you've been camping before," He shook his head no. "It's best if you don't sleep completely clothed. It's harder to regulate your temp that way. A lot of us just change into our wolf forms and sleep that way. Others get down to their skivvies. If you do that, it's best to put your clothes somewhere in your bed with you, that way they're warm in the morning when you get up."
With that she stripped down to her bra and panties. Oz had to wrench his gaze away when she started taking those off too! Embarrassed, he took his pants off and climbed in. John apparently chose to change forms and Krieg did the same as Oz.
----------------------------------------------------------
TBC