Bawn: Southern Forest

Evergreen trees spread their overhead branches wide across the forest floor. Each tree limb interlinks with its neighbor, forming a thick overhead canopy of pine needles that leaves the forest floor dim even at noon. An apparent tenseness seems to permeate the air here, and there is a somewhat less than subtle feeling that perhaps something is watching. The behavior of the wildlife in the area betrays a certain wariness that suggests the presence of predators nearby.

The southern edge of the bawn is marked here by the railroad tracks, which run from St. Claire and Kent's Crossing to the west, towards the mountains to the east.

Obvious exits:

Ash Grove Railroad South Into the Caern Sept Compound Half Moon Pool Western Bawn Central Bawn Eastern Bawn

Rite Preparations

A small fire has been built and carefully contained by a circle of stones, each of similar size and shape - obviously chosen with care. Near the fire is a large, wooden bowl full of water. A smaller bowl nearby is empty. Not far away, Jacinta's spear and nuqok, drum, and sealskin bag rest by a tree. Leaning against the tree is a cleaned and prepared length of wood, perhaps five feet long and almost 3 inches in diameter. Further removed is a pile of dry brush, and several smaller prepared branches.

Jacinta is kneeling by the fire. Her eyes are half-closed, and she breathes slowly, rhythmically, as though in meditation. Despite the warmth of the evening, she wears a heavy sweater, and her rifle is slung across her back.

Aubrey walks in quietly, casually looking over her shoulder as she meanders towards the fire at which Jacinta is seated.

The sound of people talking can be heard a small bit away. By the time Jana and Tobin enter the clearing, however, they are quiet. Both theurge look alert and seem to be carrying small bags full of some sort of gear. Apparently Silver Fangs come prepared. The smaller elder eyes the situation for a moment, ignoring Aubrey as she watches Jacinta. Then, murmuring to her tribe-mate, she heads to one side of the prepared circle. Placing her bag down, she opens it and removes a few objects: an intricately carved bowl, a carefully prepared willow branch that shows signs of age and a large bottle of water.

Olga's arrival isn't quiet, the big woman bustles noisily and sweatily in, her fluorescent bag heaved over her shoulder, fairly glowing in the last little bits of light the sun's throwing off. She dumps it amongst a tangle of tree roots as she gets close enough to talk at normal level, but she doesn't say anything, she just rubs a palm against her mouth and looks up at Jacinta expectantly.

Tobin nods at Jacinta and Aubrey as he surveys the scene, his expression cool and professional. He takes a position opposite from Jana in the circle, taking a small knife and a small wooden bowl from various jacket pockets. Kneeling, he sets these on the ground before him and watches Jacinta.

Jacinta's eyes open as the sounds of conversation reach her ears. She watches Jana as she unpacks her equipment, but her face is a tight mask, neither approving nor disapproving. Finally, as Olga arrives, she stands. "Waqaa," she says to those who have come. "Quyana for your offers of help. This is the place where my pack-mate and others fought the servants of the Horned Serpent, and the gift from the Get of Fenris tells me that it has absorbed poison from the creatures." She looks down at the items the others have brought and then tips her head toward her own. "Quyana for your gifts, as well, though I think we will not have need."

Aubrey expects nothing less than to be ignored by the elder Silver Fang, although she offers a nod to Tobin politely. "I have come to learn," Aubrey says, speaking to the elder Wendigo. "If I would not be a trouble to you."

Jana just stares at Jacinta for a moment, her expression blank. When she does reply, itπs in a brief stream of some sort of Slavic language before she shifts to her usual southern-accented voice. "However you'd like to run this," she says with a tight smile. Her items are left by the bag and she stands across from Tobin, her posture almost painfully straight. Freaking Silver Fangs.

Tobin nods at Jacinta, seemingly unruffled that his implements will not be needed. "We came prepared, but defer to you, Ritemistress," he says, smoothly formal. "We shall follow your lead."

Olga's hands slide in behind her back as she gets close, proper and polite, and she stays like that for a whole five seconds or so before they finally droop and one comes up to lean against a tree. Despite the warmer weather she's still got her winter coat on, though there're many fewer layers underneath, and her face is rosy-cheeked and filthy as she watches things quietly, eyes wandering over everything the Ahroun has assembled, sticks and fire.

Jacinta steps back from the fire to set the rifle aside. To Aubrey she says, "The more who lend their strength to the rite, the more power we will have to cleanse Grandmother's body." Stooping she picks up the sealskin bag and places it around her neck. In one hand she grasps the spear and in the other she takes up her drum. As she turns back to the fire, her glance toward Jana reveals a subtle chill. Then, with a nod and a softly spoken, "Quyana," to Tobin, she resumes her spot before the fire and places the drum and spear beside her on the ground. "If you will form the circle, we will begin."

Aubrey steps forward and settles herself on the ground near the fire, her eyes looking to the Wendigo woman. "I will do all that I can to help," she says.

Jana moves forward a bit to stand in the circle, still opposite her tribe-mate. She shakes her limbs out, a look of semi-distracted concentration on her face; itπs hard to concentrate when you twitch involuntarily, after all, but she's doing her best. No matter the chill, she does seem to be paying attention to the Wendigo.

Olga heads into the circle as well, fairly separate from everybody else, but that's easy enough in a place so big, with so few. She looks up at everyone around and tries a weak preparatory smile, showing off her teabag stained teeth, before focusing her attention somewhere near Jacinta.

Tobin, already in place, simply nods at Jacinta. He glances then at Aubrey, hesitates a moment, then says quietly, "Remember what I taught you, back when we were cubs. The place inside you where the energy is. Reach for that, it will help." He fixes her with an uncertain look for a moment, then turns away to stare into the fire.

Jacinta nods in satisfaction as the others take their places. She gestures to the deepening shadows from the nearly set sun. "From the shadow of the moon come the Ragabash. To understand the spirits come the Theurge." She reaches into the sealskin bag and retrieves a pinch of herbs, sprinkling it over the fire. "With the balance of the day, the Philodox bring the balance of the ways. With the song of the world, the Galliard brings the memory of us all." She gestures, palm open, first toward the drum, and then toward her spear. "The focused blade of our selves, the Ahroun is the blade of our kind."

Aubrey looks towards Tobin for a moment before her eyes settle on the fire, staring at it intently for a moment before her expression goes blank. She listens as Jacinta speaks; her ears open to every word just as her senses are also keen to everything else around her although are tuned out as she concentrates.

Jana's expression actually smoothes as Jacinta begins the rite. There's most certainly a professional interest on her face at the manner in which the Wendigo conducts the ritual and a hint of fascination in her eyes. Her breathing has become more rhythmic as well, slowly but surely matching the pace that Jacinta is setting with her voice.

Olga watches with a very casual sort of avidity about her, like a girl bouncing easily ahead of her parents, then waiting for them to catch back up. She straightens now though, she puts her hands behind her back, and as Jacinta sets down each Auspice she takes a quick glance at the item that corresponds, settling her eyes on the spear even after the warriors are mentioned.

Tobin is calm and confident, his breathing evening out as well. He looks perfectly at home in the ritual circle, letting Jacinta's words wash over him. He appears to be in, as it were, his element.

As she finishes her speech, Jacinta takes another pinch of the herbs from within her bag and sprinkles them over the fire. They sparkle in midair as the small particles burn before hitting the flames, and shortly after the fire flares up, orange flame turning more yellow. She steps back from the fire, then, and takes up the smaller, empty bowl. "As I come to you, speak your will for Grandmother's healing. Your blood, your yua, and your words will mix to form her salve." That said, she brings the bowl first to Jana, drawing the long-knife from her belt as she nears.

There's another frustrated Polish word from Jana as she takes the knife, ruthlessly slicing her own palm open. "What's yua?" she finally asks in a low voice. Itπs actually polite as she cups her palm. It is rapidly pooling with blood.

"Yua is spirit," Jacinta answers as she takes back the knife and moves on to Olga.

Olga holds her hand out, palm up, like a child waiting for a needle shot, a wince already straining her face. When the knife comes it buckles up tightens but she keeps her hand mostly still, except for a little unconscious flinch. "Ow," the woman complains to Jacinta when it's all over and she's waiting for enough blood to spill out into the bowl; the word though is friendly and the wince has turned into a slightly sour smile. Once she gets her hand back she presses it quickly against her hip, waiting for the blood to stop spilling.

Aubrey looks up, watching as Jacinta begins. She tilts her head slightly to one side and watches as Jacinta begins making her rounds to each of those gathering here, slicing open their palms to watch them bleed. As her turn comes, she offers her hand up in offering. The Fianna draws in a tight breath as she feels the skin being cleanly sliced open and roughly bites her lip. She spills her blood into the bowl before she clenches her fist tightly as she looks onto Tobin.

Tobin draws the blade across his palm smoothly, not even wincing as he lays open his flesh. One might get the impression he's done this a few times. "Grandmother, Gaia, your body is sick, and your children seek to heal you," he says as he squeezes the blood into the bowl. "Hear our prayers, accept our blood and spirit, so that you may be made whole again." He may have been concentrating too much to notice Aubrey, or perhaps he's ignoring her on purpose, but either way, he does not return the Fianna's look. He busies himself wrapping a clean white handkerchief around his hand when he's done with his donation.

Jacinta nods to each as they contribute to the bowl, taking her place again in the circle. There she kneels on one knee, placing the bowl on the ground before slicing into her own hand and speaking, first in Yup'ik, and then in English. "Grandmother, you are our strength. You are our beginning, and end. We give to you so that you might heal this wound and once again be whole. Do not fear, your children are with you."

Jacinta leaves the bowl on the ground and takes up the long prepared branch. She dips one end of it into the blood. "Take up the brush, and spread it in the circle I have marked, just beyond those trees. Then take up the branches. I will come to you with the fire." That said, she places the bloody end of her pole into the yellow flames.

Jana takes the brush when it is indicated, moving to cover her part of the circle. There's a certain careful ceremony to her movements, a graceful economy of motion and she's chanting under her breath. It seems to be a curious mix of Polish and English to her words, all prayers to Gaia for strength and cleansing. When she's done, she resumes her place in the circle, a branch in hand.

Olga stands slightly off-balanced now; palm pressed tight against her hip, until Jacinta gives her instructions. Then with another shift of weight she shuffles off, still staunching the bleeding as best she can. The Gnawer hunches over and grabs up a hefty bunch of grasses and twigs, before moving lazily over to the marked circle and depositing everything neatly there. As she comes back and grabs a stick she's got to fight down the urge to swing it a bit, but she manages it, and while it bobs slightly in her hand she returns to her spot without incident.

Aubrey is the next in line as she pushes herself to her feet, taking a branch in her hand as she dips it into the bowl of blood carefully. With the branch held tightly in her palm, she contours her portion with an artist's precision before she wanders back to her seat.

Tobin takes his turn, completing the circle of brush and grasses that Jacinta had marked. His movements are very deliberate, as if each bough set down had its own special significance. When he is done he takes up one of the other sticks before stepping back to his spot in the circle.

Jacinta again nods her satisfaction. She lifts her stick from the fire, its end now alight, and walks toward Jana chanting softly in Yup'ik. As she nears the Silver Fang, however, she shifts to English. "Grandmother, let us burn this poison from your body. Let us cleanse your surface of this illness. As a fever cleanses disease from the living, let our flame remove this taint from you." She holds out the fiery end of the pole toward Jana, waiting for her to meet it with her own.

Jana doesn't miss a beat this time, clearly more comfortable with this stage of the ceremony. Her branch meets Jacinta's and she begins her own chant in Polish once more, inclining her head solemnly to the Ahroun as she does.

Jacinta drops the end of the stick to the brush, walking the circle toward Olga, lighting the fire to surround them as she goes.

Olga does the same, once Jacinta comes round to her, lighting the smaller stick. She herself remains quiet, though she does glance at the two, Jana and Jacinta, as if trying to figure out what they're saying.

Aubrey looks as confused as Olga about the chanting, although she lowly hums under her breath. She holds out her branch to be lit, keeping it very still until it begins to burn. The Theurge narrows her eyes as she concentrates, remaining very still in her place.

Tobin's eyes become wide as the ritual progressive, the building flames glimmering in them. He lights his torch from Jacinta's and begins his prayer again, muttering it mostly to himself. "In the name of Gaia, of Luna, of Falcon, of Merlin, let this purifying flame cleanse our Mother of taint..." He goes on in this vein, growing more and more fervent and starting to wander in and out of several different languages.

When the circle is complete, and all the participants have their torches, Jacinta returns to fetch the blood filled bowl. She follows the circle around once more, adding the blood to the flame, and continuing her soft chanting. Finished, she returns to the center and raises her voice to the sky. The staff is lifted high over her head and she gives only the smallest of glances around the circle, inviting the others to join her. "Grandmother! Sister Luna! Bring healing to this place. Bring the purity of spirit that we would share with you. Let it be done!"

With the last of her words, she turns the torch upside down and uses both hands to ram it into the center of the small fire.

Jana's hands rise up over her head and she seems to have gotten caught up in the ritual itself. Her chanting rises in volume, still in that strange language but with increasing passion. As Jacinta slams her torch home, the theurge follows suit, sending the flaming end of her torch into the fire as hard as she can.

Olga heaves her own stick up into the air when Jacinta gives her glance, listening to the Ahroun's words, watching her for further instructions. When she rams down the stick Olga takes it as cue and she does the same, driving the thing down with all the exertion she can muster, a rather cathartic action followed by a puff of satisfied breath given out once it's plunged down.

Aubrey mutters something softly in Gaelic as she takes the torch, turning it as the flames begin licking the sides of the wood before she follows the others example and plunges the touch into the larger flame.

Tobin takes his stick in both hands and raises it over his head as he steps up to the fire. "For Luna!" he shouts, eyes practically ablaze themselves now with his emotion. "For Gaia!" And he drives it down into the fire like he was driving a sword into the heart of his foe. He lets go only when the flames start licking around him and steps back a few paces, breathing heavily.

Jacinta steps back and watches as the small, central fire turns from yellow to white. The circle of flame around the area does the same, and both flare upward to more than six feet for a fraction of a second. In that heartbeat, there is a clap of thunder, and then a stillness. The central fire returns to a more normal reddish orange and gutters, the fuel all but consumed. A reflection of the inner flame, the circle around the area also falls. The Wendigo gives a single downward nod and without a word picks up the larger bowl of water. Carrying this back to the center she utters another word of prayer. "Quyana maman. Quyana paba. Quyana nunamaman." Half the bowl is spilt onto the dying embers, a gush of steam rushing upward.

Jana is actually left panting, her head thrown back to the skies as the fire flares then dies. She turns then to watch Jacinta and her actions, her hands rubbing against each other and her shoulders twitching slightly. There's a murmured prayer as the Wendigo works but itπs a whisper compared to her previous words.

Olga's eyes wince tightly closed as the fire shoots upwards like a geyser, then opens them one at a time to find eyebrows unsinged and clothes not on fire. Breathing a slow breath of relief a smile spreads across her face which widens as the Ritemistress dumps the water on the fire and the steam rushes up into the air, and the Gnawer follows it with her eyes, fascinated.

Tobin is similarly left panting when the flames die down. The adrenaline is leaving him but there's still a semi-wild look in his eyes. He calms himself with a visible effort, closing his eyes and forcing his breathing to become more regular.

Aubrey narrows her eyes as the fire erupts, although she sits still, unmoving in her seat. For a moment her pupils draw small in the flash of light before they open back to the darkness once again. Her eyes still seem to be concentrating on something far past what is real. The breathing is shallow before she blinks her eyes, looking around her slowly at the others.

Jacinta has no words for the others, yet, as she takes the bowl to the outer circle and walks it twice. On the first pass, she spills water onto the dying flames, but not enough to completely douse them. On the second trip around she uses her feet to finish putting out the fire that was already mostly dead. Only then does she turn back to the group, her exhaustion now evident, though her expression seems pleased. "Quyana to each of you. It feels as though we were successful. Only time will tell if we have indeed reached the heart of the poison, however."

Jana is far less remote at this point, a flush in her face as she smiles at Jacinta. Perhaps she's still caught up in the rite. "This place can be monitored. I can sense the presence of the wyrm so I will come back and check as needed. I'm sure others would be able to as well." She then gives a formal bow to the Wendigo, regal in her movements. "Thank you for allowing me to join you with this rite, Jacinta-yuf."

Olga remains by the smoldering remains of the central fire, warming her good hand over it. She grins slightly as Jacinta thanks them and gives her prognosis, but she doesn't seem in any hurry to leave just yet. The woman stands there, watching the steam and smoke curl between her fingers, and then she looks up at Jacinta, a bit of expectation in her eyes.

Aubrey nods her head quietly in agreement to the others about watching the area. She comfortably makes a spot for herself where she is seated, not looking to be moving very soon from her spot either.

Tobin steps up beside Jana and gives a half-bow to Jacinta. "Indeed, should you need us again, do not hesitate to call." He smiles, then, just a little smile but there's an air of approval in it. "Nicely done, Ritemistress," he adds.

Jacinta returns Tobin's bow, with a repeat of the Yup'ik thank you. Jana gets a similar bow, but the Wendigo only says, "Ii." Moving slowly, she heads toward the fire, her gaze meeting that of the Bone Gnawer briefly in acknowledgement.

Jana seems to be almost bursting with energy at this point and misses whatever point Jacinta had been striving to make. "I need to get back to my territory, Tobin. You want a ride?" Even as she asks that, she goes to put her things in her bag, carefully repacking the unused things.

Once Jacinta meets Olga's eyes the Gnawer grins and shoves her bleeding hand back in her pocket, pressing it tight to her body. "Y' wanted to see me, Ice?" she asks, curious and just a little eager.

Tobin ponders Jana's offer for a moment, then shakes his head. "I think I'm going to go run. And perhaps do some work with the heavy sword." He grins fiercely. "Magic always does this to me," he says, then chuckles lowly. "Would that I had a lover." Shaking his head, he gathers up his own implements, bows again to Jacinta, then shifts to lupus and dashes off into the forest.

Aubrey looks up at Tobin for a moment before the Fianna looks away and wiggles the toes of her shoe into the embers of the fire, being careful not to burn the plastic of the soles.

Jana grins crookedly at Tobin and looks thoughtful at the man's words. Putting her bag on her back, she trots out of the clearing in homid, whistling badly to herself as she goes.

Jacinta lowers herself to the ground, pulling one of the sticks free from where it was mired and using it to poke at the remaining embers. "Ii, Olga-yuf." She glances over at Aubrey, her expression conflicted.

Olga waits for a second or two for the beginning of the discussion, and then when it doesn't come she follows Jacinta's eyes down and finds Aubrey, quickly; when she looks back up at Jacinta she looks slightly puzzled and more than just a little concerned. She jams her other hand back into her pocket and asks uncertainly, "So. Um, y'want to go talk about it, then?" She doesn't move though, she watches the Ahroun from behind a gaze that is suddenly just a little guarded.

Aubrey looks up, realizing that the two need to be alone. The Fianna pushes herself to her feet. "Sorry," she murmurs. "I'll go somewhere else to leave you two to speak, sorry. I..." the Theurge cuts herself off and begins walking to the north.

Jacinta turns a slightly apologetic look to the Fianna. "Piurra, Aubrey. Quyana for your help."

Aubrey murmurs a "welcome" although she continues walking until she is out of sight.

"Bye Bree," Olga calls after her, her own look more than slightly apologetic and rather confused. She watches Aubrey walk off a bit, enough to be polite, her forehead knitted up into a darling little pattern, before she turns back to Jacinta, gives her a quick weak-lipped grin, and heads back towards forest through which she'd come. "Just got to get my bag," she says and mumbles back to the Wendigo, before she picks up her pace.

Aubrey moves through the forest, heading north.

Jacinta rises quickly, nearly tipping over in her rush. "Olga-yuf! Wait, please."

Olga freezes as if Jacinta's warning was directed at some mine immediately in front of her. Her reloosening of limbs is almost immediate, but the face she turns to the Elder is full of concern, all twisted and unsure, cheeks tense and bunched-out, creating with her nose a bumpy little line across the middle of her face. "What's wrong, Ice?" she asks, pulling her hands out of her pockets, forgetting about the one covered in blood. "What'sa matter?"

Jacinta relaxes as the other stops and she settles back to the ground. "It is, complicated. It is a matter of one of your tribe. She is no longer a cub, so it is not your..." She pauses and takes a deep breath before beginning again. "I wished to keep you informed, so that you might speak to her, so that other action need not be taken."

Olga's eyes don't roll at least but they do veer off to the side, frustration tugging at her sockets, drawing a heaving sighing breath out of her lungs. "Oh, God damn it," she says bitterly, approaching the Wendigo and putting her hands back into her dirty pockets. "What'd who do now?"

"Your tribe-mate, Joey," Jacinta begins with a soft voice. "She interfered with a Guardian performing his duties. We understand that she is Ragabash, that playing tricks is in her nature, but she must understand that Guardians cannot be distracted from their task. Particularly not while the bawn is threatened by the Horned Serpent's servants as it has been recently."

Olga's eyebrows twitch up, surprise and confusion in the movement, and she looks at Jacinta for a second before echoing back, "Jo?" Pressing her palm again against her side she digs her healthy hand out of her pocket and begins using it to rub against her chin, brows all furrowed in concentration. "What'd she do?" the woman asks then, looking over at the Ahroun.

Jacinta sits quietly without responding for a short while. Eventually she rolls her shoulders backward. "White Bear did not say, expressly. He said that she played tricks and distracted him from his duty. That is all that I know."

Olga's confusion dissipates just a little but her face isn't any the smoother for it, there's just different kinds of wrinkles. She drops her hand from her face and almost unconsciously she dumps herself down on the ground, into a sitting position, legs splayed out, looking not unlike Winnie the Pooh when he's struggling with a particularly flirtsome thought. Now it's her turn to try and be gentle, and while she's had a fair bit of practice it comes out not quite right, as she asks softly, uncertainly, hopefully, "Y'sure it's not just Josh bein' - well, you know, Josh?"

Jacinta's lip curls in a rueful smile. "Ii. He understands the difference. His complaint was not that she played the trick, but that she prevented him for a time from performing his duty. It is this difference that I hope you can explain to the Ragabash." The tone shifts to a question as she reaches the end of the sentence.

"Yeah," Olga concedes at first, quietly and conversationally. She looks down at the ground, reaches forward and begins threading some blade of grass or other through her fingers. "Yeah, but if it was some `trick` that nobody else would rightly fall for, if it was jus' him bein' -" there's a quick pause to think of some nice euphemism "- y'know, being silly, then I don't think the fault's Jo's, Ice. But I'll ask her what was what, and if she done anything wrong I'll let her know, eh?" She looks at the Ahroun hopefully, obviously hoping that's thought good enough.

Jacinta's brows rise and fall and she is silent for a moment. She bites at her lower lip before speaking. "Ii. Perhaps, if you determine there was no fault, you could suggest to her that she avoid White Bear. At least while the bawn is endangered, and two of the Guardians remain unable to shift."

Olga's lips quirk into a faint grin, one lip higher than the other, relieved and quite satisfied. "I think that's good advice either way around," she says with a bit of a lilt to her voice that suggests it's a joke she's making, as she gets slowly up to her knees with a groan and a creak.

Jacinta gives Olga a deep nod. "Ii," she says with a small smile. "Quyana for your time, Olga-yuf."

Once she's up Olga says a hopefully ingratiating "Thank _you_, Ice. I'll see you around, anytime you need me jus' shout, eh?" With that she's exiting, walking backwards for the first few steps before finally turning and heading back towards where she's dumped her bag, a small blotch of orange against the darkness of the woods.

Jacinta watches Olga depart, the small smile remaining.