Werewolf Intermediary Arc

[rivaan]

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure, I haven’t seen anyone with such weapons too… I suspected some garou might use such things, but I’ve never seen it.” Akane said, still looking at the impressive display of craftsmanship.” Well I was just curious. Garou’s fighting with silver weapons has always been a dying way of fighting. Even I have seen only very few who chose that way to fight, despite the advantages and disadvantages. I’ve once crafted a longsword fitted for crinos form and coated with silver. It was pretty long ago though, he was one mighty warrior…” The black haired woman said and seemed to lose herself in those memories for a moment.
“Alright, before I ask anything else, I want to know what you are exactly.” Akane said to the so called shaman. The woman seemed to find it pretty entertaining.” They still haven’t figured it out? Alright young garou, what do you think she is?” Suddenly the horse spirit’s voice appeared, followed by his head through one of the windows. Akane could almost swear she saw a smile on his face.” Well she said she is a shaman, so I suppose some kind of human who learned the way of the spirits?” Akane said, not really sure how to reply. She looked at Kate. Her packmate was far more knowledgeable than herself.

[Keira Kelly]

Kate really didn't appreciated being put in the spotlight at that moment. She cast Akane a look quickly back. How the hell was she supposed to know what this woman was when it was Akane who'd been here before, who'd read through a book about this place? Why in Gaia's name could Kate possibly know better than Akane did? Instead of voice any of this or showing her lack of knowledge on the matter, Kate narrowed her eyes as she faced the stranger, keeping a confident air about herself which was a hallmark of most Garou and definitely of Garou who were in charge. "It sounds as if you wish to be deceptive." she told the woman and the spirit. "Perhaps this is not the place we were led to assume it was." she said, turning to Akane. "My packmate came to get answers but if you insist on remaining evasive.. perhaps it is time for us to head home." she added. She turned towards the door but stopped, glancing over her shoulder. "Unless you do truly wish to help my friend and answer her questions truthfully..." There it was, an ultimatum. Kate wasn't going to stick around just to be insulted or to be entertainment for this woman and her truly irritating spirit companion.

[rivaan]

Suddenly a laugh was heard. It came from the spirit! Akane was kind of shocked as Kosara shook her head in despair and put her palm in front of her face.” Seriously, no matter how many times I tell you… STUPID ASLAN! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND STOP ANNOYING MY GUESTS!” *( sfx ) slap!*The black haired woman shouted and hit the horse strong enough that he disappeared from the window.” Ever since we moved to live here, he’s been like this. I wonder if I should stop him from reading any more cheap novels…” The woman muttered to herself quite quietly, but still could be heard.” That aside, sure I will tell you. Just as you refer to your kind as Garou. My kind began referring themselves as ‘Mages’. I frankly don’t really like that term. I’ve been always more found of priestess or a shaman.” The woman said with a smile.” What do you mean priestess?” Akane asked, starting to get the sense something was off with the whole picture. This woman appeared the same from her memories…about more than a decade ago.” Well my people as in the my nation, worshipped the sun god Tangra or Tengri. My sister became a priestess of Tangra, while I began studying the path of the nature and spirits. Thus I prefer being called a shaman.” She explained and Akane nodded then all the pieces clicked into place!” Wait, if I remember correctly, the worship of the sun god Tangra was done by Bulgarians at the dawn of the creation of their country.” Akane said, vaguely remembering history classes.” Just how old are you!?” The woman began laughing sadly.” I was there when my country was created. I’m around 1400 give and take.”

[Keira Kelly]

Kate almost started at that revelation. The only thing that she knew that could get to ages like that were leeches but.. this didn't feel like a lair of a minion of the Wyrm... She couldn't be sure but she'd detected no taint while in the Umbra nor now. She kept close watch on Kosara, taking note of little things; the woman was breathing, even when not talking, and she was not pale as a leech either. Perhaps these.. mages had other tricks. For that matter, she assaulted a spirit and received no retribution for such an act? That was unthinkable for a Garou to do such a thing to a respected spirit. And all proper spirits needed to be respected. Liked, not so much but at least respected. Whatever. She brought her attention back to what was at hand. At least this woman was being a bit more forthcoming now. She could only hope that Akane would get to whatever point of this journey had been quickly. She was anxious to get back to the Sept.

[rivaan]

The new information surprised Akane a lot, but then again magic was always something in legends that turned the impossible into possible. Still with that out of the questions, the albino began asking about her mother. In fact Kosara told her a lot of things she didn’t know about. Akane herself liked the descriptions of how her mother acted when she wasn’t around her. She still felt a void from losing her, but it was beginning to lessen as she grew more and more attached to her pack.
“You know, I’m happy you found a place to belong.” Kosara said suddenly when they stopped talking about Akane’s mother.” Me and your mother were afraid you will become a loner, but seeing you with a packmate next to you, puts my heart at ease… Though I must say, you’ve changed quite a lot. The Akane I remember used to run around and challenge me to a duel all the time when you visited with your mother as a child. What a hyperactive child you were back then…” The shaman said with a gentle laugh, which made Akane turn red from embarrassment. Then the woman’s face turned serious.” I see your friend is eager to get going, so I won’t be forcing you to stay anymore, but before you go, I need to give you three things…” The shaman said, went next to the wall with the exotic weapons and took something long that was wrapped in silk, that was leaning on the wall.” First, a gift form your mother. She asked me to make this before she was killed.” She said handing it to the albino. It was a long, beautifully made glaive.” Second, is this to protect you from harm when all else fails.” The shaman said, giving her an armguard, with design matching the glaive.” What is the third?” Akane asked, not sure what to expect.” Follow me outside.” The woman said, reaching for a wooden staff that was put together with the rest of the weapons.
Once outside the shaman took a battle stance. Akane was afraid she would want a duel or something, but Kosara gave a negative response to the albino’s question on that.” Just watch.” She said. For a few moments the black haired woman didn’t move. From out of nowhere she began quick series of strikes with the wooden staff, that indicated they were for bladed weapon like spear or a glaive. Some of the moves seemed vaguely familiar to Akane… When the weapon was finally still, the woman spoke again.” Fighting with a weapon is a lot more than swinging around static objects. This is the third gift you will get, understanding. Weapons should be extension of your body. Did you learn something from watching me?” The shaman asked and Akane nodded, but couldn’t explain it into words. Akane understood the depth behind Kosara’s moves and word, a depth so big that it wasn’t something that could probably be attained in just a few years… or decades for that matter.
With that over, Akane was finally ready to leave this place, but she knew that one day she will return. She now remember the duels between her mother and Kosara, and she was going to come to challenge the shaman herself one day. A fire was burning in her eyes, an emotion she never felt before, but she liked it. For the first time, she felt like she had her blood burning with the desire to get stronger.

[Keira Kelly]

Kate trailed the other two women outside but hung back. She had almost smiled back at the shaman's recounting of Akane as a child; much to Kate's amazement, it had sounded like the Glass Walker had been more of a Garou as a kid than she was now and it was amusing. Kate vaguely wondered what had happened that had made Akane lose that warrior spirit, the trait that she was only now seeing to be regaining in recent days. She also caught Akane's embarrassment over being told she'd been a hyperactive child. That, she couldn't understand; hadn't they all been? She couldn't say knowing all that many Garou children but she'd been such a handful that she'd never stayed with a foster family for long it seemed. They hadn't been able to handle her. The one or two younglings that had been at the Fianna sept back home had been rambunctious as well. It was a simple fact of life for the Garou: they were from birth full of energy, passion and rage. There was nothing to be embarrassed about in that.

She watched dispassionately though as Kosara showed Akane a few moves for the glaive staff. It all seemed too easy, there had not been any true sort of quest nor trial in order to receive the weapon but whatever, she thought. The polearm was a slow weapon and while it had longer reach, Kate preferred to be more mobile with a sword or two. The polearm would tire out the fighter faster and was slower to react to flanking and ambush attacks. In addition, a sword could become a ranged weapon in a flash. The extra time it took to manoeuvre a glaive could mean life or death in a intense battle. She gave a sidelong glance at the spirit as her mind wandered. Polearms had often been used as a means against horses, against cavalry, she thought in amusement as she kept an eye on Aslan. She could tell easily though that Akane had absolutely no proper training with melee weapons of any kind. That would likely change and it would be up to her and Veli to help the Glass Walker along with it in the future, them and the Sept elders. Both her and Veli though had had some years of training in weaponry already; she had been given a sword almost the first day after her First Change. She was far from a master of the blade and even Veli was better with his own weapons, but Kate was still deft with her weapon. Akane would be too, one day. It would only make the pack stronger.

What did catch her attention though was at the end of the lesson, when Akane's glance crossed her own. There it was! The missing element that had caused Kate to not exactly pick on Akane, but kept her from holding the Glass Walker in any kind of high regard. That had made them wonder if Akane was truly of their kind. That element that made the Garou who they were. Kate smiled at seeing that in her packmate finally, now over a year after they'd first met. Perhaps them coming here had not been such a waste after all. Only time would tell if that fire kept burning. She pushed off the tree she'd been leaning on and came over to Akane, knowing smile still on her face. "We done here then?" she asked, not wanting to say anything just yet, not until they were alone.

[rivaan]

“Yeah, we are done here.” Akane said with a smile, as she threw a glance towards the cottage in the woods.” I will be returning here one day to challenge her again…” She said and shook her head.
“I will have to learn to use this thing first though.” She said looking at the glaive. It was masterfully made, but she had almost no idea how to use it well.” The test starts now... will be using this every fight I can, no matter how much at disadvantage it puts me I guess. That way if I manage to survive, I suppose I would have proven to myself I was worthy of such a weapon.”

[Keira Kelly]

Kate nodded, still with that knowing look and smile. "Never fear, your pack always has your back. We will help to teach you, us and the rest of the Sept. We cannot lose another, we will not.... Look at you, finally beginning to act like a real Garou." she only half-jested. "You can feel that fire inside now, can't you? The Rage? Feel it burning in your veins?" she added with a chuckle. She leaned in a closer as if to tell a secret. "That's what makes us Garou." she said in a whisper then pulled back and let out a loud howl. She flashed another smile and took off into the woods, hearing Akane follow her lead.

She ran through the woods at her top speed, ducking and weaving between low branches and trees, jumping over stumps and rocks in the dimming light. She was feeling better, more like herself than she had in a long time and she revelled in it. A weight seemed lifted off her shoulders.. or lessened anyways. She knew she'd have to deal with it eventually but that could come later. For now, she buried herself in the present moment and howled again.