Werewolf: Stampede into Darkness

[Ghaz]

Eion stayed close to the few people that he knew since he was already having a good time being with them he felt that if he stayed with with it was only going to get better. He listened to them talk wondering how her drinks really were. The Fianna was really excited about seeing everyone and getting to know his new friends more. He looked around wondering if he was ever this happy when he was a child but he quickly change his thoughts back to how much fun he was having here. When he heard someone talk about how the weather he listened and soon followed them into the cave trying to keep close to his friends.

When they entered the cave he followed Veli and sat close to them looking around at everyone that was coming in. When Eion got his food all he could think was what was he going to eat first. The Fianna smile grew when he started to eat the food he got. He looked around smiling and listening to the others conversation wondering where it was going to lead. When Kate began pouring the drink he looked at the liquid wondering how good it was going to be since he has never tried it before. When she began to pour his cup he listened to her and smiled thinking 'I have no idea what this is going to taste like.' Eion looked at the others with anticipation excited to try this new drink out.

[Veli Alvar]

`Hahaha! Very well!` Veli bellowed in his seat as he watched his Beta pour the mysterious drink into his goblet. He did not have a good reputation when it came to the Fiannas drinks; sure, he could never turn down the challenges the drink offered and his Nordic heritage gave him quite the stomach for alcohol though even still, there was something significantly more potent in those damned Irish drinks. He would never cower down in front of his Sept so he gripped his goblet and shared a toast, clanking his goblet against the others at the table. `To a prosperous future for New Divine!` His voice was loud and quite eager as he pressed the goblet against his lips, taking a generous gulp of this mystery drink his sneaky Beta had prepared. He downed it with a refreshing exhale, eyeing his goblet as his savoured the taste. It was not bad... it was actually quite good!

He set the goblet back on the table as he grabbed a nice, hearty piece of veal from his plate and tore a gargantuan chunk from it, eating as if he was in his Lupus form already. He turned to Kate with a bright smile that was uncharacteristic, the same smile he bore when interacting with Kates children, his dearest nephew and niece. `Gotta say, Kate.. this drink was not an assault on the taste bids, at least! Hahahaha!` He spoke, loud, then eyeing around the living area of the cave... which seemed a bit brighter than usual.. if it was not all in his head. Veli took a short pause to ponder about it and even rubbed his eyes, continuing to look around as every colour in the room seemed to stand out more than usual; the cave walls, his Septmates' faces, skin and everything... perhaps it was the euphoria of the moment. `Really good lighting in the cave right now.. I wonder who fixed it up.` He said, shrugging as he took another bite from his savory veal, looking now over to his packmates. `So?! Am I going to be the only one to drink?! Come on, now!
Do not let your Alpha drink alone!` Veli said with a hearty laugh.

In the table across from them sat Divine Lightning, Ossian and Solenne chatting it up as they usually do, enjoying all that the festivities had to offer as they sat across from each other. Solenne was Fenrir through and through, eating messily and talking with her mouth full. Ossian, in turn, had a blast watching his Fenrir packmate revel in the joys of the moot and his eyes shone brightly with happiness as they spoke about everything under the sun. Ossian would even play and pretend he was reaching over to take some of Solennes food, just to laugh at her aggressive reaction to her swatting his hand away and yelling. Though it might not look it from the outside on a regular day, Divine Lightning were put together for a purpose and they all meshed well with each other, each deeply loving their packmates down to the core, willing to put their lives on the line for the other.

Denise, however, was visibly uneasy. She ate but not in her usual emphatic manner and she remained mostly quiet for the time being, staring down at the table with a slight solemn look on her face. Ian, who sat across from her, knew his Alpha extremely well and there was certainly something that was not right. He pressed his glasses against his nose bridge and eyed her seriously. `Alpha... you are not well. What is the matter? Are you not enjoying yourself? What is bothering you?` Denise broke out of her trance to eye her Beta and shook her head, putting on the fakest and biggest of smiles as she tried to act natural. `I'm fine Ian! Hahaha! Just thinking of some new tactics for us is all, ya know?` She said, faking her enthusiasm well as she closed her eyes and smiled brightly at him. Ian would not be fooled so easily but he played along, knowing that his headstrong Alpha would not budge at the continuous questioning so he left it alone.

In her fake euphoria she could not help but eye over to Red Spirals table and look to Kate, hoping she would not look back. Her euphoria dimmed as she looked at the Sept Beta, then over to Veli, hoping that Kate would be as trustworthy as she thought in regards to what she needed to talk to her about. Her eyes darted from the Sept Beta quickly, not wanting to make it obvious as she looked back to her packmates, joining into their conversation, trying her best to muster up the energy enthrall herself in their conversation.

[Keira Kelly]

A mischievous smile grew more broad on Kate's lips as she watched Veli bring his goblet to his own lips. Unlooking, she reached out and touched Sean's shoulder as he sat beside her, just in case... Though she had not warned.. well, any of them at what the drink would do, it had a number of positives and the one thing that could be considered a negative was only comical at best. One that could only serve to lighten the mood of the feast even further. She watched Veli chug the liquid down and the satisfied expression the Alpha held afterwards. It wasn't longer than a moment or two before she thought she could see... yes, yes, Veli's eyes did have the faint blue glow to them. Another moment and it wasn't quite that faint anymore either.

Smiling broadly, she bowed her head for a second in acknowledgement of Veli's praise for the drink. "Damn right, it's not.. this stuff is almost impossible to get for a reason.." she answered earnestly. She smiled, watching Veli look around with a small expression of wonder. Seeing everything with new eyes almost. When he commented on the lighting, she couldn't hold in the laughter. At Veli's urging, she picked up her own goblet, and held it up. "To the New Divine! May we welcome new friends, allies and children and may we give the Wyrm's arse such a beating that it will slink back into the nether reaches of the Umbra, never to dare threaten the balance again!" she added to Veli's cheers, with her usual Fianna Galliard's flourish. She flashed Veli a sly smile. "Alpha... you need never fear having to drink alone. At least, not as long as I'm around!"

With that, she brought her own cup to her lips, finally taking the syrupy liquid into her own mouth. This, she had been looking forward to. With her free hand she urged the others around to drink up too as she savoured the taste of the Royal Mead. It was sweet but not too sweet, the perfect balance of honeyed with a light, almost lilac, flowery taste to it that only seemed to enhance the aroma. At the same time, there was almost a slight bite to the taste as well, almost spicy in a way, but it only added to the overall experience. She tipped back the mug as she emptied it all in one go. Putting the empty goblet back down on the table, Kate took a big breath, keeping her eyes closed as she continued to savour the aftertaste of the Blue Gold drink. She could feel her mood being elated, though whether that was the rare drink or just the company, she didn't know.. nor really care to be honest.

She let out a short, sharp whoop of celebration, finally opening her eyes. She glanced over at Sean, nudging him with her shoulder as she leaned over. "Drink up, love." she said in a quieter voice. She could see him looking with a bit of concern at her eyes. The blue glow from the drink was definitely unnatural looking. "It won't hurt, I promise. You'll like it, you'll see." she added.

"Even if I'm not Garou?" he asked, hesitating.

She shook her head. "It's rare stuff but that doesn't mean that other Kinfolk don't get their hands on it when they can. Hell, it's fine even for a normal human to drink though.. they might have some trouble understanding the side-effects." she answered. She chuckled. "It has been well tested."

"Side-effects?" he asked with a frown. "More than the eye thing?"

She smiled, holding up a finger for Sean to hold for a moment. Kate turned to Veli. "Hey, Veli!" she called, until she had his attention. She could see the shock as he noticed her eyes glowing. She laughed, sticking out her tongue at him, showing off the deep blue it had turned from the drink. Almost involuntarily, she watched as he began to stick his own tongue out, as if to try to inspect it for himself. Whether he could see it or not, she wasn't sure but.. the rest of them could. And it was blue!

"It look brighter in here to you, Alpha?" she asked through her laughing. "It might let you see in the dark a bit better, it WILL turn your tongue bluer than the ocean on a sunny day.... and it's a damn good libation! What's not to like?!" Kate turned half back to Sean and with a nod of her head, urged him to drink. She watched him look at it for a second, then shrug and tip his own mug back, slugging it down like a proper Fianna, Garou or not.

When he finished, he put down his mug again with a refreshed sounding sigh. "Oh wow.." he muttered. "What the hell was that made from?" he asked in wonder, his now glowing, blue eyes staring at her in child-like awe. There was nothing among human society like it. There was nothing in this world, literally, like it.

The smell of the cooked meat on the plate in front of her was tantalizing but Kate had priorities. She laughed at the look on Sean's face and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him in for a long kiss, the Mead lowering her inhibitions about displaying her emotions in front of the whole Sept. In that instant, she just didn't care who was watching. She loved her mate and that was that. And she loved being able to show him things that no ordinary human ever got to see or experience. After the kiss, with them sitting close together at the table, they began to finally dig into the meal that had been set before them, as she kept watch to see how Akane and the new kid, Eion, would react to the mead. The familiarity when she looked at that kid though still caught her.. Weird.

She felt more at home, more at peace, than she had ever felt in her life. This was what life was all about. These people, her family.. her Sept, her pack, Sean and their kids. She couldn't ask for anything more. She remembered the one time despair she had had.. She remembered seeing the spirit wolf, Fenrir's avatar that had been sent to comfort her in the midst of that despair. That had led.. or at least signified what was to be the start of her life with Sean. The despair had led to their meeting, however.. odd that had been at the time. Such happiness had come out of such tragedy was something that still astonished her. Fenrir had sent his spirit to her back then to let her know that, while she was at the lowest she had ever been in her life, it would get better, and it had, greatly so. Looking over everyone of the Sept, Garou and Kinfolk, she could only feel the warmth of everyone and revelled in it. She caught Veli's eye and smiled with a nod. It was a good party, good for morale and bonding. Good for the soul.

[rivaan]

Akane's opinion on the glowing eyes effect was that it was nice. It looked really flashy, probably great for feasts. She wouldn't want to drink it when she's going for a stealth op though. She studied for a moment before Kate also went and drank it, urging her lover to do so too. A few sneaky thoughts rushed her minds, but she decided to leave those for later. As everyone was getting into the spirit of things, pun so intented. She also took her cup to start drinking in a lot relative calmness in comparisson to all hte others who were drinking. She took her cup, sitting in her place with her plates by her, most calmly starting to drink it as if she was drinking water. It had a certain degree of serenity.

The first moment the brew touched her lips and tongue, she felt the burn so to say. It was a truly marveous piece of the alcoholic arts!!! She then just continued to take sips from it as nothing was happening. Enjoying the merriment that was going around, but just that. She basked in it, listened to it, let out a few smiles, but was overall in her own little island of piece in her own actions as she drank her booze, ate a lil bit and generally just looked completely out of place and right in place both at the same time!

First she looked completely out in comparison from all the others around her like Veli for example, but then there was this zen like feeling in her calm expression and weirdly simple and elegant mannerism of drinking the alcohol as if she was drinking tea, making her seem completely in place with the surroundings. The only way she'd be more melding with them if she was at the edge of a misty lake, sitting by decorated tea table while trees bloomed around the lake.

[Veli Alvar]

Veli reveled in the atmosphere around him, feeling prouder than ever to see his Sept in such good spirits. It was important for Garou to take a much needed break from hunting down the Triat, from defending their mother. Althought that was a task that was constant, never-ending.. it was her idea that Garou needed times like these. Where an ordinary outsider would see simple beasts before him, there was much more beneath the surface that anybody who was not Garou, even Kinfolk, could not completely understand. With the world decaying around them by the day, they still found time away to regenerate their souls, strengthening their battle against the blasted blight that was the Triat.

Smirking now in a near half-smile, Veli eyed his beta and gave her a wink. Witnessing the reactions of those around the table brought him to a understand something that was hard to call a surprise. His beta had offered him a drink with strange properties. Par for the course, as second to Kate enjoying time with her family, she enjoyed keeping her Alpha on his toes. Veli stuck his tongue out, his eyes staring down at it as he chuckled. `With all the years that pass, it's as if I become even more susceptile to your tricks.` He let out with a hearty bellow from deep within his gut.

Veli watched Kate and Sean closely, trying his hardest to control his inhibitions as his mind raced about Natasha. Watching Kate with Sean, at this time, only served to remind him of his own family; the family he has been neglecting emotionally. It was difficult for him to connect with his beloved and his very own son. Though, that had a lot to do with how he himself was raised. His mother has been dead for as long as he could remember. His father.. giving him that title would be generous. Veli practically raised himself before Aleksi came to him. In fact, Aleksi was the best father figure he could point to. The problem is, Aleksi is almost never emotionally available. And so, in typical Fenrir fashion, Veli received the tough love. Which, as he would admit, was better than receiving no love at all, like from his birth father.

With how much he has grown, however, these thoughts would not faze Veli in any way. He pushed them to the back of his head and slammed his goblet down on his table, standing up with a quickness to be envied and he howled a deep howl. `More days await us like this!` he yelled as everyone turned their attention to him. `These are the rewards that we earn from our constant strife! From the hard work! We give Gaia and as a whole, the Nation, our all! These are the days we live for but they do not come free! Never relent! Never forfeit! New Divine.. let me hear it from all of you!` his voice was like multiple bombs exploding in the hall. Every other pack stood up from their tables and howled, chanting `New Divine` after so.

After some time had passed, Veli retired everyone from the cave, giving them leave into their respective quarters from outside of it. He was drunk as can be, eager to see his beloved. Though, after giving everyone their leave, he could only make it to the area before his quarters before he dropped in a drunken slumber, having no problem sleeping on the cold, hard cave ground he was used to.

Denise, however, when given her leave, sent her pack to their den so she could catch up to the Sept Beta outside. She walked up to her, her head bowed down in utmost respect. Her straight brown hair dopped down in front of her face and all that could be seen was one of her eyes in a melancholic stare towards the ground. `Sept Beta.. I hope it is no trouble..` She said, standing before her now, nervous even though it was not obvious.

[Keira Kelly]

This was what Kate really lived for. Not the drinking and revelry in itself, though she did enjoy that, but the down time for the whole Sept, the bonding and relaxation.. the recovery from the horrors that lurked in the world. And recovery was something that was direly needed to keep all Garou alive and focused. Anyone forced to fight all the time, to witness the horrors that they saw... to suffer the losses that they did, would burn out in short order. Morale in a fight for the very world wasn't just important, it was a necessity. A night like this made everyone, even the Kin among them, realize that in the end, this is what they fought for: so that everyone in the world could live life and enjoy it without worry of monsters and horrors. Becoming a mother had only added to Kate's fire and determination to fight against the Wyrm so that maybe, one day, her own children could live like tonight, in peace and safety with the love of their own septmates.

Kate couldn't help laughing at Veli finally realizing that the Blue Gold did more than just taste amazing, and then even more so at the Alpha's comment about her. "Oh, you have, Veli..." she confirmed teasingly. "I just know you too well now, Alpha.. It's just... just too easy!" she laughed. She raised one eyebrow, still smiling impishly. "Fear not, though.. I'll save the best larks for any new recruits we pick up..." she promised him before turning back to Sean for a moment.

This.. this is what she had missed through her own childhood, she thought as she leaned against Sean. Most of the foster families had been nice.. but... calling them families had been a lie. She had always been an outsider among them, whether that was because of being fostered.. or perhaps because she had been Garou without knowing it, but.. she had never seemed to fit, which had caused her to rebel and perhaps oust herself all the more from those homes. Even worse, she had seen other children and how they fit in, how they had received love and attention... and she had resented others because of that for a long time. But now, she had built for herself what she had sought, the types of bonds that she had yearned for, even as a child, and she couldn't help but feel at peace now, for the moment.

Thinking about that though brought Kate's attention back to the newest member of their pack: Eion. Her joviality left her, replaced with the challenge of the puzzle of the young Garou who looked.. uncannily similar to her. What in Gaia's name was going on with that? She just couldn't figure it out. It was like a bone between her teeth, she couldn't stop trying to work it out. However slight the chance.. which was very, very slight indeed, she couldn't help but wonder if Eion might know of some link to her own, unknown origins.

A goblet slammed down on the table beside her, causing Kate to start from her pondering. Her focus turned back over to Veli as the Fenrir stood suddenly, then let off a howl which quieted the rest of the Sept and drew all attention. She smiled as she watched her alpha speak, at hearing his words. Had he been Fianna, the words would have definitely been more eloquent but.. good enough for a Fenrir Ahroun, she thought with a chuckle. At least they were to the point. At the conclusion of Veli's small speech, Kate stood, watching as every other member of the Sept go to their feet. Almost as one, everyone gathered joined in a howl that carried only one message: their unending fire and determination to their cause and each other.

She turned to Sean again, smiling, as the others chanted the sept's name. This was one of the few times that her lover actually got to feel really a part of the Sept, getting to sit at the head table and, as seen to by Kate, treated no different than any Garou there. Though Kin were respected by all, there still had always been a bit of a divide there. While half the sept was Fianna and most if not all Fianna that had spent any time in a Fianna Sept, learned the value of Kinfolk and despite not having the abilities of a Garou, could be strong and capable in their own way. The Fenrir half of the sept though tended to treat the Kinfolk almost as a second class at times though and that was something Kate was pushing against constantly. It wasn't the Fenrirs' fault... just an innate stereotype that a number of them had learned from their own Tribe and had carried over. It was nice though, that on a night like tonight, Sean and the other Kinfolk who had joined them, could feel the equal of any Garou here.

The drinking and revelry continued on for some time and while Kate began to want to head off, she refused to leave before the head of the whole Sept did. Thankfully though, it wasn't too long before she could see the alcoholic drinks getting to Veli. Thankfully she was spared his level of inebriation, having been able to render the alcohol in her own system inert from time to time, allowing her to control how drunk she became, which was only slightly buzzed at the moment despite having drinken just as much if not more than Veli. She quietly thanked the rat spirit that had taught her that trick years ago.

When Veli finally called a conclusion to the celebration and stumbled off towards the cave where he lived, Kate stood with Sean. She wanted to go check on their kids and spend some time with Sean. She had made sure he hadn't gotten too drunk either tonight. They headed out of the cave, heading towards the cabin not far away that had been built for them. Unlike Veli and some of the others, Kate preferred the privacy for her family that the cabin allowed. Privacy for her and Sean as well. As neither of them had grown up in a Sept, but in human society, it was easier for both of them to have at least a facade of a normal home life.

The dark night was cool but clear, the stars above bright but Kate's focus was elsewhere, as she whispered quietly in Sean's ear as they walked before nuzzling his neck. The events of the night had energized her more than she had expected. Hearing someone approach though brought Kate back to reality.. regretfully. Denise from Divine Lightning pack stopped before them. Something.. was not right, she recognized instantly. The other woman had asked to speak to her earlier and.. it seemed that time would be now. A Beta's duties were never done, it seemed... She bit back a sign, knowing she would have to reign in her own desires for the moment and turned to Sean. "Go on home and check on the kids." she told him. "I'll join you when I can.." she promised, giving him a regretful look, running her hand down the side of his neck, a gesture of her love for him. She would definitely resume what she had been whispering to him whenever she was done here.

She watched her lover's retreating form through the darkness for a long moment before turning back to the morose Fianna Ahroun before her. "No trouble, Denise." she told the other woman, inclining her head in a gesture of openness and sympathy. "What's going on, then? What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked sincerely.

[Veli Alvar]

Frazzled and out of her element, the young Fianna lifted her head to look at Kate. Her long, brown hair covered most of her features. Still, behind that mass of hair laid a somber look and she fell victim to her instinct, stepping forward with her arms clasping around the Sept Betas body. She pressed her head into Kates chest as tears fell down her eyes indiscriminately. She held tight as she began. `I couldn't do this in front of the Alpha... I would never want him to consider me weak... but...` Her voice crumbled with every word she uttered. `My family.. from France... sent me a letter.. and..` She sniffled, breaking down in front of her Sept Beta, her tears and snot dripping uncontrollably. It was clear that she had held back her emotions up until this point, letting them bubble until they exploded from the pot. `My sister..my best friend... she is dead!` She yelled into Kates chest, pressing her body against her tightly, bawling. I..I.. couldn't tell my pack.. I could never let them see me like this!`

Denise completely broke down, a state that was exceedingly rare to see from the headstrong Alpha of Divine Lightning, who always led with an iron will. She tried hard to mask the grief, knowing that Ian suspected something was up, but her pride would never let her open up to her pack in such a way. She feared that they would see her weakness and capitalize on it, usurping her leadership that she so valiantly attained. She didn't want to feel as if she let anybody down, for she was supposed to be the backbone of her pack. Though.. who would be there for her when she needed help the most? When she needed to let her guard down and air her grievances? She had nobody else to turn to. Other than Kate of course.. whom she left the utmost of envy and praise for. Whoever could earn the right to stand by the Sept Alpha, she thought, was somebody spectacular.

Sniffling still, she continued. `I... I didn't want to tell the Alpha... for him to see me so weak! Still.. the more I tried to tough through it.. I just.. it's so hard! I left them... I left them! And now my best friend is dead! What do I do?! How... how can I continue?!` she continued to bawl, for some reason content to air her problems to the Sept Beta. Perhaps it was because they were both Fianna.. and Kate would be better empathetic than Veli would. Regardless, as it was mentioned, Kate was the model that Denise looked up to. Somebody worthy to be the Sept Alphas right hand. She dug her head into Kates chest deeper, at this point having no care whether she was being extra or not. She was riding her emotions and needed help.. looking up to the Garou whom she would model herself after.


(I plan to pick up the pace up a bit but this scene deserves its own pace. So I'll do it after LOL.)

[Keira Kelly]

Kate watched the younger Fianna as Denise stood for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to begin. Kate could see the younger woman fighting with an internal conflict within her. Whatever it was, it wasn't for Kate to bring out though. She could only wait and see how Denise proceeded. Even so, she hadn't expected Denise's reaction and was surprised when suddenly the younger woman's arms wrapped around her, feeling Denise pressed against her, sobbing. Softly, she dislodged her arms from within Denise's, putting them around the other woman comfortingly, letting the other Fianna release the pent up emotions. "It's all right.." she said quietly in response to the other mentioning Veli. "Talk to me, Denise..."

When she heard the reason for the other's grief, Kate felt her own heart sink. Though Kate had never really had any real family of her own until her first pack and now, her Sept and her own family here, she could understand a bit of the grief. She had felt it when she had lost all of her first pack save Veli and Akane. Losing Mist had been the hardest. But still, she didn't think that would quite compare to what Denise was going through, losing a best friend. For Kate, losing Veli, Akane or Sean.. or their children, was unthinkable. She knew that would be something that would destroy her utterly.

Rubbing Denise's back, she made sounds of comfort. "It's okay, let it out..." she said sympathetically. She frowned at the statement about the rest of Denise's pack. It might have been true that some members of the Sept would view grief as weakness, it wasn't true for all.. or even most. All Fianna were taught to embrace their emotions, their passions and that loss and grief was a part of it all. The Fenrir might not get it but the Fianna would and Denise was lucky: most of her pack were Fianna.

She let Denise carry on for a few minutes until the other woman had cried the worst of it out before pushing her back just enough to put a hand under Denise's chin, raising her head to look Kate in the eyes. "Grief over the loss of a loved one is never a weakness. It's only showing the strength of the love you had for them. And letting it out is a means to heal the wounds, rather than letting them bottle up and fester... something the Fenrir around here could learn well.." she said in a soft voice. She drew Denise back into a sympathetic hug for the other's pain. "When we lost most of our first pack and buried them ourselves, I am not embarrassed to tell you I cried, I grieved... in front of Veli and Akane. With them, even if they didn't shed any tears. Neither of them thought me any weaker for it." she added.

"We all lose people; that is life, especially in our lives, unfortunately. Strength is grieving, but being able to move on from the grief afterwards." She stroked a hand down Denise's hair, a comforting, almost motherly gesture. "Or to put it aside for a moment if you need to, if you are called to higher purpose. Know when to let it out but know that letting it out is what you NEED to be able to do to heal. If you still worry about it though, I am here..." she offered, meaning anything Denise needed in the future. Despite wanting to see her kids, Denise still needed her right now. The questions the other woman were asking now... were hard ones.

How could she continue... That was something Kate had asked herself... uncountable times after the first pack. With Mist, it had been a little better.. Kate had had more of a support system. But after the first pack.. By Gaia... that had been bad times. It had led to some of the best things in Kate's life but.. she had been on a severe downward spiral because of trying to bottle her own grief. All she could do was tell Denise the truth, and that she wasn't alone. "I asked myself that too." she began. "How do I go on when everything... nearly everyone that had come into my heart, nearly everyone that I had let in, was dead?"

She paused for a second, making sure Denise was listening. "I didn't at first.. I started becoming distant from everyone, even my pack, from Veli and Akane. I left the caern every night to go out drinking, trying to block the pain, drinking myself into a stupor... even bedding whoever I crossed paths with, I'm ashamed to admit now. It didn't work." she explained. "I let holding on to my grief take me to a dark place but... I was led out of it, shown what was important still. That I still had family that depended on me." she continued, pausing as her mind went back to it all. She had found out that she was pregnant, in fact. That had been a serious wake up call for her. It wasn't likely something that Denise could replicate but.. Kate's words were true enough. Her pack and the Sept were family too.

"You continue for your packmates. Your family here, because that is all that can keep pushing you on. You love Ian, Ossian and Solenne too, right? That is who you continue on for. Turn your grief to strength. Use it to protect those that are left to you, youngling... Make it your mission that you will never suffer loss like that again.." she said, a thread of steel in her voice. For Kate, she had turned her own loss into an almost feral, maternal need to safeguard her family and Sept now. She didn't want to say that though, for fear that Denise might start becoming impulsive in trying to put her own life before those of her packmates. Kate, at least, had her own children at home to temper that urge.

"For now though, let it out, talk to me, Denise. Tell me what happened...." she said, finally drawing the other Fianna over to sit on some nearby rocks in a more comfortable fashion. "I'm here to listen to anything you need to say..."

[Veli Alvar]

Denise looked into her Sept Betas eyes as she held her by the chin, her words slowly but surely calming the anxious, tortured soul of the young Fianna. Her eyes, watery as they were, soon began to dry, her posture gradually becoming sturdy.. upright. She nodded at her Sept Betas questions.. of course she loved Ian, Ossian and Solenne. She loved them to the point that she would gladly put her life ahead of theirs. Even though Solenne was a head case, she had proven time and time again that her abrasive demeanor was just a product of her character. Solenne challenged Denise's complacency.. but it was for her to grow. Solenne was ready to helm the leadership position if need be, at any point, though deep down she had a deep respect for Denise and her ability to keep the pack in order, her ability to make even Solenne fall into her command.

The young Fianna began to realize that the older Fianna, her grand superior, was much like her. She had also experienced deep loss.. though she had let it affect her on a much deeper level, despite having Veli and Akane at her side. Denise realized that she had the secondary Sept leader in her support, should she need anything. It was a thought that put her mind at ease, with how much ease Kate could calm her emotions. Before long she was in stable condition, wiping away her face and looking into Kates eyes intently, an intense look that still submitted to her higher seat. Denise was lucky to have such a Garou who, readily, would support her through her troubles.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she gathered her thoughts. Opening them up again, she looked into Kates eyes. `My sister had gotten into a relationship and.. it seems the man she was with was far from ideal.. ` She took a pause, breathing in deeply once again, her strength gradually returning. `During a night out with him.. they got into trouble with the law and.. neither of them would back down. So the police put them both down... damn that bastard!` She yelled, relinquishing her arms from Kates body and slamming a fist into her chest. Her teeth were visible as she breathed heavily, calming herself down quickly as to not go out of control.

`Her and I talked all the time.. she would send me letters always and.. to know that that would be gone... ` Letting out a hard sigh, she looked toward the ground. `It hurts, it does, but.. I will ask the Sept Alpha for my time to attend her funeral. Until then, I'm going to continue to fight for those that I love, like those that need me here, my pack! I won't let them own!` She let out, picking her head back up to the Sept Beta. `Thank you so much.. for bringing me back to Earth. I felt this dark cloud on me all this time but now I can focus. I can see forward.. truly I love you, Sept Beta.` She said, stepping forward again to embrace Kate, this time with a big smile on her face, one small tear racing down her eyes.

[Keira Kelly]

Hearing the story of what had happened drew a sympathetic frown on Kate's features. Tragic though it was, and not to belittle it, it was a human matter. Humans making stupid choices that led them on the wrong side of their own law. That meant there was no real action to take, nothing for Denise to do but to deal with it and accept the loss. It always hurt worse when there was nothing that the anger and pain could be taken out on.. but seeing how the younger Fianna had reacted to Kate's own story, she was confident that Denise had the strength to eventually move past the tragedy. The anger that Denise exhibited proved that she was at no risk for Harano, the loss of the passion that made a Garou Garou and the slip into depression. Good.

"I'm sorry, youngling." she replied to the story, the only thing she could really say about it. "Veli will allow you the time away." she said, when Denise mentioned talking to the Alpha about the funeral. "If he doesn't, come and tell me... I'll make him listen to reason." She gave Denise a half-smile. "I may be his Beta but I'm not afraid to stand up to the big guy when it's something that really matters.." she added. It was true, she had stood toe to toe once or twice with Veli over disagreements, the biggest having been over Sean. While she loved her Alpha and friend, sometimes she needed to knock some sense into his thick, Ahroun, Fenrir skull, the thought with a mental chuckle. She was sure though that he would allow Denise her time, barring some catastrophic event.

She smiled, pleased that she had helped Denise find her centre, find grounding on which to move forward. She gave a small nod of her head in response to the gratitude, glad she had helped but modest at accepting praise about it. She was just happy she had been able to spare someone else the hard path she had led herself. She returned the hug that Denise gave her. "It is part of who we are as Garou, Denise. We carry the Rage, we suffer loss.. but we suffer it all to protect those we love and that's what lets us carry on. Go and get some rest, youngling. Talk to Veli in the morning.. I think he is too drunk tonight to make any decisions... If you need anything else, you know where you can find me." she told the other Fianna. "Rest well."

She watched as Denise moved off into the darkness, noting that the younger Fianna had confidence back in the movements of her body, a strength that was possibly just a big stronger than it had been previously. Kate hadn't been exaggerating when she had said it was part of being Garou. Very few Garou lived a normal life span, usually cut down by one of the myriad horrors that the Wyrm spawned out there in the world. Among the Garou, loss was common and those who did not learn to be strengthened by it quickly withered to nothing.

Alone now, Kate finally turned to head to her cabin. She opened the door, entered and closed the door again, sliding over the crude wooden slate that served as something of a lock on the inside. She stopped, taking a deep breath, trying to dispel all the memories and emotions she had relived during the conversation. The scents caught her attention. The sweet smell of the wood that made up the walls of the cabin, wood smoke from the fire pit they had to sometimes cook and often to warm the small building.. and over top of that, she could even smell the faint scents of Sean and their two children. In her human form, she didn't have the capacity for scent as she did in her other forms but even still, she could pick up and recognize their scents. That alone put everything to rest.

Finally content, she went to a door that led off the main rooms of the cabin, pushing past a heavy leather drape that hung over the doorway, she looked inside the dark room. Quietly, she went inside, stopping beside one of the two beds, fixing the fur blanket that covered Laurie and giving her sleeping daughter a kiss on the forehead, and then turning to the other bed and doing the same for her son, Robbie. As she stood back up, suddenly, she felt arms around her. She started for a moment before she could see Sean in her peripheral vision as he laid his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around Kate in an embrace from behind.

"Heard you come in." he said in a whisper. "Everything go all right with Denise?"

Kate smiled, tilting her head so her cheek touched his. "It did. She had a loss, was having trouble dealing with it." she explained back, also whispering. "I told her how I dealt with my own losses." Sean's head pulled back a little and she felt a kiss on the side of her face.

"Let me, guess... how we first met..." he replied, an amused tone in his voice.

Kate winced. "I'll be the first to say I didn't handle the situation very well..." she admitted. "But I feel it worked out rather well in the end. Not that I recommended any of that to Denise..." Another chuckle right beside her ear as Sean began to trail kisses along her jawline. During the conversation with Denise, she had forgotten the mood that she and Sean had cultivated earlier during the feast but now it was beginning to be rekindled. "I just made her realize what priorities were important after a loss: Family, be it pack or Sept or.. like us..." she trailed off as Sean's lips moved down her neck, discreetly enough but.. it was enough of a hint. Gripping one of his hands, she turned, pulling her mate with her out of their childrens' room and headed for the privacy of their own.

-----------------------------------
NEXT MORNING
-----------------------------------

Kate awoke the next morning, feeling sore after everything from the previous night, not just with Sean, but the whole Revel, the run, that all the Garou of the Sept had taken part in as well. Despite the soreness though, Kate felt a deep contentment as the morning sunlight flooded in through the small, high window in the room. Under the fur blankets that covered their bed, she curled closer to her mate, wanting a few more minutes to doze. She now heard what had woken her: the kids in the common room of the cabin. They were up and about. They couldn't seem to respect proper sleeping in, she thought in a grumble to herself. She made a sound deep in her throat, sort of a quiet, false growl.

"Hey, it was your actions that began them.." came the sleepy voice beside her. "I only followed along... Your turn to get them breakfast..."

"The first one, I admit... not the second as I recall... You started it that time..." she answered and then sighed, finally gathering the energy get up. Rather than slide out of the covers, she pushed them off, much to Sean's protests as she was suddenly left without any defence to the chilly air. "You get to help too." she said with a laugh as she stood up beside the bed, glancing back to see that her mate was now indeed quite awake too. She laughed again as she put on some clothes and then headed out to see what the little monsters were getting up to without supervision....

( If you need Kate to come out of the cabin, can lead off from her being at the nearby river washing up a bit or at the training grounds.. or wherever else you need her to be. )