A First Meeting

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife carefully stalked through the woods, feeling the warm sunshine trickling down through the foliage cover in bits and revelling in it. The forest smelled so pure around her. It was the most perfect place and she was doing her most favoured thing. Glancing down with measured rhythm to her pace, she noticed a dry twig and quickly missed it. She could see the stag a distance away and it had yet to spot her. Stepping on anything that produced noise would alert it to her presence.

She paused when she judged she was close enough. She could see the small movements of the deer's ear as it flicked at flies, see its muzzle quiver as it glanced around looking for threat. She waiting until it turned its head away for a moment and then reached up and slowly pulled her bow off her shoulder and knocked an arrow, aiming at the animal before her. As the stag turned is head back, she let out her breath and then released the bolt soundlessly. The arrow slammed into the beast's side and it was down in an instant. She got up and quickly lopped over to her prey. The arrow had hit precisely where she'd aimed; she hit the stag's heart.

Aoife knelt down beside the animal, offering a small prayer to Stag, spirit of her tribe in recompense for the kill. Stag had provided for them and she was duty bound to thank Stag for allowing the murder of one of its own. Done, she grabbed hold of the large antlers and slowly began dragging the stag back through the woods towards the small camp that her and Ronan had set up.

It had been many months since they'd heard from Lachlan or Kaelyn; they'd been separated in a dire battle and had yet to learn the fate of their two other companions. So for now, Aoife and Ronan survived. She finally dragged the beast into camp, looking for her fellow Fianna but not seeing him. With a shrug, she pulled out a large knife and began to skin the stag. It would take some time to butcher an animal this large but the meat smoked would last them for a good while.

[Deathcon]

Thomas ran in lupus form through the forest, his training was finally done and now he was supposed to be ready to lead, to be a Shadow Lord. But Thomas was not so sure he could, he learned to lead a pack of wolves and earned his wolf name Leads-From-Shadows but wolves were different from werewolves. Thomas sighed and thought he had to be the Ahroun, no one could possibly stand against him in a fight and he had at least a little bit of leading experience. He had ot be confident, he could do this, he would do this.

However he had to find his new caern first so he howled a calling howl. Asking for any in the area to lead him the way and help a fellow werewolf.

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife was slicing through muscle and tissue with blood soaked hands. The hide of the stag was lying to the side and a pile of each meat and waste was growing beside her when she suddenly heard a cry echo through the forest. She froze, glancing into the woods with her eerie, green eyes, searching for the source of the sound. She went over the sound again, letting the echo of it repeat in her mind so she could be sure of what she'd heard. Yes, it had been a cry of help, perhaps not dire but it had not been made by a fellow Galliard so had not been incredibly informative. She couldn't be sure.

She stood, knife still in hand, taking in a deep breath. She cried out, a howl that sounded like it shouldn't have been able to issue from the small, human body that it did. The cry conveyed a message of introduction; it carried the information that she was a Homid Galliard of the Fianna tribe and hopefully would be able to draw the original caller to her location. She was still but had no idea if the caller had been or not; it would be easier to let them come to her.

Normally the call of introduction she'd made would have been first made upon entering another's territory but this land had yet to be claimed as far as she knew. She didn't know who the caller had been so it seemed like the howl of introduction had been the best gesture to make if they'd mistaken as to the claims.

[Deathcon]

Thomas listened to the returning call and heard its information. He had been stupid not giving more information but he was human long before a wolf so some nuances escaped him. He howled again introducing himself as a Ahroun Shadow Lord who was coming to join the caern.

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife heard the return call and cocked her head, listening to the information the reply contained. She had been right though, the call came from a different location. The caller was on the move and he was moving fast. She judged the direction from the two locations and set out through the woods, hoping to cross paths with this Ahroun. She moved at a brisk pace, keeping her more comfortable human form as she jumped over branches and exposed roots. She also kept her knife out in bloodied hands. Though the call had seemed genuine, it had also been a cry for help originally and it was best to stay cautious.

She caught a black blur flash behind trees in the distance, a wolf or more likely a garou in lupus form. "Hey d'ere!" she cried in her native Celtic and accent. She could only hope that whoever that was would understand. If not, well there was always the High Tongue but she still preferred human speech.

[Deathcon]

Thomas heard a call in the new language he had learned he stopped and responded in a "Here" in a sharp bark. The he began shifting in homid form

[Keira Kelly]

She moved towards the now human figure with a curious look. He was a bit too far to see clearly yet through all the leaves of bushes and smaller trees on the forest floor. "Hey, you da one dat called out?" she yelled in her thick Irish accent as she approached. She could feel her heavy fur cloak on her back with each step and bow and quiver strung over a shoulder. She realized she must look quite the sight like this, having just come back from the hunt and interrupted in the middle of butchering the kill but what could she do. "Ahroun," she called again, "You da one dat called for help? What do you need help wit'? I'm Aoife by de way..."

( What Aoife looks like, without the green tattoo across the face )

[Deathcon]

Thomas nodded "Aye, I am here looking for the local Sept but to be honest I have no idea where it is. I called out wondering if anyone could guide me there," after a moment Thomas added "And my name is Thomas... Leads-from-Shadows."

(I am assuming because I am a Shadow Lord I Should talk more properly.)

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife carefully put her knife away in its sheathe, regretting it was still bloody as were her hands but nothing could be done about that. "Well 'den, Thomas. You are not dat far from your destination. Me and me companion are headed 'dere ourselves, to offer services, hoping to find word of our lost friends.. and perhaps find a new pack." she explained. "It will be dark long before you reach where you are heading. We have a camp nearby if you'd like to travel wit' us." she offered.

She held up bloody hands. "I was cleaning a kill when I heard your call; a big stag. Was about to put some meat on the fire for dinner; you are welcome to come and eat and drink wit' us." The blood was dried now on her hands, feeling like tight gloves. She just wanted to get back, finish butchering the animal, make sure no scavengers found it and finally clean up a bit at the small stream they had set up camp beside.

[Deathcon]

"I would be honored to share your meat with you." He began following her as they headed towards the stag "SO your looking for your friends and a new pack? Maybe we have something a little in common there, what kind of skills do you possess? Other than being a good bowman."