Open Chronicles Bedtime Stories - Introduction to the Garou

[Fallon]

The Caern - The Mountains of The Spine - Nightfall

"Tell us again Fallon, please!"

The pack's den, the Caern, was nestled safely in a system of caves in the mountains of the spine, and today they had hunted and ate well, but darkness had started to close in and the children had pestered and pestered Fallon to tell a story from their lore, in the compromise that they would retire to bed afterwards. She allowed them to sit around the fire outside the mouth of the caves, wrapped in their pelts and waiting impatiently for her to tell them her stories.

"One story, and I promise if I catch one of you awake when the moon reaches her highest point, I'll feed you all to Dea!" she grinned, and the feral wolf rolled playfully at Fallon's feet.

Fallon's arms folded as she looked down at the little ones, staring up at her in anticipation, and she paced back and forth, considering which story to tell whilst they all shouted their preferences at her. "The Lupa, the Wyvern and the Basilisk then." it was agreed, and Fallon crouched by the fire, narrowing her eyes over each of them with a small smirk on her lips.

"The three were known to all as the Triad.. They are not gods, nor are they men - but great beasts larger than all lands and oceans.. They created the worlds together, and each had a very vital part to play in making it work.." she paused and lifted a finger into the air. "The Lupa, the great wolf who creates and watches over the lands." a second finger "The Wyvern, the great dragon who creates energy and changes and moves the lands that the Lupa creates." and a third "And the Basilisk, the great serpent, who destroys things so that new may be created.." she smiled as one or two of the children hid their faces at the mention of the Basilisk.

"Lupa was so good at creating and taking good care of our world, but everything he created was either being changed by the Wyvern or destroyed by the Basilisk and so he grew more and more frustrated every day.. One day he went insane, and he dug and dug and dug until he came to the great fires in the very centre of the the world, and tricked the Wyvern and the Basilisk to fall into it. The Wyvern fell, but he took flight just before he hit the flames, and he took off into the skies and was safe. But the great Basilisk fell long into the depths and was trapped there, and he thrashed and roared so loud that it shook the mountains and rose up the seas!" the children's eyes were wide..

"The Basilisk was so angry that he could no longer destroy the great Wolf's world, that he opened his mouth and spilled out all of his darkness, and the demons climbed out of the pit and plagued the world with evil. And so Lupa and the Wyvern created the Garou, the strongest of warriors, and sent them to drag those dark beings back through the gauntlet, and save humanity from the Basilisks' destruction..And that is just what you will do when you're strong enough." The children each puffed with pride as she spoke of their kind and Fallon laughed under her breath. "But for now, you will go to bed as you promised, you have training in the morning." she smiled warmly, hugging each one of them to her and guiding them into the Caern and she followed behind.

The Caern was deceptively massive inside, with smooth rock formations and many beds of pelts for her growing pack. There were springs of fresh water here and there, and stalactites that sparkled with crystal ore and glowworms. Most of the pack were already settled around another fire, drinking ale, finishing off their supper and playing with the wolves who had joined the pack. Dea, a grey wolf, was as always glued to Fallon's side as she walked. They were not Garou, but it had always been the way of things that bonds were forged with the animals, they were after all, not so very different. Fallon smiled with contentment as spirits were high and the atmosphere despite the snow outside was a warm one..

"I'm going for a run.. Don't wait up." she told them, and before they could object to her going on her own, she had thrown off her clothes, and streaked out of the cave and into the snow, lifting a small leather bag on her way. The form of an arctic wolf seemed to come bursting from her skin mid leap from the mouth of the cave, and she ran off down the mountain and into the darkness.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

This was becoming a bad habit of his. As captain of a paladin troop he was responsible for them in the pursuit of their duties, but he had gone off on his own, once again. What could he say? He went on impulse. What started as a simple trip into a village to gather information turned into a righteous hunt for a ravening wendigo that's been plaguing the forests of the spine mountain tribes. Of course, going for back-up hadn't even crossed his mind until he found himself deep within the wilds of the spine, with the wendigo wounded with its back to a sheer wall, almost mad with pain and bloodlust, the most dangerous creature in Arethil at this point.

The towering half giant faced down the beast with his sword. He was dressed in warm clothes and boots with his armor over them and a fur trimmed cloak, but he was still freezing. Only the light and heat from his sword and the adrenaline pumping in his veins offered any relief to his shivering.
The only shivers that came from the beast was the occasional shake of its wounded left flank, or whenever the beast shook snow off its fur.
They were at a stalemate, A long chase had precluded this moment where Elijah and his horse Redemption rode this beast to exhaustion after wounding it with his lance.
But as the woods became thicker he was forced to dismount and track the creature on foot, following the trail of blood even as the snow fell more and more heavily.

And now they stood in a face-off, who would make the first move, who would make the fatal mistake? Either by duty or circumstance, neither could run from this fight. One of them would die... provided the damn cold didn't kill the paladin first.
His breath came in clouds as he tried to keep moving, tried to keep his blood flowing. The wendigo remained in place, watching him, growling every time he took a half step closer and letting out long disturbing howls that must have been supernatural by nature, with every howl a wave of fear would sweep over him, but he remained unaffected as he rested in the peace of his gods.

He grumbled between his clenched and chattering teeth.
"Come on you unholy man eater... face your redemption so I can get to a warm fire and a hot drink!"

 

[Fallon]

Fallon came skidding to a halt in the snow as she heard the beast's howling, her ears pivoting as she listened for a moment and turned, taking a route further down the mountain and followed the scent of blood. Her form quickly grew in size with the shake of her fur and a quiver of muscle, so that in her quadrupedal form she stood the height of a man, a dire wolf. She was fastest this way, and it wouldn't take her long to reach whatever was making those gods awful sounds that ruined the beautiful quiet of the looming night.

Fallon tracked scents through the wood and to the cliff face, hearing the sounds of growling, raised heartbeats and quick breaths. She hopped up onto a rock and regarded the situation, dropping her leather sack as her silver eyes studying the man curiously. Fallon was tall, for a woman, but this man was exceedingly tall for a man - there was no doubting he had giants blood. The massive wolf's nose twitched as it pulled at the man's scent, her attention moving between him and the wounded Wendigo. She detested the beasts, and her lips pulled back over her teeth allowing a low, guttural growl to rattle through them. She supposed it best to alert the man to her presence, as it had been known to cause panic and impulsive attack.

Fallon kept her silver eyes pinned on the wounded creature however, and she stepped back down from the rock to flank it, her hackles raised in warning - but a creature backed up against the wall had little other choice than to attack. Still - it was not her kill, and she looked to the half giant as though awaiting his move, and Fallon would simply help take it down if he needed such assistance, and she dipped her head as she would do to one of her pack, giving them their chance to make the kill.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

A dire wolf?!? Damn, on top of the blizzard and the wendigo he didn't think things could get worse! That's what he gets for being an optimist.
He shifted his stance to accommodate a second threat, but the dire wolf seemed disinterested in him and rather focused on the wounded monster. He knew dire wolves were intelligent, but he never imagined they were benevolently so. Usually they were in league with orcs or other evil creatures. Perhaps this white wolf or northern variant was different.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "The gods haven't abandoned me yet it seems."

But the wendigo made the same assumptions as the Paladin, its blood addled mind didn't comprehend the threats displayed by the wolf. It took the moment of his distraction and lunged for the paladin with an earsplitting howl.
Elijah barely had enough time to react as the thing bore down on him, he had his sword up but all he could do at this range was turn the blade to the side and catch the beasts claws on its edge.

They both went down into the snow. Elijah grunted as both their inhuman strength competed with each other with the beast constantly trying to tear out his throat. He was able to hold the beast back but the cold fatigue and the beasts strength were sapping his own. He began grunting a prayer between his bursts of effort to keep himself from dying.
"Crap... Metisa, Tychan, Astra... *huff, huff*… Things aren't looking so good right now... Mind helping out again?"
That last part was directed half at the gods and half directed at the dire wolf that he hoped was still there to help him. Normally Redemption would get him out of a situation like this, but his charger couldn't get to him anytime soon.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon's four paws lowered her body a little closer to the ground as the ghoulish creature went in for the kill, and when it seemed the man struggled to hold it off she made her move. The creature was almost thirty feet tall, fully-fit it would be do-able but difficult to kill on her own in this form, but she didn't wish to waste any time given that the man was seeking some sort of miracle from his gods.

Her teeth bared and she pounced, her mass of body weight slamming hard into the beast and tumbling it off of the man, trying as best as she could to avoid being impaled on the sharpened points of its antlers. They both rolled with the momentum, but Fallon ultimately won the pin and she forced it down with all she had. The foul creature shrieked and howled as it's razor like teeth snapped at her.

With a massive paw pushing the Wendigo’s face to the ground, Fallon's jaw opened wide and plunged down into it’s throat, the beast's claws like daggers raking at her chest and shoulders trying to push her off. Her silver eyes widened and she let out a loud muffled growl but bit down harder, closing her jaws as much as she could, shaking her head from side to side and wrenching the monster's throat clean out. The beast was silent, and it's long arms fell to the ground by it's sides, it's claws dripping blood.

She realised she was still clutching the thing's throat in her jaw after a moment of panting in fury, but she tossed her head and threw the mess down, stepping off of the dead creature and regarding the man, the thick, white fur around her chest and shoulders now as crimson with her own blood as her muzzle was of the Wendigo's. The wolf shook her fur and licked at the wounds on her shoulders, though her chest was ultimately more difficult. The cuts were deep but not serious, it had missed her throat entirely.

Fallon's head lowered and she padded warily closer to the half-giant, sniffing at the air to see if he was wounded, though she lay down, trying not to seem aggressive as men usually couldn't tell unless she gave more obvious signs that she was not a threat. She crossed her paws in front of her and watched him, still panting hard from the fight and the searing pain in her wounds, but Fallon had had much worse.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

The combined weight of his armor and the wendigo were crushing him into the snow, each time he had to move his head back to avoid the snapping jaws which made him sink further.
But suddenly the wendigo was knocked from its perch on top of him and he was finally able to breath for a few moments. He got up with a groan to a sitting position as the dire wolf tore the beasts throat out, but not before sustaining some injury itself.

The wendigo was dead, thank the gods. He could bring its head back to the village as proof, refuse payment once again, and finally join back up with his comrades, apologize for the delay, explain why he was late, get berated for going off on his own... again... All of this provided the dire wolf didn't have any plans. The giant creature aided him and thank the gods for that... but for how long?

As the dire wolf padded closer Elijah considered remaining where he was and not moving, letting the creature make the first move of either a friend or foe... but his numb fingertips and shivering prompted him to get up or freeze to death.
He stood up, his sword was in hand but not raised in defense or attack, simply ready should anything happen.
To his surprise, when he stood up the wolf laid down panting, just like a dog would... which made sense because a dire wolf is a kind of dog.
He couldn't help but smile and decided to bank on the rumors that dire wolves were indeed intelligent and could understand speech.
"I thank you for aiding me in my time of need. Surly it was providence of the gods that you arrived when you did. If you would permit it, I am skilled in the divine healing arts. I am unharmed thanks to you, so let me return the favor."

 

[Fallon]

Fallon certainly wasn't a dog, nor would it have been wise for the man to think of dire wolves in general as at all friendly. She wasn't used to looking up that far, standing in this form she would usually be around the same height as an average man, but laying down and staring up at the half giant was uncomfortable. She pushed herself to standing again as he spoke, leaving a patch of crimson snow where she'd lay. She shook her fur out again and huffed sharply at his words, a sort of 'no', and she wandered back over to the rock to where she'd dropped her leather sack.

As she climbed onto the rock, her figure shifted. A few short moments were all it took for her form to shrink and contort, her white fur seeping back into her pale skin leaving the blonde woman naked. She was in fine form, and she had no shame with public nudity, but depending on where she found herself, it wasn't always exactly appropriate. She'd been calm enough, and if anything this form would have her viewed as less of a threat, but sometimes it frightened people and she hoped the man wouldn't run off. She stretched and twisted her back on the rock, rolling her neck and lifting a piece of fabric from the leather bag which she tied around herself in a dress like fashion.

"You are no ordinary man, but still, you should not be here alone." she spoke as she turned to face him and cautiously move closer, her accent a strange mix of elven and nordic. Her face was bloody and the wounds on her chest and shoulders were still visible but had stopped bleeding almost entirely. They stung, but she wouldn't whine about it. Fallon was tall and had the pleasure of being able to look down on many men who'd otherwise regard a woman as a lesser, but not him. Her stare was intense, the same silver eyes that shone out of the dire wolf, and she held herself with pride as she stalked toward him. She didn't get too close, however, and her eyes remained firmly on him as she crouched to pick up two handfuls of snow which she used to clean her face and wounds. "You should leave now, before the scavengers come." she glanced behind him to the Wendigo Caracas.. "Or another of those.".. Her head tilted at him as she stood back up, regarding him curiously as she patted some fresh snow against her chest, unfazed by the cold she'd heard his teeth chattering to.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

Elijah sheathed his sword as he watched the movements of the wolf, and especially watched with great interest as its form began to change into that of a woman. This feat alone put him in awe, the way her fur receded back into her body, her wolfish features replaced by that of a well built woman... A strong woman of the north, with her white and grey hair, the powerful toning of her muscles... How could he see all this about her?... Oh yes, of course, she wasn't wearing clothes... Not wearing clothes... Think about that a moment... not... wearing... She... wasn't... wearing...
It finally dawned on his half frozen brain that she was naked. The instant he realized this some heat went to his face and he did an abrupt about face and looked the other way as she shifted through her bag.
The cold totally forgotten in his embarrassment.

He stood with his back to her, until he heard her footsteps in the snow and her voice behind him. Then he ventured a glance and saw that she was somewhat clothed. He relaxed a bit and the cold returned to his stiffening flesh.
She was chastising him on being out here alone. This woman was obviously his elder by a good many years, her accent was a bit confusing and he couldn't really place it.
He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck at her words, "Yes, you are totally right. I came out here on an impulse to slay this corrupted monster without thought to my own safety. I'm a paladin and that is my duty, but I suppose I shouldn't be so foolish about it, should I."
He ended with a forced chuckle.

His lips were turning blue, he really wasn't built for the cold at all. He could feel his muscles and joints stiffening, even in his warm clothes.
He drew his sword again and took a few steps toward the dead wendigo.
"I just need to take this beasts head... back... to the village... be... on... my... way..."
His towering height began leaning forward. He had passed out on his feet. Someone should have been present to shout 'timber!' as he collapsed face first into the snow.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon's intense gaze remained trained on the half-giant, as though trying to see through him or into his soul rather than his exterior. She was a curious creature but not stupidly so, she'd foregone many betrayals by those she deemed as family in the past that her trust was not exactly easy to come by even for them, let alone a complete stranger. Her kind, despite their sole purpose being that of hunting monsters, were often misunderstood as monsters themselves, and she'd had no choice but to tear down men who would not see that and refused to listen. She felt no guilt about it, their stupidity was not her crux to bear, but she was also fully aware that men were hunters too.

At his chuckling, Fallon's head tilted and her lips twisted into a warm smile that met her eyes.. "Foolish is one way of putting it." she agreed and wiped at the bloodied water where the snow had quickly melted against her skin, a fine steam rising from her chest as her roasting hot skin evaporated it. "Paladins are known for their bravery I believe, but not foolishness.. though, there is often a fine line." she nodded, pursing her lips thoughtfully.. "And you really should get out of the cold. You've been out here too long already." she added, noting the colour of his lips.

Fallon's brow furrowed as he spoke of his intention to collect the beast's head, a hunter's trophy? She didn't agree with the idea, and it would only have scavengers follow after it's scent and land him in more danger. Fallon was a killer, an apex predator, she had killed countless demons, vampires and such, but never had she taken a trophy for it, it was simply her job to kill them. She had opened her mouth to protest as he moved toward the corpse, but instead she winced as he went crashing to the ground, and snow shook from the nearby trees leaving new little piles of it everywhere. She winced at the fall and tilted her head again before realising that he wasn't getting up and had apparently passed out from cold... "Oi.." she sighed, and fell to a kneel beside him, a warm hand pressing at his face and slapping it gently.

She glanced up at the mountain she'd just come down, the Caern was a long way up, and she wasn't prone to taking people she didn't know into her home where her pack slept. Still she couldn't very well leave the man out here to die, and die he most certainly would. Fallon muttered something in elven and shook her head, gripping hold of the back of the man's collar and pulling at him. He was, of course, exceptionally heavy, even for her, but Fallon was strong and although it took her a few tries to get going, she dragged him through the snow with tiring effort to get him to one of the nearby caves for shelter.

The empty cave was a small one, but it had been used for shelter in the past and had a small fire pit and there was some dry branches laying around. She left the man lying next to it, and very quickly had a fire going and the cave lit up with a warm, flickering glow. Fallon knelt over the man, carefully pressing her fingertips against his throat to search for his pulse, it wasn't as loud as it had been to her earlier, it was slower and fainter but still there.. She undone his soaking wet cloak and took it off, leaving it over a rock by the fire, and she dug around in his clothing to reach his bare chest and pressed both warm hands firmly against it. She did not have such magic that the man spoke of, but she was exceptionally warm and warmth was what he needed. She stared down at him, only a few inches from his face, urging him to wake up.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

Warmth. Heat. Fire. it felt good, he didn't want to wake up, but his duty drove him to force his eyes open and look around. When he opened his eyes he was met by another pair of eyes, the silver of the wolf woman's eyes were staring back into the grey of his own eyes.
He blinked away the weariness as he looked at her. His eyes widened and his face reddened when he realized his breastplate was removed, his shirt opened, and her warm hands were placed on his bare chest. His muscles tensed when he realized this.

His duty battled with his need for warmth. As a paladin he's lived a chaste life, never drank to drunkenness, never had drugs, and never dishonored a woman with either his eyes or his hands. And to feel her hands on his bare flesh immediately put him in conflict with himself.
But he was unwilling to tell her to get off of him. He could feel the warmth around him and was afraid if she moved it would go away.
"Um... Uh... Thank you, miss... Ma'am... m'lady... I... Sorry if I've inconvenienced you... Thank you for saving me..."
His face was beet red. If nothing else he was warming up from embarrassment.

His armored arms and gauntlets clattered against the stone floor as he pushed himself up a little to look around. The blizzard had picked up outside.
"Crap... I passed out didn't I? How long was I out?"
He was doing anything at this point, trying desperately to distract himself from the awkward position he was in. He wasn't doing a very good job, but he was somewhat successful in not looking or staring at the barely dressed woman with her hands on him.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon was patient, and her hands remained firmly over the man’s chest as he started coming to, a slight grin on her lips as she felt him tense. The stuttering and flushing red face made her laugh under her breath and she sat back in a crouch at the fire..”I made you uncomfortable..” her head tilted. “I only meant to keep your heart from stopping.. But if my means offended you..” she settled her hand on her chest in a sort of mock apology. She found his prudish embarrassment amusing and she couldn’t hide it, he was unlike any man she had ever come across, all of which who’d seen her bare skinned would’ve taken lashings rather than look away. And here this man tried to do anything but look at her. “Ser, I am not trying to molest you.” She grinned at him and chuckled to herself. “I am Fallon.” she told him with a gentle dipping of her chin, hoping that he might ease.

“Mh, about an hour.” Fallon answered when he asked how long he’d been out for. “You should rest here, the blizzard will surely kill you. I’ll stay closeby and return to the Caern in the morning.” She stood, and took a few steps back to let him warm by the fire without feeling too intimidated by her presence. Fallon wasn’t worried about the blizzard, only that there might be others seeking shelter from it in the caves, and there were many who’d gut the man and take his warm shelter from him.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

He sighed as she moved her hands away, but his heart didn't stop fluttering. He chuckled a bit nervously at her teasing but he was being good natured about it.
"I'm sorry. You've not offended me. I'm simply chaste in devotion to my faith... And the touch of a woman is unfamiliar to say the least."
He sat up and scooted closer to the fire, pulling his knees up to his chest as he pulled his shirt closed to preserve the warmth she gave him
.
When she introduced herself he introduced himself in turn. "Elijah Celasaer. Again, thank you for pulling me out of the snow. I guess you would call me a flatlander, I'm not used to a harsh climate such as this. I should have been more mindful of my frailties."
He'd been out for an hour, she said. He had chased that beast for the better part of the day, a good four hours constant chase through the woods. If his comrades weren't searching for him by then they most certainly are now, but the way the blizzard was going they might be driven back to shelter like he was.

He wondered if they found his horse, or perhaps his horse was still looking for him. That thought worried him, though he didn't worry that his steed would be much hampered by the cold. He did remember the warning Fallon gave him before he passed out that there were other creatures that would be attracted by the blood.
But a look outside told him he wasn't going anywhere while the wind howled like that, so he consigned himself to wait.

"What is the Caern you mentioned? I wasn't aware of any sacred places this close to the spine."

 

[Fallon]

Fallon's brow rose at him and she nodded, she had met men of faith before who had taken such vows and she understood his celibacy, but still it amused her that a full grown man would be so red faced over the innocent touch of a woman. "Of course." she smirked, but there was a warmth to her smile as it met her eyes. "I promise only to touch you if your life is at risk.." she laughed under her breath. "Thank the gods I didn't strip you out of your wet clothes and lay on top of you.." she whispered to him. She had planned to, to get the heat back into his body, but luckily her hands on his chest had sufficed, otherwise she might have had to let him die of heart failure regardless. She was toying with him now and cleared her throat in apology, and she turned her attention to poking at the fire with a stick.

"A pleasure to meet you Elijah.. And yes you should have, but I know how persuasive the hunt can be." she smiled in understanding. "Still, frailties are much less so in greater numbers, yes? Don't you have a.. people?" she asked, inspecting her wounds, but they were no longer wounds at all and red lines in her skin where the Wendigo had raked it's claws through.

Her brow furrowed in consideration for a moment and she turned her intense gaze back to the man's face to regard him.. "It is my home. My family's home. We live much higher up in the mountains." she told him and her head tilted in her usual wolfish fashion "I am one of the Garou." she lifted her chin proudly.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

She was teasing him now, and that was fine. He'd been teased by women before, especially when they learned he was a paladin. So he learned to shrug it off. But her suggestive joke did make his ears burn with greater embarrassment.
At her question he nodded, "I don't have a "people" per say. My comrades in the order are my brothers and sisters in arms. The commander of our order and the High Cleric our father, the high priestess our mother. No doubt my brothers and sisters will give me an earful for attempting this alone when I join them again. I swear it's not my pride at work, my heart just burns to make the darkness burn in the light... And I suppose I get carried away."

He risked a glance at her and made sure to keep his gaze on her face. It was actually hard to tell how old she was from her looks, she had a few distinct features but they weren't indicative of any race he was familiar with.
"The Garou? Is that a mountain tribe? I'm afraid they are unknown to me, what are your people like?"
He crossed his legs under him and let the heat of the fire reach his body better as he listened intently. A tribe of wolf shifters living in the spine? It was interesting to him. Others from the order might be questioning whether the Garou were a tribe of pagan worshippers of old gods, but he had genuine curiosity.

 

[Fallon]

Her silver eyes studied him, drinking in his words, she loved to learn from people and had always been interested in the ways of other races and beings, and she sat like a child being read a story, nodding with a slight twist of her lips.. "I see..". He seemed a respectable sort, and his ways of things were not so different from hers in reality.

She made sure to offer a warm smile as he looked at her, he'd seemed afraid to and she tried to make him feel a little less uncomfortable to do so. Fallon often held a very serious expression, but she was simply pensive and proud, and a smile lit up her features with sincerity and warmth. She looked to be in her early thirties, but in reality she was much older than that. She curled some of her wild blonde hair to the back of her ear which by the sounds of her accent should have pointed but was not, instead it was almost squared and tipped instead with silvery scars that told tales of her torture.

Fallon couldn't help but chuckle at him "I suppose we are a tribe of sorts.." she sat more comfortably and smirked, lifting her hands to the flames and into a circular motion, causing the smoke to swirl above it, a trick she used to keep the children of her pack entertained when she told them their stories. The smoke would take the shape of a wolf.. "The Garou are an ancient race. We are wolves, warriors gifted by the gods and created to protect the lands from any darkness that plagues it. Our main prey are demons who have escaped onto these planes.." she smiled, waving her hand at the smoke and watching as the wolf shifted from wolf to human, and then to dire wolf, and once more to a much larger bipedal form that silently roared.."We restore balance.." she tilted her head, waving her hand to clear the smoke away.

"And I suppose we are not so different, from what you describe your people are like your pack. I am Alpha of my own pack, so a pack mother. None of them are my blood but we are stronger than that. And it seems we both share a common purpose."

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

He listened with similar childlike fascination, nodding as she described her race and culture.
"Indeed, we seem quite similar in our goals. Demons are our common enemy, and it is our purpose to destroy them at any opportunity. As well as any other creature that hides their deeds from righteous judgement. Vampires, undead, corrupted men or beasts like the Wendigo. It's the duty of the paladin order to purge all of these creatures from the earth."

He removed the rest of his cold armor and rubbed some warmth into his arms, "Though... I admit that the goals of the order are less than a pursuit of balance or equality of forces. The goal of the order is to completely eradicate the dark, so that the light can flourish uninterrupted and unchallenged for eternity."
He didn't really know why he brought that up, but she had a motherly vibe about her that he trusted.
"To be honest, I think the order chases a utopian dream. Good in theory, evil in practice. I do my best by what I believe is right and what the gods deem is good and holy, but with the order I do have my doubts."

He gazed into the fire, letting the soothing light unlock the dreams he stowed away in his secret thoughts. A life of a paladin was good and fulfilling for him. But the more he learned of himself, the people he met, and the experiences he had... Sometimes he wondered if the gods destined him for so much more.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon watched him thoughtfully for a long moment, pursing her lips at his words and her brow furrowed slightly.. "I don't particularly believe in 'good' and 'evil'.. All those who deem themselves to be 'good' have a little darkness in them, I have plenty of it, but it keeps me strong and allows me to do what is necessary to do what I was created to do. Demons belong somewhere, just not here. We do much of our hunting on this plane but there are others that we can reach.." she paused, it was all a little complicated and she didn't expect a human to understand.

"Vampires and undead do not belong here and so yes, we have a responsibility to purge them. But corrupt men are men, and this world needs the balance of good men and corrupt men to stay the cycle. Unless myself or my pack is in any danger of harm from them, that is. In that case I'll kill whomever I must. But in general, they are not my concern nor my responsibility.." she shrugged a bare shoulder at her words.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

"Responsibility. Yes, that's a good word. I think I admire that about you, or people like you. You are not content to follow blindly, you have a responsibility to those who follow you to think critically about the world.
Even when I lead I feel as though my actions have been determined by someone else, it's how I was raised to carry out my duty without question... A mindless champion of the light."
It came out before he could stop himself. If one thought about it in a certain way it would seem that this half naked woman was what inspired him to reveal his true thoughts... This thought didn't occur to him, but it would have made him go even redder if it were possible.

"I would never say the goals of the order are bad. A world without evil is a truly wonderful dream, but I'm not foolish enough to think that dream could ever be a reality... Or that our means of achieving it aren't flawed... Or that trying to achieve it might be a mistake. As you said, upsetting the balance, evil is practically a part of nature, and we try to force it into extinction."
He looked deep into the fire, deep into his own thoughts.
He wondered... Was it wise to tell this woman his deepest thoughts? His secrets that the order doesn't even suspect?
The redness of his embarrassment faded from his face as he began to break down mental walls.

 

[Fallon]

Fallon narrowed her eyes as she listened to him speak, and there seemed to be a sadness in his words, so she considered them for a moment in silence. Fallon had dealt with more emotional issues than she had physical wounds in her pack, and though he wasn't Garou, she tried her best to see it from his point of view..

"I am Alpha of my pack yes, my pack follow me but I would not expect them to do so blindly. Our purpose is taught to them as children, they are trained, but we have healers and theurges, and we have warriors. My pack make their own choices, and they do not only respect me but I respect and follow them also. They are encouraged to disagree and speak against me if they think I am wrong, should they do so respectfully. They are encouraged to take their own paths providing they do not cause harm to the pack or themselves, or anyone who they ought not to harm. I am no better than them because I am their leader, I -was- them, and one day one of them will take over.." she wrapped her arms around her knees and smiled at him. "Just because you follow doesn't mean that you are mindless. You have good intentions and do what you deem to be what is right, but you still speak your own mind, at least to me, and so how can you be mindless?"

"Have the strength and courage to question everything. It does not make you wrong or weak or unruly, it makes you wiser."

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

He smiled and looked at her again, this time without embarrassment.
"You seem very wise yourself, and a good leader. I admire those who can lead such as you, and I hope to imitate that in the way I lead my comrades. Seems even in my bouts of irresponsibility there are many who still look up to me for leadership."
He put his hands before the fire and rubbed them together, his attention on the fire once more. This woman was much wiser than he was, and he could fit her head in his hand.

"The gods must have sent you to me. This has been a very enlightening encounter! You are a good leader, Lady Fallon. I hope you consider me a friend. That would honor me very much."

 

[Fallon]

Fallon laughed quietly under her breath at his words “If I am wise it is because I question things. I learn what I can from whomever I can, from children to elders, from other races and backgrounds. We are never done learning. I was taught well by my pack Alphas and I have them to thank for how strongly my pack have grown under my own leadership.” She shrugged “When I am too old to fight what else can I give them if not wisdom? It is far more important.”

Fallon raised a brow at his words “Hm.. I was simply out for a run when I happened to hear your wounded Wendigo, but who am I to question the actions of the gods?..” at the comment he made about friendship, Fallon’s head tilted at him and her eyes narrowed by the warmth in her smile. “As it would honour me, my friend.” She dipped her chin respectfully to the paladin.

She studied him a little longer and moved closer again now that he appeared to have settled in her company. And she reached for his hand curiously “You are no ordinary human.. You have giant’s blood, yes?..“ she questioned, sizing up his palm with her own.

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

He looked down at her hand as it reached for his, but he didn't shy away, letting her take his hand and examine it.
She asked about his giants blood and he shrugged.
"So I'm told. I have no memory of my parents. I was an orphan raised by the templar order. They said my father might have been a cloud giant which explains some of my abilities aside from the gifts the gods bestow on me themselves. That's about all I know."

He reached into his belt pouch and removed a bit of hard bread, he offered her some before crunching on the larger cracker.
"But aside from the obvious, I'm as human as anyone. I have an immortal soul, thoughts, emotions, cares, worries, and dreams. And the most prominent dream that has stayed with me through my childhood to now is to become a great leader someday. I've been given a heart to serve others, and I want to do that by leading them to a better tomorrow."

 

[Fallon]

She nodded gently as he spoke of his parents "I am sorry.. It is a great shame for those who have not known parents.." she frowned, she had been lucky enough in that regard. Fallon lifted her eyes from his hand at his words.. "Cloud Giant?.." she asked "I've heard of them in stories but I'm afraid I've never seen one for myself. Tell me of your gifts?.." she questioned further, leaving his hand to let him eat and shaking her head politely at the offer.

Hearing of his aspirations she smiled "Then it shall be. Just, do not let it taint you. Men's minds do strange things when trusted with power.. But, you do not seem like most men. You want to lead to make the world better not make it yours.."

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

He shrugged when she spoke of parents and thought for a moment while he ate.
"I can sense magical items, summon fog and create a light in my hand at will. A couple times per day I can slow my decent if I'm falling, I can even fly at times, I can use a mist to teleport a short distance I can see, I can move things with my mind. And once a day I can change the weather and turn my body into a cloud."
He regretted having used his power over the weather already that day, it only lasts for a short while and he used it to hold off the blizzard for as long as he could.

He finished the cracker and brushed off his hands. He was getting much warmer now and thus more comfortable. The blizzard still raged outside but the sky was getting darker. But he suddenly perked up and looked outside.
"Oh good! Redemption finally found me!"
Out of the blizzard a huge horses head peered through the opening, snow blew off of its snout as it snorted, and it gave a victorious whinny as it saw its master.
Elijah stood up and led the horse into the cave, it was fortunate that the cave was just big enough to allow the horse some shelter.

He brushed the snow off of the huge animal and seemed to be talking to himself.
"I know, I know, this was a totally stupid idea. But the wendigo is dead now thanks to some help the gods sent my way."
He took off the chargers armor, saddle, bridle and blankets before he turned back to Fallon.
"Redemption, this is Fallon, a friend who killed the wendigo.
Lady Fallon, this is Redemption. My holy charger and, sadly, one of my closest friends."
The horse shouldered him at the jibe and snorted. The horse took a few steps forward and bent its front knees while lowering its head in a kneeling bow.
Elijah smiled and shook his head as he went back to the fire, "He's thanking you for keeping me alive."

 

[Fallon]

Fallon's gaze widened a little as he rhymed off his abundance of gifts and her head tilted "You sound like more of an angel than a giant with those gifts. You have most certainly been blessed by gods" she nodded with conviction, for that matter simply couldn't be untrue in Fallon's mind. Her attention turned to the mouth of the cave and her posture stiffened a little as though she might leap into action at once. But the horse had no rider, and Elijah recognised him as his own.

Fallon stood as Elijah guided the huge steed into the cave, and although she couldn't help but smirk as he apparently conversed with it, she took a step back and regarded him from a greater distance. She had tried to like horses when she was much younger, but they had generally never seemed to like her, they could smell the wolf from her and it usually spooked them. She had been kicked when she'd been only a child and it'd instilled a life long fear of the beasts, damn things were dangerous at both ends.

She smiled at the introduction, and dipped her chin with a quiet laugh as the horse knelt. Still she didn't approach, and leaned her back against the wall of the cave and folded her arms across her chest "He is very welcome." she smirked.. "And you should never be sad about having close friends.. We have many feral wolves that add to the numbers in our pack, and I consider them family. Just because a creature cannot talk does not mean that it doesn't love you, and what is a friend if not someone that you care for? You are lucky to have a friend who tackled this blizzard to find you."