The Middle..
I got kicked by a werewolf. To her credit, she didn't know I was there; I was hiding out under their table on the patio grabbin' scraps. But she kicked me while I was starin' at Helios, and I squawked, and she apologized. ....in Raven. That's how I met Ankti, and I owe her a lot. Cos she took me to the Sept of LOOOOOOVE. The Home of Faithful Children. And she introduced me around to people. Micah Sears, her alpha, Freya, a storyteller, Jason Luna, the guardian..Richard Harris, a doctor.

Well I got to spendin' time there. And pretty soon I fucked up, and I called one of my friends a puppy, and his packmate got pissed off. And I claimed to be friends with Ankti and Micah's pack, and one of -their- packmates got pissed off cos he'd never met me and here I was claimin' his friendship. So now I'm 36 floors up in a skyscraper, in the unwieldiest form of all, with no windows that'll open and two wolves that wanna tear me apart. .....and then HE stepped in. Up till that point, Richard was just one of the other wolves; more favorably disposed towards me than most of 'em...but I hadn't really talked to him much. And he did something that I've never seen him do again, before or since. He pulled rank. And he forced them to back down. He saved my ass. It wouldn't be the last time, neither.

Richard and I struck up a kinda friendship after that. He always seemed so sad. And I just couldn't understand why a person would be that sad when there was so much to see and do. So I decided I was gonna cheer him up. We worked together to keep a spider from gettin' his ass kicked when he dallied with a wolfkin...and grew to respect each other. And then the blizzard struck.

I spent the first day or so of the storm out in it. By then I'd worn out my welcome at the Sept...and I was a pretty hardy bird anyways. But this storm kicked my ass. So I went the only place I knew without a doubt that I'd be safe. And I wound up at Richard's. We spent a week and a half locked in by that storm. And...he mentioned another werewolf somewhere in there...and I was jealous. Jealous! I mean - I didn't understand it at the time. Wasn't until quite sometime later that Richard helped me understand how I felt. But -he- saw it. And it surprised him. And by the end of the storm, it was obvious to us both. I don't know Gaia's plans, and I certainly didn't intend for this to happen, but I was in love with a Wolf. And he was in love with me.

RECENT PAST:
(Nature Cub, Demeanor Caregiver)
Richard and I fought to be together. The Corax elder didn't like it. And the Ratkin didn't like it. And the Wolves REALLY didn't like it. But they were a Sept of Love. How much could they do without betraying what they stood for? Richard got shot with a silver bullet in the shoulder; I dodged a golden bullet. I petitioned Unicorn, and learned how to heal, and healed my mate, and joined him in healing anyone that came to us. We stopped a ronin and his pet banes who were setting fire to people, with the help of our friend Trump Xavier Trumpage, the Bone Gnawer. At one point Richard drove me away, thinking it was for my own good - but I brought a sick Corax back to him cos he was the only person I knew that could help - and we woke up the next morning in the same bed. Something to thank Flies Through Shadows for, I suppose, not that he knew what was going on.

We killed a spiral and a fomor together, and healed a Strider kin who'd been driven by a ghost to slit her wrists. Harris Medical has become a meeting place for the Corax....and the Corax have discovered not all Wolves are dumb. One by one, they realize the choice I've made, and why...and they approve.

Richard survived an attack on a hive. The most nerve-wracking night of my life. Even more than when we fought the Ronin, and I had to fly his unconscious ass to the sept to get him healed. I guess I'm lucky that he's scrawny; if he'd been much bigger I wouldn't have been able to.

CURRENT:
(Nature Caregiver, Demeanor Caregiver)
Now the Ring of Stones - the place where the Fera meet and gather - is under attack by Banes. And the Corax have decided to do what we're made to do, and lead Gaia's Warriors to the threat. The Garou are going to find the Ring. And the rest of the changing breeds are going to hate the Corax. But if that's the price it takes to save it.....then that's what we'll pay. And I know, more than most - that it's not always wrong to trust the wolves. If you're careful...sometimes the trust is returned.

MEMORIAL FOR THE RING
(Nature Caregiver, Demeanor Pedagogue)
Feather, in the Umbra of Hero's Fall, will call the raven spirits to her and begin to speak, her words slow and thought out, a story of bravery and sacrifice. Her feathers are ragged, pinfeathers throughout the blue-black shine, still growing back in from her near brush with death. Her talons are gnarled and flaking, scars all over them from her severe burns. But she ignores her own discomfort as she begins the story she wants spread near and far.



"We have lost the Ring of Stones. We have lost the Gossip Tree. And we have lost more than that. Three good men died today. Three more defenders of Gaia have fallen.

Plays in Traffic, Jonny, trickster of the Nuwisha, died in the Shadows before he could act, ambushed by banes that the rest of us did not see, but by his sacrifice revealing those very banes.

Squeak, Sam LeMart, ratkin, was beheaded, after destroying 3 banes with his teeth and claws. Squeak tore the head from two banes, and the spine from a third. He died rushing the second wave, his Rage fueling him beyond what should have been death. He was amazing, and he will be greatly missed.

Killian Gray of the Simba died, a mighty British Lion and one I was proud to call friend. Yes. A Cat. But a cat who respected the Corax. He removed the head from a bane in one enormous bite, and was cut in two by a banesword in the second wave.

We lost those three. But the survivors were no less glorious.

A Gurahl aided us, though we had never seen him before, emerging from the forest as a mountain of fur and muscle. He never seemed to notice the spears and swords slashing at him, and he took two banes in his jaws. He disappeared after the battle. I hope to find him again; I believe he has much to teach us.

Claws of Shame. *and here she looks up at the raven spirits* I no longer will call him Claws of Shame. Claws of Glory took a full half of the banes attacking us. He accepted healing from a wolf, my mate, Richard Harris, when the wolves have long been our enemies, and he had no reason to trust him beyond my word. These are not shameful actions. Metis by birth he may be. But I will call him Claws of Glory. Without him I don't believe any of us would have survived. The banes stabbed him, and struck at him, and wounded as he was, he struck back. And a full half of the banes died by his teeth and claws. *shakes her feathered head* That is glorious, not shameful. I name him Claws of Glory in the eyes of the Corax.

Dustin Havok, a Corax brother. He stayed out of reach, as a Corax should, but dived in and finished off the wounded banes, picking and choosing the vulnerable before they could regroup and attack again. A cunning fighter. And one I am proud to call brother.

Xian (Wiaxiu?), a Tengu, Corax cousin. Her blades and her skill tore through the first wave of banes before she was sent to gather reinforcements from the Garou of Hero's Fall. The beauty of her art was an amazing thing to watch.

...Richard Harris. My Mate. Fostern Theurge of the GlassWalkers. He had the cunning to command banes to attack each other, before joining in the fight to aid us. Aid us, the Fera, and defend our holy place. Hero's Fall came rushing to our aid, yes, but Remains-Above-the-Grave came alone, his heart and his strength indispensable in this fight. He was brought low by a spear thrust as he tried in vain to heal Squeak - he was healed by the Gurahl and then healed every survivor in the party. Without him and his selfless healing, we might still be struggling - and dying - in that blight. Two fell by his claws.

Squee, of the ratkin, who tried also to save Squeak. Her blades allowed us the time we needed to finish off the banes. And her gifts of hiding allowed us to flee afterwards, when it became painfully obvious we could stay and die in vain, or run to regroup and come back. She never hesitated. Not even when she realized there was a wolf among our numbers.

And I - I brought back an acorn from the tree. Before it was destroyed, I asked Dustin to take 3 acorns. He has one. I have one. Xian has one. We will replant the tree. We will regroup. We will take back our land and we will keep fighting. The Ring is destroyed. The Gossip tree was -eaten- by something the dancers summoned. The entire forest is a blight. But Raven appeared to Flies Through Shadows and I. He told us to come here, seeking Death's Chant. Raven decreed Death's Chant had a place for us, and I pray that is so; we have very few places left to go.

*takes a deep breath*

Jeine Shurani, of the Kitsune, has given birth to twin Kitsune kinfolk. I thank Gaia for the reminder. Even on a day when three of her warriors are brought to their knees by the Wyrm, she is still at work. The Wyld lives on, new life is created. Gaia and the Wyld have shown us the way. *holds out the acorn* We will replant.

I ask you to spread these words, far and wide. Remember Killian Gray, who died in the middle of combat, and took banes with him in his jaws. Remember Squeak, who was a friend of Corax, and an amazing fighter. Remember Plays in Traffic, who died in the shadows and brought light on what was hiding there. They died for Gaia. They died for the Wyld. And we cannot let their deaths be in vain.

*stands up tall, raising her voice as she nears her end*

I, Feather Out Of Turkeys Tail, Oviculum of the Corax, bear witness to these deeds and these deaths. And I share these stories with you, as is our way. Let them never be forgotten.

Memorial for the Ring.
THE FIERY TREE
Nadia Koriskov’s Account of one of Feather’s Deeds: (Shadow Lord Galliard)

The first time the Burning Tree came, no one knew anything about it, why it was there, or how to stop it. No one had ever seen or heard of a WALKING, BURNING tree before.

The North Winds grabbed our attention suddenly, blowing hard to alert us to the intruder. All who first saw the Tree stared in surprise and shock. First, trees just don’t walk…do they? Second, how could the Tree be on fire, yet not burn? The Tree was HUGE, and everywhere it touched, it left a trail of scorched earth behind it.
.....

While others – apparently including Conall Golden Tongue McKenzie, Fostern Fianna Galliard – continued attacking the Tree with teeth and claws, even after Adok’s death, Daniel Silent Death Williams, Shadow Lord Ragabash Cliath, ran to the river and coated himself in water, then carried large, wet rocks back to throw at the tree. A few, seeing what Silent Death was doing, joined in. Final Judgement-rhya arrived and started hitting it with a sword.

None of this had any real effect on the Tree. Unable to reach its destination, it simply turned into dark smoke and started heading back to its place of origin, as per its orders.

Okay, NOW what? How does one defeat smoke? How does one capture it?

Feather Out of Turkey’s Tail, Corax, tried to blow it with her wings, in warform, but that didn’t work. It was simply too large, too much smoke. I howled for others to grab barrels or anything they could find that could be used to contain the smoke….but there was very little on the bawn that might be of use, since Weaver tools are frowned upon.

Since this was the first time we had encountered such a creature, Feather and I, and again there were others, but I’m not sure who else, followed the smoke. It was impossible to see it from the ground at night, so Feather followed it in raven form and passed the information back to me as I ran in Lupus on the ground, then I passed it on to the others.

We followed it like this to the north for about two miles. Then it suddenly changed back to a Tree, but without fire. I howled again to get it off the ground, and we prepared to attack….but we were still a distance away and weren’t fast enough. Flames engulfed it once again….then it ‘looked’ at us.

Dear Gaia, I’ve – never – felt such terror in my life! That just wasn’t…me. And I wasn’t the only one affected, either. I don’t know or understand how, but that Tree must have created some kind of Delirium in us. All I wanted to do was to hide, so the Tree wouldn’t see me. I wanted it to go away. The others turned and ran. Feather, however, screamed at the tree in her Raven form, then ATTACKED it!

All I could think of at the time was that she was going to make the Tree angry, and that it would kill all of us. I was terrified. I was more terrified of that tree than I’ve ever been of anything in my whole life. I was terrified for Feather’s life. But at the time, I was more terrified of what her attack would cause the Tree to do to us. Believe me, this was NOT normal. The Tree must have used some kind of a Gift on us to create that intense of a fear. Of course at the time, I was so overcome by irrational terror that I couldn’t think. I knew by instinct that the Tree would kill Feather. I also was terrified that her attack on it would draw its attention to me, and it would kill me.

{She shudders slightly at the memory.}

I didn’t think. I reacted. Feather’s claws gripped one of the Tree’s burning branches, and the odor of melting claws and burning feathers filled the air. I shifted to Crinos and ran.

Do any of you have any idea how hard it is to face a threat when you’re – that – terrified of it? Thinking about it now…..now that I can actually remember it…or at least parts of it….I honestly don’t know how I did it. But I did.

In Crinos, I ran towards the Tree and grabbed Feather. She kept cawing in a panic “Kill it! Kill it!” over and over. Even though her feathers were on fire and her feet were melting, she would not release the Tree. I had to pull with all my strength to get her away from the Tree.

By the time I finally managed to pull her off, I was afraid it was too late. All of her feathers were gone, her feet were melted, and she smelled and looked like Roast Raven. Then she frenzied and attacked me.

I grabbed her and held on with all my strength, while trying to get us both away from the Tree. I had to keep squeezing until she lost consciousness, then I took her and ran.

Corax were not created for battle like we were. Their bones are fragile and break easily. The very fact that she attacked the Burning Tree like that at all is a testament to how powerful the Delirium…or whatever it was…that the Tree hit us with was. Feather would have died that night if I had not somehow, in the moment of my strongest, deepest, most uncontrollable terror, managed to push through it to save her. I’m still not sure how I did that, but I did. If I had run when the others did, instead of trying to hide, then she would have died.

{She gives herself a good shake, shakes her head, and shrugs.}

There are those who see only my faults, my mistakes. These tales lie as proof of my courage, proof of my sacrifices for others, as well as proof of my sacrifices and deeds for the caern and for Gaia. I knew very well that I might also be burned by the Tree…and I was terrified of it. Yet I still risked it, despite the Delirium, to save Feather. The battlescars on her feet and legs lie as proof of that night….the night that a non-Ahroun, not-equipped-for-battle-like-we-are Corax, attacked a Wyrmy, Burning Tree, like a cross between a Get of Fenris Ahroun and a drunken Conall Golden Tongue….brave, but crazy. {Smirks, but there seems to be an increasingly rare touch of humor to her eyes and voice.}

AFTERMATH:
When three of my friends died at the Ring, and Richard came so close to dying, I realized something. So many times he’d almost died, and without him I’d have nothing. I wanted something to hold onto...I guess that’s a human emotion, it was sure new to me. So each time he loved me I prayed to Gaia, and she blessed me that spring. After asking permission from the Keeper of the Land and the Grand Elder, I built a nest in Hero’s Fall and laid four eggs. Death’s Chant-rhya ((Grand Elder)) gave me permission for Richard to visit. Dirty Urrah, to them, but as I’d proved myself against the fiery tree, he bent that far. It was a little later then normal; the eggs hatched in June......and the chicks were terrified by me. *hangs her head, sadly* -Too- blessed by Helios’ fire, I guess. ((Rage 3)) Flies through Shadows, who’d helped me sit the eggs, helped me raise the chicks, until they would let me near. I owe that bird a lot. Only two hatched, Little Darkness tore through her shell like paper, and Hunts at Dusk took a bit longer. Richard showed up in time to watch them hatch, hauling himself up the tree in a panic, silly man. The guardians picked on him horribly for being the father of birds, but he didn’t care.

As they grew, I watched Darkness carefully - she got into -everything-. I wasn’t the only one watching; Perches and Searches was as well, and I noticed. And petitioned him for help. I wanted Richard to be able to know one of his kids on a level he could understand. He’d learned Beast Speech to be able to talk to us all in our own forms, but it wasn’t the same. Perches agreed, once I earned enough respect. So the Rite was performed, with Dustin and Xian and Flies through Shadows and Richard and I as protectors. Perches had met Richard, and respected him as all the Corax had come to - but made him swear on Gaia and Cockroach that he would not watch. ....Soon he was too busy fighting banes to worry about it; we were attacked by the same forces that had taken the Ring. We won - but Richard was horribly wounded, surviving by his Rage alone, until I healed him. I healed the scar as well, he could not have continued to be a doctor with his spine nearly cloven in two. .....I pray I -never- see him in such pain and danger again. If I’d known the cost I might not have asked Perches for the gift. But it was done. The egg was hidden, and the chicks continued to grow.

The chicks saw Richard as either ‘their warm furry nest’ or ‘that funny looking bird’ as he was the only one that spoke to us in Raven speech - as a wolf.

We had several skirmishes with wyrm forces from what used to be the Ring, I know Richard led a few packs of Garou in to try to stop whatever they were doing, and succeeded in delaying them, at least. My chicks were attacked once, away from the nest and the Sept; Hunts’ wing was broken, but we drove off the Spiral and his servants before they could do more. Richard still wants that spiral dead, for harming our chicks. I started to heal Hunts, then Richard healed us both.

THE STATUE
(Nature Caregiver, Demeanor Pedagogue)
I petitioned a Steel Spirit for Razor Feathers. I’d earned it; I’d proved myself. And with the shit I’d been getting into, I figured I needed it. Downsides to hanging out with wolves, I guess. They tend to get into more fights, and I gotta defend myself. To make a long story short, I had to clean up this great big steel statue of a knight in the middle of Knight’s Square, in the city. And I had to clean ‘im up in both worlds. So Richard set me up with some cleaners...nasty stuff, but it worked...and I did some Rites of Cleansing on the other side, and talked to some spider spirits....again, nasty business...but the steel spirit in the statue was awake, he’d just been forgotten. He used to have a plaque, but it was missing. We became buddies. I’d almost finished, had him sparkling and clean on both sides...and then some STUPID monkey blew hisself up in the square. Left my friend twisted and melted and....I flew to the square to see if he could be saved, and found him in the Umbra, glued to his spot, as always, cleaving banes in half with his sword. But there were -far- too many of them for him to succeed, and he was tiring.

I had a bright idea. I asked him to trust me, and he said he would....and I made him drop his armor and his sword....All of his steel. And I air-lifted him out. But he began to fade. I guess, in cutting his ties to the statue, I stripped him of what made him a steel-spirit. He began to pull energy from me to keep himself alive; ((4 temp gnosis - *suck!*)) I offered it willingly, and set him down on a rooftop....and got his permission to do the only thing I could think of. I re-bound him. To my engagement ring; it was the only thing I had. To my surprise, he reshaped and warped until he was the image of a ring - and melded with my ring. I talked to a Theurge about it later, and apparently when I re-bound him, I gave him a new shape and a new purpose. He was no longer a steel-spirit, I’d stripped that from him. Now he was the spirit of my ring, and the Theurge asked me what my ring meant to me. Well - it’s the engagement ring Richard gave me. It’s a -gorgeous- sparkly. So....I guess he’s a spirit of love now. I take good care of him.

((*tries to think of other noteworthy deeds*))

Worked in tandem with Flies Through Shadows to distract a thralling Ahroun long enough to get his pregnant mate out of danger...
Worked with Richard several times to help heal others, both kin and Garou and Fera....

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