{Forsaken: Jack} 16/5/1997 - Meetings
Ashley had been Uratha for three months; she’d been lucky enough that some of the local Urdaga had been following her right before her First Change and had been there to pick her up. The pack was small, four members now that Ashley had joined, but they were all Blood Talons and knew their territory well so they kept things going good enough. They had a small place near the World’s End and the tube station; a flat with two bedrooms, more than enough when the pack all slept in the one room and it left a spare room for when Alex stayed over. Alex had found out about everything pretty quickly and became close friends with the Uratha, there’d been a bit of worry at first but the boy had strong wolf-blood and wouldn’t be turned away once he figured it out.
It was afternoon and Ashley was at the family home, a small flat in a tenement, the sounds from neighbours were intrusive and the smell of many dinners being cooked seeped through the walls mixing into a miasma of oily scents. The walls in the cluttered kitchen had small framed pictures of vegetables and rabbits; homey touches that served to slightly off put the dingy demeanour of the room. The kitchen was connected to the small living room, the living room was a cramped affair with a tiny television flickering away merrily in one corner and fat lounges shoved too close together.
“Ash, do you know where my name tag is?” came a loud yell as cupboards banged.
“No mum, you checked the bathroom?” said Ashley as she stirred a boiling pot of noodles.
Loud footsteps and a few more banging cupboards later and Jessica announced the found name tag, grabbing together her bag and she was off to work her night job, telling Ashley to make sure Alex had dinner and both did their school work. Pouring the noodles into two bowls and quickly adding the flavouring packets Ashley knocked loudly on the bedroom door. Holding the bowls precariously in one hand she opened the door; the bedroom contained two beds haphazardly separated by a leaning bookcase, hardly big enough for one it served for two, posters covered the worst holes in the walls and discarded socks and birthday cards from Alex’s 15th still littered the floor.
Alex stood leaning out the window blowing smoke, he started as the door opened hastily threw the cigarette away before realizing who it was, Ashley shook her head and handed him his bowl. Alex was a fairly tall fifteen year old and his carefully perfected sour expression and shaven head made him look older, the last couple of months had found him getting into more fights that usual and dull bruises still showed on one of his arms.
“Eat quick; don’t want to miss the train out, James says we’ve gotta patrol tonight.”
The train trip to Camden Town took only a few minutes and by the time the two arrived the sun was still firmly in the sky and the pack was waiting for them on the heavily graffiti-ed station, the pack’s markings subtly mixed with the usual tags. Dean, the Rahu beta, and Run-Blind Jen, the Ithaeur shaman, were sent off down one way while James, Alex and Ashley started walking the other direction; James explaining that keeping a watch on territory was important and how to spot if someone’s been trespassing. Walking through the streets the two teenagers followed James’s lead and watched everything he did; it took a good hour before they got bored of simply walking around and asked to stop and get a drink.
Rounding the corner to the pub James stopped and tilted his head, he frowned and nudged Ashley.
“You smell that?”
“Huh? What?”
The two Uratha sniffed the air and Alex glanced around nervously, the smallest whiff of a foreign Uratha, the two growled low and Alex started.
“What do you smell, what is it?” he asked anxiously.
“Trespasser,” muttered James angrily, “lets go, he’s nearby.”
Walking up and down the street a couple of times the three searched as best they could, the scent was hard to follow and wound upon itself but it led back to the pub. Ashley and James bared their teeth angrily and Alex fidgeted with his switchblade, the pub sounded quiet but it was still daylight after all, the three moved into the building watching everything apprehensively.
The pub was largely empty, a few older men sat to one side playing cards and one fellow was already slumped in his stool with a half empty mug next to him. A television was playing above the bar; a football game was underway and the sound was turned up loud. The barman idly cleaned glasses but was watching a young man seated at the end of the bar carefully; the man was watching the game with obvious enthusiasm, cheering intermittently and drinking without taking his eyes from the screen. As the three entered the man sat up straighter but didn’t turn, his dark mop of hair sat on pale skin and a toothy smile could be seen as his team scored a goal.
James went up and sat on one side of the man while Ashley sat on the other and Alex stood behind, James pointedly reaching out and picking up the strangers glass and taking a deep drink. The stranger’s nose wrinkled in anger and he craned his neck to see the screen.
“You seem to have accidentally wandered into our bar,” said James slowly, taking another sip of the strangers drink.
“I’m just watching the game and getting a drink, ain’t no law against that,” the stranger muttered back in a lilting Irish accent.
“Think you’ll find there is, can’t be letting any wolf wander through our territory now can we?”
“Wolf?”
James frowned and sniffed the air quickly as though checking something; Ashley looked about fretfully, the stranger twitched.
“Uratha?” asked James quietly, the stranger twitched as he recognized the word.
“What?”
“Oh I get it, you’re new aren’t you?” asked James.
“I don’t know what yer talking about,” growled the man.
“You do, you got a pack?”
“…no.”
“You looking for one?” said James with a grin, the man stopped for a moment, “Of course you wouldn’t be getting in without proving yourself, not about to let some weak sodding mick in easy after all.”
The stranger nodded understandingly, “sounds good to me, where do we fight?”
James laughed, “Not me, mick, her,” he said gesturing at Ashley. “Down at the park, near the lake, it’ll be deserted and private now. You ready?”
The stranger nodded and Ashley tried to appear stoic as though this had always been the plan, the four moved out of the bar and headed toward to the station. The park was fairly secluded, trees and bushes sheltering it from the road and a calm lake nearby. Ashley stalked around tensely, Alex leaned against a tree and the stranger stood awkwardly near Alex; James stood in front of the group.
“Okay, this is an official challenge, so remember that and no killing; only incapacitation, aside from that anything goes. Alex, there’s going to be changing, try not to get twitchy and if you need to take a walk do it. Everyone ready?”
The stranger nodded and stepped forward, Ashley grinned and moved up, a terse handshake between the two and the fight began. Ashley shrugged her shoulders as she slowly shifted up into Dalu while the man cracked his neck and moved into Urshul, the two circled trying to get a measure of the other; Ashley levelled a quick kick at the big wolf’s head, the wolf dodged back and snapped it’s jaws at Ashley’s foot and the circling continued, Alex and James watched intently.
The wolf leapt forward at Ashley, its heavy jaws cutting into her shoulder and its weight bearing her to the ground, wolf and human rolled end over end trying to gain dominance. The wolf still latched to her shoulder Ashley ended up on top, sending swift punches into the wolf’s ribs, the blood running from her shoulder. The wolf growled and shook its head; Ashley cried out in pain as her flesh was shredded and pushed the wolf off her.
Kicking the wolf hard in the mouth Ashley heard the satisfying crunch of broken bone and the wolf howled in pain, new blood running from its mouth. It leapt at her again, digging its sharp claws into her stomach and ripping, Ashley rolled back and the wolf fell back to the ground. Ashley attempted to sweep its feet out from under it but the wolf dodged swiftly to the side and bit down on her other shoulder, letting go and moving back to circling. Dodging in the wolf grabbed one of Ashley’s ankles and crunched down hard, bones broke and Ashley hit the ground hard, the wolf danced away.
Ashley growled and kicked out at the wolf with her unbroken leg, colliding with the shoulder and sending the wolf skidding backwards. Growling the wolf threw itself onto Ashley, rolling towards the lake and biting into her arm. Ashley cried in pain, Alex looked away from the blood and James watched silently. As the wolf bit down Ashley rolled the two into the lake, struggling to hold the wolf’s head under the water while keeping above the surface herself. The water thrashed and the two struggled, the wolf grew human arms and its fingers dug into Ashley’s arms as she held him under. Slowly the thrashing stopped.
“Pull him out!” shouted James but Ashley was already doing it, she dragged him up to the shore and turned him on his side, as the water drained from his mouth he gasped and coughs wracked his body.
James laughed, “You okay, fish?”
The man started breathing evenly and his wounds healed as they watched, Alex was still looking away, “So, I guess I’m to be on my way?” he said with another cough.
“Nah, you did okay,” said James giving the man a hand up, only then did the three look over to Ashley.
Ashley was staring up in confusion as one of the silver dancers glittered in a tree, smiling at her, Ashley frowned up in confusion.
“James, one of those dancers is here… what’s happening?”
James walked over and looked up into the tree, his eyes going distant for a second as he stared into the Other, he smiled.
“Well I reckon you did better than I thought, that’s a Lune, you know; a moon spirit. Looks like it thinks you get a brand,” said James happily smiling up at the Lune.
And that’s how the pack met Fish and Ashley got her first Honour brand.
It was afternoon and Ashley was at the family home, a small flat in a tenement, the sounds from neighbours were intrusive and the smell of many dinners being cooked seeped through the walls mixing into a miasma of oily scents. The walls in the cluttered kitchen had small framed pictures of vegetables and rabbits; homey touches that served to slightly off put the dingy demeanour of the room. The kitchen was connected to the small living room, the living room was a cramped affair with a tiny television flickering away merrily in one corner and fat lounges shoved too close together.
“Ash, do you know where my name tag is?” came a loud yell as cupboards banged.
“No mum, you checked the bathroom?” said Ashley as she stirred a boiling pot of noodles.
Loud footsteps and a few more banging cupboards later and Jessica announced the found name tag, grabbing together her bag and she was off to work her night job, telling Ashley to make sure Alex had dinner and both did their school work. Pouring the noodles into two bowls and quickly adding the flavouring packets Ashley knocked loudly on the bedroom door. Holding the bowls precariously in one hand she opened the door; the bedroom contained two beds haphazardly separated by a leaning bookcase, hardly big enough for one it served for two, posters covered the worst holes in the walls and discarded socks and birthday cards from Alex’s 15th still littered the floor.
Alex stood leaning out the window blowing smoke, he started as the door opened hastily threw the cigarette away before realizing who it was, Ashley shook her head and handed him his bowl. Alex was a fairly tall fifteen year old and his carefully perfected sour expression and shaven head made him look older, the last couple of months had found him getting into more fights that usual and dull bruises still showed on one of his arms.
“Eat quick; don’t want to miss the train out, James says we’ve gotta patrol tonight.”
The train trip to Camden Town took only a few minutes and by the time the two arrived the sun was still firmly in the sky and the pack was waiting for them on the heavily graffiti-ed station, the pack’s markings subtly mixed with the usual tags. Dean, the Rahu beta, and Run-Blind Jen, the Ithaeur shaman, were sent off down one way while James, Alex and Ashley started walking the other direction; James explaining that keeping a watch on territory was important and how to spot if someone’s been trespassing. Walking through the streets the two teenagers followed James’s lead and watched everything he did; it took a good hour before they got bored of simply walking around and asked to stop and get a drink.
Rounding the corner to the pub James stopped and tilted his head, he frowned and nudged Ashley.
“You smell that?”
“Huh? What?”
The two Uratha sniffed the air and Alex glanced around nervously, the smallest whiff of a foreign Uratha, the two growled low and Alex started.
“What do you smell, what is it?” he asked anxiously.
“Trespasser,” muttered James angrily, “lets go, he’s nearby.”
Walking up and down the street a couple of times the three searched as best they could, the scent was hard to follow and wound upon itself but it led back to the pub. Ashley and James bared their teeth angrily and Alex fidgeted with his switchblade, the pub sounded quiet but it was still daylight after all, the three moved into the building watching everything apprehensively.
The pub was largely empty, a few older men sat to one side playing cards and one fellow was already slumped in his stool with a half empty mug next to him. A television was playing above the bar; a football game was underway and the sound was turned up loud. The barman idly cleaned glasses but was watching a young man seated at the end of the bar carefully; the man was watching the game with obvious enthusiasm, cheering intermittently and drinking without taking his eyes from the screen. As the three entered the man sat up straighter but didn’t turn, his dark mop of hair sat on pale skin and a toothy smile could be seen as his team scored a goal.
James went up and sat on one side of the man while Ashley sat on the other and Alex stood behind, James pointedly reaching out and picking up the strangers glass and taking a deep drink. The stranger’s nose wrinkled in anger and he craned his neck to see the screen.
“You seem to have accidentally wandered into our bar,” said James slowly, taking another sip of the strangers drink.
“I’m just watching the game and getting a drink, ain’t no law against that,” the stranger muttered back in a lilting Irish accent.
“Think you’ll find there is, can’t be letting any wolf wander through our territory now can we?”
“Wolf?”
James frowned and sniffed the air quickly as though checking something; Ashley looked about fretfully, the stranger twitched.
“Uratha?” asked James quietly, the stranger twitched as he recognized the word.
“What?”
“Oh I get it, you’re new aren’t you?” asked James.
“I don’t know what yer talking about,” growled the man.
“You do, you got a pack?”
“…no.”
“You looking for one?” said James with a grin, the man stopped for a moment, “Of course you wouldn’t be getting in without proving yourself, not about to let some weak sodding mick in easy after all.”
The stranger nodded understandingly, “sounds good to me, where do we fight?”
James laughed, “Not me, mick, her,” he said gesturing at Ashley. “Down at the park, near the lake, it’ll be deserted and private now. You ready?”
The stranger nodded and Ashley tried to appear stoic as though this had always been the plan, the four moved out of the bar and headed toward to the station. The park was fairly secluded, trees and bushes sheltering it from the road and a calm lake nearby. Ashley stalked around tensely, Alex leaned against a tree and the stranger stood awkwardly near Alex; James stood in front of the group.
“Okay, this is an official challenge, so remember that and no killing; only incapacitation, aside from that anything goes. Alex, there’s going to be changing, try not to get twitchy and if you need to take a walk do it. Everyone ready?”
The stranger nodded and stepped forward, Ashley grinned and moved up, a terse handshake between the two and the fight began. Ashley shrugged her shoulders as she slowly shifted up into Dalu while the man cracked his neck and moved into Urshul, the two circled trying to get a measure of the other; Ashley levelled a quick kick at the big wolf’s head, the wolf dodged back and snapped it’s jaws at Ashley’s foot and the circling continued, Alex and James watched intently.
The wolf leapt forward at Ashley, its heavy jaws cutting into her shoulder and its weight bearing her to the ground, wolf and human rolled end over end trying to gain dominance. The wolf still latched to her shoulder Ashley ended up on top, sending swift punches into the wolf’s ribs, the blood running from her shoulder. The wolf growled and shook its head; Ashley cried out in pain as her flesh was shredded and pushed the wolf off her.
Kicking the wolf hard in the mouth Ashley heard the satisfying crunch of broken bone and the wolf howled in pain, new blood running from its mouth. It leapt at her again, digging its sharp claws into her stomach and ripping, Ashley rolled back and the wolf fell back to the ground. Ashley attempted to sweep its feet out from under it but the wolf dodged swiftly to the side and bit down on her other shoulder, letting go and moving back to circling. Dodging in the wolf grabbed one of Ashley’s ankles and crunched down hard, bones broke and Ashley hit the ground hard, the wolf danced away.
Ashley growled and kicked out at the wolf with her unbroken leg, colliding with the shoulder and sending the wolf skidding backwards. Growling the wolf threw itself onto Ashley, rolling towards the lake and biting into her arm. Ashley cried in pain, Alex looked away from the blood and James watched silently. As the wolf bit down Ashley rolled the two into the lake, struggling to hold the wolf’s head under the water while keeping above the surface herself. The water thrashed and the two struggled, the wolf grew human arms and its fingers dug into Ashley’s arms as she held him under. Slowly the thrashing stopped.
“Pull him out!” shouted James but Ashley was already doing it, she dragged him up to the shore and turned him on his side, as the water drained from his mouth he gasped and coughs wracked his body.
James laughed, “You okay, fish?”
The man started breathing evenly and his wounds healed as they watched, Alex was still looking away, “So, I guess I’m to be on my way?” he said with another cough.
“Nah, you did okay,” said James giving the man a hand up, only then did the three look over to Ashley.
Ashley was staring up in confusion as one of the silver dancers glittered in a tree, smiling at her, Ashley frowned up in confusion.
“James, one of those dancers is here… what’s happening?”
James walked over and looked up into the tree, his eyes going distant for a second as he stared into the Other, he smiled.
“Well I reckon you did better than I thought, that’s a Lune, you know; a moon spirit. Looks like it thinks you get a brand,” said James happily smiling up at the Lune.
And that’s how the pack met Fish and Ashley got her first Honour brand.