More Tales of the Garou (part 4)

[thegargoyle]

Note: This was the battle that came before the Battle of the Arboretum.

The Battle of Black River, by Anubis Doomspeaker
So it came to pass that our howls for aid were answered. There came those who had already earned much standing in the eyes of the Nation, and those who will someday be counted among the great, though they are not yet widely known. Regardless of past glory, current honor, and future wisdom, all of them shall be honored for coming to us in our time of need. First I shall tell the names of those who aided us, and then I shall recount what happened.

As the fighting was in a circle, around a hole excavated by the spirits of earth, there was no left, no right, no center. I shall name them in the order of the directions in which they faced.

On the North stood the Get of Fenris, proud and strong:
Gudren Fenrisdottir, Athro Homid Philodox Get of Fenris
Hektor, Adren Metis Ahroun Get of Fenris
Axhl Fenrikin Flys-Off-Handle, Fostern Metis Ahroun Get of Fenris
Gunnar Helmersson Anvil-of-Pain-Where-Breaks-the-Wyrm, Cliath Homid Theurge Get of Fenris

On the East stood nearly all of the Glasswalkers, led by their House of Rightful Justice:
Charles Drachen Dragon-Father-to-Many, Athro Metis Galliard Glasswalker
Ignazio Antonio Magnano Gaia's-Streetsweeper, Adren Metis Ahroun Glasswalker
John Do White-Noise-Maker, Fostern Homid Ragabash Glasswalker
Drake Chappelli White-Claw, Fostern Homid Ahroun Glasswalker

On the South stood the Dream Hunters and additional Silent Striders who stood by them:
Gaia's Arrow, Athro Homid Ahroun Silent Strider
Dark-Dreams-of-Those-Passed, Athro Lupus Ahroun Silent Strider
Ana Grace Christian Hunts-Shadows, Athro Metis Theurge Silent Strider
Price-of-Arrogance, Adren Metis Ragabash Get of Fenris
Mekharet al Sabim Dreamsinger, Adren Homid Galliard Silent Strider

On the West stood the young and the old, from Elders to Cliath:
Banshee, Elder Homid Ragabash Fianna
Makes-Hearts-Light, Elder Homid Galliard Wendigo
Diamondback, Adren Metis Ahroun Glasswalker
Panth Stormrider, Adren Lupus Ragabash Black Fury
Rex, Fostern Lupus Philodox Silver Fang
Sir Wolfram Dragonslayer, Cliath Homid Ahroun Bone Gnawer
Sits-on-Floor, Cliath Lupus Theurge Child of Gaia

Above there were guardians as well, for the Enemy had creatures who could take to the air. There were they guarded by four powerful Griffon spirits, sent to aid us by Spirit Seeker, Elder and Theurge of the Red Talons.

Commanding in the center was a local pack come together for the purpose of the war, the Guardian Hearts. The Pack Alpha is Skadi Gridarvold, Athro Lupus Galliard Get of Fenris. Others from the pack and present included Solomoriah Son-of-the-Hunter, the Sept Leader, Athro Lupus Philodox Silent Strider, as well as Arjuna Seeks-the-Sun, Elder Homid Ahroun Stargazer, and Gunnar Helmersson, who stood with the Get of Fenris on the line.

Also in the center was one who set himself as guardian and savior of the fallen: Leads-With-Wisdom, Fostern Homid Theurge Silver Fang.

As all of these forces guarded a hole in the ground, four other packs performed tasks. Three went into the hole, guardians above to keep them from getting rushed from behind, with the task of finding the root of the weakened anchorhead and somehow damaging it or destroying it, causing the anchorhead to collapse. These three packs were:

The Judges of the Dead, followers of Merlin, of the Sept of the Crystal Lotus:
Anubis Doomspeaker Wind-of-Death, Elder Homid Galliard Silent Strider, Alpha
Isolde Firedrinker, Athro Homid Galliard Fianna, Beta
Declan Bruce, Fostern Homid Ragabash Fianna
Rhah Races-the-Sun, Fostern Lupus Ahroun Silent Strider
Taryn Sea, Fostern Homid Philodox Fianna

The Cleansing Fire, followers of Black Unicorn:
Morgana Isolde Green-Knight-of-Gaia, Adren Metis Ahroun Shadow Lord, War Alpha
Marcus Greene Speaks-as-Many, Adren Metis Philodox Silver Fang, War Beta
Falcon's Song of Two Moons, Adren Lupus Ahroun Silver Fang
Daniel Tolovich Silver-Forger, Adren Homid Philodox Silver Fang
…and walking with them were others…
Shattered Visions, a Metis Theurge Stargazer
A Black Fury who I have not been able to track down as of yet to ask her name
A cub not known to me yet
…and White Sun, a lupus cub, who is revealed as a Cub Lupus Ahroun Silver Fang.

The visitors of the Packs of the Sept of the Sacred Rose, followers of Chimera and Unicorn, who joined as one to journey down below the Umbral surface this day:
Friend-to-the-Wind, Homid Theurge Child of Gaia
Bites-Her-Nails, Homid Philodox Bone Gnawer
Woodruff, Homid Theurge Wendigo
Collin Pruitt, Metis Ahroun Fianna
Stalks-the-Skyline, Lupus Ahroun Glasswalker

Of the fourth Pack, they were to defend the Gurahl known as Svaha, who enacted a dangerous ritual that brings the damage upon Gaia's ground unto his own body, by walking around the dome of shadow made solid and bleeding into the earth. Svaha's protectors were the Pack of the Weeping Sky, followers of Helios, of the Sept of the Crystal Lotus:
Catherine Ferrault "Needle", Athro Metis Ahroun Glasswalker, Alpha
Brian MacDugan, Athro Homid Galliard Glasswalker, Beta
Nicholas Hacks-too-Much, Fostern Homid Theurge Glasswalker
Samantha Sykes "Pathfinder", Elder Corax
Runs-With-Rivers, Cliath Lupus Ragabash Silent Strider

Finally, in the Realm, there stood the Kinfolk and others who would aid the Garou this day. As directed by a Kinfolk named Kyle, of the Child of Gaia, and a doctor, a triage and evacuation area was established in the area of the realm corresponding to the hole in the Umbra, a small ravine surrounding the stream known as the Black River. Guarded by two stern and heavily armed men provided by White-Noise-Maker, and aided by a very able and talented Glasswalker kinswoman named Cecilie Giovanni, they were prepared to give aid and succor to the fallen sent to them by Leads-With-Wisdom. At the Caern came one Garou from Albion, Eye of the Storm, a Cliath Homid Ragabash Shadow Lord, to keep an eye on the heart, freeing others from our sept to fight.

Before any of the Garou went to the battle, several crates were opened up, revealing many firearms. While the lupus disdained them, several of the metis and homids decided to avail themselves of the gift, sent to the sept by Miranda Davison. The House of Rightful Justice in particular decided to carry extras, as well as a great deal of ammunition. As all of these things were taken, the time was also taken to dedicate them, so that they would pass the gauntlet into the Umbra.

…and with all these talented defenders of Gaia present, it began. First to descend were the Packs of the Sacred Rose, followed by the Judges of the Dead, and then the Cleansing Fire. The Weeping Sky began their watch over Svaha, while the Guardian Hearts readied the defenders of the Four Quarters and the sky above against the foe they knew would come.

No sooner had the packs disappeared below than the forces of the Wyrm came running, rushing the wall like a wave of evil. Skadi and Solomoriah had not been idle, however. Each of the defenders had gathered as much wood as he or she could carry on the way to Black River. These were piled high in a ring around the defenders, so that any assaults would have to crest this makeshift wall, exposing their soft bellies to attack before they themselves would get a chance to strike. Other preparations had also been made, as you will see.

The Wyrm sent spirits we had seen before: lions, shapeless shadows both great and small. These were sent against the Defenders of the Four Quarters. Against the Weeping Sky he sent the shadows, but also his Talons of Shadow, a great flock of raptors made of darkness.

It was that the Weeping Sky saw them, and at first despaired. They had fought these Talons of Shadow before, and had only been able to save themselves by stopping, forming a tight circle, and using the gift of Helios to light themselves on fire. But to protect Svaha, they could not set him on fire as well, for he has not the gift of their pack's totem, and they must also keep moving.

Then it was that Samantha Sykes, a member of the pack, known as Pathfinder, did find that her plans prior to the combat came to fruition. She had called upon the three greatest warrior women of her kind, the Morrigan, to aid her…and aid her they did. They arrived, diving, the three of them, large black ravens…but not simply the three of them, for behind them came another flock, as great in number as the Talons of Shadow, and they were the spirits of eagles! The Morrigans and their eagles dove crashing into the Talons of Shadow, and there was a great cacophony, as the sound of a thousand thousand marbles being dropped onto marble tiles, as beaks and claws tore and slashed, and leading edges nicked and gouged. It began to rain feathers, black and grey, beneath the aerial battle.

Down below, the packs from the Sacred Rose encountered many strange visions. Shadows became not as shadows, but as things felt, seen, smelled, tasted, and heard. They saw visions of the past. They saw friends dying. They saw creatures crawl upon them and around them. They saw many things, only a few of which I was able to understand with any clarity. Among these things they say they heard the voices and howls of cubs as they were tortured, and they yearned to go and help them! They saw their own Unicorn totem, but saw another as well, and they said contradictory things, so that they could not tell which was real and which was not. They wished to go help the cubs, but they feared it was a trap. Then they heard the howls and battle cries of Makes-Hearts-Light and Samo-Hope-Preserves, great leaders of their own sept, calling for aid as they protected the cubs. But in the end they heard the eerie, keening howls of Black Spiral Dancers, victorious, taking the cubs away to become servants of the Enemy.

On and on they continued through this maelstrom of senses and illusions. At one point they even saw an image of Malice-ikthya, their former sept mate, holding the bodies of three dead Silver Fang cubs. They struck at these illusions, but could not harm them. Finally, Woodruff could stand no more, and tried to run, but was stopped by one of her packmates. Meanwhile the others fought a Black Lion they encountered, a true foe, and defeated it, but not before becoming sorely wounded.

Still, they continued onward. Finally they came to the side of a large silver colored sphere, reflective yet transparent. There they say they saw a broken landscape, a corner of Malfeas itself, and the eye of the Wyrm rose above it like Luna does above Gaia. And a great skull looked out at them through the sphere. It wore a crown of iron tipped with dark gems made of blood, and it was entirely surrounded by a pale flame. As they decided if they would go in, a large flaming skeletal hand reached out of the sphere, grasping at them. One of them struck at it, scoring true with his claws, then pulling back in pain as the pale flames burned him badly. Deciding to live another day, they withdrew, knowing they had met their match in a resident lord of Malfeas.

Meanwhile, on the surface, the forces of the Wyrm had made many assaults on the Defenders of the Four Quarters. The Get of Fenris stood strong in the North, singing along with Skadi their ancient battle songs. They fought as a group, a trained machine, but with no practice, simply using the basic skills that all Get, it seems, are taught from birth. To the East, the shell casings began to pile up as the Glasswalkers led by the Rightful Justice poured clip after clip into the ravening hordes. White-Noise-Maker was seen moving behind the line of his men, exhorting them to greater effort while lending a well placed burst to each man as needed. To the south, the Dream Hunters and their allied Striders darted in and out, moving quick as lightning, moving to the direction of Gaia's Arrow. To the west, Banshee swung his claymore in a wide swath, mowing down the attackers like a scythe through new wheat, while Makes-Hearts-Light yelled with the chilling cry of his ancestors.

But after more than a quarter of an hour, the Wyrm took their first victory, felling Panth Stormrider, who was only overcome after taking several battle scars. As she fell, her friend, Diamondback, stood over her body, defending her from the forces of the Wyrm that would have dragged her to her death. Moving quickly, Solomoriah dragged Panth out of harm's way, tossing her to Leads-With-Wisdom. Leads-With-Wisdom gave her the Mother's Touch, waking her so that she could pass through the gauntlet, and into the waiting arms of Cecilie Giovanni.

However, Panth's fall opened up the flank of Sits-On-Floor, who was already sorely wounded, and had taken a battle scar of his own. Banshee, seeing this, ordered the young Child of Gaia Theurge to withdraw from the circle and fall back to the Realm. Sits-On-Floor followed the orders of the Elder, and withdrew, limping into the Realm. The defenders of the West took a step to the right and a step back, closing the circle, with Diamondback now on their extreme right, next to the Get of Fenris.

After nearly a half hour, the Weeping Sky was halfway around the Shadow Dome. They had started to take the same wounds that Svaha was taking, becoming linked to the Gurahl as a way of dispersing the damage that would have been too much for the dancing healer, when shapeless shadow spirits began to surround them, talking to them. The shadows did not attack them. Instead, they simply taunted them, teased them, but somehow also knew their inner most secrets, wants, and fears. Each one was offered something, though I have not yet found what. I only understand that they were each offered something that is among their greatest desires, and that it seemed the shadows had the power to grant that very thing. Each one, however, resisted…they linked arms, and continued walking around the dancing man-bear, under a rain of feathers as the battle in the sky continued.

Under the ground, the Judges of the Dead had journeyed through dark tunnels for a long time. I had taken the form of the Pharaohs to better lead our pack, strong as Crinos but as compelling as man. At a point on our journey, the passages started to speak to us. Dreadful things they whispered, none of which I will repeat here, but they seemed to know the greatest fears of our hearts and to play upon them. I felt snakes slither around my feet and scarab beetles crawl up inside of my clothes. I stumbled in fear and loathing, and felt my pack stumble behind me. I turned, trusting my beta behind me to keep an eye on the way ahead, and began to recite the creation story as told in ancient Egypt as a way of taking my pack's minds off the horror in the whispers. We went on this way for a time, and it stopped, the cavern opening wide.

Thus it was that we say something unusual…Roman legionnaires standing in formation, as a wall of shields and spears before us. A large boulder came flying from over the top of them, and though I was able to move very quickly out of the way. We withdrew so Isolde could perform the Howl of the Banshee, and she did, and some ran. It was not enough. Declan did the same, and more ran, but it was not enough. There was nothing else to do but fight. So fight we did. We quickly dismantled the shield wall, causing them to flee from our might, with my pack bending the flanks and myself knocking down the center.

Then we saw something…or somethings…large. Immense. Giants. My Fianna packmates were sore afraid, calling them Firbolgs. Mighty creatures were these, nearly 20 feet tall. They swung young trees as clubs. Again, we engaged, with myself and Isolde taking one while Rhah, Taryn and Declan took the other.

We were nearly overcome. Our totem, Merlin, finally came to our aid by plucking out the eye of one of them. While I strangled him with my Talith, my packmates finished the other and helped me fell the second. They were not dead, but simply down. I scared the rest of the legionnaires away by hurling the plucked eyeball at them. We pressed on, deciding that this fight was not our goal. We, too, found the silver transparent sphere that is the anchorhead to Malfeas. Cautioning my pack to remember the scandal of Steel Fang, we turned back. There was nothing else we could do.

Upon the top, the Defenders of the Four Quarters were nearly broken. After a full half hour of fighting, Gaia's Arrow ordered Ana Grace Christian out of the line. She was staggering and barely able to defend herself from blows. She fell back without argument, but did not leave. Reaching out, she healed one of the wounds of Price-of-Arrogance, enabling him to fight a little longer. Even then, Price-of-Arrogance was ordered out of the line a few minutes later by his packmates after taking a battle scar. He also withdrew only after also being chastised by Skadi, but he stayed inside the circle, to help pull out the wounded and to watch over Ana Grace.

Then, disaster nearly struck. In the space of one minute, just after Price-of-Arrogance withdrew, two more of those in the South standing with the Dream Hunters had to fall back. Seemingly anticipating their own deaths, both Dark-Dreams-of-Those-Passed and Mekharet al Sabim Dreamsinger dived out of the line. A scant second after they did, a splattering gob of shadow landed where those two had stood, some of it landing upon them and burning them. Neither was fit to return to the fight. Gaia's Arrow fought hard as the last defender of the South, and Ana Grace risked being killed to reach out and heal his worst wound. But this was not all.

At the same time, Diamondback staggered out of the line on the West, scarred and bloody, while Drake Chappelli "White Claw" stumbled back on the East, a strange spear through his body. A scant moment later, Charles Drachen also fell back, crawling on broken legs that were cut out from under him.

Quickly did the Guardian Hearts move into action. Skadi threw boulders over the line and into the fray near the Dream Hunters, holding them back and keeping too many of them from swarming Gaia's Arrow. While Arjuna slid over to assist the Rightful Justice, Solomoriah stepped into the line near Gaia's Arrow, swinging a great logging chain to deadly effect. Skadi called for the circle to tighten , and all stepped back, until it was again a wall of Garou standing shoulder to shoulder in blood and fire. Fire…yes, for Skadi had set alight the ring of wood that surrounded their original perimeter, adding an additional danger to the attacking hordes.

Then did the first disaster of the day happen. Makes-Hearts-Light finished off one foe and turned to face the next, only to meet the end of a large set of black claws that slammed into his head. He went down, quickly, his head badly caved in, and some say they could see the gray tissue of his brain exposed to the air. Banshee howled, causing the shadows to retreat from him, and with Arjuna stood over Makes-Hearts-Light until Leads-With-Wisdom could pull him away.

The Weeping Sky had resisted temptation, but it might not be enough, for the wounds they were taking were grievous. Runs-With-Rivers and Pathfinder and both taken more than their fair share of wounds in this strange rite, and their packmates were unsure if they would make it. Still, they grimly continued on, their pack totem healing them each once as he was able, and even then they staggered, linking arms, moving forward as one protective ring around the dancing man-bear. It is said that at one point they saw a great black bear who smelled of the grave, but that Svaha ignored it, passing through it, giving them words of encouragement, stating that this was not the time or the place for their deaths.

Underground, the third and last pack, the Cleansing Fire, discovered that White Sun, the cub of Falcon's Song of Two Moons, had followed them to Black River from the sept, and then into the cavern, bringing along a newly discovered Glasswalker cub as well. Deciding that they did not have time to bring the cubs back, they put them in the middle of the group and pressed on. I am told that they also heard voices, voices that mocked them and taunted them, saying they were lost and would never get out. The voices supposedly demanded knowledge, and the pack refused. They climbed, crawled, slid down tunnels seemingly made of flesh and other less savory things. Finally they came to a chamber.

I have asked and asked them what happened in that chamber. They have refused to tell me, saying that they promised each other, as a pack and as Garou, never to reveal what happened there. Each was tested for the taint of the Wyrm, and none were found tainted. I can only honor their request. I do know that they never saw the silver sphere as we did, but that they had a determined light burning in their eyes when next we met. Whatever happened in there has bound them together as nothing else had yet before.

Upon the top, nearly three quarters of an hour had passed. The battle had a few brief respites, but it did not help the healing of the Defenders of the Four Quarters, for the wounds dealt by the Wyrm's minions were vile and smeared with filth. No poison, certainly, but they would not heal easily of their own accord. Again the forces of the Wyrm came, and again the Garou hacked, hew, shot, and slew. Rex finally fell back from the West, but only after the Fostern had given an account of himself beyond his rank and his Philodox auspice, taking his first battle scar. Then, after several more minutes, the first of the Get fell in the North. Gunnar Helmersson proved why his name is Anvil-of-Pain-Where-Breaks-the-Wyrm, for though I am told he did a reasonable amount of harm to the enemy, he himself withstood blow after punishing blow. The shield broke upon his arm, and still he used the arm to fend off the enemy. As he fell backwards, the Get continued their chanting and closed ranks, while the Silver Fang healer pulled him back, woke him up, and ordered him to the Realm. Gunnar, like most Get would do, at first refused, but the Silver Fang would not be denied, and Gunnar quickly followed orders.

A few moments later, there was nearly disaster. Ignzaio Antonio Magnano had fought bravely, but upon suffering his third battle scar, could withstand no more. He started to fall back, covered by White Noise Maker, who also was grievously wounded. Even though they were the last defenders of the East, their orderly retreat gave Skadi and Arjuna time to plug the gap and close the circle a little more.

They would need that orderly retreat, for Banshee had just ordered Sir Wolfram Dragonslayer to fall back as well. Wolfram wished to protest, that was clear to all, but it was clear that after four battle scars the incredible run of the Bone Gnawer Ahroun was over. Saluting Banshee with his sword, Wolfram fell back in good order. This was a Cliath, who had fought longer than even Elders that day, for nearly an hour. To him, most certainly, will fall a rain of glory. The circle tightened.

From there it went quickly…soon, Axhl Fenrikin fell in place, and Gaia's Arrow ordered his packmates to go to the Realm to make room in the center of the Circle. Then the Griffons sent by Spirit Seeker winked out of existence, almost seemingly at once, for they had done all they could to fend off those above…shadows descended upon the circle, but it was already so tight that there was no true way for them to get inside and attack from behind. Then Gaia's Arrow screamed as if he was dying, flinging himself back out of the way. A large barb fell from the sky, slicing open his side and felling him, but only wounded, not dead. Had he stood where he was, he would certainly be dead. Again, the Strider's ability to see oncoming doom saved him.

Then it was the final tragedy of the day. Gudren Fenrisdottir turned her head at the wrong moment, and two barbs from a shadow minion speared her through the eyes, slamming out the back of her skull. Her body went limp, and was lifted in the air, already turned back to homid, and thus all knew her to be dead. But Solomoriah used his speed to grab her feet, and pulled her body off the spearing barbs, so that at least she would have an honorable burial.

From there it deteriorated rapidly. After nearly an hour and a quarter, even Banshee could stand no more, staggering back. Arjuna moved like the water, being everywhere at once. Solomoriah swung his chain around and around. Hektor fell into Banshee's arms as Banshee fell back, and Banshee dragged him to the center, where the Silver Fang healed them, sending them to the realm. Skadi called to Leads-With-Wisdom, ordering him back to the Realm as well. Skadi, Solomoriah, and Arjuna retreated into the opening of the hole, preparing their last stand. The Guardian Hearts would earn their name today, if nothing else.

Then did the Guardian Hearts see points of flame slashing a path through the darkness. While Samantha had already taken the fallen but yet alive body of Svaha back to the Realm, the rest of the pack, burning brightly, made their way to the hole. At this time as well did the three packs who went below come back, and all burst out together, joining around the mouth of the hole.

As they winked back into the Realm, though, it became clear to the Guardian Hearts that there would still need to be defenders, as the gauntlet had become thick from overuse. These defenders would likely die. The Guardian Hearts were ready for the task. Then it was that Samantha had returned to aid her pack, and found that all were sorely pressed to cover the retreat to the Realm. The three ravens of the Morrigan alighted upon her shoulders and head, and she made noises at them that none there understood. Some agreement was reached, though, to me this is clear, for all then stood in the Realm, transported there by means other than their own.

It was over, all except the bleeding, the weeping, and the healing.

Though we did lose the Battle of Black River, we did what we needed to do: we came together, and threw everything we had at our enemy. Though we failed, we did attract the aid we needed, or so it seems. We were tested in body, in mind, and in spirit. We faced the temptation of taking what we wanted as a surcease to pain. We found out who we are, both as individuals and as packs. And I, for one, at least, know exactly why I am here.

We interred Gudren Fenrisdottir in our glade of the Hallowed Fallen. She was burned, along with possessions to guide her in the afterlife, according to the Norse custom. Skadi Gridarvold led the howl for her sister. It was a most stirring eulogy. It is likely know to most of you, as it begins, "Lo do I see my father…." I gave her two coins to pay the ferry man, and others gave her various gifts as well. She died well.

Many wounds did Garou take, and to all who came to aid us I do thank you. Though it may mean little in the renown of the Nation, as I am Eldest Galliard, I feel that I am able to give special names of recognition to those who fought for us and beside us.

To each of the Garou who fought above in the circle, let them forever be called in the Sept of the Crystal Lotus a Defender of the Four Quarters, for they fought the foe who came from all sides.

To each of the Garou who went below, they shall be known as the Walkers Perilous in the Sept of the Crystal Lotus, for they came through fear and temptation alive and, seemingly, stronger.

To the Weeping Sky and to the Gurahl called Svaha, let them be known in the Sept of the Crystal Lotus as the Defenders of the Land, for they took upon themselves the wounds of the earth.

The tale is told, for the most part, except for the wounds taken by all. Each will know, but I will sing of scars and glory, bravery and honor, decisions and wisdom, as needed.

--Anubis Doomspeaker Wind-of-Death
--Elder Homid Galliard Silent Strider Harbinger
--Ritesmaster and Eldest Galliard of the Sept of the Crystal Lotus
--Alpha of the Judges of the Dead