Devil's Tower

Who: Wren, Windchaser, Cat and whoever else
Where: By the river
When: Sunset
Why: Because Wren's birthday requires celebration

Windchaser had decided at fairly short notice that some event was needed to clear the air after the war, and to keep her busy. She needed to do something other than wallow and the best was she’d ever distracted herself was to focus on other people. Wren’s birthday was a perfect reason for both.

Too short notice and probably too personal to take place at the trading post, a quick parlez with Wren’s new ‘he’s not my boyfriend, honestly’ had secured some relatively safe space on the river bank and by bartering and networking like crazy people Windchaser and Black Cat had managed to gather enough stuff and drop enough ‘bring your own bottle and a gift if possible and DO NOT tell Wren’ type hints, to drum up what looked like it might well turn out to be a decent surprise party. It was officially an open to all invite, though if any of the Jackals turned up, they might not prove so welcome. Now it was just a case of hoping no one had blabbed and figuring out how to get Wren down there without her suspecting.

Windchaser really hoped that Wren would like the ornate Chinese kite Windchaser had received while she was still a drifter for treating a broken leg. She loved it and had carried it around with her, but Wren was definitely the best person to hand it on to.

Who: Windchaser and whoever
When: Week fourteen- Tuesday
Where: The Farm
What: Resting and coping

Windchaser found herself outdoors, sitting under a tree, and dozing slightly. Even with the war over, people still needed her and now she wasn’t just the jobbing spare medic her work was never really done. There was so much damage still to deal with, and she knew there was more to heal than just the outward wounds. Her own trauma ran deep, but she kept it down, other people came first, as always, and the closest she had come to crying had been sending the letter yesterday, and in reading Wolf’s letter to her that had come earlier in the day. Thank you meant so much.

She was exhausted, for the past several weeks she had almost literally slept on her feet and when she had slept she’d been plagued by nightmares, old and new. Since she’d had time to sleep she tended to sleep in the stable with Cabello or to let herself drop outside.

Now, propped up against a tree she hoped that someone would need help, just to stop her sleeping, because she knew waking up screaming under a tree wouldn’t do much for her newfound healer rep.

Who: Gemini and Hazard
When: midday
Where: the farm
What: fun!
OOC: Sorry for the delay!

Hazard left the Carrion and headed to the farm, which was going to take a while although he tolerated the journey every time. Spending time with Gemini was always good and this time he had a present for her. What started as a way to pass the time grew and he realized it was better to have someone in mind while making someone. It made crafting easier and while it was better if his present had a practical purpose, he figured an aesthetic gift was a nice change of pace. Hazard was serious and practical most of the time as the situation called for it, but his youth was passing before his eyes. Only five years to be a teenager remained and he hadn't goofed off like most teens... if they lived in better times.

After a while, he arrived and chose a safe path through the couple of traps he set up to the door and knocked on it. The present was behind his back because he wanted it to be a surprise. She wasn't allowed to peek! When the door finally opened, he gave her a smile. "Hey," he said. "I hope you have no plans. Today is all about fun and living it up before we get grey hair and wrinkles." Or succumb to the virus when they reached a certain age. He wanted to show her what he had made and start the couple of activities planned, but it was better not to rush things."First things first," added Hazard. "I have a present for you, but I don't know if you will like it." Girls liked flowers, right?

Who: Wolf, Libby (Saint and Gemini want to join a little bit in??)
Where: The white house
When: Sunday late afternoon
Why: Libby returns... with a Lion!

The last six weeks had been unimaginably worse than the first conflict between the Wolves and the Lions three years earlier. Many more people had died and the Wolves had ended up trapped at the farm for weeks. Once Wolf had gotten over the initial shame of having lost the city, and smoothed over the problems between Grey and himself, everything had become all about mere survival: survival of the tribe. He'd tried leaving several times to go after Libby on his own but each time he'd been held back by others that told him he had to stay and lead the tribe.

They had been right, losing either one of the two leaders would have been a crippling blow to the tribes. The first rescue group had only been able to get to the northern border of the city before they were discovered and killed. As the weeks passed and things grew worse, the Wolves couldn't afford to risk sending anyone else on such a long and dangerous journey. When it came down to the end they could only sit at the farm and wait it out, hoping that the Lions and their army would retreat in hunger.

Something had made the Lions retreat, but Wolf wasn't quite sure what had happened. Wolf spies had returned to the farm with the news that the city had been deserted and that someone was occupying the Mountain Lion Lodge, but that it wasn't the Lions. After a long deliberation the Wolves finally decided to return to the city with a small group to clean things up and see if they could figure things out. It seemed almost too good to be true that they could take the city back so easily. Wolf knew that the drifters that the Lions had recruited had long since become unimpressed and had mostly deserted, but everything seemed sudden, and oddly quiet.

Wolf's team stayed Friday and Saturday night in town, keeping a low profile, and when Sunday came they brought more of the city members back into the town to start picking things up. The town wasn't in too bad of shape, but mostly everything had been looted, especially if it was something edible. When Wolf and his group finally made it to the apartments and the white house it was clear that the Mountain Lions' army had made their home there. Things were filthy, but still functional and mostly in one peice.

On Saturday Wolf had made a promise to himself that if things stayed quiet in town that he would go to find Libby on Sunday evening. He didn't care what the others had to say, he had to know if she was all right. He couldn't bare not knowing what had happened to her- and he feared the worst.

( On Sunday... )

Bad Experiences Stay with You...
Who: Gemini (open to Libby or anyone who hears Gem's screams, otherwise a Narrative)
What: Seeing all the men at the St. Patty's party triggered nightmares.
When: Saturday, late at night
Where: Gemini's Room at the white house.
Rating: R (Violence)

Gemini could hear the rough laughter of the men running behind her, hear each of the eight or ten feet that pounded through the shadow of Jacobs Hill. Legs burning, pain branching through her side, she pushed frantically forward through the dark trying in vain to put some distance between herself and her pursuers. But she could feel them gaining ground- could feel one man's breath almost on the back of her neck and her fingers grappling for the tendrils of her hair that the wind flew out behind her. Each time those large, fat fingers gained purchase, the wrenched her head forward, avoiding capture for a few blessed seconds. But she was losing speed. She had been running for what seemed like ages at the fastest pace and longest stride she could muster from her tired and under-nourished limbs. She cried out as her boot caught an unseen root- stumbling and faltering- just long enough for those vile hands to fist in her tangled and dirty hair and wrench her backwards, seemingly separating her scalp from her skull.

With a thud and a shriek, Gemini landed on her back in the wet leaves, her eyes blurring with tears, clouding the stars out of the dark, night sky. Her screams were not likely to be heard, not with that huge, brutal-looking man crushing his hand over her throat, closing it off just enough to make her gasp and whimper instead of cry out. She could feel the vibrations of his laughter as he called to his friends and seven shadows blocked out the light of the moon above her.

"Please-" The hand closed a little tighter, cutting off her breath as cold metal cut through the fabric of her jeans. Writhing and twisting, clawing at the hands that were trying to restrain her, Gemini fought against the brutes with pure animal instinct, forgetting all of the things her father had taught her as she panicked. She felt bile rise in her parched throat as hands grabbed at her, bruising and battering in their search for demented pleasure. She had to get them off, had to get away. Where was Callum? Where was her rucksack? Her knives? She couldn't reach the leather braid at her wrist, couldn't untie it and bring it around any throats. She couldn't do anything but scream as the hand left her throat to wrench apart her legs-

With a scream that echoed through the dark of the house, Gemini shot forward off of her sweat drenched pillow, stumbling out of her bed and throwing herself to the cool floor in the corner of the room. She clutched her knees to her chest, pulling her whites sleep-shirt over her legs to cover as much of her skin as possible as she sobbed into her folded arms. She hadn't been raped, had managed to escape that night in Colorado, but the nightmare had brought back ever detail, the smell of those filthy men, the cool air of the night as it chilled her sweating skin, the absence of Callum at her side...

In the back corner of her mind, Gemini registered that large lupine body edging closer to her, knowing that she needed him but that she would scream if anyone or anything touched her at the moment. She was panicking again, remembering every man that had every tried to gain favors for food or supplies over those wandering years. Remembering the face of each man that had been at the trading post earlier that night. She would have to learn to control her fear of men...Especially since she would be interacting with so many in this town... But for now, she let the panic take over and the sobs wrench from her chest.

Who: Gemini, Callum, Open.
Where: An old pub just north of the Apartments.
When: Thursday evening.
What: Exploring.
Rating: TBD

Gemini didn't know when she had turned to the North. But she had been wandering for some time now and she was relatively sure the she had just passed the apartment buildings a few moments ago. She slowed slightly, knowing that Mountain Lion Territory could not be all that far away, and looked around at the street she was on. It seemed that the buildings got nicer the farther north you went. Huh... leave it to the rich kids to keep their surroundings from looking the least bit disheveled.

Gemini took note of the abandoned buildings. She was pretty much smack dab in the middle of Sundance, or so she thought... It would be nice to set up shop here. One building in particular, on the very north end of the block, was almost ideal for the work she had in mind. It was a three-story building, with a tiny apartment in the top, and a two-story pub below. It was in lovely condition, its sign still proudly bearing the title of Shipwright's Arms and it's white and green paint mostly intact. Wandering closer, Gemini peered through the dusty windows. She could only imagine the possibilities... if she kept her furnace and her workshop downstairs, it could heat the entire building, making a third story apartment quite comfortable... and she could keep her finished products in a sort of shop on the second floor where they could not as easily be looted.

When she tried the door, Gemini was glad that it gave way. She really hadn't wanted to bust another piece of valuable glass, like she had in the junkyard the other day. The large black furnace in the corner, behind what must have been the bar, was too heavy to carry off, so it was still intact and looked to be in working order. There was running water in the tap, but it was a ghastly shade of brown, so she let it drip, hoping it would clear. Other than that, the first floor was empty, so she turned to what appeared to be a sturdy, wooden, spiral staircase, leading up to a green door. Carefully, she mounted it, Callum close at her heels, experiencing only a squeaky step the fourth time she foot her foot down. At the top, she gingerly tested the knob.

"Crap..."

It was locked. Sighing, she took out her thinnest knife and slid it under the catch in the lock. It clicked easily open, though in squeaked when she pulled open the door and gasped. There, piled on the second floor, was box after box after box of liquor and alcohol. She turned to look at Callum.

"It's an absolute wonder that this place hasn't been looted, Callum. I can't wait to tell Wolf and Libby."

Gemini quickly ascended another spiral staircase and investigated the third floor. But all she found was an old Murphy bed with a moth-eaten mattress and a tiny bathroom with a rusted showerhead. So, locking each floor behind her, Gemini rummaged around in the boxes until she found a rather nice bottle of the Scotch her mother used to drink on cold winter nights. After turning of the tap and locking the first-story door behind her, Gemini sat down on the first concrete step, with Callum beside her and took a gulp of the Tamdhu Cutty Sark. She leaned against the door behind her and let the warmth of it spread all the way down to her toes.

Who: Gemini and Junk?
Where: The Junkyard
When: Tuesday around noon
What: Gemini needs to find workable leather.
Rating: PG(some language)

Heart Salvage.

Gemini stopped when she saw the high gates and the sign outside what was, apparently, the junkyard. The place was huge, and, strangely, seemed to be better kept than most of the buildings around it. The gate was locked. But it didn't look like anyone was around so she took a few running steps and leapt over the fence, landing cat-like on the firm ground of the other side. She was glad she hadn't brought Callum with her today. What had started off as being a walk to clear her head, had turned into a mission- one that would not have been this easy to accomplish if the oaf of a dog had tagged along. There was no way, even as big as he was, that he could have scrambled over that fence... and he would have made a mighty ruckus if he'd been left outside.

Straightening, Gemini took a look around. She was looking for old cars, the seats of old diner booths, leather couches- anything she could salvage. She picked a row and started down it, simultaneously pulling her sharpest knife from her bag. Car seats would be her first priority... they were generally meant to last for quite a while and could be found in relatively savable condition, even after being out in the elements for considerable amounts of time. She sighed when she reached the end of the row. No vehicles in this one. Retracing her steps, Gemini made her way back to the gate and tried a different spoke in the half-wagon-wheel shape of the junkyard. As she walked, she took note of some of the other items that caught her eye- things that could be useful if she decides to open her leather-smith shop. There was a large, wooden table, a little swollen from the rain and with one leg snapped off towards the middle. It was a relatively easy fix and would serve as a nice work station. There was a couple of old saw-horses, perfect for the making of saddles after they had been sanded down and possible evened out. There was an old sewing machine-That ought to speed up a bunch of projects- beneath a pile of black plastic trash bags full of... romance novels? Huh... I wonder if Libby has ever looked around this place...

Gemini shrugged and retied the bags, intending to come back for them if Libby said she wanted them. There was nothing else in that row so she, once again, retraced her steps to try another spoke and, after wandering past and old but splendid carousel horse and a what looked like the remains of an old windmill, Gemini hit the jackpot. The end of this row was full of dilapitated and rusting vehicles. Most of the doors were open but many of the old cars and trucks had non-leather interiors. About six cars into her search, Gemini thought she had a winner, but the leather inside the oldsmobile was in such a bad state that she doubted it was even safe to sit on.

She searched three more, all with fabric seats, before she looked through the window of an old Ford Mustang. The car itself looked good, though se doubted it ran, and the seats inside were encased in shiny, sturdy-looking black leather.

"Bingo," Gemini whispered.

But when she tried the handle, the door didn't budge.

"Damn it..." Regretting every second of the process, Gemini smashed her elbow through the beautiful car's pristine window... and nearly jumped out of her skin when an alarm went off. Sighing at her foolishness, Gemini reached in through the shattered window to quiet it, then shimmied in over the broken glass to begin carefully cutting in to her treasure trove.

Who: Dusty and Gemini
What: Dusty's out getting to know the area, and hoping to make some allies
When: Afternoon
Where: The Wolves Territory
Rating: PG
Status: Complete!

Dusty had not been pleased with the way things had turned out the past week when he had stopped a fight between Grey and Wolf. He had mentally kicked himself when he found out that the man he had tried politely to tell off had actually been the other leader of the Wolves. And that very guy most likely never wanted to cross paths with Dusty again. So, thankful that the rain had finally let up, Dusty went out for a ride in the area that he understood to be the rest of his new tribe's territory with the intention of making new friends and allies as opposed to more, unintentional, enemies.

After getting the majority of his chores done, he saddled up Moo and packed a light lunch into one of his saddlebags. He took the main road into the city, and silently prayed he did not run into Wolf again. Dusty really had no desire to get into a potential altercation with the man, but would rather prove he was a decent fellow and would respect his wishes by staying out of his business. Though one had to admit that is was difficult to stay out of a fellow tribe member's business, especially when their businesses seem to coincide from time to time just because they happen to share the same environment.

With a mental shrug, Dusty continued on his way. If he did run into Wolf, all he could do was apologize and hope the man would have a better temper today to understand the situation Dusty had been put in at the time.

Who: Libby, Gemini, Nova, and Hawk
What: Just checking up on the preggers lady
When: Late afternoon-ish
Where: Hawk and Nova's tree house
Rating: PG-13 (Libby's mouth again; just minor threatening of Hawk's manhood though)
Status: closed

After bugging Marmie, Libby dragged Gemini along to check in on Nova. It had been incredibly too long since she had seen the girl. Nova had already left to live at the farm when Libby returned to Sundance, and somehow she had missed her again when Nova came to visit Wolf recently to tell him the news. Her body trembled with nervous energy; Nova was pretty much her sister as well, and Libby could hardly contain her excitement at getting to see her again. How much had the young woman changed in the four months they had been separated?

The horses were thankful that they had dropped of the text books and other supplies at the school house; it made their trip to the canopy much easier and smoother. They finally came to rest under the tall tree Hawk's house sat it, and proceeded up the latter after she got off the horse and secured it to a post.

"Pretty impressive, no?" she asked Gemini, signaling for her to follow.

When she reached the deck, Libby turned to give her sister a hand up and then knocked on the door of the tree house. "Hawk! Open the door!" She called without much ceremony. "You let us see the pregnant girl, and I'll let you keep your testicles in tact," she added with a sardonic grin. It was nice to slip into her old, femi-nazi ways from time to time.

Who: Libby, Gemini, and Marmie
What: Delivering school supplies
When: Afternoon
Where: Twin Feather territory
Rating: I really don't see this going beyond G (for once :-P )
Status: Incomplete

Wolf had opted to stay out of this little venture; Libby could not blame him much. After his fight with Grey last week, it was probably for the best that he stay away from the guy responsible for getting his younger sister pregnant. So she left Wolf to his duties and ventured out to the house he had converted into a stable to get two horses for the journey; she needed something to carry all the text books she was loaning to Marmie for the school, and Libby did not care to walk in the rain. Riding would make it a much fast trip.

After she and Gemini had stopped at the library to load the necessary supplies in the saddle bags, they set off at a canter for Twin Feather territory. Libby had pulled the drawstrings of her hood fairly tight to keep the wind from knocking it off. It had only been raining lightly that day, but she still would have preferred to stay as dry as possible.

When they finally entered Twin Feather territory, Libby had to ask what few people were out in the dreary weather for directions to the old storage cabin Marmie had transformed into a school house. Before long, the half-sisters were trotting up to the school. Libby dismounted and tied the horse to a post stuck in the ground before she walked up to the door a knocked.

"Marmie? It's me, Libby," she called through the door. "I brought a few things for you."

Who: Libby and Gemini (and Wolf gets dragged in later on once more :-P )
What: Time for some bonding
When: Morning
Where: House kitchen
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete

Libby rolled over in bed, fighting to go back asleep. A light rain pattered against her window. She flipped again, this time bringing her pillow over to cover her head as some kind of shield against the world. Oh, evil, vile, spiteful morning, she snarled to herself. Resistance was futile. Her brain was already alert, active, and could have cared less what her body preferred to do. She released a heavy sigh, tinged with a growl, into her pillow before tossing it aside. She would pick it up later.

Her feet slid off the bed, and the rest of her body followed suit until she stood, wobbling beside her bed. She trudged to her shut bedroom door in her bright orange socks, not bothering to fix her wild mess of a mane. She had not taken it out of a pony-tail before she had gone to sleep, so it was sure to look like an odd, poofy mess. Glancing down at her baggy gray t-shirt and Easter egg blue pajama pants, Libby decided she appeared decent enough and continued on to the kitchen.

She plopped down into a chair at the table and stared at the bowl of apples at the center. Libby was not much of a breakfast eater; her stomach just never seemed all that awake and ready to receive food in the morning. But she took an apple from the bowl anyway and began nibbling at it absentmindedly as she stared out the kitchen window at the raindrops falling from the fresh leaves on the trees.

Who: Gemini and Anyone she runs into.
When: Early Monday Morning
Where: Wolf territory, wandering south
What: needs timeout of the awkward climate of the house.
Status: COMPLETE

Gemini sighed as she tucked her note to Libby, telling her she was going out for some air, on her pillow, where she guessed it was most likely to be found. Then she tucked a piece of leather she was working on into the bag of tools hanging from her shoulder and silently navigated her way through the tension that was so thick in the house. She checked to be sure that Callum was still out in the backyard, leaning on the wide door frame to watch him as he lounged on the newly painted purple deck. Sigh

The house was so... awkward... not that she neccessarily wanted to break open the giant can of worms that was her and Libby's relationship, but would it help if they just cleared the air? Got all the crap out of the way and sat down and talked about their past and their father? Gemini straightened and walked out of the house, into the rain and the cold. Libby hadn't really spoken to her since that first day. She had gotten her settled in to her very luxurious (at least to Gemini's standards) new bedroom and then told her to help herself to the kitchen and the bathroom. She had smiled lightly when she passed Gemini in the halls. She had not, however, spoken one word besides a murmered "good morning" or "hey". Gemini didn't know what to do...

She walked through the mostly clear streets, not really paying attention to her whereabouts, only knowing that she was wandering south towards rougher looking buildings and emptier streets. All she really saw was the haze in front of her eyes, the memories of those first earth-rattling minutes in the Sundance Library. So much shock and anger an confusion in such a short period of time. Vaguely, Gemini wondered what Libby was thinking... if she had really and truely explained the situation to Wolf yet. How would he take it? Knowing that Gemini was just the "Mistress's Daughter", just "One of HIS"... She shuddered. How would she ever fit in here? But Lord, she wanted to fit in here... She really wanted to fit in here...

Sighing, Gemini looked up, past the edge of her thoughts and let the heavy, early morning rain, pelt her face and wash away the worry lines. She loved the rain. Loved how it swept away dirt and grime and sins in one wash of heavenly water. Thinking how she would love for the rain to wash away the tension in the house as easily as it washed away the tension in her muscles, Gemini sat back in the shadowy doorway of a sturdy, hospital looking building and pulled the scrap of leather out of her bag. She was humming slightly to herself, an old Nat King Cole melody, and working the rough spots out of the dark tan hide, when she first heard the footsteps approaching her hideaway.

Who: Gemini, Callum and NPC
What: Directions to the Library
When: Mid-morning
Where: Sundance, Wolf Territory
Status: Beginning
Rating: PG
Gemini was tired. Callum was a constant support under her palm, his long, four-legged gait steady every time she faltered, but she was glad that she had reached the city today. Another night on the road, with the idea of her half-sister so close, was almost unbearable. It had taken Gemini a day and a half to make it to Sundance and the weary buildings and roads that greeted her at the south-side of town were a blessed sight. Now, her step faltered again at the thought, she had to find the library. Mark, the man from the woods, had said Libby was the Sundance Librarian. So Gemini assumed that the library was the only sure way to find it. But quite honestly, she didn't have the strength to wander the streets looking for it. Wearily, she sat down on the nearest curb and patted the ground at her side. Callum sat. Eying the people walking the streets, Gemini looked for a face that looked sure of where it was going. She found it on a short, sandy-haired man crossing the street with a paper bag in his hands. Standing, rather unsteadily, she called out to him."Sir?"The man turned slowly, wary of the dirty, road worn traveler and her beast of a dog."Sir, I'm looking for the library. All i need are the quickest and easiest directions to the Sundance Library. Please?" Gemini stood perfectly still as the man pondered her request. Then he nodded and took a pencil from behind his ear and a torn piece of paper from his bag. With them, he scrawled a quick map to the library at the the center of the city. He handed it quickly to her and then scurried off, glancing back warily at Callum as if worried the dog would attack him. As she looked at the hastily drawn map, Gemini allowed herself her first real chuckle in ages."You see what you do to people, Callum? You frighten the living daylights out of them." Laughing, Gemini started walking in the right direction, her left hand holding the map, her right hand buried in Callum's fur. It took her a good thirty minutes to find the Library, but onse she was inside the cool, dim, spotless building a sense of relief set deep into her bones. Taking a deep breath, she called out into the high-ceilinged rooms, "Libby?! Libby Spencer?! If you're here, please answer me!" Then she collapsed onto the floor to lean against Callum's bulk.