[Date: 2 December 1996] You paged Alexander with 'I had just let you into the cabin and you were telling me something about the caern situation and why you were looking for one of my kind, or something.'. Alexander pages: Let's just start over from when I walked into the cabin? It's been too long. Bianca steps aside to let the Garou in, wary curiosity sketched onto her face. The interior of the cabin is small and in some disrepair, but the fireplace burns merrily and brightly. Alexander says "Cougar didn't exactly send me, though she did guide me to you. I decided to go looking on my own, though." Bianca leans against the door to close it and moves toward the fire, taking up a long branch that she's obviously been using for a poker. She crouches down, poking some of the half-burnt notepaper pages into the heart of the blaze. "Go on." Alexander leans against the door as he speaks. "Well, like I said, we asked Cougar how we could make her stronger at our Caern. At least to put her equal with the other Caern totems. She said we'd have to increase her presence in the area, but spiritual and physical. So my pack and I journeyed to her Realm, explained what the Caern's totem had told us, and asked for her help. She sent two of her warriors back with us. They're running in the mountains east of us now." Bianca sits back on her heels and pushes her glasses up her nose, interested. "Spirits?" Alexander nods. "Yeah, spirits. You've heard of them?" Bianca picks up the notebook lying on the floor next to her and rips out a few more pages, crumpling them up for the fire. "Of course." Alexander nods once, firmly. "OK then. So we brought them back with us. But Cougar also said we needed to introduce living cougars to the area. This was... more difficult." You say "Why?" Alexander says "Well, in the first place, because it's easier to convince a spirit than an animal to come with you someplace new. In the second place, the sudden appearance of spirits doesn't attract the attention of humans." Bianca smirks faintly. "So you decided to go find yourself a Bastet?" Alexander smiles wryly as he scratches at one ear. "Well, it did seem easiest, for several reasons. First, easier to talk to. Second, one would presumably know how to not attact attention. Third, if you did breed, which is what we're all hoping for eventually, the cubs would have a much better chance of surviving with a shifter parent." Bianca wrinkles her nose slightly. "Very logical," she says, dryly. "And what's in it for me, exactly?" Alexander looks around. "Well, first, a nicer place to live. The Rockies start just east of the edge of our bawn, and there aren't any cougars living there right now. You'd have the whole place to yourself. And your mate, if you chose to take one. You'd have to stay off the bawn itself, at least at first. People get edgy still, sometimes. But no one would bother you in the mountains." Bianca sits down, crosslegged, poking idly at the fire. "Are you sure of that? Just how many Garou are there in that area?" Alexander says "A lot. Which is why, at least at first, you'd have to stay out of the woods. But I figure you wouldn't miss that much. I know some would want to come meet you. Some would want to stay away from you. But I can't think of any that would actively want to hunt you down. We're not that kind of Sept. And if there are, they'll have to get through a lot of other people long before they reach you." Mirth sparks in the woman's eyes. "Garou bodyguards. Cute." She picks up the notebook, pulling out the last few pages with writing on them and sending them into the flames. Alexander says "So, would you be interested?" Bianca pokes at the fire, stirring the ashes and making sure everything gets well and truly burned. She's silent for several moments. Finally, she says, "All right. Where did you say this was?" Alexander says "St. Claire, Washington." Bianca thinks a moment, frowning. "St. Claire, St. Claire... you mean near the national park?" Alexander nods. "Yeah. We're on the northern edge of the park." Bianca chews on a thumbnail, brow furrowed. "And you're sure there are no other Pumonca in that area? Sure you didn't simply miss one?" Alexander shakes his head. "You were the *nearest* one. I asked Cougar herself." Bianca hrms. "Interesting." She falls silent again, poking at the fire. "All right," she says at last. "We can leave soon as this is done." Alexander nods once. After a moment, he asks, "What is it you're burning?" Bianca smirks, as if she'd been waiting for him to ask that. "My memoirs." Alexander says "Then isn't burning them kind of counter-productive?" Bianca shrugs. "It's not as though I can risk having them found, can I?" Alexander says "Well, no, but the whole point is to hae them there for later." Bianca shakes her head. "Not always." She gives the fire another few poeks and then stands, satisfied that all has been turned into ash. Alexander claps his hands together. "OK then. Just let me know when you're ready." Bianca glances at the Garou, lips curved into a faint smirk. Leaning the burnt stick against the fireplace, she wanders toward the bed, gathering together a small collection of books and things into a dufflebag. "Do me a favor and douse that fire, would you? Thanks." Alexander does so with a bit of water. Bianca heaves the battered duffle over her shoulder and heads for the door. "How'd you get here anyway? By foot?" Alexander nods. "I ran the whole way, yeah. Some in the Umbra, some in the Realm." Bianca pushes the door open, lugging her bag toward the red and white pickup truck parked outside. "Do you like the Indigo Girls?" Alexander raises his eyebrows as he follows the woman out. "Um, never really listened to them...." Bianca laughs, jerking the cab door open, and climbs inside. "You're in luck then. I just got my hands on some new bootlegs. Hop in." Alexander rolls his eyes, but only a little. He jumps into the cab of the truck and pulls the door shut, then puts on his seat belt. The truck starts with a loud, aged sound, and almost immediately a blast of static erupts from the radio. With a gesture born of reflex, Bianca shoves in the tape, sets the battered vehicle in gear, and moves 'em out, driving with an apparently reckless manner that doesn't think very highly of speed limits. Alexander pages: OK. I think we can handwave the rest. TC would call Cerberus out to meet you, and have Scott sniff you for Wyrm in the process. Assuming you pass, you're given the run of the mountains to do what you want, but wanrned once again to stay out of the woods for a while. Long distance to Alexander: Bianca has no Wyrm taint, and anyway would probably disappear for several days while staking out her territory and doing the Rite of Claiming. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TC returns to town on Monday afternoon, Bianca in tow. He calls to the pack to meet them in the mountains, to come and meet the latest arrival. While he's at it, he'll ask Scott to check her for Wyrm and make sure she's safe. Since she is, he'll be satisfied. He gives her a warning not to go into the woods and, unless anyone has anything further, heads for home. ==============================================================================