"I dashed well knew you were too good a cub to be true."

Big Red Barn(#3420RA)
The barn is built in the old style, a vast three level structure that is greater in height than a mere three stories, actually closer to five. Great wooden posts support the weight of the upper levels and roof, sunk into the hard-packed dirt floor of the first level like a sparse forest of regularly spaced, naked trees. The stalls and flagstones which once were here have been torn out to leave a rather open area where even crinos Garou may roam freely without fear of running into anything but the supports or the walls or the ladder at the back which allows access to the other two levels.
The first two levels are relatively open to each other, the second being only little wider than a catwalk going around all the walls but the front one, which has massive, twenty foot tall doors set into it. The third level is a true second floor except for a place cut out that allowed hay to be tossed down to the ground floor when the farm was actually worked. Now, it is a hayloft where Garou can sleep outside of the house.

'Indian Summer', they call it; a final spell of warmth and sunshine before Autumn's crispness succumbs to Winter's chill. The maple trees planted in the barnyard are naked of all their leaves, like cold black hands stretching out of piles of orange and brown leaves, but the grass and fur trees are still green and growing. The fading afternoon sunlight shines through the doorway of the barn, forming beams in the dusty air. Erika stands near the entrance, an aluminum washbin at her feet, and is struggling to try to wring out a huge wad of sopping-wet coarse blue cloth.

The familiar note of Cedric's car engine echoes through the stillness of the air. In homage to the unexpected warmth of this October, he's got the top down, and his fine golden hair is blowing in the breeze as he skids round the corner of the farm with his usual panache, pips his horn in a cheery greeting to Erika as he sees her at the barn door, and parks up at a jaunty angle in the yard before hopping out and striding over. "Erika! Got you at work on chores, I see?"

"Hey, Cedric!" the girl calls, her face brightening as the wooden walls of the barn echo her high, twangy voice. "Good to see you! Yeah, Cole thought it would be a good idea to muck out all the blankets and stuff before the weather gets any colder. How are things with you?"

"Been a busy bee," Cedric replies. "Had to dabble in tribal politics, and politics are a thing I truly detest. But it's dashed hard to stay out of them once you're an adult garou." He sighs. "Maybe good will come of this episode in the end, though, Falcon willin'."

Erika squeezes a final trickle of water from the blanket, then walks over to throw it over a low-laying beam supporting the wall of the barn. When she looks back, her eyebrows are raised in concern. "Is everything okay? Things seemed to be going so well for you last time we talked."

"Okay for me," Cedric says, stressing the 'me'. "Not so okay for someone else, and I may find myself bein' smeared by association if things turn out badly. You want the whole story? It's not entirely pleasant."

Erika glances around. "Uh, sure. I sure never won any popularity contests or anything." She smiles wryly. "And usually when the girls talked, I was the one getting smeared. But it's probably something I should learn to do better." She walks over towards the haybales scattered in piles at the back of the barn, and takes a seat. "I ain't seen anybody else around this afternoon, so should be okay to talk here."

Cedric walks over with Erika and seats himself. "Well, let's see," he says, settling into story-telling mode. "About a week back, I was feelin' a spot peckish, and spyin' a donut shop in town, I decided I'd pop in and grab some. Sweet tooth, don't you know." He gives Erika a disarming smile. "On my way out I bumped into a guy coming out from behind the store. Kind of a mess, like he was living rough, but... he had Falcon's blood. I recognised it in him instantly. And what's more, he recognised mine."

Erika listens with wide eyes, curling her knees up to her chest. "He was a Silver Fang? You can just tell like that?"

Cedric nods. "Not always, not infallibly, but a lot of the time. There's something about the way we look." He eyes Erika. "You've got it. Anyway, we spoke in the alley... after some initial unpleasantness..." His hand strays absently to his stomach. "Turns out the fellow was called Mathias. He'd been run out of the sept before I got here for various offences. Just a young cliath, not much older than you. A theurge."

Erika narrows her eyes a little. "A theurge?"

"So he said," Cedric confirms, "and I have no reason to doubt him... why do you ask?"

The girl shakes her head. "I don't doubt you, Cedric-rhya. I was just remembering what Blackriver-rhya had told me about running him off. She said that there was a theurge who had recently been at the sept, but had acted erratically and irresponsibly and been told to leave."

Cedric's lower lip pushes out for a moment. "That sounds pretty much like the same chap. Irresponsible is a good word and an apt one. I believe him when he says that he never acted from anythin' but good intent, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with, don't we?" He sighs. "I don't say for one moment that Blackriver did wrong in orderin' him off, or failed in her half-moon duty, or anythin'. But there's more to the story."

Erika's forehead wrinkles and she purses her lips. "Uh, is this guy gonna get in trouble for staying in town? And are you gonna get in trouble for chumming around with him?"

"As I said," Cedric goes on, "more to the story. I've told you how Falcon ordered me here, via Osric? What Mathias told me is that Falcon sent him here too. Maybe we're meant to do somethin' together. Maybe not. I don't know and neither does Osric, yet. But for that reason, and because it goes against the damn' grain to see one of our tribe living in alleys and eating from dumpsters like a Bone Gnawer, I took him off the street -- where, I might add, he was livin' because he couldn't bear to go against Falcon's orders and leave town, yet couldn't return to the sept proper because he'd been ordered off -- put him in my hotel room, and went to speak to Blackriver. She heard me out. And I've got to bring Mathias back to her shortly."

Erika seems to relax a bit, leaning forwards on her arms and letting her legs down to swing against the hay bale. "So what is he like? And, who is Osric? We were in lupus when you told us that Falcon had sent you, so I might not have understood everything you said quite right."

"He's not a well boy," Cedric sighs. "I fancy he was a wee bit high-strung even before he got into hot water. Theurges often are, you know. All that talkin' to the spirits. But I think a spell of eatin' and sleepin' properly would fix him. And speakin' of spirits, that's what Osric is." He holds out one hand, in the manner of a falconer inviting his bird to land. "Falcon spirit. Of the highest purity. Stays with me, guards me, guides me, commands me."

The cub's mouth goes open a bit, and the color drains from her face. She glances around at the wooden supports of the barn, and towards the door, and shifts around uneasily on her seat.

Cedric ducks his head forward to bring it closer to Erika's. "What's the matter? Osric's nothing to be scared of. He's an avatar of our tribal totem."

Erika shies away from Cedric's advance, hunching over and bowing her head to avert her eyes. Her voice is tiny, barely audible. "Sorry, Cedric-rhya. Those spirit-things just sorta freak me out."

"You have my word of honour as a Silver Fang and a Briton," Cedric vows, "that Osric will never harm you or wish you ill, so long as you follow the proper path of a true Garou of the Silver Fangs." He glances to his still-outstretched wrist, then back to Erika. "He says he promises."

Erika sits up slightly, but is still leaning away, looking at the space above Cedric's forearm with raised brows and tensed lips. "If you say so, Cedric-rhya, then I will believe it. But it still makes my hair stand on end, and my skin crawl. I don't like being around them. Blackriver says that all Garou have spirits inside of us, and it creeps me out to think I have something like that wriggling around inside of me."

"My dear girl!" Cedric exclaims. "Spirits don't... wriggle. Not in that sense. And if they did, you couldn't feel 'em in this world. Have you been to the Umbra yet?"

The girl's face turns from white to ash-grey. "Yes. Blackriver made me go there once. I ran and ran and ran."

Cedric rubs his chin thoughtfully. "You will need to learn to overcome that fear," he says, gently but firmly. "This is not a good time of month to take you to the Umbra, but in a few weeks, I shall take you, Blackriver willing."

Erika hangs her head, and is silent a long time. "Okay, Cedric-rhya. If you think I should go...But I warn you, it takes me forever to cross over. And I really got freaked out last time...I'm not proud of it. Blackriver had to chase me down."

"I shall be patient," Cedric promises. "And I shan't expect miracles from you. If we need to take baby steps with this one, baby steps we shall take. I dashed well knew you were too good a cub to be true," he adds flippantly.

Erika smiles wanly. "Sorry, Cedric-rhya," she says, and waits a long moment before adding, "I will try."

"I know you will," Cedric says with an encouraging smile. "Now, put it from your mind. No point frettin' over it and wastin' away. I've somethin' to show you. The house I may end up the owner of. Not far from here. Only just started dealings with the realtor, but no harm in givin' you a spin in the car past it...?"

The cub smiles genuinely, a broad grin that shows her teeth and brings a twinkle to her eyes. "That sounds great, Cedric! A day like this needs to be enjoyed a little bit. You never know if you're going to get another one."

"That's the spirit... if you'll pardon the expression in the circumstances," quips Cedric. "C'mon, we'll go for a spin round the little country roads. Enjoy what a damn' beautiful planet we have here, and remind ourselves what we lose if we don't fight for it." He stands and beckons Erika to the barn door.