Book 1: A New Day

"So much to take in,..." Paul thinks to himself. He finds spot in the back near some of the other new "recruits", and wonders about he's been conscripted into. "You read about things like this," he mutters "and then it's real. What is this all this...? Life was so much easier when all I had to worry about was homework and meeting my parents' expectations. Now it's werewolves and mysterious threats that probably want to kill me, or us."

"Yup. Yer cannon fodder for their holy war now. Think ISIS gives a speech like that?"

Misha, the small tomboy radiating trouble at the back with a mountain of attitude had her arms crossed and a cigarette in her mouth as she watched with distaste. The other cubs by now well knew that under that thin veneer of contempt was a mountain of rage waiting to burst forth at the slightest provocation.

To say the girl had reacted poorly to the transition to Garou life was an understatement. The older Garou beating the lessons into the cubs had been very literal in her case. More than once she had turned into a rage-filled murder machine all too happy to rip out her teachers' throats rather than accept what she was being told. The elders had responded in kind and had aptly demonstrated the difference in experience. In the end the teen delinquent had to relent. But the experience had made her not a bit happier..

"You may have heard of me, I'm a big deal!"

The lanky, rough looking youth laughs derisively as he wanders over to see what the commotion is about. "Shut up, y'stupid git. The football you throw is smarter than you. Cleaner, too." Patrick sneers at Sebastion, and crosses his arms over his chest, slipping one hand under the flannel overshirt he's wearing.

"Thank Gaia your parents were just related, and not both Garou, or you'd be a fookin' metis. Now sod off."

"Sportsball is very one-dimensional", Paul says flatly to Sebastian. "I believe that what we're being tasked with is maybe a little bit bigger than a Bowl game. Have any of you ever actually confronted any of this head-on? I mean really, not seen the little snippets here and there, but like, really seen it."

Diana stands near the front of the group, holding herself with the confidence of someone in their element, who knew what was going on. Whereas many of the cubs around her had been thrown into the change, and even the idea of werewolves and other supernatural entities being real she had grown up knowing of it.

Those who had seen her around would have seen her often with a few pieces of pricy jewlery and specifically a golden signet ring bearing the crest of a phoenix. A symbol that meant a lot less than it used to but she still wore as a symbol of what she hoped to become. It and the other pieces are absent tonight, common sense telling her to leave them somewhere safe. so they didn't get lost while shifting.

' Boys please. We are meant to be making friends, packs even. Not enemies. I'm sure you are all good at what you do. No need for a measuring contest' She interrupts the growing squabble between some of the others. The name Sebastien had run a fanit bell to her, but she couldn't pin it. Sports was her cousins domain. If this guy was well nown Oscar would porbably be all over him trying to make friends. She should probably do the same,. Her uncle would tell her so. But the way he emphasised 'my' pack mad her feel she would clash, if he insisted on leading. As a soon to be Silver fang, and inheritor of her families legacy that was her role. It was what she had always been taught after all.

She raises her voice, projecting it across the group of cubs as she turns to the all. 'I won't pretend to have seen a lot of this world most of you have suddenly been thrust into. At least not the nasty parts. But I have grown up knowing of it. How to navigate it. I would be eager to teach you all how to do so, and how to make the most of the gift you have gained. For those who don't now I am Diana Ashmore. My family line boast many garou warriors, and nobility. I know what I'm doing. They didn't need to know the state of the family now. A few survivors clinging onto what little pride and wealth they had left. She would regain that glory back. Even if she wasn't Ahroun.

Misha looked down to the flea-ridden wolf. Poor thing looked like some horribly abused dog. Well, she knew how that felt. Of course it wasn't a dog, it was a wolf. And it spoke in that Garou language. So this was a lupus? Misha saw no reason for Rat Food to stay in that form otherwise. What was sure was that Rat Food was the smartest werewolf around. He had sided with her after all. Could do with a bath though.

"Ey. I'm Misha. You understand English or am I going to have to talk doggo?"

Of course you are ya Nazi git. Misha rolled her eyes and kept her attention on her new pal.
"Eyyyy, looks like we're headed the same way Rat. I figured the Gnawers don't have a stick up their ass like the other tribes. You know some?"

Back and forth they all go, laying claim to their places, heritage, whatever. Paul just rolls his eyes. "This is all a bit pointless," he says. "Like, we're supposed to pit ourselves against some horrible malevolent forces, and so far there's bickering about who is going to be the captain." He looks at Diana, and says a bit contemptuously, "you accuse us of a measuring contest, but the first thing you did was tell us you should be in charge because people in your lineage have been warriors. I guess that's genetic, or so you'd have us believe. That's not measuring? Please. Wouldn't it be more important if we identified our common threat, rather than the team leader?"

Diana gives a small smirk as Sebastian doesn't retaliate and moves away before focusing her attention on Paul.

'That is not what I was saying. I was saying that because I grew up with all of this I am not out of my element like the majority of you. I' ve prepared for this. I know what I am doing and things the rest of you still need to learn. Like the fact our ancestors are important.. '

She gives a nod to Running Fish as he backs up the need for leaders. ' We're about to face a trial. It is important each pack has someone they can rely on to keep everyone on track and focused if things get bad. You get to pick either someone used to all this, or sports boy.' As long as no-one else also showed an interest.

The rest of the new wolves seemed an interesting bunch. Running fish as a Philodox could help with the more.. Colourful character that may end up in the pack.

Greata caught her interest. Another Theurge, also of a trib more know for their Ahroun and Galliards. Maybe they could learn what they were doing together... Unless Greata already knew and showed up her lack of knowledge on her own auspices. That would undermine her.

"Yeah, I know that one. Was thinking that because you're a wolf you might've come from a different place with 'm."
It was clear by now that the two Gnawers-to-be would be sticking together like glue as Misha seemed to have adopted Rat Food like a puppy. A stinking, flea-ridden puppy..