American River Bike Trail

[Bull Rush]

"Things have changed. My time apart has given me a different perspective, seeing the fight between Pure and Forsaken in a different light. And it disgusts me. So much hatered against our own brothers is beyond intollerable. From both sides. More personally, I have a pack that depends on me. The pack is young, and weak, and without a strong leader. Should I abandon them, or force them to abandon everything they knew and work for the forsaken, unable to take brands and unable to be recognized as truly one of the Forsaken? I cannot abandom them, the other pure would hunt them down, and quite a few forsaken would take shots as well. Being responsible for their deaths, that I could have prevented? I reject it. Forcing them to convert to a group that hates them, will never accept them, and who will always be at best 3rd class citizens? Thats a slower death, a death of the spirit, but a death all the same." Bull Rush's answer meanders through its course, before arriving at its conclusion.
"This way, I save the most lives."

[Teeramus]

Chuck remained silent but attentive as the two other Alphas conversed. Bullrush's tale while horrible in it's implications, had no effect on Chuck personally and his demeanor did not change throughout. He appreciated Slick a little more for the reason she gave as to why she was alpha. He saw himself in a similar position of providing a measured and even approach with his pack. Aryana and Bridger came to mind.

"What is it that anchors you here then?" Chuck said, finally breaking his silence. "Surely you could find somewhere more secluded if you wish to avoid conflict with the Urdaga and the Anshega alike. But instead you position yourself between them." he said in a way that was more a question. "And the oath you recited at the Tur that night." he continued as his expression become more serious. "Why? And whom do you swear it too?"

[Lesingnon]

"Your perspective has changed. Things remain the same as they have for countless ages." As they have ever since the death of Father Wolf.

Chuck's inquiries were all good ones, and she was content to let Bull Rush answer them. But she also had one of her own as well. "You fought against the Pure, turned on them amidst one of the most important nights in recent memory. And ultimately abandoned their cause. We both know it's not something they'll forgive, or forget. With the way things stand now, do you really think the Pure will actually hesitate to hunt them down?" He wasn't exactly the type of formidable combatant that would give a pack pause, after all...

[DrDog]

"This is my home. This is my pack's home. And despite its appearance, for our kind, cities are generally not well frequented places. As for placing my pack between them, I didn't expect many of you to stay on this side of the river. With eternal sentry gone it is no longer the barrier, and the Pure are much weaker. But that does not change my decisions, nor will I abandon them."

"Chuck. When you swore the oath to the Firstborn, when you said that you would pay each spirit in kind, why do you still keep to it? If no one found out, would that stop you? Sure the spirits might be upset, but you are Forsaken, they hate you already. Likewise if you hunted a Pure and disposed of her. If only the spirits cared, why should you?"

"Indeed, these Pure will not. And while the Ivory claws will hate us, they will fear us. We are doing something that there is no song of, no tale. Change, more than anything, is what the Ivory claws fear. As for the predator Kings, we have shown ourselves to be strong. That is enough. The Fire-Touched are unpredictable. So I do not waste time predicting their plans or movements. I know their weakness.

And what of you? You attacked the Pure, struck down Grandfather. Your pack has been marked in a way that cannot be cleaned. What are you doing to safeguard yourselves?"

[Lesingnon]

Well, for starters they'd positioned their territory in such a way as to have a buffer between them and the Pure. But she wasn't about to say that out load. It wasn't likely to be a tidbit that Bull Rush would be too terribly happy about.

"We don't swear oaths just to pay lip service to a concept and then go around doing whatever we feel like when no one's looking. Or at least I don't. Whether or not anyone's watching, my word is still my word. And I take it seriously" She'd hardly be even a halfway decent Elodoth Mennina if she didn't.

"Hardly a surprise that the Forsaken have settled into this side of the river either. The remaining Justicars, Tony, myself...we all held territory here, before. Is it truly surprising that with the Anshega pushed out we'd take those lands back?"

[Teeramus]

Chuck pondered Bullrush's questions but had to agree and nod to Slick's answer.

"An oath is an oath, and trust is more easily broken than built up, that is true. And hate us they may, but there is a certain rapport that one can acquire in order to work with them. Destroying that trust would make that impossible and I can't imagine a totem that I could respect who would take me if I were an oath breaker." he replied evenly.

[DrDog]

"An oath is a promise first to yourself. This is the principle we hold to, that we are first beholden to each other, and ourselves. We reject the firstborn and their politics, and in so doing, make ourselves responsible for our own actions, our own oaths.

I had expected that when kept penned into the south that when the barriers were lifted, there would be a huge rush outward. But who knows what the future holds. In the meantime, my pack has our territory. "

He stands up,
"I don't have much more time, but I am glad we were able to talk Chantay. Know you are welcome here.
Chuck, thank you for coming."

[Lesingnon]

The issue with oaths sworn just amongst one's selves, however...was that there was no one to enforce it should the oathsworn decide to stray. But it wasn't an issue she felt like debating, so she let the comment past.

"There were Forsaken left who had claimed territory in the downtown before the Pure swept through." Herself among them, "That they'd seek to reclaim what they'd held was all but inevitable." She certainly hadn't even considered looking anywhere else for land. For that matter, Tony hadn't either.

"And I'll certainly keep that welcome in mind." Whether or not she'd use it, she didn't know. But she was Meninna, and certainly wouldn't forget such a thing.

[Teeramus]

Chuck winced internally as he realized he should have tried to find out more about the local territory before settling where he did. He stood, following suit, "Thank you for your time Bullrush. I hope we'll have the chance to meet and talk again sometime." He said, still uneasy about oath the other held to, but willing to look past it for now.

"Slick. Always a pleasure." and with that the young Elodoth turned to leave.

[DrDog]

The three depart, with new ideas and new thoughts wrestling in their spirits.

End Scene