A new Song and an Old Friend.

[Shadow Tongue]

Shadow Tongue sits in his spot. After half a year of living there day after day, week after week. The joggers and regular park-goers might just expect the young homeless guy to always be making his music under that same tree. Never asking for money, never drunk.

Shadow Tongue's music is up beat today. There is much to hope for. All hopes human would never understand. But they heard it through his music.
Things would be changing. Shadow Tongue would miss this spot under this tree in Fremont Park. He would.

[Firebringer]

Matthew enters the park and walks up to the tree, looking much more haggard than last time Shadow Tongue had seen him. He sinks down, sitting next to the other werewolf, but remains silent for a few moments. Finally, he speaks. "Shadow Tongue, I have wronged you, and I have wronged the pack. When I left, I denied my own past, denied the pack bond that we shared. For that, I ask your forgiveness, and I ask permission to once again join the Shadow Seekers."

[Shadow Tongue]

Shadow Tongue looks up to see Matthew and grins. Had he been a wolf his tail would wag much like a mere dog. As Mathew sits down Andrew gives him his space.

Wronged? Really? "Matthew. You come seeking kinship. I don't think it was ever severed. I can't speak for Dave. But you have my blessing. The Justicars were in need. Luna provided. All is as it should be. In the end Golden Bear must decide"

Shadow Tongue leans back against the tree as he processes how Golden Bear would react. Then how the rest of the pack would react.

"Will you challenge my <Ikisdu>(Title of Alpha)? Will you seek to guide this pack again?" Shadow Tongue wonders what he would do if Mathew said yes. In the end Shadow Tongue believes he would have no problem with it. But he doesn't say as much. Instead Matthew would have to either make the challenge or not. Shadow Tongue would not beg to step down. Such was unthinkable.

[Firebringer]

Matthew chuckles. "Challenge you? No, I gave up my claim to the title when I left. It rightfully belongs to you now. Does Golden Bear still frequent this park? Perhaps I can ask his permission now."

[Shadow Tongue]

"Of course. I'm sure he would lend an ear now." Shadow Tongue fingers his harmonica. Having Matthew back would be awesome. "Golden Bear the enduring. What do you think of Matthew rejoining us?" Shadow Tongues asks out into the Twilight.

[Lesingnon]

Not long after he is called Golden Bear appears, sitting on his haunches between the two Uratha. He looks to Shadow Tongue first, <<Your fortitude is strong.>> Then he turns to Matthew, his gaze unreadable. <<Explain your reasons for leaving my pack, and why you wish to return.>>

[Firebringer]

"I left to shore up the Justicars against the local pack of Predator Kings. At the time, I thought the cause worthy enough to warrent such a drastic measure, but I had in many ways lost touch with my roots. Recent events reminded me, quite forcibly. When Tony performed the Funeral Rite for a fallen werewolf, it brought me back to Taylor's death at the Justicars' hands." Matthew's voice grows bitter. "I had been unwilling to face the past, so I walled it off, blocked it from my mind. Even while I sought to honor Taylor's memory, I tarnished it, because I was too weak to stand up to the past. I return now to reaffirm the past that I shied away from for so many months." Skolis-Ur's children lose much in hiding their weaknesses from others.

[Lesingnon]

Golden Bear stays still for a long while, scrutinizing Matthew. Eventually, he speaks. <<Your purpose, and identity, seems like it wavered. But ultimately it endured. I will welcome you back to my pack.>>

[Firebringer]

"Thank you, Golden Bear."

Matthew turns back to Shadow Tongue. "What happened while I was gone? What's our current situation?"

[Shadow Tongue]

Shadow Tongue nods in respect toward his Totem. Golden Bear was indeed a fine spirit. SHadow Tonguw was proud to have it as his spirit guide.
But wait. Taylor was killed by the Justicars and not Light Engulfing Forrest?

"We have too many targets and too few arrows. There is a second Locus in the Marina. Light Engulfing Forrest is out of control, we uncovered a thief taking from our Locus, we have another Uratha looking to joins our pack, we need a den to call home, and Ridden are everywhere." Shadow Tongue allows the exhaustion to sound through his voice.
It was all to much for one wolf to do alone.
Sometimes it seemed Shadow Tongue was very much alone.