The Prodigals' Purpose

Before the pack separated to sleep for the night in Eaton's makeshift shelter Mocks asked everyone to gather around for a pack meeting. He looked each pack member up and down before speaking.

"Zoe is right. We are unfocused right now. Beyond that we are not unified in purpose. If we aren't unified we will not be successful in our endeavors. To fix this we will each one by one state what we think the pack's current purpose should be and then after hearing from everyone as Alpha I will decide our purpose. If at that time you disagree in the decision I have made... I will accept any challenge. "

He took a deep breath and sat down on the ground. Fiddling with his Apache as he did so.

"I believe our purpose right now is to protect the Uktena. This includes their land, their kinfolk, and hopefully by helping them deal with whatever bane they are guarding right now in a more permanent manner."

He looked his pack mates in their eyes before continuing.

"I propose we do this with as little help as possible from the Get as possible. The Get and Uktena sit on opposite spectrums and it having Get here may seem like an act of war to the Uktena. They already do not get along with Can't Be Killed who will be here with his Tonkawa... adding the Get in may be too much."

He put away his Apache and grinned.

"I propose we talk to Uncle Mclod and the Rat's Teeth. Zadoch is a bone gnawernhe may feel more at ease with his own kind, and the Uktena may as well feel more at ease with Bone Gnawers instead of the Get. I also propose getting help from Walks with Spiders. In Akna's realm she built that contraption based on Uktena magic and rituals to seal Akna. Perhaps with her assistance whatever bane they are dealing with could be sealed stronger temporarily which would allow some Uktena to return and partake in peace talks."

He turned to Rends and his grin faded.

"I am not opposed to also enlisting the help of Jack's exciled children... however Robert may see it as an act of war. He exiled them for a reason. The same reason you and he keep butting heads. By working with them he may assume plots against him may be hatched. I think working with them may send the wrong message to Robert since you are trying to mend that bridge."

He resumed looking at the pack as a whole.

"This is all I have to say on the matter. Who is next?"

Zoe turned first to Mocks the Night.

"First of all, I want to say that I am glad we are having this conversation, long overdue as it may be. Without a clear purpose we will spend our days putting out everyone else's fires and fail to accomplish anything for ourselves."

"Secondly, your desire to involve the Bone Gnawers and Walks with Spiders is wise in my opinion, but these are merely solutions for the current situation at hand. Determining our current purpose is important, but agreeing on what our pack's purpose is in the grand scheme is just as crucial. If our only purpose is to fight the Wyrm where it dwells, then we should storm Uktena's realm and take out the bane on our own, relations with the Uktena be damned. If our only purpose is to unite the tribes, then we spend our days playing matchmaker and negotiator and never step on anyone's toes. If our only purpose is to prove ourselves the strongest and eliminate the weak, then we end up neglecting other more gentle portions of the Litany."

Zoe realized she was nearly yelling and took a breath to calm herself.

"If we don't know what we're fighting for, how will we ever know if we've accomplished it?"

"I believe Gaia has brought together each of the five auspices from five wildly different tribes in order to - "

The Theurge paused for another moment as she considered one of her initial statements.

"Well, perhaps our purpose is to do exactly what we have been doing all along; putting out other people's fires. We don't have a protectorate of our own, really. The Forked Ash is our home and we would rush home to assist them at a moment's notice, but we would not hesitate to protect any sept that called for our aid, would we? We don't have a particular tribe we are trying to spread across the frontier. There is not a specific enemy that we were specifically brought together to fight."

She steepled her fingers and nodded her head.

"I believe our pack's purpose is to lend our strength, numbers, cunning, wisdom, gifts, and experience to anyone in need of such things. Certainly, such assistance would only be granted in situations where doing so would not violate the Litany, but for the most part, I believe we have gained the reputation of people who get the job done, though our means may not always be lauded by the Nation."

"All that being said, in our current situation, we help Zadok protect his kin and the buffalo from these hunters."

Zas B'ul listened. As Mocks shared his purpose and intent both for this present meeting and the intended outcome. "So we are deciding upon a direction and heading, choosing a path."

Upon hearing Zoe say her piece, the Philodox lowered his head but looking to Zoe, "And also creating the purpose of the pack too."

The Silent Strider nods once and says grimly, "Very well-Pack purpose first: I concur with Zoe. We are called by Gaia to finish the fight of others. All of our journey's successes have been built upon the knowledge and deeds of those who acted before us-our forefathers. I feel this was intentional. We are supposed to make the hard choices and do the things no one else can or will, but none of our sacrifice is in vain. We are closers...finishers. We are called the prodigals for we have and must continue to return; to stand back up and go again until our tasks are complete or until we meet the end of days."

Snowy Owl then turns to look at Eaton and Rends as he says, "As it relates to our current situation, my quest to unite the tribes seems to be being given a single opportunity at a slim chance. The Uktena need help. Though they may not all see it, I am their ally as much as I am yours and in each of your hearts- I know you at the very least would not have another tribe of Garou fall. A great War is on the horizon, the Storm Eater is on the move, and no one nation is powerful enough to stop either. We walk a hard road, but letting quarrels and division form at our center will make us fail.IF WE FAIL, ALL FAIL. Garou are of the wolf. The strength of the wolf lies in the pack."

The Philodox then turns to Mocks the Night, "Robert Swiftdeath does not control us. We make our own paths. We do not need his permission or approval. He thirsts for blood and does not care whose. Roaring Jack's other children are honorable, and if there is to be hope for unity and peace between the nations, they more accurately reflect what it means to be Fenrir and would be the ideal ally. If the Bone Gnawers are willing and able, they would make mighty allies, as would the Iron Riders."

Zas angles his head as he considers, "If we were to seek any one's approval for this task, gaining King Rawest Wind's aid and voice would prove the most powerfully heard and binding."

He looks around the pack, "Making demands of the Pure tribes serves no purpose-they cease listening before the words leave your mouth. However, a united Garou nation acting in good faith and us honoring our word will prove that we can be trusted and that strength can be found in unity and joining forces to combat the growing shared dangers we face. We should protect the innocent kinfolk. Stop the hunters."

He grimaces, "Perhaps in time, we could jointly take on the bound bane under their guard, but like Roaring Jack said, It's not like we don't have enough enemies already running rampant. We take those out first and then return to finish the ones under lock and key. But the first step is in our words matching our deeds."

The Apache turns to Mocks, "That is all I have to say."

Eaton looked up from writing in his journal and said, "I think most of us are on the same page as to what we gotta do right now- protect the Uktena kin cause they're in the umbra. What we're unclear on is just how to accomplish that unless we wanna relocate up here."

"I don't trust the Get, er rather-" He looked to Rends, trying to avoid flaring tempers,"I wouldn't run to 'em first- my concern is that Robert is just gonna hear what he wants: that the Uktena are sittin' on banes 'cause they ain't strong enough to kill 'em. If we explained that we already got the situation under control and are just needin' to gain their trust so they'll share more, I think that'll work better than tryin' to ask them to watch the kin."    

"The Gnawers may be able to send some packs, but they'd only be dependable if the danger was clear 'n present. The Swarm can gather and strike quick, but it's gotta be a big target for them to show up at all. Rumors or theories' about what might threaten' these Kin ain't gonna get their attention. Course, if somethin' ugly did rear its head in these parts, it should be easy to rally 'em."

He scratched at his chin, "The Iron Rider's might be willin' to do somethin' if something was in it for them- they seemed to want to expand their protectorate where the cities are rather than out west, though."

He looked at Mocks, "Also, were we tryin' to decide ours packs mission for the next few days, or from here on out?"

Rends sits in silence for a long moment, puffing slowly on his pipe as he absorbed the packs words. Then he looks up, and a gray haze dissipates from under his hat as he speaks.

"Yous all right about our united purpose. That's the thing g we do best;get in, clean up and move on. But they another part to that. We find strength in what others discard. We take those weaknesses and turn them into our greatest strength, and it's through that newfound strength that we come out on top."

He turns to each pack mate in turn, holding their gaze with his own clear eyes.

"Here it is how I see it. Eaton's right about Rat's Teeth. They mighty fine fighters, but they'd too lax in other ways to make good stewards here. The Iron Riders are already stretched thin, and Rawest Wind needs a decent sized group of Garou at his command to make sure he can hold what he has. We jest set him up at the Forked Ash, he can't spare any strength now that he's still so newly in power again."

He turns to Mocks last, drawing on his pipe deliberately before speaking.

"Talon of Rime and who knows how many other Get are out there now, doing either nothing or less than they can Cuz they got kicked out. I spoke to Robert before we left. I seen the look in his eyes when he spoke about his castaway family. He misses them. I think we may be the only chance they'd gonna get to be brought back into the fold. We can do this. They know I acted against Robert, and if I come and make them an offer they'll listen."

He taps out the spent pipe then cleans it out.

"Robert won't see it as a threat. As far as he's concerned I'm no threat at all. I told him as much when we last spoke. I know him a little, and I know my Tribe. Missing his family is tearing him apart. He'll take the chance to have them back. I know I would."