I Have A Bad Feeling About This

Once the prodigals had regrouped Eiger led them to what seemed like an empty courtyard where they could talk in some privacy. He looked around at each of his packmates before speaking.

“Final Legend held Rends, Zoe, and myself back to deliver some pretty disturbing news. The letter that we delivered from the Crow King was a warning. It warned that in visions the Crow King saw signs that one of us had ulterior motives in coming here, and there was going to be a betrayal.”

He gestured at to Zoe.

“Zoe had the right idea to look at the letter ourselves, however the Crow King planned on that. When Zoe held the letter and began to read it the ink turned into a raven and then just an ink blot.”

He then turned and focused his gaze on Eaton and Zas.

“So we have no concrete proof what the letter said, but Final Legend for his part is taking the warning seriously and believes that the culprit will be either of you.”

He sighed.

“Eaton I know you came here for personal reasons beyond delivering a mask and a letter. Based on what you have seen thus far, the answers you have received, are you satisfied? What do you intend to do now?

He closed his eyes and shrugged.

“For my part I don’t trust the Crow King at alI. It’s possible he’s been having his crows follow us at a distance looking for a weak point and he found it. Eaton and Zas... you guys had that argument right outside his domain right after the military passed through. Hence he is pitting the two of you against each other trying to force the rest of us to pick sides. I think we are better and smarter than that.”

He looked around at everyone again.

“What say you?”

The Silent Strider gave a knowing look to Eiger and then to Rends.

He made to speak but stopped himself for a second to draw in a breath. "The last time we acted on visions...things didn't go well. We misinterpreted it. Based on what you have said, the Crow King, who is known to not be straight forward is allegedly telling this crazy lone wolf that we might be about to turn on one another...and we gotta take the crazy lone wolf we just met, at his word."

Zas shook his head, "I don't think we know him well enough for that. But I also know that when any accused person denies charges brought forth, their words also often ring hollow."

"I will say that for myself for what it's worth, I have no intention of betraying the pack. You are the only family I have, and I would rather rot away on the inside and die than to bring more heartbreak and pain to this pack."

He holds up a finger, "But...if there is truth to any of this, the supposed betrayal may not be a betrayal of one another....or gaia. If we go to meet this Iscariot person, and it turns out that Final Legend is full of it-we might betray him/his trust. Or perhaps one of us betrays a tribe or something we value...the point is, we don't know."

Zas looks to Eaton, "But it would not be too far off to say that a change in mindset could be seen as betrayal to tribesmen and you've been talking about some stuff like that lately."

Zoe glanced from Eaton to Zas then back to Eaton.

Both of her brothers had been with her for years. They all experienced tragedy and victory side by side, including the loss of their brother Kefka. She prayed to Gaia that this alleged vision was just a test of their resolve and that one of her brothers was not about to betray her. She could not handle it again so soon.

"If I had to choose between believing my brothers and believing the Crow King or the Final Legend, I will always choose my brothers."

Turning specifically to Zas, Rends, and Eaton, she continues.

"You three have been through the best and the worst of life with me. We have seen victory together. We have seen tragic loss together. We have seen weddings and new babies and the hope for our future. We have suffered betrayal and heartbreak. As far as I am concerned, these events have fused us together like iron in Connor's forge. I would never consider betraying any one of you."

She gives each one of her brothers a significant look.

"I pray that you feel the same way about me."

Eaton looked directly at Fae Carver, seemingly to mull over how to answer. He then replied, "Well yeah, I said before the Crow Kings mission I wanted to come here. It was cause of what Illiana said of this place. I wanted to see if she was tellin' the truth about it."

He sighed, "And unfortunately, she was."

He spoke in a hushed voice, "I was thinking that the Garou here would be in a sorry state, but this is worse than I woulda ever imagined. Teachin' them that their wicked just cause of who they are . . ." He scowled, "That's just twisted. And that he's claimin' to do it in the name of Gaia just disgusts me."

He then looked to each member of the pack before he said, "But it wasn't just my own curiosity- another motivation was 'cause I didn't want to believe that these folks were beyond help. I'm fairly certain if they aren't my kin they're still pretty close. They deserve the same chance I got: to realize their potential. I know the Bone Gnawers would take 'em in cause they took me in without any hesitatin'."

He let out another sigh,  "The Final Legend might be a bastard but he ain't stupid- he figured at least Zas and I would want to do somethin' about what he's doin' here. Sowin' these seeds so we think we're crossin' one another is how he's tryin' to stop it. It's classic Shadow Lord."

He smiled, "Luckily, he ain't the only one who can plant. I reckon we can convince these Garou of the fraud he is."

Rends nods his head, resolved.

"They got an army's worth of Garou out here doin' nothin' good with they time. I say we give them the chance to join the Nation. They's strong enough to hold onto this little fort in the middle of this storm. I say that gives them the right to somethin' more."

He nods back to the Final Legend's sanctum.

"Gettin' him on board won't be easy. Ain't no way a Shadow Lord's gonna give up a cult built fer him fer the greater good. And even when they do join, I reckon we'll have to split them up to all different Septs and Packs, give them the chance to join any Tribe that'll have them; though I think most would end up as Gnawers. They got too much of that Shadow Lord's nonsense in they heads right now and would end up turnin' any place they end up into another pity party like this."

He turns back to the rest of the pack, a familiar glimmer in his eye.

"So to that end, why don't we give these poor sons of bitches somethin' to marvel at? We can put together a Rite fer this feast they got comin' up to showcase what we's all about and what our Tribes is all about. Give 'em somethin' to aspire to and play to the Final Legend's ego at the same time."