(2024-05-19) The Last Safe Place

Details

Author:	Mishell
Summary:	The Gravehowl Pack is forced to move on from Duskhaven, and they find respite where they least expect it.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Gravehowl Pack

Gabriella peers around at the other worgen gathered, sniffing the air. "Let's make sure everyone is here. We'll be leaving very soon."
Ozzy frowns. "Well we ain't leavin' wifout Lord Graves, that's for sure."
Lloyd huddles near one of the flaming braziers, trying to stay warm, if not dry.
Gabby nods to Ozzy. "I'm sure he'll be along shortly."
Merelda comes out with her meager belongings. Mostly just the clothing on her back.

Rhenardt surveys the group, hunched a little and flicking his ears in the rain. "Got the pup."
Zeke turns to see.
Malcolm ducks his head lower as he stands next to Rhenardt, floppy ears hanging over the sides of his head. "Awroight', hullo'," he mutters apologetically.
Merelda nods. "Good. And he's well?"
Rhenardt nods curtly back at her. "Well as can be."
Malcolm wrings his clawed hands together and perks up as he glances around at the back. If he had a tail, it'd be wagging with nervous excitement.
"Mal, you're awake." Thaniel sounds pleased.
"We're relieved you are safe, young Malcolm," Gabriella says.
Ozzy's eyes widen at the sight of Malcolm, and she lets out a soft whine. "Malcolm…?"
She looks him over, concerned.
He raises his head, ears twitching as he perks up. "Aye, bit odd to be talking again… I dunno' if I like this more or less."
He carefully approaches Oslynn and tries to tuck his head under her jaw.
Zeke offers, "More for speakin', less for wearin' wet clothes."
Ozzy gives him a little sisterly nuzzle. "'Sawright Mal. You're awright."
"Like it or not, best to get accustomed to it. This seems to be our existence now."
Lloyd bobs his head up and down, relieved.
"Lord Graves… are we accepting others into our pack?" Merelda asks tentatively.

Malcolm withdraws and continues glancing around, sniffing curiously at the air. "It's good to be part of the pack again… I don't fink I wanna' go back inside a cage, ever."
"No one's going back inside a cage," growls Rhenardt. "And you lot saw to the last evacuee? The granny?"
Malcolm shrinks a bit and avoids eye contact but does nothing else.
Ambrose managed to make his way back eventually from burying Forsaken limbs and boots in Granny Wahl's garden. He nods his shaggy head at Rhenardt.
Rhenardt surveys Ambrose and nods back.
Malcolm drifts over to Ezekeal and lightly tries to nip at his shoulder.
Thaniel nods in response to Rhenardt's question.
Zeke whacks Malcolm upside the head. "Gerrof," he says.
Malcolm snaps his jaw at the air but takes no serious offense, having returned to the hierarchy.
"We fetched her book, her laundry, her cat, and her. We have to go before she wants her third favorite ladle or something."
Zeke snickers at Yseulde.
Rhenardt lowers his head and peers at Yseulde.
Merelda looks a little crestfallen for a moment, but then steels herself to continue.
Rhenardt nods at Gellarn as he arrives. "Rivere." He looks around at the pack again.
Gabriella nods respectfully to Gellarn.
Gellarn stands at the edge of the group, but within the circle of it, his arms crossed awkwardly, nodding back at Rhenardt and Gabriella.
Malcolm glances between them as he catches up.
"Please, she is simply a sweet old lady. We shall not hold it against her," Apricity says. "I would gladly go fetch her third favorite ladle."
"You would," says Zeke.
"Not now you won't. We've the mayor to report to."
"I didn't expect it to be necessary," Apricity answers almost immediately.
“She’s probably got her first and second favorites anyway,” Gellarn mutters.

Gwen Armstead waves the group over. "All right everyone, mount up! It’s time to ride to Greymane Manor!"
Malcolm leans in to sniff the horse before he climbs aboard. "Bit chewy lookin', innit'…" he pouts.
"Oh you're a good girl. Aren't you?" Yseulde fusses over her horse, treating it with chunks of apple. "A good brave girl."
Ozzy, as always, is not super comfortable on horseback, but she does her best.
Merelda rides quietly. She's starting to get the hang of her new center of balance.
The horses make their way up the mountain path to Greymane manor, the seat of the royal family. Through the rain, the manor’s warm-hued stained-glass windows rival the beauty of the Cathedral’s as it looms over them on the craggy mountainside.

Rhenardt swings down from the saddle — a little more awkwardly than he would have in former days — and looks up at the manor.
Malcolm dismounts and wanders over to Gabriella and tries to nudge her shoulder with his forehead.
Gabby glances down at Malcolm in surprise. But she doesn't recoil, permitting him to find what comfort he can.
Ozzy gawks at the manor.
Thaniel exits a stagecoach, carrying some bags.
Gabriella peers up at the king's manor with a critical eye. It's been some time since she's set foot here.
Zeke shakes his head a lot, sending water flying. "Never thought I'd be 'ere, that's certain."
Apricity dismounts, careful to not scratch the horse as he does. He might need that one later.
Yseulde speaks with soft praise and rubs her horse’s withers, doing everything she can to keep the horse comfortable with the beast she is now.

"Not much changed here, then," Rhenardt observes.
"I'm not sure I want to be here, as we are now," Merelda murmurs.
"Fink they'll let us up inside?" says Malcolm. "Always wondered wot' it looked lke."
Ozzy peers at Rhenardt. "You been 'ere a lot?"
Rhenardt looks back at her. "Once or three times."
Ozzy stares at Rhenardt, wide-eyed and impressed. She also glances behind her to make sure Gellarn is bringing up the rear as usual; she seems calmed by his presence despite not speaking to him.
Gellarn is right where she expects him to be, as reliable as anything.
Lloyd sniffs around. He smells… old things!
"My, that would have been nice to throw a party in here, once upon a time," Apricity says, staring at the manor.

"Can we call me by another name?" Merelda asks, looking up at the building. "Mary or something."
Rhenardt swings his head around to survey Merelda.
"Mary…? Why?"
Malcolm also pokes his out of the crowd to peer at Merelda.
"As you wish," Gabby agrees. "Mary."
"I just… might like to control how people meet me, as I am now," 'Mary' says.
"You've been here and never invited me, Rhenardt?" Apricity looks shocked, his clawed hand on his own chest. "Hopefully it was before you hunted us all down!"
Gellarn’s lips curl in the start of something, and he tamps it back down.
Rhenardt only growls absently at Apricity, still intent on Merelda. "As you like," he tells her gruffly.
"I would gladly be called by another name, if you please." Apricity says. "Perhaps not Mary, however."
Malcolm's ears quirk as he spots a rat. He slinks away from the group to stealthily collect and utilize it.
"Mary Gravehowl," Ozzy says firmly to Merelda. She nods, satisfied.
"Mary Gravehowl, then," Merelda tries to smile.
"Ys…" Yseulde hesitates. "Izzy is too much like Ozzy, isn't it? I'll be who I am. Yseulde Gravehowl."

Something clinks together in the bags Thaniel carries. Vials or potions, maybe.
Malcolm leans over to sniff at Thaniel's bag.
The bag carries a faint scent of fresh herbs, mostly peacebloom and silverleaf.
Lloyd pauses to peer back at Duskhaven.
"Dear Mary, any idea of what my new name shall be as well?" Apricity says. "What name would sound good paired with Mary?"
"Oh, I don't think we should be paired together," Mary says with a kind of barking laugh. "But let me see…"
Rhenardt sniffs the air. "More forlorn than before. And more… unease in the air."
A few of the other refugees look a little nervous at the huge pack of approaching worgen, making space for them.
Zeke's ears prick up then flatten at the sound of all the voices from within the manor.
Malcolm continues sniffing at it until his attention is summoned by the noise of refugees up ahead. "Party or somefing' maybe?" he posits hopefully.
Apricity smiles at the refugees. Toothy grin and all.
"Piper," Lloyd says in answer to Apricity.
"Cor, that's a brilliant name."
"Piper, he does seem a bit like a Piper," Mary nods at Lloyd.
"Piper Gravehowl!" Ozzy insists.
"Fink I'll just stay Malcolm…"
"Aye that," mutters Zeke to Malcolm.
"You hurt me so, saying we shouldn't be paired together, Mary." Apricity says, looking like a literal wet dog. "But as you wish, everyone. I shall be… Piper."
There's humor in Mary's eyes as she nods to Piper.

Rhenardt does his best to nod courteously at the assembled refugees. It's probably less reassuring than it could be.
Gabriella nods to Rhenardt. "They'll be tense around us. But we don't have time to attend to their nerves."
One pair of refugees frowns at the nervous ones, and deliberately steps closer to the pack while still carrying on their conversation.
Rhenardt lifts his ears to survey the supportive refugees, and nods again. He glances to Gabriella. "Aye." Over his shoulder he says, "Manners, everyone. No need to cower to appease them, but mind your manners."
Gellarn attempts to straighten up. It doesn’t work especially well. If he’s got knightly manners, they’re obscured by the worgen form.
"I’ll be good, sir," says Ozzy ingratiatingly. "I promise."
"Fink they've got somefing to eat…?" he ponders aloud, mostly to himself.
Ozzy sniffs the air. "I definitely smell food."
"Manners," Rhenardt reminds them. He looks to Gabriella. "Keep an eye on them as well, aye?"
"Food-food, or people-food…?" he asks in a lowered voice, baby blue eyes shifting around.
Ambrose pants distractedly at the smell, seemingly having more opinions on the direction of food than what he might be called.
"Whatever food, you're not to eat unless you're given leave to," Mary says sternly.
Ozzy sighs.
"Well, good manners would advise we don't steal their food, or eat our hosts, everyone," Apricity shrugs.
"Absolutely no eating people," Mary sounds shocked. "Does that even need to be said?"
"An' eat wif yer pinky out," says Zeke with another snicker.
Ozzy gives "Piper" a nonthreatening little growl at the 'eat our hosts' bit.
"Awroight, awroight…" says Malcolm. He does shoot Zeke a look and snickers faintly.
Thaniel mutters under his breath. "Mary. Piper." It's an entire new set of names he has to remember. Gosh.
Lloyd tests his pinkie. Can he eat like that? Hmm.
Piper holds his hand up. "My apologies, I thought the 'food-food' or 'people-food' comment referred to… 'people food'."

"This isn't going to be a party," Gabriella says sternly. "We're here for an audience with the queen during a crisis."
"I won't eat nobody or nuffing'," says Malcolm, "properly civilize now, promise."
Rhenardt steps back to address them more formally. "My name's no different. I am Lukas Rhenardt, Lord Graves, and we are going in to see the Queen. You lot are prepared? Gabriella and… Mary will be minding you."
Ozzy snickers quietly. "Glad I'm not the worst-be'aved one for once."
Gabriella eyeballs Oslynn. Not the worst behaved…for now.
Mary nods agreeably.
Malcolm looks to Rhenardt, but not right at Rhenardt, and nods.
Thaniel looks up. "Yessir."
"We're gonna see the QUEEN?" Ozzy echoes. Her ears flatten.
"We are," says Gabby, "and if you're not sure how to behave around her, best to keep silent."
Rhenardt looks sidelong at Gabby again and nods.
Piper looks at Rhenardt. "You can trust me. I will behave around the queen."
Ozzy immediately becomes the smallest possible doge. If she had a tail it would be tucked between her legs. She sliiiinks after the others.
Malcolm visibly resists the urge to sniff at a Duskhaven Villager before the queen addresses them.

Queen Mia Greymane inclines her head solemnly as the group approaches. "Lord Graves. I’ve heard much about you and your group. I understand you were crucial in my family’s survival during the outbreak in Gilneas City."
Gabriella bows before Queen Mia Greymane.
Gellarn bows. It’s an attempt at a real proper one, but his body bends awkwardly, and the grace of it is lost.
Queen Mia Greymane says: We will overcome this. Do not give into panic.
Yseulde bows before Queen Mia Greymane.
Hearthleigh bows before Queen Mia Greymane.
Queen Mia Greymane says: We have carriages at the ready, we're just waiting for King Greymane's word.
Mary attempts a curtsey. It is clumsier than her usual once was.
Queen Mia Greymane says: Remain calm! We will take care of everybody.
Rhenardt bows. "We are at Gilneas's service, Your Majesty."
Ozzy just gawks.
Yseulde learned how to bow on a stage, and her mother would have been proud of this one.
Gabriella bows stiffly, then stands upright with her hands clasped behind her back.
The queen looks over the group, and her eyes are utterly lacking in judgment, holding only a polite curiosity.
Zeke attempts a salute. It probably looks like he's trying to claw his own eyes out, but he doesn't.
Piper bows to Queen Mia. It's a perfect bow, incredibly well fitted for his new worgen form.
Malcolm's ears perk up and flop to the side as he peers at the Queen.
Thaniel looks immediately in the direction of a makeshift infirmary in the ground floor foyer.

"You ought to speak to Genn," the queen says to Rhenardt. "He has been locked up in his observatory ever since the quakes started. I’m certain he’s working on a plan for his people. He is a very stubborn individual."
Ozzy gets even smaller, if possible.
Rhenardt dips his head respectfully. "Your Majesty."
Lloyd sniffs in the direction of…stuff! So much stuff! Wonderful old, dusty, stuff!
Malcolm sharply glances around as the ground shakes again.
Mary shoots a warning glance at Lloyd.
"As you say, Ma'am." Gabriella bows her head.
"People are hurt… over there," Thaniel says, pointing.
Falston gives a rapid rainsoaked shake from side to side, casting a light misty spray from his coat.
Gellarn is too far to step in between Falston and the Queen, but it’s obvious he tries from the two quick steps he manages before it’s too late.
Zeke eyes Thaniel. "Don't eat 'em."
Malcolm looks in the direction indicated and sniffs curiously at the air, but stays with the pack.
Lloyd watches Falston with fascination. Did he hit the queen with that? An amused grin appears on his face.

The light pours in through the great stained-glass window, bathing the grand staircase in an almost holy light.
Rhenardt proceeds up the stairs familiarly and like a man who has never gawked at anything in his life. When they emerge into the rain again, he flicks his ears irritably.
A long narrow wooden staircase winds itself around the outside of the king’s observatory tower.
"Look!" Malcolm says, voice raised, pointing out towards the water.
Mary follows, doing her best to gawk as if she's never seen this sort of thing.
"You can see those bloody ships from here," Rhenardt growls, and nods at Malcolm.
Ozzy looks, and lets out a very unladlylike curse.
Thaniel seems perfectly comfortable standing around in the rain.
"I thought those bastards sank!" Ozzy cries.
Zeke snarls at the ships. "We should go fight!"
Malcolm slinks over to Rhenardt, head lowered. "Wot's that flying fing? Somefing from the war?"
"What's that bird they got?" Lloyd asks, pointing at the thing in the sky.
"That wasn't the last of them, then," Mary sighs. "The whole world is likely undead by now."
Rhenardt looks to Mary, his ears flattening uneasily. "Let us hope it's not the whole world. Gilneas, at least, still stands. And will."
Gabriella scowls. "Some kind of air ship."
"A big balloon…?" Thaniel cocks his head.
Ozzy belatedly notices the zeppelin and her jaw hangs open.
"Oh my, that seems like a bigger attack than the last," Piper looks at the boats. "Am I imagining things, or are some of these boats flying?"
Rhenardt eyes the zeppelin warily. "I don't know."
Gabby takes out a notebook, leaning over it to protect the pages from the rain, and jots down a few notes.
Gellarn frowns in a snarl, counting under his breath.

"I bet the inside of those orcs takes like copper coins."Malcolm’s 'lips' briefly pull up in a snarl as he looks over the armada.
"Not orcs, you lunk," says Ozzy. "They're undead."
"The undead are developing more vehicles," Mary frowns.
"You missed all tha'," Ozzy says a bit smugly. "We fought like a fousand undead."
Zeke nods awkwardly. "Undead an' they taste terrible."
Malcolm lowers his head in an envious pout. "Didn't even save me a bone or somefing."
"Not suitable for my refined palate, no, but who knows? Perhaps you'll enjoy them, Malcolm," Piper chuckles.
"And apparently there are still thousands more," Mary gazes out at the ships.
"Does His Majesty know they're out there…?" Thaniel asks. The guy's at the top of an observatory, Thaniel. Odds are good.
Ozzy looks to Lord Graves.
Malcolm works his jaw. "Just want somefing to chew on. Bit antsy."
Rhenardt pauses on the balcony to peer at the ships more closely.
Lloyd pulls a shin bone out of his pack. It is old. Really old. He offers it to Malcolm. "Can interest you in ancient shinbone?" he asks. "Minimal teeth marks? I dug it up myself."
Malcolm perks up. "Awroight!" He reaches for it.
Rhenardt stops again to turn on Lloyd and Malcolm. "Not in front of the King. Stow it."
Malcolm pointedly averts his gaze and quiets down.
Lloyd flattens his ears and quiets.
"Perhaps we keep the bones chewing for after our meeting with the k- that, exactly," Apricity says. "I'm happy to see we're always on the same page, Rhenardt!"
Rhenardt growls again.
Gabriella gives the pack a stern behave-yourselves look before joining Rhenardt and the king.

They arrive at the top of the tower, where the king stands near an enormous, sophisticated telescope.
Gabriella bows sharply to the king.
Mary curtsies. It's a little more graceful this time.
Piper bows to the King.
Zeke eyes the telescope. "Cor blimey…"
King Genn Greymane straightens when he spots Rhenardt. "There you are, Lord Graves. I’ve been expecting you. I got word of your recovery, and… wait, do you feel that?"
The king braces himself against another massive quake. The architecture of the Manor is sturdy; a few slender trails of dust sift down from above, but there is no obvious damage. When it subsides, he rushes to the rail.
Malcolm's ears wilt and he glances around.
Lloyd flattens to the ground again, whimpering.
Rhenardt braces himself against the quake, growling low in his chest. When Greymane rushes to the rail, he follows. He tries not to loom over the King.
Thaniel, who was in the process of trying to kneel with his new worgen legs, falls down to both knees instead of just one.
Malcolm doubletakes Thaniel and tries to help him up.
Thaniel pulls himself to his feet with Malcolm's aid and makes a soft noise in thanks.
Malcolm leans to the side to peer at Rhenardt and King Genn Greymane, eyes widening.

The king rushes to his telescope when the ground steadies. "Ah, Light! Look what’s become of Duskhaven! Look what’s become of the last safe place in Gilneas!"
"The last safe —" Rhenardt bites off what he was going to say, and looks.
Zeke rushes to the edge and looks around.
The water has rushed in to submerge the town of Duskhaven. Meanwhile, waiting on the water are yet more Forsaken ships.
Malcolm whines anxiously and loses his composure. "No! But that's not fair!" he growls.
"Damn them," snarls Rhenardt. "Who was still — do we know whether we evacuated all?"
"We… we was just there," Zeke says quietly, ears pinned flat.
"I'm glad we got out when we did, and that we helped as many as we could," Mary looks dismayed.
Lloyd grimly stares at the underwater city.
"Mayor Armstead said yes, sir," says Thaniel. "We got everyone. Even those still in the cages."
"My, I sure hope Whal did not go back to get her third favorite ladle after all," Piper says.

"We have no choice, friends," says the king. "We must move further inland. I don’t like it one bit, but we’re vulnerable here. Return to the stables below the manor; let’s get everyone into carriages and send them eastbound."
Malcolm looks to Rhenardt.
Gabriella gives a quick bow of her head. "As you command, Your Majesty."
"Aye, your majesty." Rhenardt makes a clawed salute, somewhat more smoothly than Zeke's earlier effort.
Ambrose looks generally distraught about how high up everyone including himself is, and keeps leaning in the direction of the stairs while looking back to see if anyone else has realized that we're in the sky and it's dreadful.
Apricity bows to the king once again.

Thaniel whispers to Oslynn on the way downstairs, "His Majesty called us 'friends'."
Ozzy gives Thaniel a wide-eyed nod and a dazed, toothy grin.
Malcolm distractedly mimes wielding a hand gun and blasting it at the fleet. "See you soon, undeads…" he growls.
Piper sighs at Malcolm's comment. "If only those boats could go any faster," He presses his fingers together and looks at his claws. "My claws need sharpening, and their old bones would do just fine."
Gabriella seems to be echoing Thaniel's thoughts as she addresses Rhenardt. "He called us friends. That's a good sign for the cursed."
"Nothing's safe," says Yseulde. "None of it. Anselyn…"
"The whole world is crumbling," Mary says, looking out over the sea as they walk down the stairs.
Ozzy gives Yseulde a sad look.
Thaniel stumbles down a step at the mention of Anselyn's name, and grabs the railing so he doesn't go tumbling the rest of the way.
"At least the pack's togeffer!" Malcolm chimes from somewhere in the middle back.
Rhenardt nods at Gabriella. "And there were those among the refugees who did not cower and stood for us. With the Greymanes on our side, we may be —" He looks sharply at Thaniel.
Malcolm looks over the flooded coast, ears wilting.
Yseulde rushes to catch up.

The pack makes their way back through the manor’s great hall and out front into the rain again, where carriages await.
Rhenardt lifts his head. "Everyone, to the carriages, in orderly fashion," he barks at the waiting refugees.
Lloyd whines back at the castle. Bye old things.
Ozzy is uncharacteristically quiet, perhaps thinking about Anselyn still.
Mary glances at Ozzy. "Wherever we are next, we'll find more survivors. I'm sure of it."
"Make sure the refugees find places. And make sure they're orderly about it," Rhenardt tells the pack.
Zeke eyes a carriage. "I don't fink we're gonna fit."
Malcolm looks down at Henry and swpes him up with one arm. "Come on, pot belly. Maybe there's some food inland or somefink."
"Form a queue!" Gabriella commands. "One at a time. Four or five to a carriage."
Lloyd eyes the tiny person entrance and nods. "Sit on top?" he suggests.
"I'm definitely ridin' on top," says Ozzy.
"I wanna' ride on top too!" says Malcolm. He walks over to Oslynn's side.
Ozzy grins at Mal.
Rhenardt sniffs the air at a familiar scent, and moves around to the back of one of the carriages. He surveys Krennan Aranas and Gwen Armstead and nods respectfully to them. "Mayor Armstead. Pleased you and Aranas are safe."
Yseulde waits for everyone else to sort themselves out.
Thaniel helps the refugees get the injured from that previous infirmary into the carriages, whispering little healing prayers for them as he does. Once they're all secure, he returns to cram himself into a carriage.

Zeke continues to eye the carriage. "I'll ride up front, if I can."
"Absolutely, Ezekeal. It seems some of you will have to walk, and that's a sacrifice we're willing to make. As a pack," Piper says.
Mary looks at Mal and Ozzy, "Be caref…" she sighs. "Do as you like."
Malcolm growls with amusement. "Let's make Zeke walk…"
"Looks like there's more carriages comin'," Ozzy says, pointing. "Should be enough for everbody."
Zeke's ears flatten. "'m not walkin'!"
Mary finds herself a place in a carriage.
"Give me a bite of your arm." Malcolm requests plainly of Zeke.
"Hearthleigh," snaps Rhenardt, and then looks to the younger ones. "No one walks. We can stand at the back, or ride atop if we truly can't find room within."
"If you walk, the water'll eat you!" Lloyd howls.
"You don't 'ave to walk, Zeke, c'mon up 'ere wif me an' Mal!" She is already climbing on top of a carriage.
Malcolm hunches and shrinks as Rhenardt looks to him and stops all mischief.
Rhenardt reaches out and cuffs the side of Lloyd's head again.
Gabby growls, "No one is walking. Wait for an available carriage."
Lloyd whines and clutches his head.
"Piper, Lord Graves," Piper answers, smiling. He jumps and grabs onto one of the poles on the carriage, holding on with his claws and his feet planted on the side of the carriage.
Malcolm hops atop one of the carriages. He holds Henry out to the side to let the dog get some wind. The mastiff seems unimpressed.
Gellarn waits until the last of the pack is aboard before he climbs up onto a carriage himself, his shield out and his attention on the landscape around them.

The carriages at last pull away from the manor, making a strangely stately procession as they wind down the mountainside. The view is spectacular, almost calming… until some ogres appear and begin hurling projectiles at the carriage.
Thaniel has curled up under the seat of his carriage for the travel. He seems cozy there until the commotion.
Lorna Crowley yells: Look out! We're under attack!
"Ogres?" says Malcolm. "They look fatty!" He loads a bolt into his crossbow.
The group manages to make it past the ogres, finally out of their throwing range.

Rhenardt peers wide-eyed around the side of his carriage, catching another scent. "Everyone!" he shouts. "Gravehowl! Get out! Now!" To his carriage driver, he barks, "Drive on!"
Prince Liam stands in the middle of the road, looking wild-eyed. His carriage has toppled on its side.
Ozzy leaps off the top of her carriage immediately at Rhenardt's order.
Zeke does indeed ride up front and leaps down at Rhenardt's command.
Malcolm doesn't waste time leaping off his carriage.
Yseulde leaps off the back tailgate and rolls, coming up on her feet. "Where?"
Piper obeys and super-hero lands near the carriage.
Gellarn jumps, landing with a grunt, absorbing the impact poorly, but he recovers quickly.
Lloyd dives off the carriage at Rhenardt's call.
Thaniel scrambles to get out and has to actually dash backwards along the road to catch up, as the driver drives on.
Mary doesn't hesitate to follow orders. She leaps from the moving carriage and rolls to take the impact.

"The Prince!" Rhenardt says, and lopes toward the wrecked carriage in the road.
"Lord Graves," says the Prince breathlessly. "I should have known it was you stopping. Oh, Light, you should have seen what happened to the carriage in front of mine. It fell into the marsh north of here."
Gellarn looks immediately north, scanning the landscape. “Tracks that way, off the road,” he says.
Ambrose makes a beeline for the tumbled carriage as soon as he is sent scrambling out of the intact one. There's perfectly good spilled garbage everywhere.
Gabriella scoops Cheddar up in her arms and leaps from the carriage.
"Fell into the marsh? What happened?" Mary looks around to find the reasons.
"Your Highness. Are you injured? Where are the survivors?" Rhenardt peers around.
Yseulde comes close but doesn't speak to Prince Liam, who wouldn't recognize her even if she wasn't some kind of wolf-thing.
Malcolm looks all around, sniffing the air.
Liam wipes his brow and points. "Can you head into the marsh and rescue any survivors? I’m working on a plan to deal with the ogres."
"I say we fight the ogres!" Zeke snarls.
"Ogres." Mary's eyes widen. "Oh, Light."
Rhenardt nods and steps away, then hesitates and scowls up at the cliffs. "Are you safe here? One of the pack can remain."
Thaniel makes a distressed noise.
"I wanna' fight 'em, too!" Malcolm snarls eagerly. And hungrily.
"Don't worry about me," the Prince says. "I've got men ready nearby."
"As you like, Your Highness." Rhenardt steps away and then tilts his head slightly at Gellarn. Hang around here discreetly, buddy.
Gellarn nods back, moving into a position typical and expected of a knight in service. You could probably ignore him, Your Highness.
"I would be more than happy to handle the ogres, my prince, as my pack members seem to be, too," Piper says, a sharp smile on his face.
"We have survivors to rescue," Thaniel whines.
To the rest, Rhenardt says, "Aye, the Prince and Thaniel are correct. Survivors first."
Liam nods and points to Rhenardt, looking exhausted.
Malcolm inclines his head at that, but doesn't protest.
"Well then… Hopefully we find something to rescue them from," Piper answers, pouting slightly.
"Quick about it, now. People need our help." Gabriella gestures in the direction of the survivors.
Thaniel whispers a prayer of renewal for the Prince before hurrying along.

"Crocs!" Malcolm yells.
The swamp is filled with Gilnean refugees fighting off hungry crocolisks. They’re doing their best with improvised weapons, but clearly in need of some backup.
"This will do just fine!" Piper says, showing his claws.
Malcolm rips the leg clean off of a croc as he aids in the rescue, but discreetly starts to chew on it.
Mary is also using improvised weapons - a kitchen mallet she got somewhere, to be precise. She follows behind, ready to provide backup.
Rhenardt stops to sniff the wreckage of the carriage. No one saw him do that, shh.
Malcolm lags behind long enough to sniff the exact same spot when he hopes Rhenardt isn't looking.
One by one, survivors are able to flee back toward the road as the Gravehowl pack tears into the crocolisks. Once all the defenseless Gilneans seem clear, the pack heads back up toward the road themselves.

Prince Liam smiles as the pack approaches. "More than a dozen people just made their way back here. Thanks to you I assume?"
Lloyd starts digging through the crashed carriage back near the prince.
"Aye, Your Highness. The pack is at Gilneas's service."
Mary nods. "They were beset by crocolisks, but no longer."
Thaniel returns, escorting a few civilians and carrying a bunch of long-stemmed swamp flowers with six pointed white petals.
Rhenardt looks at Gabriella and jerks his head toward Lloyd.
Malcolm suddenly gets obsessed with scratching just behind his right ear with his extended claws.
The prince is thankfully too deep in some kind of complex thought to notice doggy shenanigans. "Unfortunately the Forsaken are right on our heels," he says," and now these ogres are trying to flank us, friends. They’re servants of Koroth. If we can bait him into charging the Forsaken’s forward force, we should be able to cover our retreat."
Gabriella approaches Lloyd. "What are you looking for, Mr. Lowynn?"
"Old stuff," Lloyd replies. That explains everything, totally.
Rhenardt bows his head at Prince Liam. "Sound, Your Highness."
"The only way this works," Liam says, "is if we make Koroth furious. We will need to swipe that tiger-skin banner he keeps at his den. No idea where he got it, but I’m fairly sure it’s his most prized possession."
Ambrose watches the rummaging keenly, also curious if Lloyd turns up anything good.
"Tigers in Gilneas," Mary seems skeptical.
"Wot's a tiger. It taste good, you fink?" Malcolm mutters towards Merelda.
"It's like… imagine a housecat, but much larger. And more deadly." Mary explains.
"No wonder he prizes it," Rhenardt growls with skeptic's amusement.
Gabby steps up to loom a bit in Lloyd's presence. "Let's leave these belongings for the Prince to decide what to do with."
Lloyd shrinks and steps away.
Piper hits Malcolm's hand. "Stop this at once. You look like you have fleas." He turns to the prince. "Probably a treasure from a far away land. No surprise he appreciates it so much. It must be incredibly valuable."
"Awroight," says Malcolm. "Bet that tastes good."

Thaniel stops by the graves along the side of the road to lay down his swamp flowers.
Mary frowns at the pile of large bones in the wildflowers.
Malcolm gets distracted by an ogre corpse. "These smell … interesting."
"There!" Ozzy cries, pointing. "Look out! It's Korof!"
Mary hides behind a tree.
Malcolm crouches low to the ground, slowly nocking a bolt into his crossbow.
Thaniel looks down at a skeleton along the path. He is not demonstrating the appropriate amount of fear of Koroth.
Once Koroth starts yelling, however, Thaniel drops down to all fours and scuttles off behind a rock to hide.
Piper crouches and hides behind a tree, growling at the giant. He wouldn't mind fighting that thing.
"Stay low," growls Rhenardt to the others. "I'll take it." He inches forward, prowling.
Ozzy watches Rhenardt with obvious tension, resisting the urge to bolt after him.
Malcolm's keen eyes shift from Rhenardt to Koroth. He keeps his crossbow trained on the ettin, just in case, while he crawls around in the brush.
Zeke snarls, low and soft and continual.
Mary hides behind a tree, her mallet at the ready.
Gabby rests a paw on Ozzy's shoulder.
Ozzy startles slightly at the paw on her shoulder, and turns to scowl at Gabby, but she does relax.
"I'm sure we could take him," Piper whispers, growling once again, ready to charge.
Thaniel clutches his bundle of swamp flowers.
Ambrose has flattened himself under a shrub after setting some ogres on fire.

Rhenardt wrests the crude banner from the ground.
Koroth the Hillbreaker yells: Who dares to touch Koroth's banner!?
As the behemoth bellows indignantly, Rhenardt turns tail and — no he does not flee he makes a very fast tactical retreat.
Koroth the Hillbreaker yells: You puny thief! Koroth find you! Koroth smash your face in!
Malcolm leaps up and howls with celebratory and taunting excitement, sprinting off after Rhenardt.
Ozzy follows Lord Graves as fast as her paws will carry her.
Rhenardt continues down the hill toward Prince Liam, presumably expecting the rest to follow.
Lloyd joins the howl, darting after the others.
Piper runs after Rhenardt, a bit disappointed that they didn't fight the ettin.
Mary follows the pack.
Gellarn brings up the rear guard, his attention behind them, his shield up, and his eyes narrowed.

Prince Liam gives a fierce grin as the pack reappear at the road. "You definitely got Koroth angry. I can hear him from here. Let’s hope this works…"
Prince Liam Greymane says: Just in time. Here come the Forsaken.
The prince plants the banner right in the middle of the road, and then retreats back toward the crashed carriage, putting it between himself and the mountainside where the ogres dwell.
The Forsaken troops approach along the road.
Prince Liam Greymane yells: You will come no further, Forsaken scum! By the war banner of the ancient Greymane clan, I expel you from our ancestral lands!
Mary murmurs, "He's being a little obvious. I hope Koroth doesn't turn on us."
“Sometimes it takes being that obvious,” Gellarn mutters back. “Bluff hard enough and people will take the bait.”
The Forsaken leader calls back derisively.
Captain Asther yells: Worthless mongrel. I will order our outhouses cleaned with this rag you call a banner.
And here comes Koroth down the mountainside.
Koroth the Hillbreaker yells: Corpse-men take Koroth's banner! Corpse-men get smashed to bitses!!!

Malcolm starts bouncing with uncontainable excitement to see Koroth do battle. He lets out another taunting howl, ear splitting in its volume.
Rhenardt grins a doggy grin, eyes narrowed and gleaming.
"And once he's weakened by the fight with the Forsaken, we end him, right?" Piper looks at Rhenardt.
Ambrose gives some excitable grumbles and whines while shifting rapidly right and left while staring out at Koroth. It's the general equivalent of pointing, as if he is concerned that everyone else is not seeing this obvious loud large danger.
Malcolm picks up on Falston's emotions and similarly starts to twitch with both wariness and delight at the devastation.
Gabriella growls menacingly.
Ozzy watches with wide eyes as Koroth makes mincemeat of the Forsaken forces.
Thaniel hides behind the carriage.
Liam breathes a sigh of relief. "Nice when a plan actually works, isn’t it?"
Zeke is visibly, if furrily, impressed by Koroth.
"Now if only that were a repeatable strategy," Mary says, looking at the aftermath.
Rhenardt snarls softly and with satisfaction at the Forsaken corpses in the road, and then turns back to the Prince. "Your Highness," he agrees.
Koroth seems none the worse for wear, and lumbers back off into the mountains.

"Our carriage drivers were told to regroup in Stormglen," Liam says. "There may be shelter and supplies to be found there. Meet Gwen Armstead there; she’ll be in charge of taking care of our people."
Rhenardt bows to the Prince.
Malcolm sneaks through the crowd to stand by Zeke for no particular reason. He tries to bite Zeke on the shoulder when he thinks most of the pack isn't looking.
Zeke turns and tries to tackle Malcolm.
Malcolm takes to wrestling with Zeke, but he lacks the mass to really withstand a physical attack, even as mighty a worgen as he is. He seems to enjoy the struggle.
Zeke snaps at Malcolm's ears, but doesn't bite down all the way. Just enough to make it rough horseplay. Wolfplay.
Malcolm growls with playful aggression and loses all tenacity, scampering back to his feet if permitted.
Zeke permits and bounds after the group.
Ozzy gives Rhenardt puppy eyes. "You were so brave, wif that banner…" she says as she tags along after him.
Thaniel peeks out from around the carriage. "Is… Koroth gone?"
"The ettin is gone, Thaniel," says Gabby.
"Aye, Thaniel. And the Forsaken. Come now." He glances down at Ozzy, seeming faintly nonplussed, and flicks an ear.
Thaniel slinks back out.
Rhenardt nods gruffly to Ozzy. He looks up at the others. "On to Stormglen, then."

"Perhaps we could seduce the ettin into joining our side permanently," Piper holds his hands up. "I am not willing to try it myself, though."
"I think it is primarily motivated by rage," Mary says dryly. "And thus, not a suitable long-term ally."
"Oi'm also primarily motivated by rage," Ozzy says as dryly as Mary, speaking simultaneously with Piper.
"You'd be surprised how many of our allies are primarily motivated by rage," Piper smiles sweetly at Mary. "There. See?" Piper points at Ozzy.
Mary sighs.
Ozzy tries to give Piper a high four.
Piper stares at Ozzy's hand for a few seconds, then reluctantly gives her the high four.
Ambrose lopes around in a few rapid circles because the commotion died down and we're still alive. Winning!? He darts off to retrieve a Forsaken boot when the motionlessness sustains, then races off to bring up the rear of the pack.
Rhenardt pauses to make sure the pack is with him, and nods at Gellarn bringing up the rear as usual.

"M'from Stormglen." Malcolm observes as they approach the intact little town. It’s strangely unpopulated though; most of the people visible are refugees from Duskhaven.
Zeke snorts. "Explains yer accent."
"I talk fine," says Malcolm, "s'you lot that talks weird."
"Oh! Celestine made it!!" Ozzy bolts off.
Rhenardt halts the group at the edge of the town. "Cautiously, now. We're here to help. Don't frighten the locals or the refugee" He watches Ozzy bolt.
Malcolm lingers near Rhenardt.
"Come on, then," he tells the rest.
Luckily, Celestine gives Ozzy a warm welcome. She literally scratches Ozzy behind the ears.
Thaniel goes to greet Celestine as well, and then wanders.
Yseulde rushes up to Celestine of the Harvest. "Did you see"
Celestine shakes her head sadly at Yseulde.
Yseulde's ears droop. "All right. Thank you."
Malcolm glances around at his hometown with light curiosity, sniffing here and there.
Mary does see someone as she makes her way to the inn. Not a familiar human face, but a worgen. Her ears perk up, and her mouth opens in a wolfish smile of relief.
The other worgen, warming herself in the inn, seems to notice Merelda from where she is. She lifts a paw to give a little wave.
Mary raises her own paw in an answering wave, and then attends to her pack.

As the group enters the inn Gwen Armstead says, "Good to see you made it, friends! Looks like most everybody did. We’re not doing bad so far for an emergency evacuation."
Mary looks around cautiously, maybe checking for familiar faces.
Malcolm waves at Gwen with a warm expression, ears dripping.
"Madam Mayor. Good to see you well." Gabriella gives Gwen a respectful nod.
Ozzy follows close behind Yseulde, gently and furtively sniffing her as if she can measure the amount of her sadness this way.
"The Forsaken are still working their way inland," says Gwen, "but this will make a fine place to rest our feet for a night or two. The other half of town is overrun with spiders, so I’ve asked the villagers to stay away from there."
Spiders? "Bet spiders taste nasty," Zeke opines.
"Mayor Gwen, I'm not surprised to see you made it as well," Piper smiles, baring his teeth. "You were blessed not only with the Gilneans' resourcefulness, but few have such beauty that shines a light to guide us like yours." He offers his hand to kiss hers.
Rhenardt growls a low warning at Apricity.
Gabriella backs up Rhenardt's growl with a stern glare at Apricity.
Rhenardt looks back to Gwen. "Spiders, Mayor Armstead?"
Gwen looked on the verge of hesitantly offering Apricity her hand, but now turns toward a bright smile at Rhenardt. "Perhaps you can clear some of the crawlies out?" Gwen says hopefully. "It’ll help our injured men and women sleep more soundly."
"Aye, we'll see to it." Rhenardt nods gruffly.
Piper smiles at Rhenardt and Gabriella. He's just being nice to their mayor, that's all!

Further inside, Lorna Crowley waves. "Well if it isn’t Lord Graves and company! Come here, would you?"
"Miss Crowley," growls Rhenardt.
"Lorna!" Malcolm visibly restrains himself from sniffing her.
Zeke growls, "Lord Graves an' pack."
Lorna holds up a tattered book. "I found this journal. Man called Bradshaw. It’s missing a lot of pages, but if we can find them we might find out what happened to Stormglen’s people. Perhaps some survived. Perhaps… perhaps my father did."
"Anselyn, maybe," Thaniel says quietly. He sounds hopeful, still.
Lorna clears her throat. "At any rate, can you keep an eye out for stray bits of paper while you’re out?"
Rhenardt glances with surprise and then speculative approval at Zeke. He looks back to Lorna. "Your father? I see. Aye, we'll… do that."
Lorna lowers her gaze so Rhenardt can't see her expression.
Zeke puffs up a little, ears pricked forward. Yay, approval.
Lloyd stares at a particularly moody painting. So dark. So edgy.
Malcolm distractedly glances between them as he takes to chewing on the bottom of his axe.
Ambrose curiously sniffs around the perimeter of the building, getting to know the place by smell.
"It'll be a pleasure to help you once more, dear Lorna," Piper answers.
"All right, you lot. Hunt spiders, collect papers. Let's go."
"Yes sir!" says Ozzy eagerly.
Ambrose smushes his nose momentarily against the book Lorna found, snuffling noisily before taking off.

As they move towards the spiders, Mary says quietly, "Ozzy. Do you remember Kenelly Ashewood, from the harvest witches?"
"I do!" Ozzy says with a smile.
Piper rushes from one spider to another, ripping them apart. He doesn't seem to be focusing much on the pieces of paper, though.
"She was there, in the inn," Mary says, still quietly. "She came through safely, but… she's one of us. Worgen, I mean."
Malcolm gets distracted by peering inside of abandoned houses, sniffing around with both ears wilted.
Mary beats a spider attacking Ozzy with her mallet.
"Hard to imagine her a worgen," Ozzy says. "She 'ave a pack?"
"'Magine not haffing a pack…" says Malcolm.
Ozzy nods sadly at Mal.
"She did… they didn't make it through," Mary winces sympathetically. "I'm hoping she can join ours."
"Ohhhh, we can ask Lord Graves!"
"I tried to bring up the idea a little earlier, but… it was in the middle of the evacuation. I think we make a strong case, if you're also in favor. And you, Mal?"
Malcolm looks over at Merelda. "Wot'? Me?" He pads over.
"You'd be in favor of taking in a packless woman?" Mary says with a worgen smile.
Malcolm perks up. "My age or somefing? Wot' she smell like?"
Ozzy laughs. "I knew 'er from the witch gavverings, before. Noice lady. Bit old for you, but who isn't?"
"I'm tall," Malcolm defends, clearly not getting the joke.
Mary laughs.
"When we get a chance, I'll raise the topic," Mary says with a nod. That's settled.

Rhenardt has no problem cutting down spiders, but picking up sodden papers from the cobblestones with his claws seems to thwart him. He growls impatiently and leaves the task to others.
Malcolm comes along to try his 'hand' at it.
Ozzy also seems very uninterested in the papers.
Zeke pauses to chew on a spider leg speculatively.
Thaniel returns with his bundle of long-stemmed swamp flowers and a handful of relatively dry papers, probably gathered inside the buildings, which he is hunched over to try and keep them dry.
Rhenardt nods at Thaniel.
Ambrose has a fistful of soggy, muddy pages in various stages of potential salvageability.
To Thaniel and Ambrose, Rhenardt says, "Let's get those in to Miss Crowley."
Gabriella eyes Apricity, as if expecting him to misbehave.
Piper is innocently cleaning his claws from the spider blood. He notices Gabriella's look, and grins back at her, waving.
Gabriella does not wave back. She's watching you, Mr. Hearthleigh.

"Any luck?" Lorna calls out from the inn as she spots sight of the Gravehowls and gives them a nod of greeting.
Thaniel nods back and goes to lay out what he's got in front of Lorna. "I don't know what's from this book and what's from other books," he apologizes.
"My, you just couldn't wait to see us again, Lorna! I hope it was me you were missing," Apricity smiles at her as he enters the inn.
"Thank you, friends," says Lorna as she looks over the papers. "It will take some time, but I will try to make sense of what we have."
Malcolm perks up and would wag a tail IF HE HAD ONE.
Mary looks at Lorna a little wistfully. Somebody misses her old form.

Meanwhile Gwen smiles at the group. "You’ve done well, friends. The spiders are everywhere, though, and I’m afraid we’ve barely put a dent in their numbers. You’re going to have to go into their lair and kill the broodmother. We’ve spotted her at the edge of the Blackwald, in an area covered with thick webs. Too dangerous for me, but I think the lot of you can take care of her."
"The pack will manage, aye," says Rhenardt.
"Oi! I know dis fing. Tried to hunt it once."
"You did?" Piper sounds unconvinced.
You know where to find it, Malcolm?" says Gabby.
"Bet I could sniff it out, or track it. It's a giant spider," he explains, helpfully.
"You tried to hunt a giant spider broodmother?" Mary looks at him in disbelief. "Weren't you a child?"
He shrugs at Merelda. "Never found it."
"Thank goodness for that. Now you can find it with a pack, and we can kill it."
"My bruffer said he saw it once but I don't believe it," says Malcolm.

The pack makes their way out into the Blackwald, a gloomy forest with dark foliage and red and silver wildflowers.
"If we see any mandrake root… we should gather it," Thaniel says. "The part visible above the ground will be sort of oval-ish leaves," Thaniel tells the others.
Mary nods at Thaniel. "I'll watch for it."
"I hope you won't mind, but will leave the plant gathering to you, Thaniel," Apricity says, looking completely uninterested in the mandrake roots.
"If Thaniel says it's valuable, keep an eye out," growls Rhenardt.
"Awroight," says Malcolm. He looks over the ground.
Thaniel nods. "I can pick them, but tell me if you see them. We need them to brew to keep… sane. Remember the broken vials?"
"You should have started with that! I didn't recall all the ingredients necessary." Piper says, frowning. "What did you say they look like, again?"
Thaniel tells Piper, "Most of the plant is a root, underground. But the leaves are green and sort of oval-shaped."
"Oval leaves. Understood!" Piper starts looking around as they run.
"We need it so we can still be ourselves," says Yseulde.
Malcolm moves to speak before he pauses and reconsiders. Or does he? "I didn't mind being feral. Words can be too much."
"Don't say that," Mary sounds a little distressed. "We can't lose ourselves again. We just can't."
Gellarn’s hackles go up, and he shudders before releasing a tense huff of a breath.
Malcolm sulks. "…Awroight…"
"When you pull it up, the roots look like…a man," Yseulde says, with a dramatic gesture.
"Ground-men." Piper says, raising a wolf eyebrow. "Makes sense."
"Mmmm…" Malcolm itches at his ear, clearly disinterested but Trying.

Deep in the thicket behind webs as thick as sailors’ ropes is the biggest spider the group has ever seen. There’s no question this is the broodmother.
Ambrose makes a chuffing sound, perking up. He knows what to do about this, for once. The thing to do is fire.
Zeke licks his chops at the sight of the spider.
Within minutes, the spider is dog food.

"We got 'er!" Ozzy cries triumphantly to Gwen as they shuffle back into the inn.
"I had no doubt," Gwen says, and winks.
Lorna Crowley waves. "Hey, it took a while, but I think I’ve put together what happened here. There were survivors in this town. They joined others in the mountains, in Tempest’s Reach. Everyone left except Bradshaw."
"Tempest's Reach? Why did Bradshaw stay?" Rhenardt peers at Lorna.
Lorna gets Malcolm's attention, followed by Rhenardt.
Lorna holds up the journal. "He noticed that the worgen attacks had stopped all of a sudden, and he decided to venture into the Blackwald. He had been living in an abandoned mill just northeast of town; see if you can find any clues there."
Rhenardt frowns. It's hard to tell, actually. That's kind of just his face. "Very well," he tells Lorna.
"It's getting dangerous out there. I think we need reinforced armor. I can make something."
Malcolm humbly approaches Rhenardt, head lowered. "Really fink there's uffers alive or somefing?"
"Others? Gilneans? I do, aye. We're hardy stock, lad."
Malcolm nods. "Awroight!"

"If he noticed something that made the worgen attacks stop… could it be dangerous to us?" Thaniel asks as they head through the forest toward the abandoned mill.
"We should stick together, just in case," Mary nods at Thaniel.
"Stop your worrying, child," Piper says, scratching the top of Malcolm's head and ruffling his mane. "I don't wish to have to stare at a wrinkly dog in my pack, in a few years."
Rhenardt nods at Thaniel. "Eyes sharp. Rivere, Thorne, to the flank and rear."
"I'm not afraid of nuffink — oi." Malcolm tries to shake off Apricity's scratching and bite at his hand. "I'm fully grown." He is not.
"Hey!" Piper hits Malcolm on the nose with his other hand. "Don't. Do that."
Malcolm growls lightly and rubs his snout.

Rhenardt sniffs the air around the mill suspiciously. "Someone's here."
Zeke sniffs too. "Smells weird," he says.
Malcolm sniffs the air. "Smells weird — Wot's that?" His ears flick up. "Fink we should eat it?"
A strange, violet-colored elf stands in the abandoned mill as though waiting, her chin-length hair and scant yellow gown plastered to her from the rain. Tall, muscular, and almost feral, she looks like no elf any of the group has ever seen.
Mary peers at the elf in confusion.
"There's someone indeed, and she's a beauty." Piper whispers.
Gabriella joins the sniffing, stepping forward protectively.
"What is that?" Rhenardt flattens his ears at the kaldorei.
"Hello," Thaniel says mildly, approaching.

"The Gravehowl pack," the elf says. "I’ve been expecting you."
Piper raises his eyebrows, but then approaches the elf, holding out his hand towards her to kiss hers. "Who do we have the chance to speak to?"
"Do not be alarmed," the elf says, taking Piper’s hand as she gazes at the more wary worgen. "My name is Belysra Starbreeze. I am a kaldorei priestess of the moon… a night elf. From the continent of Kalimdor, far west across the sea."
"Of the moon?" Yseulde says. "So tides and stargazing and suchlike?"
"Oh. Of the moon." Thaniel seems to completely accept this at face value as a normal thing without any further cultural context. He nods.
Lloyd is immediately alarmed. "Magic!"
Ambrose crowds his face in the doorframe and joins the sniffing. Suspicious.
"She's so tall," Yseulde whispers. "And…pretty."
Malcolm stares, hungrily.
Gabriella squints skeptically.
Mary can’t help looking over her dress. What an… impressive dress.
Rhenardt looks around but he's too far away to smack Lloyd.
Zeke mutters to Yseulde, "Too scrawny."
"Bit of meat there," Malcolm protests quietly.
Mary looks down at her own furry hands again, sadly.

"Jaina Proudmoore’s followers found us," Belysra explains, "when they sailed west to escape the Scourge, and we have joined their Alliance. We call ourselves kaldorei, or children of the stars, but humans call us ‘night elves’ because of our nocturnal habits."
"Elf!" says Malcolm. "So there's living elfs…"
"Children of the stars," Mary repeats. There might be a little bit of stars in her eyes, too.
"Children of the Stars," Yseulde whispers. "Even their name is pretty!"
"You might not know my people," Belysra says, "but ever since the Curse found you, your destinies have been linked to us."
Gabriella frowns. "How do you mean?"
"So there are those who survived the Scourge? The Alliance?" Rhenardt pricks his ears, his focus intent.
Belysra looks over her shoulder warily. "I understand that you have many questions, and there is a place where they will be answered. But I cannot lead you there with Sylvanas’s scouts tracking you. It seems the banshee queen sees your pack as a threat," Belysra says.
Zeke growls and looks behind him, as if expecting to see these scouts.
"As she should," Apricity says.
"We are," says Yseulde. "To her."
Yseulde is ready to demonstrate Sylvanas' correctness on this point at once. So much for her hero.
Ambrose pants open-mouthed from the door, like a threat.
"We're being followed?" Lloyd looks around.

"There is no time…" Belysra holds out a shiny charm to Rhenardt. "Take this talisman and lead your pack along the road, just north of here. Let the rangers lure you into their trap - the talisman will break you free so that you may counterattack."
Rhenardt accepts the talisman carefully in clumsy claws. He nods.
Mary is confused by this strategy, she looks to Rhenardt though, and he seems to be going with it.
"So we are getting tracked?" Apricity says? "How lucky we are to have found someone as talented as you here…"
"Hearthleigh," snarls Rhenardt again.
Gabby whispers to Rhenardt, "Do you trust her, Lukas?"
"I trust that we can manage what's before us, if the pack stays together," he answers her, and looks the group over.
Malcolm looks to Rhenardt and nods.
Gabby nods.

The group makes their way toward the road.
Malcolm hangs back to mutter to Zeke. "If we eat the elf I get the thigh. You can have the ankle or somefing."
Zeke mutters to Malcolm, "Smells nice, though, don't she? Weird, but nice."
"Aye," says Malcolm, "smells like plants. Why's she that color — Oi!"
Some manner of arcane trap freezes the pack in place, but almost as soon as it does, the talisman in Rhenardt’s hand pulses brightly of its own accord, countering the spell.
Rhenardt snarls and springs free at once to charge the dark ranger.
Zeke leaps after Rhenardt. "Eat this one!"
More rangers appear from the shadows of the forest, but the pack takes them down easily.
McPherson takes to wrestling in the mud with Zeke again, 'biting' and 'clawing.'
Zeke takes a more serious bite at Malcolm. "Geroff, I said!"
"Pups!" barks Rhenardt. "Back!" He turns to lope up the hill toward the night elf's position.
Malcolm straightens up and follows Rhenardt with mechanical efficiency.
Mary keeps with the pack.

"Your plan worked wonders!" Piper says, coming back to the elf, bowing. "May we keep that charm of yours, as a reminder of the generosity you've shown us, today?"
"Keep it?" Lloyd echoes. "Sell it?"
"Well done," says Belysra as they arrive. "The scouts never had a chance. Now… you should know that there are others like you. And they, too, were lost and confused. There is a place where you belong."
"We b'long to the pack," Zeke says stoutly.
Malcolm grunts with agreement.
"But there is a //place/ for you,/" Belysra stresses. "Tal’doren, the wild home. Ages ago it was home to an order of druids who took the shape of wolves. It is there that you will find the answers you seek."
Rhenardt nods. "Very well."
"Druids?" Gabby is writing in her notebook.
"Druids who took the shape of wolves," Yseulde murmurs.
"Are we druids?" Lloyd asks.
"Like us, maybe, a little bit," Mary says, putting things together.
"I fink so." says Malcolm.
Thaniel clutches his swamp wildflowers.
"At Tal’doren," Belysra says, "you will also find an old friend who can offer guidance."

Following Belysra’s direction, Rhenardt leads the pack to an enormous, ancient hollowed tree, black-barked and twisted.
Gabriella peers up at the massive tree as they approach. "It's as if it grew up through these old ruins. Fascinating."
Gellarn looks around uneasily at the worgen, and starts counting off by fives.
The worgen standing at the center of the hollowed tree is recognizable by his eye patch, the style of his refitted armor, and something familiar about his scent. It’s Lord Darius Crowley.
"Lord Graves!" Crowley cries out. "You and your pack are all right! I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, but it truly is great to see you, friends."
Mary gapes at the many worgen in the tree.
Malcolm sniffs the air and literally leaps with excitement. "Crowley — !"
Gabby gives Crowley a sharp nod. "Lord Crowley."
Ozzy wiggles all over. It's a shame she doesn't have a tail.
Lloyd sniffs the new worgen.
Crowley smiles indulgently at Lloyd's sniffing.
Zeke looks around in awe. "So many…."
Rhenardt approaches Crowley warily and nods. "Your daughter is worried."
Crowley tenses at Rhenardt's comment. "I’ve heard of what your ‘Gravehowl’ pack has done, and I’m thankful… especially that you’ve helped Lorna. Do you think…" He hesitates. "Do you think she would still want to see me?"
"I do," Rhenardt tells him.
"She 'ad no problem wif us, sir."
"I will send for her," Crowley agrees gruffly.
Rhenardt gives a curt nod.

Crowley looks over the pack, seeming deeply satisfied.
"The night elves have taught us much during this time," Crowley says. "They’ve taught us who we are and where we come from. Thanks to them… thanks to this place… we’re no longer mere beasts. We’ve regained free will."
Ambrose grumbles warily at Crowley and hangs back a bit, possibly dimly recalling how he got diverted into a doomed defense as opposed to making it out of the city, somewhere in the distant less hairy past.
Malcolm whines faintly, and longingly looks off into the forest.
Gabby's eyes widen. "Free will? How?"
Crowley tips his head. "I am certain they can help you regain your minds… permanently. But first there is an urgent matter."
Zeke looks confused, but stays quiet.
"You should know that the Forsaken aren’t here for our land alone," Crowley warns. "They’re looking for something we possess: an artifact capable of uncontrollably spreading the Curse to all humanity."
Rhenardt's hackles rise.
Gellarn makes a harsh sound, a word caught badly in his jaws into something nonsensical but emphatic, as he takes an involuntary step forward. “That can’t be allowed to happen.”
Malcolm snarls, but spots Rhenardt's hackles and keeps his snarling at a tactful volume.
"What do you mean, regain our minds?" Piper says.

"We will speak of that later," Crowley says. "For now the matter of the artifact is more urgent. It’s some sort of Scythe," Crowley says, "and Sylvanas’s banshees are very close to finding it. But those damned ghosts are impossible for me to track and hunt properly. Some of your pack have magic, though, right?"
Lloyd looks around. Not him.
Rhenardt nods. "Aye."
Mary looks at Ambrose.
"I'm a healer," Thaniel says.
Ozzy raises her hand. "Um, a little?"
Gabby jots down notes. "Scythe…I see. Hm…yes, we've harvest-witches among us."
Zeke slumps, unmagically.
Mary holds up her mallet. She has that.
Lloyd raises his gun. "Can I shoot the ghosts?"
Malcolm itches behind his ear again.
"Witches, aye, and… what he is." Rhenardt gestures at whatever Ambrose is.
Piper growls. "if you tell me ghosts are immune to my claws, I'm going to be pissed…"
Crowley nods briskly. "Go then, Gravehowls. Track down these banshees and take them out before they find the Scythe."

A deep female voice sounds from deeper inside the tree. "Before you go…" A night elf waves you over.
Malcolm looks to Rhenardt.
Rhenardt turns. After a moment he stalks warily toward the strange elf.
"My name is Vassandra. I am preparing a ceremony that will restore balance to your people, though it cannot cure them. For the ceremony I will need you to bring me a supply of moonleaf, which grows in Tal’doren’s vicinity."
Malcolm follows, also wary.
"Moonleaf," Thaniel repeats. "Okay."
Zeke looks toward Thaniel when the subject of plants comes up.
Malcolm's ears wilt as he looks to Thaniel, quietly whining.
"This will be… better than the treatment we have already?" Mary asks.
The elf nods. "What you know as the Curse," Vassandra explains, "began as a heresy among our brethren. Faced with a losing battle against demonic forces," Vassandra says, "the Druids of the Pack eschewed the balance to which they were sworn and allowed the beast to overtake them."
"They were banished to the Emerald Dream," Vassandra says, "where they live in eternal slumber beneath a tree identical to this one… but not before their curse spread to others."
"Go now," says Vassandra, "and find moonleaf for me, so that I may help remedy what my people began."

"A better treatment? What a tempting offer," Piper bows his head. "I will make sure to look out for those plants you require, sweet Vassandra."
Vassandra bows to Apricity, not seeming to realize he is an ass.
Zeke tries to figure out how you chew balance. Mostly he looks confused.
Malcolm hesitates before he pipes up. "'Cured' forever? But — innis' who we are? W-why don't we run off into the woods, like the old days? Run a bit mad?"
Vassandra says solemnly, "it is not a cure, young one. But it will give you more control."
"And kill people like Mayor Armstead and Lorna Crowley?" Thaniel says pointedly to Malcolm.
Malcolm whines. "Awroight… Maybe not them. But eat foxes and fings."
"Because we're people, Malcolm," Piper says. "At least most of us are."
"You may still eat foxes," Vassandra says solemnly. A slight flash of fangs is visible in her own mouth as she speaks. She gets the carnivore thing.

The group wanders away from the tree, searching the forest. As they hunt for moonleaf, they find and kill a number of banshees.
Ambrose roams around directionlessly without an example moonleaf to sniff. It's all undifferentiated shrubbery.
"Lord Crowley seems to trust these elves," Gabriella muses. "And he is clearly a man who is particular about his loyalties. It is reasonable, in this situation, to put our faith in them."
"Out there being wild was the first real family I had wif you lot," says Malcolm. "It was easy."
"We're still family, Mal," Thaniel says gently. "But now we can keep ourselves from hurting innocents."
Malcolm seems heartened by that, at least somewhat. "Awroight."
"There will be safe times to run," Yseulde promises.
"Family," Lloyd echoes, pleased.
"Awroight…" says Malcolm.
Malcolm approaches Rhenardt. "We'll still be togeffer. Roight?"
"The pack is still the pack. We stay together," growls Rhenardt in agreement. He cuffs Malcolm's ear affectionately.
Zeke whines a little, deep in his throat, then huffs a relieved sigh.
Malcolm seems mostly appeased, if still a bit apprehensive. He nods and pulls away.
"Careful, Rhenardt," Piper warns. "He bites."
Thaniel gives Malcolm an affectionate shoulder-nudge and goes to pick plants.

"You're as good as I remember, Gravehowls," says Crowley as some of the pack returns with plants for Vassandra. "It is good to have you back."
Vassandra Stormclaw waves them over. "I sense you have what I need." Vassandra waits for the last stragglers to return, counting her samples carefully.
Thaniel has made a basket of the bottom of his robe. It's full of moonleaf leaves. He spills it out into a neat pile.
"Very nice," says Vassandra, smiling at Thaniel. "I can see you are experienced at herb-gathering."
Vassandra looks over the gathered samples and nods. "These simple leaves grow by Elune’s grace. They will help your mind understand the need for balance, and your soul will permanently earn mastery over the beast."
Thaniel bows to Vassandra. "Elune…?"
"Nuffer elf, I bet," says Malcolm.
Zeke nods wisely at Malcolm.
"What's an elf doing gracing Gilnean lands?" Lloyd asks.
"They seem particularly concerned with the worgen curse," Mary says. "I would venture a guess that they may be here //specifically/ for us."
Gabriella scribbles in her notebook, "I would surmise Elune is a deity of these elves."
"Well if her followers are anything to go by…" Piper leaves the rest to the imagination.
Thaniel points up at the larger of Azeroth's moons questioningly, looking at Vassandra for confirmation. "Elune?"
Vassandra nods and smiles at Thaniel.
"Lady Proudmoore's people discovered us when she sailed west to escape the Scourge," Vassandra explains. "And we joined her Alliance."
"Who's 'at?" says Malcolm.
"We will have all the time in the world to talk later," says Vassandra patiently. "But speak with your friend first." Vassandra inclines her head toward Crowley.

Tobias Mistmantle, now a worgen, runs abruptly into the hollow tree before they can speak.
Tobias Mistmantle says: Darius! The Dark Rangers have the Scythe! They got to it before we were able to reach it.
Crowley sighs heavily. "Ever since the Forsaken invaded Gilneas, we’ve tried to keep the location of the Scythe of Elune secret. The Dark Rangers got close, but never found it… until now."
Rhenardt snarls.
Malcolm snarls, too. An automatic response.
Ambrose looks around for what we're mad at.
"The Rangers were last spotted at the Woods’ End Cabin, west of here," Crowley says. He hands a warhorn to Rhenardt. "Blow this when you find them. Tobias and his trackers will engage while you slip past into the cabin."
Tobias Mistmantle says: It will be done!
Rhenardt takes the warhorn and nods grimly.
"I cannot stress this enough," Crowley says, "let Tobias’s trackers do the fighting. Your one crucial job is to take back the Scythe. It must not reach Sylvanas."
Zeke's shoulders slump. No fighting.
Piper growls disappointedly.
Mary nods her understanding.
"Understood," says Rhenardt, and glares at the rest to make sure it is, in fact, understood.
Gellarn might have it so understood that there is no chance that Scythe reaches Sylvanas and Gellarn is still among the living.
Malcolm deliberates, negotiates mainly with himself. "Maybe… shoot 'em up a bit … somefing'…" He widens his eyes at Rhenardt, but not directly at Rhenardt, and nods.
Zeke looks away from Rhenardt, toward the ground.
Lloyd ducks his head. Do not engage.
Thaniel looks at Rhenardt. It seems like he has acknowledged the order.

Ozzy follows Rhenardt… doggedly.
Malcolm sniffs the air. "Blimey. There's loads of 'em."
Rhenardt approaches the cottage warily. "Hang back."
Ozzy looks like she really wants to tear into the dark rangers, but she waits, quivering all over.
Malcolm lingers impatiently.
Thaniel hangs back like Rhenardt said.
When Rhenardt sounds the horn, another pack of worgen charges in to distract the dark rangers.
Malcolm whines with building adrenaline, but stays put.
Rhenardt watches to be sure they're engaged, then lopes toward the building behind them and disappears within.
With Rhenardt out of view, Malcolm looks to Gabriella.
Zeke crouches down, ready to spring… but doesn't.
Rhenardt emerges a moment later triumphantly brandishing a thing. A scythe, I guess.
Ozzy cheers!
Lloyd howls in victory.
Malcolm lets out a savage growl of triumph.
"To Crowley!" says Rhenardt.

As the pack comes loping back into the tree, Lord Darius Crowley eyes the group eagerly, nose twitching. "Do you have it?"
"Who do you think we are? Of course we do," Piper smiles at him.
Rhenardt hands the Mysterious Artifact over with a low growl.
Crowley bares his fangs in a fierce grin. "I knew we could count on you." He takes the Scythe and immediately begins to confer with a nearby night elf in low tones, then passes the artifact to her and speaks with Vassandra for a moment.
Crowley turns back toward the pack. "It is time," he says. "This alchemy that has kept the beast inside you at bay will not last for long. It is time for the ritual."
"The first cursed worgen," Crowley explains, "were night elf druids, like these, and so they understand how to bring balance to your mind for good."
Crowley gestures to the gently glowing wells behind him. "Drink from the waters of Tal’doren - the Well of Tranquility, the Well of Balance, and the Well of Fury. In this way," Crowley promises, "you will at last make peace with yourself."
Malcolm quietly sulks a bit but makes no sound.

Rhenardt flicks his ears back and forth and eyes the three fonts. He approaches one to sniff it.
"The water is good," he concedes, and looks to the others. "We will do as he says."
"Let us know if it does free your mind, dear Lord Graves," Piper asks.
Malcolm mutters an 'awroight.'
Thaniel looks curiously at the fountains, then at Rhenardt.
Gabriella stays close to Rhenardt, watching him like some lab experiment.
Zeke shows no signs of wanting to be the first person to drink, waiting to see what happens.

Rhenardt looks around self-consciously and does not dip his head in to drink directly from the font. With a paw he scoops up some water and drinks it. He stares for a moment and blinks.
As Rhenardt drinks, a kaldorei intones ritual words translated into Common.
Lyros Swiftwind says: Just as Goldrinn's spirit once blessed our druids, let Lukas Rhenardt be blessed with the wisdom of his race and the ferocity of the wolf god.
Rhenardt moves warily to the next one. He repeats the action.
Malcolm waits in a half crouch, breath held.
Vassandra Stormclaw says: Just as Daral'nir soothes the cursed druids who gave into the beast and abandoned balance, let Tal'doren soothe Lukas Rhenardt.
Rhenardt again steps back from the font and waits for a moment. He shivers, flicking his ears, and moves more eagerly toward the third.
Talran of the Wild says: Let the Scythe unbind that which was not meant to be bound! Let the soul master the beast, lest the beast master the soul!
When Rhenardt has finished, there is another silence, and then he turns to the group. "Thorne," he says.

Gabriella nods, stepping up to drink.
Malcolm eyes Rhenardt up and down, always avoiding eye contact.
One by one, the pack takes part in the ritual. It can be seen in the eyes of some that they are experiencing something deeply private and intense, but no one yet speaks of it.

"It is done, then," Crowley says when the last pack member has undergone the ritual. "The Gravehowl pack has joined us."
Lorna Crowley appears suddenly, running into the hollow tree, followed by Lord Godfrey and King Genn Greymane himself.
Lorna Crowley yells: Father!
Lord Darius Crowley yells: Lorna!
They embrace. Lord Godfrey sneers at Crowley with obvious loathing.
Lord Godfrey says: Crowley! You and your elven allies are hereby ordered to serve along the king's army. Cursed or not, you are still bound by Gilnean law!
Crowley turns to look at his old rival, King Genn Greymane.
Lord Darius Crowley yells: Does this toad speak for you, Genn? Do you come to our dwelling as a friend? Or do you come as a tyrant?
King Genn Greymane shifts form… and becomes a magnificent silver-white worgen whose aura of command is almost overwhelming to his lupine kin. Yes, he is definitely canonically white, no matter what you saw in the game.
King Genn Greymane says: No, old friend. I've come to you as an equal.
Lord Godfrey yells: Impossible!
Lord Darius Crowley says: Aye, Genn. It is not law that binds us. It is something far stronger. My men are ready to give their lives under your command.
King Genn Greymane says: It is decided, then. We will unite all Gilneans and drive the Forsaken from our lands.

Rhenardt approaches Crowley and Greymane with his head bowed, to discuss Service and Logistics.