Welcome Home (NJ)

[Deleted]

((not much I know but I am feeling poorly, and btw Maira you wont be deprived of any of your sexy play things. I never intended to shoot Races char.))


Krul was not to be moved on his views of trespass. But he could not deny Rose no matter how strongly he felt about it he felt stronger for her. But another thought crept into his head. She had known all the male members of the Pard all her life, Krul had no shot at her. Looking at her he said “if your Pard was that worried about helping and relations, and it is true they knew you were with me. Why did they not call and ask permission?” Looking at Rose he felt the rest of his objections fade. “Fine lets go in, Dayan you are welcome. But I trust you will not push the limits of your invitation.” he put the shotgun on safety and tossed it to Dayan. “If there is a hunter about armed to the teeth as Rose suggests, and if it means us harm I would prefer you were armed as well. Though I am sure you prefer your beast to a shotgun, lets make it into the bunker before hunting it.”

Un-strapping the assault riffle from his back Krul led the way training the weapon some ten yards ahead of him walking calmly. He was not scared but he could tell that Rose was and that Dayan for some reason was uneasy. Then he did have experience with Hunters. Though being honest to himself he was not concerned.
Entering the barn he smelled the Hunter’s scent stronger then ever. He smiled as he remembered the way he met Rose. A game of cat and mouse is it? Punching in the new combination to the bunker door he stood aside to let Rose enter first. Once all were inside he closed the door and flipped a switch next to it. A new modification of Krul’s. if anyone or anything touched the door from the outside they would not be happy. Looking at his mother he said “Khyber this is Dayan, a Member of the local Pard come to help us.” the last few words of that statement were accompanied by a growl.

[Races The Night]

Dayan caught the riffle that was thrown to him. Quickly checking it for safety, ammo and all around state of repair. After satisfying himself with the perusal he cocked it over his shoulder, pointing upwards, and followed the company inside.

When introduced to the older woman sitting inside the bunker, he bowed courtly and with old world courtesy. "Greetings, ma'am. My name is Dayan-Inka, but please, to you and your company; Dayan. Inka is my leopard name and only used in rigid formality." He flashed his winning smile. "I have a distinct dislike of rigid formality, but not of the old ways themselves."

((short and I apologise but I thought I'd give you guys something add onto while I had the internet ))

[Maira]

Once Krul was in the shelter and had shut the door behind them, Rose walked over to him, her arm brushing his she was standing so close. She watched as Krul introduced Khyber and smiled at Dayan's antics. Crazy leopard. That man was so completely unpredictable some days it was funny.

Feeling more at ease, Rose actually let herself lean into Krul along his arm and shoulder. She let Justice Keeper rise within her, heightening her senses so she could feel for how Krul was doing. She could tell by his posture and the look on his face he wasn't happy at having strangers on his land and more coming. What she was after though was his actual feelings toward Dayan. If Krul could manage to get along with Dayan, the rest of the Pard would be no problem.

[Deleted]

As Dayan Acquainted himself with Khyber, Krul almost laughed out loud at his antics to make the skittish woman relax. He thought to himself as he stifled his laughter that under normal circumstances Dayan is likable enough, but Krul has been being attacked from every direction, with all of the things he has found out in the last two days he was a little bit touchy now. Brought out of his reflections by the feel of rose leaning into him, he smiled at her and put an arm around her shoulder. Looking down at her he whispered “I am fine, I am sorry I flipped out about your Pard.” Breathing deeply of Rose’s scent he relaxed instantly. She was very dear to him and he acted like a thug to her and her friends.

Looking at Dayan, Krul said “I apologize Dayan for acting like a child before. In my defense everything I had known my whole life has been stripped away as illusion in the last two days I was a bit touchy.” he stepped toward the man and outstretched his hand hoping the man would accept his apology and start over. Asking “any idea what we should do now? I mean we are safe in here but sooner or later we will run out of the little bit of supplies we have.” moving back over to where Rose was he sat himself down on the bench near the wall eager to feel her touch again. As an after though he said to the room at large. “ that switch I flipped when we entered the room and locked the door. Initiates the security system aside from the monitors in that little room at the back, it also starts up certain defenses. If anyone comes inside the barn or touches the outside walls of the bunker they wont be very happy.” he chuckled to himself before finishing with “ if anymore friendly type people are heading this way I would give them a warning. One of the cameras covers the drive so we should see anyone pulling up or lurking around out there.” with that he walked to the back of the bunker and unlocked the door to the security booth and stepped back offering the room to Dayan.

[Races The Night]

"Think nothing of it, my man." Dayan said, rising and turning to shake Krul's hand firmly. "We're all proddy, territorial males, or so the females keep telling us." He took a quick look around the bunker, admiring the security system and whistled low. "You certainly have yourself a setup here. I'd hate to be the Were who tries to break into this stuff." Ducking into the doorway to the security centre, Dayan's eyes lit up as only a man's could when faced with new boy toys. "How long did it take you to acquire all this stuff?" He asked in awe, feeling slightly emasculated at his own security system back home.

"One Hunter alone is nothing, we'd be able to take him down pretty easily - and I'm guessing he knows that or else he would have rained all holy hell on us. My guess is he's scouting the area and is in no mood for a confrontation. So, for now, we're as safe as Were's can be - aslong as he doesn't call reinforcements - which the Hunter's seldom do, they're not good team players." He said with a rueful grin.

Turning his attention to Rose, Dayan asked, "How have you been? I'm afraid I haven't seen you all that often in the Pard-meets. You know how much I dislike them." Furrowing his brow he made an expression of disgust. Dayan didn't really do well in social atmospheres of more than a handful of people.

[Maira]

Rose basically tuned out all the 'boy talk' about the security system and was watching Khyber, who seemed to be relaxing a bit, when Dayan asked how she had been. Prying her eyes from Krul's mother, Rose looked at Dayan and teased him, "Yes mister anit-social, coming to yesterday's meet was the first time in a couple months I think. And yesterday you were even more grumbly than normal. I saw you accosting that poor new girl out in the parking lot." The way Rose spoke to Dayan, even though her words weren't necessarily nice, there was no mistaking her happiness to have seen him the previous day. Also, it was rather hard to miss that the word 'accosting' may as well have been replaced with 'flirting'.

Dayan may have the capability to be surly but he also had a thing for red-heads. Rose was surprisingly the only red-head in the Pard that Dayan hadn't shown at least a passing interest in. Any 'flirting' between them was always harmless and often filled with playful insults. When Dayan's parents had died, Rose's parents had taken him and his two siblings in for a while and they had all become rather close.

Rose was about to wiggle herself under Krul's arm when her cell phone went off again. Luckily this time it was in her pocket and all she had to do was dig it out. Stepping away from the men while she took the call, Rose nodded and smiled and thanked the person who was on the other end. Asking the person on the other end to wait a moment, Rose turned her attention to Krul and asked, "The Pard is here and they were wondering if you would permit them to come onto your land?" While she waited for his answer, Rose turned to Dayan and smirked as she said, "And Maira is being sent to us as back up. She's yet to learn her abilities so while she would be good in a fight if provoked, the Alpha's feel she would serve us better than the other hunters." Rose knew that Maira was the poor woman that Dayan had been flirting with the day before and she couldn't wait to see how he would react to knowing she was coming to join them.

[Deleted]

Krul answered Dayan’s question of his security system with a nonchalant “you’d be surprised what a cop can do” then left him to the security room. He noticed Rose looking at Khyber and he looked down as well. She did seem to be relaxed. As Rose’s cell phone rang again and she answered it. Krul reached out and helped his mother to a chair. There was no need for her to continue to sit upon the floor. When Rose put the phone on hold, she relayed the Pard’s request for entry to Krul’s land. Almost laughing at the request, he told her it was fine. He thought to himself that every pebble cast into the river of destiny causes ripples outstretching and touching everything. His little tantrum earlier was already causing those ripples.

When Rose was off the phone he asked her about this Maira who was coming to back them up. “what sort of back up do we need while locked in here. With the Pard off dealing with the hunter, what are we supposed to do? I am not complaining I could think of worse company. But I don’t see what help we need,” he grinned at her to soften the words. He was only teasing Rose. Krul watched for her reaction, looking at her delicate face he wanted so much to kiss her soft lips again. To feel her breath on his skin. But now was not the time what with the audience growing larger by the moment. Not that he minded public affection. It was just that his feelings for Rose were so new and wondrous he did not want to share them with anyone but Rose for the time being.

Moments after asking about Maira, Khyber answered for Rose. “she is not coming here as back up for the hunter, She is back up for bringing me in.” her words were quiet but strong. Looking up at Krul, Khyber said “if I want any kind of life here, with you as part of my life I wont run.” looking at Rose she continued “I will face what ever your Pard feels is necessary.” with that she retreated into herself again, going silent. Krul was both glad she wanted to face her “crimes” and angry that she had ever been in a position where she committed them. But according to Rose the Pard would want to save her, rather then kill her so he was at least comforted by that.

[Maira]

Rose shook her head at Khyber's assumption about Maira. Looking first at Khyber then Krul and finally Dayan, the last with a smirk, she told them all, "While its honorable for you to say what you said Khyber, that's not why Maira is being sent to us. Maira did as she should have. A call went out for the Pard to gather as there was a threat in the area and she responded. As she is only two days into her Change she's still too new for the Pard to have discerned her talents. Instead of sending her home, making her feel unneeded, the Alpha's sent her to us where we could keep as much an eye on her as she would be here as back up. Its more for her protection than ours actually. Don't tell her that though just in case she's sensitive that way."

Rose had taken a huge chance telling the room at large that Maira was inexperienced in the ways of her leopard form, a chance on Maira's part anyway. She hoped that Maira had at least had a little instruction yesterday after the Pard meeting. Maybe from Sammy or even Dayan though he rarely offered the run of his lands to just anybody and even more rarely to a newcomer to the Pard. Rose could only hope.

[Deleted]

Listening to Rose, explain why Maira was actually coming several things ran through Krul’s mind. First of which it looked as if the Pard was not going to force Khyber to come with them. But allow her to turn herself in. which she seemed willing to do. And second a wave of admiration, she was trusting the room at large with the reason why Maira was being sent. Of course she did have to quell any Ideas about her before she arrived. So that the people in the room would not inadvertently offend the newly changed Pard.

Thinking to himself that the Pard has been on his land for some time now, they should be expecting Maira any moment. He peered into the room in which Dayan was watching the monitors. Looking for any trace of the lone Pard member being sent to them. Seeing no sign of anyone approaching the bunker Krul began to get antsy, he felt like he needed to do something. One hunter against a good portion of the Pard’s hunters it would not take long to either catch him or for him to escape. The latter seemed the most likely answer. If what Krul had heard about hunters soon as he knew there was no way to get into the bunker and sensed the Pard there , he would have taken the first chance to take off and continue his mission.

Walking over to the bunker door Krul swiftly switched off the security measures protecting the outside of the bunker door. He moved quickly so as not to let anyone know what he intended. As the door opened he was already moving out of the bunker when he caught the scent of their adversary. Not very subtle he thought. Even a child could follow this trail. He let the door close and relock itself, stripped and was through his shift hopefully before anyone inside was any wiser. He intended to join the hunt for this hunter who had driven him, on the urges of Rose to hide like a whelp.

Lok immediately caught the scent of the Pard’s hunters and noticed that they went off in several different directions. While the scent of the hunter went off in only one. Following that scent at a run Lok quickly discerned the reason the Pard had gone off in different directions. Soon as he was in the open the scent started to flatten and spread out. Confused, Lok stopped, and following his instinct instead of the scent. He turned away from the open land on his farmstead and headed toward the farm house currently being renovated. He did not need to bother with the doors as some of the walls were completely opened. Lok slithered between the open wall studs he was in the house and began prowling through the rooms and walls. Catching the hunters scent the strongest he had yet smelled it, he was sure he had found the place where the hunter had been watching them before.

Doing a final sweep of the house and not finding the hunter he resigned himself to get back before he was missed though he was sure that Rose would have some choice words about abandoning them and acting rashly. He swiftly made his way back to the bunker. Entering the barn he was about to shift back into Krul when he noticed someone stop outside the bunker door. Growling low in his throat he was about to attack when he remembered that this must be Maira. Grabbing his clothes up in his mouth he retreated to a stall out of her line of sight so that he could shift and not embarrass himself or her. Exiting the stall wearing his clothes again he approached the door and spoke softly to the girl who was looking intently at nothing particular. “hello you must be Maira, My name is Krul” he walked passed her and punched in the key combination to unlock the door. As it swung open he stepped back and motioned for Maira to proceed him. He caught sight of Rose and the look on her face, and prepared for the storm which looked to be brewing within her.

[Races The Night]

((Arrrrghhh I'm alive, I'm alive, honestly!))

Dayan stiffened at the familiar scent of the woman as she entered the shelter. Closing his eyes he savoured the rain fresh scent of both woman and leopard as they padded across the room. "I trust you got home alright, Maira?" He said, looking over his shoulder with a welcoming smile before returning to perusing the various bits of machinery and how it all worked.

***

"Stupid leopards." Diego muttered to himself, slipping into the shadows of the forests edge. The male that had just swept the perimeter was too nosy for his own good and it was no coincidence that the two leopards he ran into the other night were also present. Those two were going to get in his way alot, he just knew it.

Every fibre in his body was screaming protest to the prescence of the Feral. His very Hunter blood demanded he destroy what threatened his species. It was just a shame that often enough those who once protected the clans, pards and packs turned into the very thing that caused so much damage to each sub-species of were-. He'd never been unfortunate to go up against a close friend or ally, but on his travels he had heard stories of such, how difficult it was for blood brothers to face one another when one knew that the other had turned Feral and taken the easy way out. Diego would never let that happen, there was no body close enough to him to present such a brutal blow should they betray him. He was alone and it suited him.

Right now, too many people wandered these grounds and milled about in the buildings. Further investigation would have to wait until their guard was down. At one with the shadows, Diego slunk silently, deeper into the forest and away from the farm buildings.

***

Dayan cocked his head to one side, sensing a shift in the winds whistle outside of the shelter. Inka raised his ehad enough to scan his immediate surroundings and, finding nothing amiss, returned to a simmering prescence, watching Maira from within his human. Brushing his instincts aside, Dayan returned his attention to the group at hand.

"So, I know I've been summoned here to deal with some stray, the longer we leave off the more attention from outsiders it will attract." It was a silent warning to Krul, every second, more Hunters could be drawing ever closer and that meant trouble for them.

[Maira]

Maira had just entered the barn that she had followed Dayan's scent into when she heard something enter behind her. Turning to look, she saw a huge black leopard with clothes clutched in his mouth running past her to one of the empty horse stalls. Considering Inka was black and of similar build, Maira watched curiously where the leopard had gone until she got a whiff of his scent when a stray breeze blew in from the main door. It was deffinately not Dayan.

Her conclusions were proved true when a fully dressed man emerged from the stall and it was obviously not Dayan. She tried to smile as the man got closer but Twilight's Rain was on edge, making Maira rather cautious too. The impersonal, to the point greeting Maira got from the stranger didn't help waylay any of her anxiety but she nodded her head in affirmation when he guessed her name.

After Krul punched in the keycode for the door, Maira went in first at his prompting. She went softly down the stairs and the farther she went the stronger Dayan's scent got. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs she was smiling. The day had been a rough one already and just knowing she was about to see Dayan put her at ease.

When Maira finally made it into the main room of the shelter, it only took her eyes a moment to find Dayan and she made her way toward him immediately. When he looked over her shoulder and asked if she'd made it home okay, Maira answered, "Yeah, I made it home fine." Not sure what was really expected of her, she just settled in next to Dayan to wait for somebody else to say something.

*****

Rose had been surprised when Krul had slipped from the shelter and she was more than a little frustrated by his actions. Knowing why he did what he did though, she couldn't stay mad at him when he returned a few minutes later, preceeded by Maira. The glare that she had unintentionally been directing at the door, vanished in an instant when Krul rejoined the group already in the shelter.

She was about to ask Krul if he had found anything on his brief search when Dayan spoke up. She turned to look at him, and then to Khyber and Krul. Dayan was right, the longer they had Khyber locked up in the shelter, the more likely other Hunters would hear of her presence. Looking back at Khyber, Rose asked the woman, "Are you ready to leave? It won't be safe here much longer."