The Past Is Back to Haunt You

Timeline: February 24th, 2008

Ann-Marie had returned from Albany. No one had known she was gone. Her lover Ironclaw was patrolling with his pack. Her brother still at the hospital for some reason. It was important she find someone, one of the group that helped her and were, in a way catalysts of the growing threat already festering in Maine. It was born here, and her blood had initiated it.

Though it was late, she went to the house, hoping Johnny, Lyla or any of the others were there. She didn’t hear any noise, but knocked still the same.

Ann-Marie…” A whisper echoed from the darkness behind her. Turning that direction, she saw Lyla dressed in her black outfit, the one she wore when they fought the Cult of Ishtar together. Lyla stepped onto the first wooden step of the porch. “Everyone’s asleep right now,” she said. “Are you looking for someone?”

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Dalu or No Dalu

Timeline: March 1st, 2008

Early morning not long after Rey returned from her Baltimore trip there was a knock on her door. To her surprise Ironclaw was standing there when she answered.

“Hi.” She stepped back from the doorway. “Come on in.”

Ironclaw strode inside and then stopped, looking at Rey. “Thanks. I won’t be long,” he said.

“Is something wrong?” She closed the door.

“Yeah,” he said. “I wouldn’t normally step in on something personal like this, but this is too important for me to stand by and not saying anything because you’re heading down a road with Grey that’s going to get you killed.”

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Legalese

Timeline: February 25th, 2008

Daniel had returned to Eldon Well. Boston and New York he knew well, but Baltimore was a different animal. In any case he had done what he had came to do and now it was back to home. Funny thing that, he had begun to think of this backwater village as home. Remember, he thought to himself, all this is to help defeat the Dark Man, whatever he is. Or perhaps to help him? Daniel didn’t know. What he had seen recently cast even deeper doubts on whether the Dark Man (or Men) were evil, or simply agents of a plan yet to be understood.

He couldn’t speak about his conclusions to anyone but Honoré. Rey to her friends — he thought her first name was nice, why truncate it? He, of course, never went by anything but Daniel. At first he didn’t know where she fit in to all this, but she seemed decent enough to invite him to a Christmas party. Again, he didn’t know why. Miss Lafitte’s kindness was appreciated, if misplaced. Daniel wasn’t a kind man. Nice, perhaps, but very, very selfish. This dominated his thoughts. What he learned about her past was certain to put several pieces together, pieces he would like to share with Lyla, Ramiel and the others but not the vampire or the ‘pack’. This is none of their business. But, he would leave that to Honoré to decide. Ethics demanded it.

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Where We Come From

Timeline: March 1st, 2008

Ironclaw looked back at her, nodded his head, and disappeared into the trees.

She stood there for a moment, then picked up the axe by the door. There really wasn’t any need to split wood, she had more than enough, but she tried to do it for at least half an hour each day. It helped with her upper body strength. While she wasn’t about to win any arm wrestling contents, she liked the definition and tone it was giving her.

“I think I am channeling Ramiel because my mind went south. Seeing you bent over wood like that.” Grey’s warm friendly smile welcomed her as she turned.

Rey chuckled and wiped the sweat from her face with the sleeve of her jean jacket. “Got an urge to do some splitting, have we?” She swung the ax, burying it safely into a log before holding out her arms to him.

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Portland city of Destruction

After a lot of pointless discussion, the mess with Sterling came to a head. I called Baily and asked him to track down a license plate, that they found, for me. The license plate led us to Sterlings home. We drove by it the night before and then went to our hotel. Ann Marie said that she had her own place to stay and would meet up with us after sunset.

Ramiel and Micheal wanted to scout out some more and I thought that more intel is always a good thing. I stayed in the hotel room so I would be rested up for the coming night.

They said there were dogs and remembering the dogs Hangish kept I readied some suringes with the most potent traquilizer I know.

Somewhere along the way Micheal and Romiel decided the best plan was to serve Sterling a summons to appear before whatever people mages answer too.

They did Sterling went along quietly. They drove off and the werewolves that were left there decided that was the signal to attack and they brought their little dogs too. Lyla tackeled one and I injected it. The other attacked Ramiel and I never did get to use my other syringe.

I helped Lyla cut one werewolf down to size. Then Lyla got hit hard, she kept going and I helped Rameil with the dog that was on him. Then Lyla got hit again and went to her big nasty form. She was battle mad. I had gone back to help her but I slowly tried to ease myself back from the combat.

Then Lyla was hit again and lost her baby. Ramiel went balistic with this guns and emptyied a full clip into the one that had killed their child.

Lyla eyes were full red and their was no sanity in them. She was kill crazy like a ferrit or a wolverine. I was thinking about using the traqualizer on her but it was unncessary. Ramiel took his life in his own hands and clamed her down. I ran over to the werewolf we had dropped and stablized her. I put my coat over her and picked her up and started carrying her away.

As we dropped the last wolf and were leaving. Sterling appeared out of mid-air. The upshot of that was that Sterling challenged Ramiel to a duel and Ramiel lost. I think mainly because he had just come through a battle but Sterling was powerfull he might have lost anyway. Ramiel had made it a condition of the duel that Lyla and I and the werewolf I was holding walk. Lyla of course wouldn’t leave Ramiel so we got back in time to see Ramiel fall and Sterling have his head cut off by Kay.

I was carrying the woman away again, when Micheal showed up. We had to hide from the police but we all ened up back in Eldon well and I guess alls well that ends in Eldon well.

A Pack Christmas

Timeline: December 2007

Lyla had gotten up early and finished wrapping presents she’d gotten for the entire, extended “family”, put them in a box and then roused the sleeping and still injured Ramiel. He was looking decidedly better this morning than he did last night, she was pleased to see.

Once everyone was up and moving, they had quite a crowd ready to take advantage of John’s very thoughtfully organized horse-drawn sleigh. In fact, there might be a few too many, but most had no issue with perhaps shifting to wolf and running alongside on foot (at a distance so as not to spook the horse, of course). Of the pack, Niki, Grey, Lyla and Selene appeared for the Christmas activity, and of course there was also Ramiel, Michael, and John, with the expectation to meet Daniel at Rey’s cabin. Chaska said that if he could later, he’d meet them at the cabin but he wanted to be sure to heal Ironclaw as much as possible first.

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The Walk Home

Timeline: February 24th, 2008

Laughter had faded as the two walked back to the house. Ramiel pulled a flask form his jacket pocket and took a drink from it. He offered the flask to Michael.

“So why don’t you tell me what has been going on with you.” Ramiel asked in a calm and low voice.

Michael took the offered flask, and took a drink, handing the flask back to Ramiel.

“There has been alot of different things going on with me. Which one do you want to know about first?”

Ramiel stopped and moved to a tree off the path. He sat down and motioned to the spot next to him. “Why don’t you start with how you have been acting since the hotel and Tara. Then tell me why you left the police force, and from there you can explain the hermit act. For starters. Then after that maybe you will enlighten me as to why you were blowing in my ear.”

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Home to a Quilt

Timeline: February 24th, 2008

Grey took Rey in his arms and hugged her close to him. “What are they laughing about?” He saked as Ramiel and Michael walked into the woods and faded from view.

“I don’t know,” Rey said. “The last thing I remember them talking about was a bet on whether or not I’d ravish you right on the front porch or let you take me inside first.” She leaned into him, contentment at being in his embrace again. “Getting home to you was far more important to me than what they were saying.”

“Oh yeah,” he said wiith a smile.”Well it is March so what do you say we make them both loose. You run I chase and if it is too cold outside I warm you up?”

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Man Speak

Timeline: Morning of January 25th, 2008

It was mid-morning as Ramiel walked through the forest. He walked a path that he often took when looking for his favorite alpha. Usually it did not take very long for Ironclaw to find him.

Last night had been difficult to watch. In truth Ramiel had fought the urge to stand up for Lyla. Not to mention his baby. But he knew that she had miss-stepped and what needed to be done about it. Anne-Marie’s warning had not fallen on deaf ears either. Ramiel noticed that Ironclaw avoided endangering the baby.

Today he wanted to talk to his friend, not the Alpha. So he walked and waited for the familiar voice to speak up or bark.

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It Was a Dark And Stormy Night

Timeline: February 19th, 2008

It was a dark and stormy night when John walked into the Blood and Brew. He went over to the bar and called for Lyla. “Hey Lyla I have an idea and I wanted to run it by you and see what you thought about it. What if we have a St. Pat’s Day party either at the house or here and invite the whole town, especially the new people like Rey and Daniel and anyone else we can think of and some old new people like Tara and some old people like Alice the librarian and maybe Mrs. Honeywell, sort of a town mixer slash block party, have a pot luck or cater it and maybe and open bar if we have it here. I’ll even shell out for coupons for a free drink for everyone that is of age. What do you think?”

Lyla slipped out from behind the bar and went to sit with John. “I think it’s an awesome idea. But I really don’t know how the bar could afford to do free drinks for the whole town.” The windows light up brightly for a moment as a splash of lightning ripped the sky outside. “We wouldn’t be able to feed the whole town, either. Not even a tiny portion of it. I manage to clear about three grand per month after Rey’s wages, maybe a little more, but that is all and it’s split six ways for the pack. So, we’d have to give up our entire income for the month and more to do it. How about a cash bar, but with some free munchies? Hors d’oeuvres and the like?

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