2019.02.18: The Ambush

The Ambush
The plans for Lleutrim's trip include making Bloody Bandages for all of them, and it takes three of them to tag team Dragomir to be able to make this fetish for his OWN GOOD! Granted, he will kick their asses later, they still did it.
IC Date	February 18th, 2019 - Evening
Players	Dragomir, Lleutrim, Ryla, Waziyata
Location	Caern Amphitheater
Spheres	Gaian Garou Shifter

Early evening at the Caern. Earlier today, Ryla left word for Dragomir that she would like to meet with him at the Caern, in the Amphitheater, so she can learn more from the ranking Silver Fang about the local customs, people, and what else she should know about the tribe. She was spending time earlier with the Rite Mistress, working on those basic rites, so would be perfect location for her.

Ryla waits there in the Amphitheater, watching out for Dragomir, and is alone in there for now. Others are around, just not in here at this moment. Just a call away if needed, so it makes for an excellent time for the New Moon to learn more from the Athro Half Moon.

Waziyata the wolf is hidden in the brush, downwind, relaxed and waiting but on high alert for any sign of her target. She doesn't poke her head up and out of the bushes, and moves only her ears on occasion, twitching them one way or another, listening, scenting the wind, waiting with a sense of grim determination Lleu has never seen from her, either girl or wolf. She waits to spring an ambush, to fight a war, not merely to play games or go on patrol.

Using his own tribe mate to trick him -- brilliant. Dragomir is too arrogant for his own good, and a chance to teach is something he would easily be drawn too. The man is making his way towards the amphitheater. The man is wearing a pair of jogging pants and sneakers, as well as a white wife-beater t-shirt and a thin grey zipper sweat shirt over it. He makes his way towards the center, not looking around or worrying too much. This is the Caern after all.

Battle Singer is here but back a little ways in the trees, watching the Amphitheatre's clearing. He's about as close as he dares get, hunkered down in the brush around the edges to one side of the bowl shaped seating. About the time Dragomir is due to arrive but /before/ the Silver Fang Athro shows up, the lleupine activates a number of gifts to make ready... Luna's Armor, Falcon's Grasp, Resist Pain, Shed, Touch of the Muse, and Camouflage. The Fianna Galliard does his best Ragabash impersonation, stealthfully watching. No intent to run out and ambush, no. He's to stay back and wait, relaxed and silent to watch and see how things unfold - at the start at least. Silvery eyes peer through the foliage as he lies there, quite comfortable.

Ryla touches her hair, making sure that SINGLE hair that just annoyed her (probably a phantom as it is) is put back in place. She adjusts her glasses and says, "Eye of the Storm'rhya! Thank you so much for coming and meeting me here. I have heard a little bit about the great sparring matches and even a challenge you participated in here, RIGHT HERE, in this amphitheater, and it truly is an honor to have one such as yourself from our tribe to be available to give me lessons. I cannot wait to share this news with my family. Tales of your deeds has reached their ears before. Especially after last year, I heard a little about something in San Francisco. But I am getting off course." She takes a breath, "I'm not quite sure where to start, but I guess the basics is where I should. What should I be starting off doing here? I've done as you asked, and met with the Warder and got his blessing. I know I need to meet with Howling Wind'rhya as well to get on Patrols. What is next?" Ryla does her best to distract and talk a /lot/ (which is easy for her), while the others do their thing.

For her part, the only Gift Wazi has made use of in her preparations is Resist Pain. As Dragomir appears, she waits, testing the man's scent on the air, ears orienting to focus on him. But it isn't until after Ryla has started her rambling that the wolf moves. She rises to her feet and grows into her homid form, scooping up a baseball bat and starting a slow, careful approach through the bushes, at an angle. Once she is clear of the brush, she is jogging toward the man, bat held loosely at her side - if she intends to use it on him, she doesn't know how to wield the thing properly, as she holds it by the fat end.

After a few jogging steps, she calls out, "Back, Ryla! Dragomir - You bleed now."

The bat is whipped toward the man's feet, and then Wazi is charging him in a burst of Rage-fueled speed. If her plan works, she smashes into him in a flurry of brutal, Wyld-and-Rage-backed punches and kicks shortly after he is either distracted or tripped by the hurled weapon.

The Ahroun is very careful to attack at an angle so as to put her flank toward Ryla, hoping to drive the Athro back from her at least. Her failing grace might just be that she didn't shift out of her Homid form for the assault.

The large wolf resists the temptation to yawn. Very comfy lying there on the pine needles watching, Battle Singer lies on his sternum ready to get up and move but he's just lying there - until Wazi starts to move. The moment she does, Lleu sets off the gift of 'Reverie' on Dragomir while the Athro's attention might still be on Ryla! Using whatever bonus 'Touch of the Muse' gives him to overcome Dragomir's willpower, the Galliard pulls his dirty trick to try and make the Russian less attentive /and/ give him negatives to pull up and activate any gifts using his mental faculties!

As soon as the gift is triggered, Battle Singer breaks cover, rushing out to engage! The large wolf grows larger still at the last as he closes, shifting to Crinos to see if he can wrap his arms around Dragomir and encumber in him a grapple attempt! If Lleu can get hold of him at all, Falcon's Grasp might help him hold on long enough for Wazi to get in a knockout blow!

Dragomir nods as he takes a moment to look around, perhaps about to convey some Wisdom with regards to the challenges he has faced here. Half-gloved hand lift from his pockets, and motion outwards as he is about to demonstrate something in his words. Though he is alert, even when his guard is down and hearing the approach and the sound of Wazi closing in brings the man to action. Though not before a nod of approval is given towards Ryla for her deception.

Struck, and topples - Dragomir goes over and takes the brunt of the first assault with grunts. Even without his gifts, the man is solid and hard to wound. On the ground he wrestles with Wazi and tries to get behind her and wrap her up in a grapple. Silly fostern attacking him alone, Wyld-touched or not..

What becomes quickly obvious is that Dragomir is virtually impenetrable mentally. With a very high willpower, place Silver Fang gifts which are always active to shield his mind. Dragomir yanks Wazi's smaller frame like a shield at the last moment - in an attempt to deflect the oncoming attack from Battle Singer. Two, he can take two.. though this leaves his back exposed for Ryla now. A predatory growl emits from the large Russian, ready for the fight! Or so he probably arrogantly believes.

Ryla knows this is for the good of the mission, and was asked to assist, and well... time to get her hands in further. She goes for the baseball bat that Wazi had thrown and waits with it at the ready. She sees the perfect opportunity to get in a lick of her own, and she shifts very smoothly up to Crinos, getting that extra strength she needs, and takes a LOUD WHACK at him. Obviously, not what you'd normally expect from the small young therapist, but when a job needs done!

For her part, when Wazi finds herself grabbed and grappled by Dragomir, she turns vicious. She squirms, twists, grabs back at his arms, arches her back and throws her head back at one point as if trying to smash her skull into his face. Her only intention in the fighting is to keep him distracted, keep him focused on her struggles to 'escape', while really just using her much greater limberness and flexibility, combined with peak possible human strength to keep him from simply dominating the grapple outright. Between her own physical ability and martial prowess, the Wyld's Touch, Lleutrim's charge, and Dragomir's own arrogance.. The plan might actually succeed. She doesn't bother trying to look at the baseball bat or Ryla. She trusts her new friend to do her part. She even growls, low in her throat: "Remember this: Waziyata is not weak." It's the moment when Dragomir is moving her into position to serve as his human shield.

Battle Singer doesn't even /know/ about the baseball bat and /RYLA/ part of the plan so he doesn't see it coming! He does see his grapple attempt was thrown off and Dragomir's going after a grapple on Wazi, so the Crinos ducks and goes for the Athro's legs! Grab /them/ if he can, fouling up the Silver Fang's mobility! Lleu's no push over in a fight himself and determined, he does his best to screw up Dragomir's plans by going for the man's footing, his foundation for all other action! RAWR!

Fighting Dragomir, even in humanoid form is like fighting a Bear - amped up on steroids. (Strength 8, Brawl 7). He's not just fierce, but powerfully so. Coupled with the many little tricks his mate and the Elders of the Sept have bestowed upon him - and the strength of Eagle behind him would make him pretty much impossible to beat one on one. Even two on one, and he as Lleutrim has described before - is a sneaky bastard and fights to his advantages.

He wrenches Wazi hard, willing to put the hurt on the Ahroun for this. Blue eyes lift in taunt towards Battle Singer, knowing she's his weakness in this fight. Let's hope Drago never goes dark side, he'd be a horrible adversary. As Battle Singer goes for his center of gravity, and take his legs out from under him, he growls out, "You aren't strong enough to bleed m---." THUD. As the Crinos behind him strikes him in the back of the head with that bat, it's -just- enough to completely catch the Warrior off guard. Which is just enough to loosen his grip on Wazi, and just enough for his knees to buckle the sheer brutality of Battle Singer taking his legs.

There's a groan, as the Silver King starts to lose consciousness. Something murmured in Russia as he falls backwards.

Twilight's Glimmer stands there, not even a growl from her, as she watches Dragomir go down. She again shifts ever so easily back into Homid, the bat still in her hand. She looks down to it, and then over to Dragomir. "You think that is enough?" She waits to see if she needs to give him another whack to the head or not. She adjusts those glasses - now returned thanks to being dedicated. Her hand does shake a little bit, holding that bat. She did just smack an Athro, as a Cliath. It was for his own good! She has to keep saying that in her head, and yet there is a little upturn of the corners of her mouth.

And then the battle is over. Wazi jerks herself free of the Steroidal Bear Man and turns sharply on her heel, eyeing the big Russian a moment. Then, she wastes no time on niceties or gloating. A hand slips behind her back and her knife is drawn. Then she is moving in to kneel with one foot on Dragomir's hand, all of her weight leaned into it, and bringing the blade to bear, working to field strip the man's clothing and reveal the flesh underneath.

Without looking up, she grunts: "Bandages. Bag. My bush." Then she continues her work of efficiently getting ready to bleed an Athro.

The Galliard shifts from Crinos to Glabro to better assist Wazi with removing Dragomir's clothing. Ryla can get the bag if she will, Lleu's got to stay close if it looks like the Silver Fang might stir too soon. He draws a knife as well, one he's made recently at Jake's forge, the Damascus steel glinting dark, sharp and ready to begin cutting. He holds off until Wazi's ready for him, turning his head to see if Ryla's going to get the bag or he needs to. "We've got him, grab it if you will." His baritone has dropped to more of a bass rumble.

Not often one gets to see beneath the clothing of Dragomir. The man's body is a sharp duality of black and white. His skin is firm and muscular - without marking on one side. The other is covered almost completely by tattoos, glyphs hidden within telling the story of his lineage and breeding. The man is covered in scars, markings, and wounds like you would expect on a fifty or sixty year old Garou.

For now, the Warrior rests - waves of rage burn within him, like a boiling pot building up pressure. Even as he is shred of his clothing, he does not stir. The pack has done well to take him down. He will either beat the crap out of them for it, or praise them when he wakes up. Who knows with the crazy Silver Fang fanatic.

Ryla keeps the bat in her hand and runs over to the bushes. She gets the bag, and sprints back like a bullet back to Wazi. "Here you go." She helps take out what is needed, handing it to her. Studying the tattoos, she actually takes off her glasses, and stares intently, learning all she can about her Elder. Understanding is the key to how her mind works, and this one is the key to her success of failure here. And it will help since he may be pissed off enough with her that she could be kicked across the Caern and back home to Napa for this later. Gotta get what you can while you can! She will take away anything handed to her, or assist as directed - she can multi task!

Wazi focuses on the task at hand, cutting and stripping away Dragomir's clothing until the man lays exposed in the cool evening air. She doesn't move from her squat upon his hand, though she does glance up as Ryla sprints back with the now-battered Minnie Mouse backpack, crammed with only fresh, clean bandages and a blue-painted, dried gourd decorated with glyphs of healing and praise to Gaia.

She eyes the man's man scars and tattoos a moment, before shifting her grip on the knife and nodding to Lleu, "Blood."

She draws the knife across the man's upper arm, then, careful not to slice the artery, and then straightens up to offer Ryla her knife.

"Cover bandages. All of them. I call to Leech."

Then, assuming the knife is taken, she finally steps off the man's hand, turning her back on him to move a few short paces away. Finally, her form changes, growing into Crinos.

They aren't taking their sweet time like the previous attempts to make Bloody Bandages so this time Donnachaidh goes for veins rather than drawing it out with many small cuts all over. Knowing anatomy and which are veins and which are arteries, the former Marine cuts inside of Dragomir's forearms - nicking the veins directly. Just like in the old Robin Hood book with the nun leaches. Inside of the ankles, arch of the feet, veins along the knee caps, surface vein at the temple and so forth until the blood is freely flowing with a minimum number of cuts while Ryla can unroll and wad up bandages.

It's a team effort, working quickly but thoroughly in concert. Lleu's knife is soon bloody and wiped on a bandage so he may sheath it and draw more bandages still to pile around the wounds. No pressing against them to slow or stop the bleeding, just soaking up the blood.

Dragomir is a hell of a bleeder.. in fact, when cut he gushes blood. Though it only lasts for a very short time, before the wound closes back up and immediately starts to heal. At least for now, the pack accomplishes its goal - and bleeds the Athro as intended. Not many have ever gotten the best of Drago - even groups have failed many times before. Rumor has it, he's only ever been beaten once - and came back to rechallenge and utterly obliterated the person who beat him when he was lower rank.

Ryla takes the offered knife, and having watched the others she gets to work. She knows it is best not to hesitate and she slices, and gets those bandages on and soaking up the blood. She repeats over and over. Although does wonder just what Wazi is now up to. This is as far as she knew with the plans, aside from healing up Dragomir afterwards. Thankfully, there is a good amount of territory to cover on the Half-Moon, making it easy to road map around, and even go back to places that have healed back to get more blood coming and soak the bandages.

This time, there probably won't be music provided by Lleutrim, or so Puddle Jumper is thinking. She stands in her warform, flexing her claws, breathing deeply and slowly, gathering herself a moment. Then she growls, and throws her arms up, spreading them widely as a gust of wind emanates from the Ahroun, a tingle of magic in the air to carry her snarled words: <<Leech! I call you again.>> The gust of wind flutters through the trees and she turns her back on them, turning and prowling on two legs around the three Garou nearby, counter clockwise. She grumbles and growls to herself, similar repetitions invoking Leech, calling for his presence.

One massive, clawed hand slinks in to drag a bundle of Dragomir's shredded clothing away from the three, before Puddle Jumper stops and drops it on the ground at the man's head. She clenches a fist at it, and it bursts alight with fire. Then, she snarls again: <<COME!>>

Did Dragomir rub off on her in all that grappling?

After a few more moments, the air shimmers in the now-familiar way and a fresh spirit of Leech is sliming its way closer to Ahroun, fire, and the blood soaking the earth around Dragomir.

Aye, the wounds reseal fairly quickly so it's no time at all that Lleu leaves off shifting bandages to draw the knife and make all of the cuts anew. Over and over, wash, rinse, repeat however often it takes. They can /smell/ Dragomir's blood, see it soaking into the bandages. Lleu takes time to lay a finger against Dragomir's throat from time to time to check his pulse. Keeping tabs on how fast, how strong the Athro's heart beat is as they continue to draw his blood - a great deal of it.

Once that is well under way, Lleu gets up and indeed might surprise Wazi for he returns to the trees where he left a bodhran. He picks up the small hand drum, not worried about getting blood on it. He comes back and kneels by the prone Silver Fang while Ryla continues working. As Wazi begins to work to summon the spirit, Lleu drums and sings low and deep, of blood, of the smell of it, smearing it over the drum, throbbing the beat like a heart. As he had done before, but a lower, deeper tone. It's the Galliard's duty and one he takes seriously, to try and aid in the Rite as best he may.

As the leech makes its way to the blood and the bandages, Puddle Jumper watches on. She lowers her head to the spirit in a respectful nod, growling softly, <<Eat. Is for you. Bound to Bandages. Give Eye of the Storm'rhya his strength when it is needed, then be free again.>> The leech hesitates, the Ahroun tenses, then the Rite is complete and the spirit dissipates into the mass of bandages.

After that, Puddle Jumper melts back to her homid form and assumes a squatting sit on the ground just above Dragomir's head, reaching a hand out to reclaim her knife from Ryla. She doesn't clean the steel, instead sitting and waiting quietly for the Athro to regain awareness.

When he does, the knife with his blood upon it is held out into his vision and she says quietly, firmly, "My thanks gift to you." The knife is withdrawn then, the lupus beginning to clean the blade with a little strip of cloth, "-You- is weak. -We- are strong. Pack."

She doesn't even look worried as she says it, only angry. Fierce. Guarded. Expectant. If she's getting her ass kicked, she's making her point first.

The Galliard says nothing. Lleutrim is silent. The drumming has stopped. The knife's handle he was using to drum with is flipped so he may clean the blade quietly. Then it is sheathed. Lleu's pale eyes catch the moonlight as he watches, looking to Wazi, then Ryla, and lastly back to Dragomir as he rouses. Aye, they worked well together this night.

Dragomir finally starts to stir, intense blue eyes flickering and beginning to open. A wince at the feeling of being struck in the back of the head still echoes in his brain as he starts to come out of it. "Ahhgh." he groans, pinching his eyes closed before opening them once more. A snort is given to the declaration, but he nods. "Alone, we are always weakest. Nicely done." he compliments begrudgingly, turning his gaze towards Battle Singer for a moment, then towards Ryla with the faintest smirk. He offers, "Pack." the single word, because nothing more really needs to be said.

Ryla nods to Wazi, then Lleu, and then she bows her head deeply to Dragomir. She has greater respect for him than any of the others. She repeats what they have said in her own voice. "Pack." There is no other words, even that this jibber jabbering Ragabash can offer. That word means so very much to them all.