2019.03.14: Challenge for Adren

Challenge for Adren
Waziyata searches out Isla to challenge for the rank of Adren.
IC Date	March 14th, 2019 - Evening
Players	Isla, Waziyata
Location	Lucky Strike Falls
Spheres	Gaian Garou Shifter

xxxxxIt is a cool still winter night. There is some snow still on the ground here, a chill in the air, but still warmer than it was a few nights ago. Isla is out at her range, practicing as she does every evening. Well, she practices at least twice a day on her skills. She nocks arrow after arrow into her bow they discovered in Antarctica, and one after the other, each arrow hits her targets. The Falls have been getting busier lately as their Hospitality Director has been bringing in more business, and with her and Jes getting more well known - especially with their packing with Iris and Branton, as well as recent Fianna rituals - you never know who is going to drop by on a given day or night.

Wazi has been continuing her seclusionary practices, except to sniff around to arrange a moon bridge back to her home Sept, and to learn more about this Sept's Ahroun. Now, she is walking quietly out onto the range in her homid form, with a bandage concealing her wounded left eye and some of the skin immediately around it, left hand tucked into her coat pocket.

She approaches Isla on spotting the other woman, calm, tense, with a set jaw. When she draws near, she withdraws her hand from her pocket, revealing it to be likewise bandaged, several fingers splinted.

"Hello."

Isla lowers her bow and turns to the woman. "Hey. Ye need some help?" She takes a step back and walks toward her a few steps, and straightening up she says, "I'm Isla Ennes, rited Fiery Bellona. Born on these two legs, Adren Ahroun Fianna, daughter of Claws-of-Fire. Alpha of The Devil's Own, patrons of Weasel. And ye are?" She sounds very confident, and sure of what she says - and even understandable with her Scottish accent.

"No," Wazi answers the question with a slight shake of her head, "Not help." She tilts her head a bit, listening to the introduction and considering the other woman. Then she gives a slight nod and answers in a tone more tired than proud, "I am Waziyata Northstar. Puddle Jumper. Ahroun, Child of Gaia and Twister and touched by Wyld. Daughter of the Wind that Sleeps at Night and Wakes and also Sweet Trees Singing with Cold Water. Sister of Kaskapahtew, Osawaw, Nikamew and Twilight's Glimmer of the Silver Fangs."

She hesitates a moment, licking her lips, before she sighs faintly and squares her shoulders to add, "Fostern of the Sept of Enduring Spirit. I do not know you, but I am returned from Legendary Realm where I learned many things of your Tribe's ancestors. I am challenging you: see me as Adren."

Isla mmms, "Aye, the Legendary Realm. That could be an interesting trip. After the moon, the other planets, Pangaea, and of course the homeland. Well, Puddle Jumper, ye wish to be seen ad Adren. Tell me, why do ye think ye are ready fer that?" She is eyeing the woman up and down, checking out her wounds. "Dinnae I hear that ye were in that archery contest back last fall? Dinnae ye get to the end with it?"

Another low energy nod from Wazi at the questions, "Yes," she agrees, "Tied with Mercy Messenger, then lost with her." A pause there, before she smiles slightly and adds, "I was very young. I think she is your pack, now?"

Another pause, the smile fading to a more serious, slightly pained expression as she continues evenly, "I have killed many wyrm things: leeches, banes, legends of the past, Black Spiral Dancers, fomori. Have protected many kinfolk and Garou and humans, proven self in challenges, patrolled and guarded caerns, and helped make peace between puppies who were yapping, both now Adrens. I also have made many talens for healing, used them and gifts to tend wounds, taught others little things I did know, and learned rites and lore. Many-many Rites of Avocado. This is why I am ready."

Isla grins. Somehow she understands the Avocado even. "Aye, sounds like ye have been through a lot. I'd like to hear sometime about how ye went about making peace between puppies. Me three brothers, triplets, were a handful and I had to break 'em up too many fucking times, and get them to calm down before me father would get after 'em. Ye dinnae wanna see him mad." She answers, "Aye, Mercy's Messenger'rhya is my pack. The Goop Mistress is crazy fun, and we love her as a pack mate." She turns to check out the range a moment, and then grins. "Ye know, I know just want to do. Alright fer your challenge, which I gleefully accept, we are gonna see how ye fair with me. Since I couldnae participate in yer contest, we are gonna have our own."

Wazi tilts her head a little, eyeing Isla curiously as the woman speaks, still seeming more tired than anything else though she smiles slightly at the talk of the three brothers. She nods slightly, "I can tell it, maybe."

Then the explanation of the challenge comes and she shifts her gaze from the other woman to the targets. She considers them, then looks back and gives another slight nod, lifting her good hand to scratch at her nose. Her only question is a simple one: "What rules?"

Isla grins and replies. "Rules are we take turns shooting. First at the target there." She points to the standard target set up. She gestures over to a ledge of rocks to the right. "They we shoot the bottles. Trying to knock down 3 of them. Last over there." She points to a ribbon tied up in the tree. It helps with wind direction. "Aim to slice the ribbon. Let's see how ye keep up, and how ye handle this. Then we see if ye are worthy to be called an Adren."

Another slow nod from Wazi at Isla's words, before she offers a slight smile to the woman. She shifts her weight a little, closes her eyes briefly, and then licks her lips and straightens somewhat. A bit of the weariness and pain ease from her form before she reaches up to the air above her shoulder. A moment later, a longbow forms and she unshoulders it. Then she looks to Isla with a slight nod, taking hold of the bow in her bandaged, splinted hand.

She'll be at a clear disadvantage, but she isn't complaining. "I am ready, then."

Wazi stows her own bow when Isla fetches one, giving a slight nod to the other woman. Then she accepts the bow clumsily in her damaged hand. She shifts her weight a little, settling into a practiced stance and sighting clumsily along the arrow shaft. A moment later, she looses and strikes the bull's eye.

She repeats the action twice more, operating the bow clumsily with her weakened hand, sighting awkwardly with her single uncovered eye. Then, she steps aside to watch Isla's shots.

Isla swiftly brings up her bow, the arrow nocked, and fires, one, two, three. Each one just slightly more center than Wazi's, but all counting for the bull's eye. "Well, good. Ye got more to offer than I thought. I'm impressed. Let's move on to the next one." She points over to the bottles. It is further away, and thus harder to hit. "Let's see if ye can get any of those."

Wazi will see 6 bottles set up there. "Aim fer one and if ye knock it down, then ye can go fer the next one, and so on. 3 shots only."

Wazi takes up another arrow, sites awkwardly along it at the first bottle, and then looses. She wrinkles her nose as the arrow flies wide, before shaking her head slightly. She reaches for the next arrow, holding the bow awkwardly in her bandaged hand.

Again, a clumsy draw on the bowstring, Wazi lining up the shot. Then a grunt of surprise as the string snaps. She grimaces slightly, before shaking her head and glancing to Isla again.

Isla tsk tsks. "Ye started out so well. It's ok. Here." She pulls out a spare bow string, and takes the bow from her without asking and restrings it for her. "There, now try again." She still sounds confident, and perhaps a bit like she is talking down to her, like a child. This is probably all part of the plan here, but Wazi does not know her.

Rather than becoming immediately angry, Wazi sighs softly. Then she nods, taking a moment to clumsily, awkwardly restring the bow. She is grimly determined as she finishes the task, then fumbles the weapon up to take her next shot.

She hesitates a long moment, then looses the arrow. It flops out of the bow, its trajectory abruptly ruined by the bow itself cracking down an unnoticed weak point in the wood, the weapon ruined.

Wazi tenses, gritting her teeth, nostrils flaring when the bow breaks. After a moment, she exhales again and shakes her head to Isla, "Sorry for your bow. Wyld is pulling pranks, tonight."

Isla takes the bow pieces from her and retrieves another bow all ready to go for Wazi. "Aye, the Wyld is a bitch sometimes. One more try at this one, eh?" This bow seems all new, shiny, and ready to go.

Wazi nods slightly, accepting the new bow in her weak hand. She steps forward, retrieving the arrow that flopped to the ground, then resumes her previous position. She licks her lips, lines up the shot, looses, and finally the arrow flies true to explode the first bottle.

Isla lines up and takes her shots. Again, boom, boom, boom. The flaming red head explodes the bottles deftly, with glass shooting up in the air, leaving a mist of shards raining down.

"Great. Let's try fer the last one, the ribbon. I'll give ye 1 shot. If ye make it, ye pass. If ye dinnae? Well.. let's not find out, eh?" Isla tells her just rather matter of fatly. The wind is picking up and the ribbon is up above the bottles, making it tougher, especially as it is moving, like a flag, but smaller.

Wazi doesn't react to Isla's ominous words, eyeing her a moment before giving a slight nod in reply. She takes a moment to line up the shot, takes another breath, then exhales and looses the arrow. At first it looks as if it will fly true, but the arrow itself spins uncontrollably and falls to the ground a few feet ahead of the two Ahroun's, broken.

Rather than raging, Wazi snorts quietly. Then she shakes her head and offers the bow toward Isla, "Then I have failed."

Isla takes the bow back, and says, "And how does that feel. To fail. To have the Wyld ruin something fer ye?" She raises an eyebrow, a bit of a smirk on her face. "I've heard of ye, Puddle Jumper. I've heard ye had issues with controlling yer rage. We are Ahroun. Our Rage can fuel us in the fight, and set us off at the wrong times. With ye being touched by the Wyld, it is just that much harder."

A wrinkle of her nose at Isla's question, a faint grimace from Wazi, before she shakes her head. Her good hand lifts up to touch at the bandage on her eye, "I have many worse failures," she answers quietly, "This is only archery." She considers the woman another moment before adding with a slight shrug, "And, I think there is more here. If I am wrong or have lost, it only means I must try again."

Isla grins. "Good. That is just what I wanted to hear. Puddle Jumper, it is only archery. But I've seen other touched that would be in frenzy if half of what happened to ye had happened to them. Ye think ye are ready fer Adren? I dinnae think ye are ready fer Adren. I think ye /are/ Adren. Ye kept going despite injury. Ye still came to me. Ye dinnae frenzied at the disappointment and saw the bigger picture. To me, that means ye are there." She stands up tall herself and proclaims. "I, Fiery Bellona, Adren Ahroun of the Fianna, Alpha of The Devil's Own, patron of Weasel herself, proclaim ye, Puddle Jumper, Ahroun of the Children of Gaia, to be the rank of Adren. Now, go teach those puppies what it means to be that, aye?"

A quiet snort is Wazi's first reaction to Isla's words, before she tilts her head a bit to one side, eyeing her thoughtfully. Rather than the immediate celebration that might be expected, she seems almost hesitant, though she gives a slow nod, "Thank you.. But, I am confused. Is that so much rare?"

Isla lifts a hand and waves it to the side. "Eeh, it depends. In my experience, most that were touched by the Wyld either went insane or perished in battle. Mostly in battle from frenzy against their own brothers. To make it as far as ye have? That was rare, but it did happen. Ye have made it this far, and I am glad to see that ye have."

She grimaces again at that response, before nodding another time to Isla. She considers the woman another moment, then merely nods another time. "I do not know what to say," she admits after a few moments.

Another quiet snort is given then, before she licks her lips and adds, "But I believe you." Another pause and then, a furrowed brow, "I am not sure Eye of the Storm will agree with this. If he does, I will know that I am silly and being like Lights the Darkness and thinking too much. Thank you, Fiery Bellona."

Isla bows her head. "I've spoken to Eye of the Storm'rhya before. Ye are thinking too much. I hear ye still have another place to be and amends to make. If we perform that with the heart I imagine ye have, then ye will reach that goal as well." She ends with, "May Gaia bless ye, Puddle Jumper."

Another blink to that answer before Wazi tilts her head again, brow furrowing. She considers Isla a long moment, before giving a quiet snort and then shaking her head in response, "I did not think that," she admits. A pause at the next bit about her amends, the grimace returning, before she nods quietly.

"Thank you. I hope you are right." She starts to turn away, only to pause and look back suddenly, offering, "I will trade stories of Legendary Realm, if you tell me stories of Planetary Realms." She smiles slightly.

Isla grins. "I would love to. Our last adventure involved a Penguins, the US Government, a giant snapping turtle, and Eshterra. Next trip is to the moon."