A visitor comes to Falling Waters

The Bawn spirits give an alert that someone is coming, and soon a Howl of Greeting rings through the Umbra. "I am Emma Neptune, known as Green Mountain Woman, Elder Galliard of the Uktena Tribe. I seek entrance to your Caern that I might greet your Totem and seek my kin."

Shimmering shapes, the camouflaged forms of the Guardian Pack surround the guest and escort her inside without a word of challenge.

If she agrees to follow them, they guide her down the gorge and through the secret paths into the Caern.

It does not seem she is expected, kinfolk mill about on their appointed tasks, and the Guardians, their mission discharged, depart back to the Bawn.

She is in the Main Hall, a great long stone pathway leading towards the stairs Hall of Assembly.  Doors and halls branch off to the various places of the Caern.

Green Mountain Woman stands quietly, leaning on her cane waiting to be greeted.

After a few moments, the sound of heavy shuffling footsteps and some sort of metallic squeaking can be heard approaching the Main Hall.

It takes a bit, but eventually a grey and black Chrinos Garou emerges from one of the side passages leading to the Caern Elders' Offices. He is dragging a respirator behind him, with a tube running to his nose which has been modified to fit his muzzle. His shoulders are hunched, and he is clearly having a great deal of difficulty breathing.

He stops for a moment, hesitating when he sees Green Mountain Woman, but then continues his slow approach. He stops a few steps from her and nods respectfully.

"...welcome, Grandmother..." he rasps, his voice short of breath and annoyingly high and squeaky, "...to the... Caern of... Falling Waters..."

It appears that this speech has taken a great deal out of him, and he leans heavily against a nearby wall as he awaits the Elder's response.

Green Mountain Woman seems shocked by Adam's appearance. "Adam, I knew you were injured ..." She goes to her great grandson and carefully embraces him."Now, child you should be resting." She steps back. "Where are the healers? Where are the Theurges?" Her voice is strong like one unused to disobedience.

Adam remains very still while the Elder hugs him, and if the embrace hurts him it isn't readily apparent. He wheezes a sigh.

"...grandmother... I'm not... certain that... there is anything... that the... healers can do..." now that he has said more, the Voice of the Jackal is noticeable in his labored speech. "...I have... been healed... by our Sept's... Theurges, and found... that it has... no effect on... my lungs..."

He pauses to collect what little breath he can gather.

"...I believe... both lungs to... be punctured... rest helps... very little... I have... been unable... to find a... way to heal... myself. I've... actually been... preparing to... join you... in the Rite... of the... Winter Wolf... Have you... come to... prepare me?"

"Easy, Adam." A rusty voice echoes behind him. Mitch comes out from one of the halls. "Hi, Elder." He makes a deep bow. "Wish I could answer you on that one, though I think a quest had been discussed as an option." To Adam, "I thought we ALL agreed that you'd take it easy?"

Adam offers a half shrug.

"...this is... taking it... easy..."

"This..." says the young and brash Artemis Kokkinos, appearing from slightly behind Mitch, "is what happens when people start thinking that a person's life is less important than being right. I don't like tattling, so you should find Syntos Bro'uki and ask him exactly what happened in the lawful challenge as decreed by the Philodox council and the Alpha. I think that should about cover everything."

She goes on her merry way, but does offer a small bow to Green Mountain Woman with a formal, "Welcome to Falling Waters, Elder. I shall let the Beta know that you've arrived."

Green Mountain Woman looks a little nonplussed by the casual way she has been spoken to, but says nothing and shooes Adam back to bed. Once he is resting, she asks Mitch to show her to Syntos.

Adam, having no bed in the Caern, goes back to his office and takes a seat at his desk, struggling to type on his computer keyboard with Chrinos claws. He leaves the door open so Green Mountain Woman can return when she wishes to speak to him.

"This way, Ma'am. We could go directly to the Challenge Mound, but that might not be the best way to get his attention." He leads her to the offices that Syntos normally uses and knocks. "Syntos-ryha? You have a visitor, sir."

"I will see Syntos later. I must attend to my great grandson." Adam, sitting in the office is disrupted by a loud voice, the sounds of moving furniture as Green Mountain Woman bullies the Sept into moving a twin bed frame, mattress and bedding into Adam's office. Within an hour, she has a bed set up. She looks at Adam. "In." Her tone brooks no argument.

Two of the Metis pups carry in an old metal bedframe and set it up quickly and silently. They return a few minutes later with a feather mattress and with practiced ease make the bed and depart.

Mitch clears his throat. "Is there anything further I can do, Elder? If not, I'll let you and Adam have some time."

Adam raises an eyebrow. He looks down at his Chrinos form and then back at the twin mattress.

"...Elder, I... cannot shift... as a result... of chimenage... I can't fit... In that tiny... bed..."

After some time, Syntos would find himself returning to the Caern, his office having been locked as he had taken a leave of absense to handle personal matters. Entering the Caern, he would make his way towards his office, arms turned behind his back, unaware of the proceedings. He would come, unlocking his office and come to unlock a cabinent whee he held some of his finer Russian vodka. Taking the bottle under arm, he would move to head to visit with his tribes ancestors.

(Yes, he would need to pass down through the main hall to do this, Syntos will pass Adam King's room.)

"Syntos-rhya?" Mitch steps out from Adam's office. "We've got a visitor. Elder Green Mountain Woman has come to the Caern."

Artie, seemingly prescient, will skip by and drop off a king-sized (ha!) air mattress in it's little backpack at the door. Then she'll look from Syntos, to Adam, to Green Mountain Woman, smile brightly, and skip off again.

Adam seems to find Artie's delivery immensely amusing. He chuckles, which seems to take what little breath he has, he grows light-headed and sits back in his chair.

After a few moments of collecting his breath, he adds, "fantastic... A bed that... I can't fit in... and an... Air mattress... that I can't... blow up..."

"Dude. Seriously. I'd ask where your pack is, but you need the help." Mitch takes a few minutes and inflates the mattress.

Adam looks sad.

"My pack... is busy... dealing with all... of our commitments... which I can't... assist with... because I can't... leave the Caern..."

(Guys! The thing has a frickin' pump built in. I've got a Trust Fund, and while she's often crazy, Artie has only been cruel to one person.)