"You have a brother? Is he garou too?"

Big Red Barn(#3420RA)
The barn is built in the old style, a vast three level structure that is greater in height than a mere three stories, actually closer to five. Great wooden posts support the weight of the upper levels and roof, sunk into the hard-packed dirt floor of the first level like a sparse forest of regularly spaced, naked trees. The stalls and flagstones which once were here have been torn out to leave a rather open area where even crinos Garou may roam freely without fear of running into anything but the supports or the walls or the ladder at the back which allows access to the other two levels.
The first two levels are relatively open to each other, the second being only little wider than a catwalk going around all the walls but the front one, which has massive, twenty foot tall doors set into it. The third level is a true second floor except for a place cut out that allowed hay to be tossed down to the ground floor when the farm was actually worked. Now, it is a hayloft where Garou can sleep outside of the house.

From outside the barn comes a piercing, tuneless whistling and then the door is pushed open, and the whistler strides inside in a jaunty, relaxed manner. He pauses, and his whistling stops, when he sees an unfamiliar face inside.

She is maybe a fraction of an inch or so over five feet tall without footwear. She's naturally slender and almost unusually petite; with no real breasts to speak of, and with the slightest of slim curves that mark her body as female. Her skin is dark brown-the color of brown sugar, not a true dark brown but a light warm brown. Her hair is brown-black and is neither truly straight nor is it curly. Her eyes are brown, nearly black, they are slightly more round than almond shaped. Her eyebrows are thin, and slender.

A pair of slight rounded, and yet squared pair of classes sits over her eyes. A white tee-shirt adorns her torso;the design is a crown of stars, in silver and gold with a little bit of glitter on it. Her low cut hip-hugging jeans are somewhat faded and look slightly worn. The belt is a simple silver chain that loops around and has some extra chain hanging down to create a bit of decoration. The jeans flare out at the bottom, revealing some rather broken in tennis shoes.

Kristin sits on the straw starring at the ceiling above her, she's definately day dreaming-her eyes are distant and her body is still, well mostly minus her right foot which is bouncing to the left and right.

Kevin moves across to the distracted-seeming girl. "Well, good afternoon," he says politely but with a hint of firmness. "I don't believe I've met you here before."

Kristin bolts up right. "Huh?" she asks softly. She blinks slowly. "Ahhh, yeah..." she says focusing on the new face. "I err...long story." she says moving so she was more comfortable. "I'm Kristin."

Kevin nods almost imperceptibly at the introduction. "Kevin's my name," he responds. "Is there anything else I should... know about you?"

There's a 'pop', then a hiss as someone cracks a can of cola outside. Then, that someone wanders towards the barn. Veronica steps into the doorway, sipping from a can of Coke. She's also humming.

Kristin blinks. She takes a moment to register the statement. "Uhh... umm... uh..." she bites her lip, trying to figure out how best to state things. "Know about me?" she prompts for a little more information, leaning closer.

"Mostly, people are in this barn for a very good reason," Kevin begins before the sound of a third person approaching distracts him, and he frowns as he finds himself positioned between two young girls neither of whom is familiar to him. He sticks his hands in his pockets and looks back and forth between them.

Veronica stops in the entryway, and the humming stops. "Waqaa," she murmurs, a little uncertainly. The can is fidgeted with, then the girl takes another sip. She starts to smile hesitantly. "Hi?" she directs to both of the others, a little louder and clearer.

Kristin smiles. "Hi!" she says, warmly to the other girl. She taps her hand in the straw trying to get the words out. "Oh...I'm here cause I'm Garou... I guess..." she shrugs.

Kevin relaxes, as though Kristin has just said the magic word. "Yeah, I figured you probably were," he says. "And I hope to goodness you are too," he adds, addressing Veronica now. "In full, I am Kevin Lockwood, known as Power-in-the-Darkness, ragabash cliath of the Glass Walkers."

"I am Ingtaq Cetaaq, Fledgling, Wendigo Galliard cub," Veronica says, watching the Glass Walker a little warily now. "My human name is Veronica Goodthunder," she adds. Her eyes flick to the other girl, and she has another sip of her drink. "Who's claimed you?" she asks, edging a few steps away from Kevin.

Kristin covers taps her knee as she comes up with a reply. "Er.. Kristin Hunt, Theurge, cum... ummm Child of Gaia..." she says hesistantly looking everywhere but at Kevin. "I guess I should call you Kevin-rhya." she licks her lips and the looks at Veronica smiling. "Claimed?" she asks questically.

"You should," Kevin says with the air of one making a reluctant concession, "but if you don't I won't bawl you out for it. My tribe, and my auspice, are not noted for being sticklers for protocol. A pleasure to meet you both, Kristin, Veronica," he goes on, dividing a polite smile between the two of them.

Veronica's concerned expression breaks into another sunny smile at the words 'Child of Gaia. "Your elder is Walks-the-Middle-Road," she says, reaching behind her head to tug on her braid. "I know her. I talk to her, when she comes to our home." The smile falters a bit over Kevin, then becomes a mirror of his own expression. "Waqaa," she says politely to the Glass Walker.

Kristin nods. She blinks as the strange word comes from Veronica. She raises an eyebrow but does ask. "It's nice to meet you both." she adds quickly. "She comes to your home?" she asks Veronica.

Kevin eyes Veronica as though he doesn't feel entirely comfortable with her, or with something about her. "Have you been here long?" he says, though as he doesn't look at either cub it's unclear whether he's addressing either in particular, or if so, which.

Veronica nods to Kristin, taking a step into the barn but away from Kevin. "She visits. Her packmates are my elders." She looks at Kevin again, then back to Kristin. "My tribe and Older Brother's, live away from here. Up in the mountains," she explains. "I have been living there for months now." The smile goes a little softer.

Kristin says "A day or two... I've kinda lost track of time.. really..." she sighs. "Nothing to do... I wish I could go home... but I guess they know.. I'm ok. Stacy-rhya made it seem as if they'd know..." she nods to Veronica "Oh. So does this mean you're just visiting?"

"If any tribe can be relied on to care for those left behind," Kevin says, "it's the Children of Gaia. Yes," he goes on, "I understand that the Glass Walkers and Wendigo's paths seldom cross. You have a brother? Is he garou too?"

Veronica's jaw juts a bit. "No. I have two brothers. They're still in Yakima," she says, before frowning a bit. "Older Brother is Uktena. Circle Keeper-rhya and Cricket-rhya's tribe," she says carefully, as though she's not sure she should be revealing the information. "They might let you see your family again after your Rite," she adds, suddenly brightening. "Jacinta-rhya said I might get to see my brothers and my mother again after mine."

Kristin listens, though it's obvious she's not understanding too much. "Left behind?" she asks nervously. "You mean... being a Garou... leaves my family out of it?" she plays with her fingers.

Kevin's hands push a little further into his pockets. "I wouldn't get your hopes up too far," he grunts to Kristin. "I've not seen my mother since the end of 2004."

"Families are important. We need them. It's a stupid qussaq idea that we never see our kin again," Veronica opines. "Kin come to some of our celebrations. It's stupid to be scared of your own family." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Walks-Middle-rhya is probably very different from your elders," she informs Kevin proudly.

Kristin smiles. "I think she is. She's pretty... understanding. But how did someone like her, become an Elder? I'm older than her I think... at least I think..." she pauses, and starts counting quietly. "Yes... I think I am."

"Yeah," is all Kevin says to Veronica's opinion. He still looks pretty discontent. "Stacey changed early. Ahroun often do. She's done and seen a lot that you haven't. Probably killed plenty of times," he adds nonchalantly to Kristin, as lightly as though he were informing her that Stacey rode the bus into town a few times.

Veronica's smile gets a little wider. "Stacey-rhya has fought terrible Horned Serpent things. She is an honorable Guardian, and protects Grandmother's Heart with every breath and heartbeat. She is young, but she is a strong warrior, and she walks with strong warriors. Elder doesn't mean age. It means glory and honor and wisdom, more than any other in the tribe." She shuffles her feet and bounces up on her toes a few times as she tells the (abbreviated) Tale of the Great Stacey.

Kristin blinks. "Killed?" she asks quietly, sounding vaguely stunned by this pronouncement "So does changing stop you from growing or something?" she gets to her feet. The theurge cub begins removing straw peices from the her pants. "I know, I never thought being an Elder had anything to do with age. But the idea is hard to get used to. That's all." She stretches upwards.

"There's a lot of things you'll need to get used to that aren't easy to wrap your head around," Kevin tells Kristin with a kind of gloomy satisfaction. "But you have to do it anyway. I'd tell you a few, but I need to get moving. Got to get back into the city, which," he notes, "is where my tribe belongs. I'm sure I'll see you both again."

"You can ask me questions," Veronica offers, walking over to the heavy bag and looking it up and down. "I'm just a cub, but I am a Galliard. I'm supposed to talk and tell stories." She nudges the bag with her shoulder, turning to watch Kevin again. "Goodbye."

Kristin nods. "Ok." she says, slowly. She wrinkles her nose. Then flops back onto the straw. "Ahhh...Veronica, was it?" she asks the other girl. "What's it like... I mean living up in the mountains?" she smiles at Kevin. "Bye." she says quietly.

Kevin wiggles his fingers in a muted gesture of farewell, and slips out of the barn.