Tapestries: Pablo - Wednesday, November 15, 2006, 12:15 PM

"So," the baritone voice in the cub house living room begins, in mid-sentence when you approach the room, "given the fact that my house is in ruins, I was hoping that you might have a bed here that Kat could sleep in for a little while. I don't find that so-called 'hotel' in Eagle at all of a quality in which one would have a lady sleep."

Tony was drawn to the strange voice from quite a distance away. He was out at the edge of the clearing around the cub house, sniffing about in lupus as he tried to track a rabbit. He knows he can't eat it, but he still wanted to attempt to hunt something down anyway. Keen ears perked at the new voice, one he hadn't heard before, and within seconds he was in the kitchen, on two feet, and then peeking curiously into the living room.

Kelly takes a deep breath before she responds, running her hand through her dishwater blond hair. "Rowan, I don't know," she murmurs, "Kinfolk staying on the bawn? What will the Guardians say?" There are just the three of them in the living room: Kelly, a quiet and downcast Katrikki, and the handsome, maybe even dashing man with the long, graying black hair called Rowan Call-of-Falcon, an elder of the sept, who've you've seen around at the sept, but never really talked to.

Tony steps into the living room quietly, listening to Kelly's question. "What's wrong with Kinfolk on the bawn?" he asks suddenly, then blinks and flushes a little in his high cheek bones as if he never meant to ask it aloud.


Katrikki flashes you a smile, even as you interrupt, but you get just a quick look from Rowan before he answers your question. His tone is a bit haughty, "It depends on the sept," he says, "some feel it is a security risk, or just dangerous for the kin. But Kat here was raised among Silver Fangs. She knows what she's doing." He turns to look at Kelly then, "I already cleared it with Grim-Scowl." Kelly scoffs, "You /asked/ Grim-Scowl, or did you just tell him what you are going to do." Rowan replies, "It does not matter. The fact is, it will be all right."

Tony keeps his mouth shut this time, just leaning back against a wall with his hands closed together over the small of his back. He smiles back at Katrikki, glad to see that she's up and around and apparently healthy. The cub hadn't seen her in the few days since he and Hope pulled her from the fire and heard little news. In fact, he still has no idea how the fire started. This news, though, that Kat will be staying in the cub house... well, if he had his tail on, it'd be wagging.

Kelly frowns, then sighs, "All right, Rowan. It's good to see you never change, I suppose." This makes Rowan get a bit of a smirk on his face, then a shake of his head. "You either, Kelly." He stands, then, and looks to Katrikki: "Follow her, she will put you in a room." Katrikki stands then, as well, curtseying, and once Kelly stands, follows the Gaian up the stairs, carrying a small bag with her. After they have gone, Rowan turns to you. Looking straight at you, it's hard not to be impressed by him. It's not just the rank, not just the position, not just his good looks, it's like... well, there's something mystically important about the man, an aura around him that you can't see, just /know/. Which makes his words a bit less expected. "Thank you, Anthony." A pause, "It is Anthony, right?"

Tony watches the women walk upstairs with another welcoming smile for the new guest, then turns his attention to Rowan. He doesn't know what to say, but luckily the older man fills in the silence for him. "Ah, yes, it's Anthony, or Tony," he agrees with a lopsided, self-conscious smile. Then he recalls the etiquette; "Tony Meyers, Truth-Seeker, philodox cub of the Uktena," he says. "But thanks for what?" he asks in honest confusion. He just met the guy, really.
Rowan smiles in response, a slow, knowing smile. "And I am Rowan de Bettencourt, ~Call-of-Falcon~, athro Galliard of the Silver Fangs. I have seen you, at the moot, and elsewhere. And Cursor told me about the fire at my house. And how you and your friends saved my kin's life. So, I am saying thank you."

Tony looks surprised, then flushes warmly once again. "Well, you know, it was no problem. And it was mostly Hope, I just carried Kat outside," he says, feeling rather sheepish suddenly. Then: "I'm really sorry about your house. Like... really sorry. I didn't even get to see it before the fire."

He nods in response. "It is... just a house. And while many things my family has had for centuries have been lost, no lives were. So, that is good. What worries me more is ... why it happened." He shakes his head.

Tony nods in agreement. No lives lost is always good. The sound of Rowan's voice makes him feel nervous, though. Whenever people in charge sound shaken, it's never good. "Why did it happen?" he asks quietly.

Rowan looks at you again, raising his deep blue eyes to look down at you. "I do not know. But it was most certainly not an accident." Again he shakes his head, "I do not mean to trouble you, cub." He smiles a little bit, "Though it is not something with which you should be concerned. I am merely voicing my thoughts aloud."

Tony makes a bit of a face. "If someone is setting fire to your house, I would imagine it'd concern all of us," he says, lowering his eyes. "I can't imagine a house full of werewolves would be easy to break into."

Rowan chuckles sharply. "No, not normally. But, our pack was away at the time. It was just Kat at the house at the time. But it is unusual for our enemies to come so close to a fortified caern, and not come in force. So, I will allow the human police to do their investigation. It may very well be that it was someone who does not ... care for my family."

Tony shakes his head slowly. "Harsh," he sighs. "Are you going to be staying here, too?" he asks. It's strange, other than Cursor, Rowan is the first man he's talked to at length in this family of werewolves. It's otherwise been women and people his own age.

He gives another deep baritone laugh, as if the very idea you've suggested is foreign to him. "No, no. It would hardly do to kick you cubs out of the house. Or the Questing Pack for that matter. No, we'll be splitting time with Wanda and her husband's house and my loft in the city. If we're needed, you can find one of us at her house, or Falcon's shrine." Apparently, he thinks this is why you're asking, in case someone needs him. He pauses, then asks: "You have been shown where all the local kin live, haven't you?"

Tony wasn't asking for that reason, but the answer is just as good. He gives another shake of his head. "No, not really. I mean, the places on the Bawn, yes, but nothing off bawn. Er, except for your place," he adds with a frown.

Rowan hmms and grunts, "I'll talk to Kelly about that, then. Part of your education should be learning about the caern and our defenses. After all, your top priority needs to be the protection of the caern, at all costs. That you do know, right?" He gazes at you again, his head tilting down slightly. It's very hard not to look away, to instinctively avoid that very dominant, commanding gaze of his.

Tony does his best to meet the gaze as he answers, "Yes, that I know," with as much firmness as he can put in his voice. "Protect our home." Eventually he lets his eyes slip to the side, towards the window that shows the darkened forest. "I would like to know where everyone lives. It would be useful."

Rowan nods, approvingly. "Good. Good. You are a bright cub, just like I've heard. It is refreshing; so many are dense, or stupid." He puts his hand on your shoulder. "You listen to Kelly. She can be a bit ... soft ... at times, but her heart is in the right place. And if you need anything, come to me. I am quite willing to help however I can. And it would probably be best that you not be seen as picking sides between the Get and the Wendigo. For the good of the caern, of course."

Tony is relieved by Rowan's kind words. He hadn't realized just how nervous he was becoming under that stern gaze. Would he ever have eyes like that some day? Full of wisdom and power? He can't imagine it. Knowledge, maybe, but not like those. "Thank you," he says, putting his hand briefly on the elder's outstretched forearm. He seems surprised by the last bit of advice, but merely nods his head in silent concent.

Rowan smiles, withdrawing as he says, "You are very welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with an arson investigator that I shan't want to miss." He tips his head, "Be well, and may the wisdom of Falcon guide you." With that, he turns and sweeps out of the house.