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"I personally met him up in the mountain regions with Yami, I have no information about the town." Thunderclaw sniffed. "My contact, on the other hand, cannot be detected by any but one werewolf. his powers are too strong. He could mask his presence from the world for years and not grow tired. That is his power. The town is the only place that would be possible to contact him."

For a moment, Yami could have sworn that Anticlaire's lower lip was trembling when he had finished his narrative.

But the moment was passed and the Benandanti alpha's stoic composure was back, if indeed it had ever been lost.

"Sister?" It was Juliard's voice now. "This village they speak of... you don't suppose..."

"Yes," Anticlaire said. "I fear it is. Elder Tartarus had feared as much when he sent us to search: Woody End has returned."

A chorus of growls and snarls escaped the throats of most of the pack, and even Nietzsche stopped his giggling for a moment.

"You must understand," the alpha said, turning to Yami and Thunderclaw, "that we of Sabbatis Den have long watched for and dreaded the return of that blighted place. If it is true that Woody End has been vomited forth from whatever hell realm devoured it, then Erhard is in terrible danger... as are we all."

"Sister," Juliard said, "Thunderclaw tells me that his contact is wise in the lore of the higher planes and that to contact him we must enter Woody End once again. It may entail too much risk to enter the town without the rest of the den if not the entire cohort. What should we do?"

Anticlaire thought for a moment, her hand rubbing her chin. "There is no time, and there is also no choice. The Malandanti may already be spreading. If allowed, they will convert or corrupt every human for hundreds of miles. Such a dimensional incursion is intolerable, and we cannot spare the time to summon more of our kin.

"Yami, Thunderclaw," she said with a solemn voice, "you must know this: we cannot allow Woody End's devils to exist. Therefore, we will fight. We go to what may the death of us all. If you wish, you may leave and be happy in your own chosen existences. Or you may stand with us against a foe that threatens not just the Benandanti, but the whole of reality.

"We do not plead or beg. We have always known that this war is our burden. Neither of you are governed by our destiny or our oaths. The choice is yours. What say you?"

Thunderclaw chuckled. "I don't think going away and having a quieter life will do anything. If you lost, we would be dragged in anyway, and every piece of help you have will increase your chances. And, if the threat is that big from Woody End, then I think my contact will already be on his way."

Yami smirked "I can hold off on finding my pack. This sounds like a nice piece of action and I've been bored for a very long time. Let's kill these bitches." (reference!!!! Dane Cook reference!!!)

Yami smirked "I can hold off on finding my pack. This sounds like a nice piece of action and I've been bored for a very long time. Let's kill these bitches." (reference!!!! Dane Cook reference!!!)

Thunderclaw shrugged. "For once, Yami and I might have actually agreed on something."

"So be it," Anticlaire said. Then she gestured to some of the outriders. "Paulus, Tintooth, take point. Altair, Hopkins, escort the Untamed and provide support. Juliard, take two of the wildlings and watch our flanks; the experience will be good for them. The rest of you, with me. Protect our guests but don't hem them in. They are wolfkin and must be free to act as they please."

The Benandanti chuffed out their acknowledgment and began to form up. "Good soldiers," Anticlair said, seemingly to herself. "You trained them well, my love."

Then, in a loud voice of confident command, "We go to war my friends! May the glyphs and the wisdom of the elders protect us."

As she spoke, Anticlaire began to shift in form. In seconds, where once a rather dowdy thirty-something woman stood, there now loomed a magnificent creature, easily over eight feet tall and rippling with muscle, graced with natural weapons of diamond-hardness. The werewolf's tail was held high in the commanding stance that only an alpha could aspire to.

When Anticlair spoke again, it was a rumble, distant thunder bespeaking the coming storm. She gazed at Yami and Thunderclaw with a grin that showed murderously sharp teeth. "Let us hunt."

Thunderclaw started moving, then stopped. He looked up. "he's here. My contact--he has arrived."

Yamis' ears perked up he heard a small rustle. He growled softly but not threateningly

The sudden appearance of Thunderclaw's contact shocked him slightly, but not as much as the others. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Blackout, the Shadow lord." The darkness from the night sky seemed to fcuse on an area in front of all the werewolves, and slowly, a humanoid figure solidified and emerged. "Greetings, I am Blackout, lord of the shadows. I sensed an abnormal presence in this area, and as I approached, I felt Thunderclaws presence also, and came here. Now, can someone tell me the details?"

Yami felt a chill up his back from the shadow lord shuddering. As a white wolf he couldn't hide in the shadows and was often wary of them and what they were hiding. But he sensed no immediate danger.

"Erhards' friends could tell you more than I" He stated softly

Many of the Benandanti crouched low to the ground, muted growls issuing from their throats. Juliard unsheathed unusually long, sharp claws and bared her teeth.

Nietzche began making yipping sounds like a hyena and shifted from his human form into a stocky creature with almost unnaturally pointed ears and eyes that glowed with an eldritch blue fire while his toothy maw dripped with saliva.

Only Anticlaire stood seemingly unmoved. Her huge frame nonetheless seemed taut with a constrained fury that seemed not so much an emotion as some sort of compulsory directive, a cellular constraint that reacted to the presence of the newcomer as an alkali with water.

"We are not used to being taken unawares, self-styled Lord of Shadows. Because you come at the behest of our comrade Thunderclaw, we will hear your words and entertain your presence for now. But know this: my kind is anathema to those who refuse to shun the outer spheres. I sense you are no Malandanti, but take care how you treat with us, lest you incur our wrath!

"We travel to Woody End, a town that has been swallowed by The Darkness. A brother of ours, one Erhard, sacrificed himself to allow Yami and Thunderclaw to bring news of the town's accursed resurgence. We go to spill our blood and cleanse the unholy place from the face of the world. Will you aid us or thwart us?"

Blackout cursed when he heard the name Woody End. "This is worse then I foresaw. It will take more than the benandanti to deal with Woody End. However, if we can get a plan, we might just manage to overcome the problem."
Thunderclaw looked at Blackout. "are you going to call a council of shadows?"
"Yes. But that will take time. We need a plan that will allow me to call a council of shadows, snd keep as many as we can alive at the same time."

Yami stayed back listening to the group "An all out war is about to break out isn't it?
"

Blackout and Thunderclaw both responded at the same time. "Most probably."

Anticlaire shook herself and let out a short breath. "Very well. Juliard, Paulus, Tintooth, Altair, Hopkins: you have your orders. Carry them out. Do not engage unless attacked or if you see evidence of Malandanti infiltrators beyond the city limits."

"What about you?" Juliard said. "It's not like you to hang back."

"I will be with you soon. Trust me, sister."

Juliard only paused a moment and then was off again, the subordinates forming up around her.

After the advance party had gone, Anticlaire strode to within an arm's length of Blackout. "I dislike breaking up the pack, sorcerer, and my patience is limited. I will hear your words, but I cannot linger. I have hunted my enemies for six hundred years of men and I have never known them to stay in one place for long; the longer we linger here the further these abominations will spread."

Blackout looked at Anticlaire.
"For starters, I'm not a sorceror, I am a creature made of shadow, and I am the leader. The council of shadow will mobilize the rest of my kind to infiltrate the town and attack them using their own shadows as hideouts. The council of shadow will tak a bit of time, so you need to try not to die, or this plan won't succeed."

"That sounded reassuring"

Yami pushed up of the ground climbing up quickly into a tree looking around "Will we manage more strongly on the full moon? It's in a week."

Anticlaire gazed at the waxing and gibbous face of Luna and a rumble of passion crept from her prodigious throat. Seemingly in sympathy with their leader, the remaining members of the Benandanti pack either whined or let out small yips as if eager to begin the hunt.

"She is beautiful," she said, "but also dangerous. I know not what powers it gives to your kind, my friends, but it is the herald of danger to us. Our kind undergo the First Change at the full moon, and though we glory in such newfound freedom, we also are then enslaved by the hatred of our enemies: for the Malandanti hunt such newborns without mercy. The White Face also reveals movement and exposes our plans.

"It is most unfortunate that we are so close to this time as the Evil Walkers begin their scheme. How and when will this counsel of yours take place, and how soon can aid reach the town? The Malandanti will be eager to hunt and we must deny them the commodity of time at all costs."

Blackout spoke first. "The meeting is held at the place it is called, and normally takes weeks..." Thunderclaw at this point interrupted. "But with news of Woody End, it will probably take no more time than three days."

"Then we'll use that to our advantage. If you can leave now while we head back, that will be one day. We should be able to hold them off for the rest of the time you need."

One of the Benandanti, a brown-white individual who had just shifted to upright stance, bared his teeth. "Three days! Bureaucratic drivel! Why not three years?"

Anticlaire moved far more quickly than her tremendous bulk might have indicated. In a flash, she was on the errant werewolf, one hand clamped around his head, the other brandishing claws that looked capable of shredding steel plate. With a tremendous exertion, she forced the subordinate onto his knees. "Mind your place, Aquarius! This is the second time you have dishonored the pack. Beg forgiveness of our guests or be marked with the Goading Glyph!"

Aquarius wilted visibly and his eyes were filled with fear. "I apologize," he said. "My behavior was unwarranted and brought discord."

"And?" Anticlair growled.

Aquarius' voice was a stammer as he began to chant. "The horrible truth is ours. Those who are ignorant will be consumed."

Anticlaire released the younger werewolf and backed away. "You are omega now. It is as if you are a wildling in my eyes. Faust!"

Another Benandanti, this one in pure wolf form, padded forward. "Faust, you are charged with this whelp. Teach him anew and ensure he brings only honor to the pack henceforth."

Faust chuffed his agreement while Aquarius dutifully tucked his tail between his legs and cast his gaze downward, backing away to crouch behind his new mentor.

At last, Anticlair turned back to Yami, Thunderclaw, and Blackout. "Forgive the interruption," she said. "Though he spoke uncautiously and insulted you, I bid you consider this sentiment which he voiced out of turn: in short, we cannot wait. We must travel ahead and, at the very least, delay the Malandanti incursion that is sure to come. Call your counsel if you will; I will leave two representatives of my pack here with you to aid you in communicating my intentions. But I must leave."

Blackout turned to Thunderclaw. "I can accept their representatives in the discussion, but I would like you to go with them."
Thunderclaw nodded, but it was obvious he was reluctant. "shame Surge isn't here. He'd sort things." Thunderclaw murmured.
Blackout grabbed Thunderclaw lightly by the shoulder. "We can't always rely on Surge. Besides, it's been sixteen years since he was last seen.

"I'm not sure of how much use I'll be but I will do my best to aid you" Yami said to the group. He looked up at the sky longingly wanting his pack to be near knowing that the more they had the better.

"Do not underestimate yourself, Yami," Anticlaire said. "I sense a great heart in you, one that will not be denied. Erhard called you friend, and that is sufficient.

"But who among my kind shall I suffer to remain here with you?"

And here a slight twinkle came into her eye. "Aquarius," she said with just the tiniest hint of mirth in her voice, "I leave you to represent my interests and that of Clan Westwind. Faust will be your advisor, won't you old one?"

Faust only shook his mane and wuffed noncommitally. But Aquarius visibly gulped and even trembled a little, while his alpha grinned from ear to ear.

"He is young even by human standards," Anticlaire said, "but I trust him. So should you. He may be Omega to me, but I expect you to accord him the respect due a full comrade. He is also Banshee as Erhard was; his songs may be heard from afar, so if you feel the need to send me an urgent message, tell him what you will and I will hear him."

<<And now, farewell,>> she said, switching to the True Speech as she shifted into her lupus, full wolf, form. <<It may be that we shall not meet again, and it may be that we shall. The glyphs will show. In the meantime, I call you friends. Long life to you and death to the enemies of your souls!>>

She and her pack were gone into the woods in an instant. Only Aquarius and his mentor remained. The young Benandanti, still shivering slightly and fidgeting with his clawed hands, lifted his fur-covered countenance and managed to stammer out, "I...I am here to serve you, my lords. What would have me do?"

Yami, Blackout, and Thunderclaw had to hide their amusement. The young Benandanti looked almost as if he feared they might take him over their knees and spank him!