Welcome to Gaia! ::

The sun was sinking below the horizon, casting a purple light over the land. Everywhere the shades of purple were deepening as the shadows lengthened. The air was cooling rapidly as Karloff paused on his path to look out over the land.

His eyes glowed blood red as he scanned the land which he watched over. The Watch had grown in the past year and a half. The basis on which it was founded had been expanded. At first the goal had been a thin line to guard against the horrors that terrorized the Kawanii lands, but now it had expanded to a group that on occassions went to protect a herd or village and on rare occasions even to hunt those who preyed on the weak.

For most of this time, they had been focused on Walkers as the main threat.against soquili. The-

A sudden movement arrested his eye. For a moment, he felt a smile creep across his face when he saw Ailenore in the air. Even from here he could hear the dainty sound of her bells as they tinkled when she landed. He had not realized how much he had missed his friend when she had went off on her quest.

His lips pulled back over his teeth when he saw the hunkered figure of the a catwalker in the high grasses just beyond the clearing of the Watch. His eyes were good at a distance which allowed him to see the layed back ears of the catwalker. He became acutely aware of the claws wrapped on his legs, the claws that had helped serve as weapons for all these years.

He moved slowly toward Ailenore, cautious not to give away that he'd seen the catwalker stalking behind her. "Ailenore! I wondered when you'd return old friend."

Karloff smiled at his friend. "It truly has been far too long." His eyes monitored the walker slinking behind Ailenore into a crouch. His pupil-less eyes made it easy to follow something or someone without their noticing.

He kept his eye on the threat as he spoke, "We have grown. More have come to help those who are defenseles." Though, it was a noble cause he had not expeted the response to be as it had. There were many in the Kawani who has suffered as he had or worse. It'd made it easier to attract good, solid soquili who were willing to guard against the terrors that came--walker or otherwise.

His voice was soft, if somewhat meneacing, "Is there a reason a cat walker shadows you?" He kept the hackles on his back from rising even though it was difficult. His response was to be wary and protect, to hold the line.

The rest of their talk could be picked up later. He waited for Ailenore to speak.

Karloff had not heard the rumors of these angeni charms, but the thought brought about a thousand possibilities, he'd never even thought of. Could it be true? Could a walker be good underneath that curse? Could some be beasts trapped to do terrible things against their better nature? Could he help prevent the things that happened to him from happening to someone else? They were terrible things--memories and feelings, he wished on no one, but they had shaped him into this--into a stallion who could make a choice.

He weighed his words carefully, "Sometimes we hear thing or want things to be true that are not. We want them so badly, we manifest them." He examined his friend carefully, "I do believe you Alienore and I do trust you. You have made me realize that sometimes things that seem to good to be true, can be true with a little faith." He regarded the catwalker carefully. "Your..,friend seems to radiate a calm, and", he paused a moment. "A sense of fear that I have not seen in walkers before. I would give her a chance for your sake alone. But I can see that there is hope here. She is welcome as long as she obeys the rules of this place, just like all others. We do not harm others, except in self- defense or defense of those who cannot defend themselves." He evened out hsi voice, trying to let it seem less frightening. "I hope for all our sakes that this is true. What is your name, friend of Alienore?

it was Alienore who had first given him the hope to turn the Knight's Watch into something that could actually work. It had been alright to plan, to conceive the idea but to put it into action had required more than that. Alienore had the passion, the drive, and the utter belief in their friendship that had made this all possible. Even if it was only for Alienore's loyalty and devotion as a friend, he would owe her to try this. But she made him believe. After all, he was seeing something he had thought could only occurr as a miracle.

This was the beginning of something new. A new path forward, a new hope--possiby a new everything if it all worked out. Of course, a part of him had to remain cynical until it was proven. Hope was one thing and idiocy another. He had to think of the ones they were protecing first and foremost without caushing fear of prejudice against what could be a huge game changer with the shifters.

The shifter seemed outright scared of him, terriefied. She moved forward cautiously enough, but he thought he saw her shaking or makybe it was just the feeling he got. She introduced herself more by looking at her feet or his than any faces. She-- Perdita de Helcegaear seemed too terrified to meet his eye. When she talked about waking up in blood and forgotten memories, something ancient stirred in him or at least it felt ancient. That morning, he woke up with blood everywhere, his mother dead, his life over as he knew it....Where there seemed to be only one path, a path that seemed more than a choice. It had felt inevitable. It had felt like doom. Somehow, he'd walked away from that. Why couldn't she? Why not, indeed?


Her offer at helping to fish for the herd made him smile some. She seemed to be in earnest, even adding on that she tried not to eat any sentient fish. It wasn't a thought that most fish eaters even thought about.

It was when she looked at him, with such hopeful longing that he first fully realized the chance they had. She was asking to stay, to help. In part likely, probably trying to redeem herself or maybe save someone she now knew she loved. To live among strangers, for the chance at a regular life. She wanted to offer them fish.


PYou do not know us, but you believe in us already as we hope in you." He actually smiled at her, it was fleeting. "As long as your intentions are pure, let this be your home. Contribute when and how you can. We ask nothing of you that you cannot give freely Perdita de Helcegaear. We are glad to welcome you, to offer you a home." He paused for a moment, "It's your first isn't it? Home, I mean." He couldn't imagine that she had had much before this, let alone a home or anywhere she was fond of and he saw the truth in her eyes. "Welcome home then."