We are obligated, therefore, to spread the news, painful and bitter though it may be for some to hear, that all living things on earth are kindred.
-Edward Abbey

I was born in the northernmost parts of Scotland. I never knew my father. My mom never told me about him while she was alive. She'd just smile and tell me that someday when I understood, she'd tell me. I guess she meant he was a Garou and she didn't think I was ready to hear about it yet. I had a pretty good early life from what I remember. But my mom always seemed really fearful for some reason. We didn't stay in the upper part of Scotland for long. My mom just told me I was born up there and that my ancestors were Picts. That didn't mean much to me until later in my life. I'll get there. We moved to a lower part of Scotland. I didn't know at the time of course, but the place we moved to was prime Fianna territory. We set up a small house there and lived for a while rather peacefully. The Fianna always knew how to keep Black Spiral Dancers out of their territory.

I guess things didn't really start to change until it changed really quickly and drastically when I was six. I really hadn't had much schooling. My mom said it was too dangerous to send me to a school and she wasn't really up to date in school knowledge herself. I recall the day perfectly... hard to forget these sorts of days you know. I was out in a nearby forest playing with butterflies and such. I don't know what came first though.. the hand on my shoulder or the scream from my house. They kinda meshed together all at once. All I know is both happened. I wanted to run back to my house, but I couldn't. I looked up and there was a man standing there I had never seen before. He had reddish brown hair and looked big and strong. That's all I remember about him really. That and he had a gentle look about him. I don't know how I knew, but I knew he was my dad. I guess it came from the sad and angry look in his eyes as he looked in the direction of the house. It all seemed to be really slow motion and then suddenly things picked up and he was carrying me quickly through the forest. Then I felt really weird... this cold feeling hit me... like I was being pulling through a wall of thin ice. The world changed then... It was spiritual and I was in the Umbra. I was quiet... I couldn't cry yet and I was in complete shock and my father was silent the entire time. I think I fell to sleep while I was running cause the next thing I remember was that I was on a plane. My father wasn't there anymore either. I was really very scared, though after a bit I started to feel better because I knew he was watching over me. I'm sure he still is to this very day.. somewhere. Anyway, I found out later that my mom had been killed by Black Spiral Dancers that managed to find out where I lived. I've always been hunted down by the Dancers because of who I am. I have the blood of a White Howler. I'm not really a White Howler, but I'm working on it. I'm a Child of Gaia just as is any other Child of Gaia. But maybe someday I'll be able to go through a White Howler Rite of Passage... my only hope for that ever is among the spirits of Ancestors and of the others who taught the White Howlers. I'm a step ahead of everyone else, though... at least I have my great spirit companion with me. The lion was the totem spirit of the White Howlers after all. Anyway, the Black Spiral Dancers who did that were all killed by the Fianna of the land who went in after we left to deal with them. I turned up to be a missing kid for a little bit, but it wasn't long until I was presumed dead. Too much investigation allowed there might have endangered the veil and the Fianna didn't want that, so they rigged up a body to appear as mine.

Well I got to America after a few hours. I arrived in New York and then continued in the flight to New Orleans where I was dropped off. When I got there, I found a married couple actually waiting for me and they quickly took me away from the airport and to a house that was hidden deep in the bayou. It was there I lived most of the rest of my life until now. I still wasn't allowed to go to school or anything. They seemed to understand the danger that was behind it. But they taught me a few things, like how to get by in the bayou. These people didn't have any kids to play with, but they were great to be around. It didn't stop me from always hoping I'd be able to see my father again, but I never did anyway. The weirdest thing about staying there was every now and then, my guardians would take me away from the house very quickly, their faces etched with worry. They would take me an area even deeper in the bayou and then after awhile just stop. I wondered often how they knew where to stop, but after a few times, I noticed that there was a mark carved into a dead tree that we passed every time and awhile after that we would stop. I later came to learn this was the mark of the Black Furies. We never went all the way to caern, but we never had to. We would usually stay there for a few hours before being able to return home.

When I was 10, I was told why we had to do this. My guardians were Fianna kinfolk of the Fianna who stayed around New Orleans before Carmichael showed up. However these Fianna weren't as open-minded as the Free Spirits. So my guardians hid me as much from the Fianna as they did the Black Spiral Dancers. Anyway, my guardians told me that they had a watch set up for Dancers in the area and anytime they came close, we had to leave. The Dancers weren't numerous enough to even think about just walking in on Black Fury territory, so we were safely hidden there. They then told me about my heritage, about me being Garou, having the gene, and the fact my blood was pure from that of the Picts or the White Howlers. They told me then about the fall and why if I was ever to meet a Black Spiral Dancer, I would be dead or worse. I was scared of course, that's a lot to learn when you're ten. But I'm really glad they told me, and even happier that they told me then. This is because about six or seven months later, disaster struck. I guess a spirit was sent this time to check the area. The Dancers had finally grown suspicious of the house in the bayou and since it wasn't in Black Fury territory, they decided they wanted it checked out by a spirit. It was always empty whenever they had come across it after all. Well the spirit found out that I was there, found out about my heritage, and it went to tell the Dancers. They were quick and furious this time, too fast for the warning to save us. Soon they were at the door, tearing it down and already in Crinos form. It was a terrible thing to see. All three of us were frozen. I had been in the living room watching the television and my guardians had been in the kitchen. The Dancers tore to the kitchen first, which I could see through a door from the living room. The Dancers... were really nasty. My guardians were tortured for a while as I watched while another Dancer tore through the house. He came right through the living room, too. I mean I wasn't hidden or anything, just sitting on a chair, but he didn't seem to see me. I really don't understand why, but he didn't. When he returned to the others, the torturing got worse as they demanded from my parents where the "Pure One" was. I guess they were talking about me, but I had never been called anything like that before. I couldn't move, I couldn't help at all. They ended up taking them both away... and I don't want to know what happened to them. It terrifies me to even think about it.

I was stuck there for a good long time after. I was too scared that if I moved, they would suddenly come back and kill me. But after... I don't know how long it really was. It seemed like hours, I suddenly saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. I freaked at first, but then when I turned, I saw it was only a lion. Yeah, I know "Only a lion?!" but I knew this lion was special and that he meant well for me. I don't know how I knew, but I always did know. Since I was only ten, he could carry me on his shoulders then, and he did, taking me quickly away from the place as I held onto his mane. We easily went through the bayou, the lion leading me along. I didn't see any of what I'm telling you next, it's just what I heard. The Dancers that took my parents were killed by the old Fianna there and the kinfolk that had been keeping watch. However, when they got to the house, they found it completely empty, just blood to show that the Dancers had been there. The kinfolk then told the Fianna what had happened.. and about me. Saddened by both their losses and the loss of me I guess, they ended up leaving New Orleans, but not before levelling the house and placing in its place and natural monument of three trees there. Two for my guardians and one for me. It's actually kind of neat to see. Most people don't understand it completely. All they see is that the three trees were planted close enough together that their branches would entwine with one another's. I can tell which one is supposed to be for me because it has white bark and the symbol of the White Howlers in it. It's weird... almost like looking at my own grave when I see it. I guess the Black Furies guard it now, cause it's still there and the Dancers haven't ripped it to shreds.

Anyway, getting on with the story, the lion took care of my for a long time. He would find me the food I needed and we would always be on the move. I guess he didn't find a place for me to settle that he felt was safe for me to do so. At least not for a while. I loved him right from the start. I guess his mane always kind of reminded me of my father's hair. He's a wonderful guardian to have too. Anyway, he kept me alive and hidden from everyone. Even when people would come right by me sometimes, I managed to stay hidden. He said it was just a special little power I had, but not to always use it go into risky situations, thinking it'll always work. It's never failed me when I've needed it, but I really don't want to test it just in case. Well things stayed this way for about four years. I learned how to hunt, a bit on how to hide and sneak around without using the power, and other things like that. It really was a great time in my life, but it was only to lead into a better time, really.

By this time, both the Dream Seekers and the Free Spirits had moved into the area of New Orleans. They were even relatively close together territory wise. So the lion decided that he was going to trust me to the Dream Seekers. He decided that placing me among the Fianna would be too obvious when it came to Black Spiral Dancers. The Dancers that had attacked my family had moved on by then as well, and so they wouldn't be looking for me anymore. They figured there was no way I would have stayed around New Orleans, and probably ran off. Crystal is a really great person and she was quick to take me in and recognize my heritage. She's of a camp of the Children of Gaia called the Seekers, so I guess it makes sense as to why she recognized me. They search for ways to bring back the lost tribes after all. By then I had also gone through my first change, though there was nothing hugely bad about it since I was out in the wilderness and already had the lion there to help me through it all. Crystal put me through a Rite of Passage to become a Child of Gaia, though she told me that she hoped she could someday find a way to get me a White Howler Rite of Passage so I could become a true White Howler. I guess spirits are my best shot at that like I said before. It was then that I gained the name Fragile Hope.

Crystal's been really great to me this whole time and I find it pretty neat and all that I might be a hope to help the White Howlers. I know it's not a big chance... if there's any chance at all. But maybe, just maybe I can help. I think that the appearance of Gaia is a good sign for it... and these other new friends we made as well. And now Carmichael knows, and he's always great to have as a protector. The Dream Seekers and the Free Spirits have gotten really close over the last few months, and I'm really happy about that. Now that the High Righ of the Fianna is in New Orleans as well.. well.. maybe I'll be able to help convince him that this isn't a time to focus on the metis, the tainted, and the abominations. I know Little Fury isn't bad, after all... and he's an abomination now. This is a time to focus on the big problems and the big taints rather than the small. They're the real destruction of Gaia. I'll do all I can to help and maybe someday my dream will come true.