Battle Plan

The Dancers have an hour's head start. But they have prisoners. It slows them down and allows the Pack to close up quickly. As the eastern sky begins to lighten, our three lupus wolves find them.

Leader never needs to say, "Get downwind of them" -- that's a given. It requires circling around a bit, but it's a tactical imperative. While Leader, Older Sister, and Shamaness still speed to their location, the lupus wolves send their report...

24 Dancers -- 15 crinos, nine lupus; 57 prisoners -- 22 adult females, 35 children, all human, tied together in six groups nine or 10 each. The nine lupus dancers range around the party at intervals. Two crinos dancers move each prisoner group and the remaining three crinos lead. Dancers very much in haste and can't seem to move their prisoners fast enough.

The two crinos close up -- only Shamaness is still out. Leader studies the scene, quickly compares mental notes with the three lupus and reaches a decision just as Shamaness arrives.

An elderly woman can't keep up. A crinos guard cuts her loose and rebinds the line to fill the gap; his companion rips out the woman's throat. Amidst the screams of the prisoners who witness it, the guard yells "faster!" -- although in his crinos form, he garbles the word badly.

Leader: Lower right intervals. Shadow. My order. Together, mass surprise. Take lupus, crinos.

("At certain intervals, there is a gap in the lower right of the defensive ring the nine lupus dancers provide, so we'll attack
there. We shadow them until I give the order, then attack. Remain together. We compensate for their superior numbers by massing the Pack at one location, surprising them and crushing them six at a time. Take down lupus first, then crinos, but stay together.")

Leader doesn't need to ask for questions -- if the plan is unclear, someone will ask without a prompt. No one asks. Leader moves -- he's the Guide now -- and the Pack moves with him. The Dancers still seem very much in a hurry and desperately try to move their captives along. One of the lead crinos barks an order and five of the lupus dancers forsake the defensive screen, move in amongst the prisoners and, with nips, bites, and snarls, attempt to speed things up.

Perfect! That thought comes from all six Pack members simultaneously.

Leader: Now!

The early morning erupts with howls of Garou Rage.