Xaviers!

Haley leaned back and rested her head against the slick brick wall of the alley, chest heaving, face contorted into a grimace of pain. She'd lost them for now...she hoped.

"Sam...Morrigan...? Are you out there?" she reached out telepathically.

Haley took another deep, gasping breath and wiped a trickle of blood from her nostril and upper lip. "Didn't think I could fight that well...or fly that fast," she mumbled to herself, absentmindedly rubbing the angry looking wound on her forearm.

It doesn't take long before a raven is perching above the alleyway.

"Haley? Is that you?"

Haley started a bit at the voice in her head, and she pushed away from the wall cautiously, looking around for its source.

"Oh thank god...yes. It's me."

She spotted the raven and looked up at it with decidedly vibrant yellow eyes.

"What happened? You're wounded."

The raven tilts its head, looking Haley over.

You're also... not well.

Haley's lip began to quiver and tears welled up in her eyes. "Damnit...god damnit I know."

"I don't want this. I kept hoping it wouldn't happen, but it's going to happen isn't it?"

She exhaled deeply, wiping her face with the back of her uninjured arm, sniffling. "Things went...really south. They knew we were coming. They got Trev. I don't know if he's alive or one of them now...I barely got out of there, and they're following me...trying to get me to join them."

"...we can help. Tereza has figured out some decent ways to keep you from registering as... well, theirs. I just hope you're not... squeamish about tattoos."

More ravens join the first, perching all around the rooftops that frame the alley.

"That isn't to say things won't get rather... hairy, to be frank, but I can keep you safe."

There's quite a lot of ravens now. Black feathers and glassy eyes rimming the rooftops and gutters. The Morrigan's mental voice seeming to come from all of them at once, shielding her from the questing pack mind of her pursuers.

"I just don't want to lose myself...everything we've been fighting for. I'll do anything." Haley said, feeling a bit of panic (even though the rational part of her brain was relieved) as the ravens multiplied. Sam would hear a low mental growl coming from Haley.

"You sure you can help?"

"I knew I could count on you, Sam," Haley exhaled, trying to breathe deeply and regularly to calm herself after realizing that she was balling her hands into fists and her distressingly sharp nails were practically breaking skin.

She blinked, "wait, Tereza? You found her?"

"Good for you two," she smirked a bit. "It will be good to see her again...it's been too long. Wish we had better circumstances to meet under."

"I'm ready," she nodded, exhaling deeply and stretching a bit. "...god the extra smells and sounds are almost as distracting as my telepathy back in the day..."

"Aye, well I'm about to lead you rather deep into another wolf's territory. Try not to lose your shite."

With that, the ravens take flight.

Funny how they never were physical, back in the day.

Well that's new... she thought to herself as she took off jogging after the apparently corporeal ravens.

"I guess we'll see how that works...never really felt...territorial before,"

"Appreciate it...I'll try not to pee on your rug or anything."

Haley's telepathic voice had a definite growl to it, and as she ducked through darkened alleyways, the bits of light from the nearly full moon illuminated an increasingly feral-looking tiny blonde. It did make keeping up with the ravens pretty easy at least.

Eventually the ravens are perched at the edge of a rooftop that has a fire escape leading up to it, with several of them perched on the railings at each landing to urge Haley on.

As Haley crests onto the rooftop there's a woman standing there with wild, waist-length red hair and a number of piercings. She's clad in a well-worn leather jacket with black feathers sewn into the shoulders. The leather pants she's wearing leave little to the imagination, showing off a well-toned figure. She's taller than Sam was, depending on how long it's been since Haley last saw the redhead, and she cuts a warrior's silhouette. Still, there's a bit of the old Sam showing through as the woman takes a moment to give a friendly ruffle of the feathers of the two ravens that just perched on her shoulders.

"Welcome to the Morrigan's court, Haley."

Haley, apparently not really winded by the long run or the climb, pulled herself up and regarded Sam with a smile that showed off sharpened canines. "Good to see you in person. See you've got some new tricks," she nodded at the ravens.

"The feathers suit you. Good thing you've got them on your jacket, otherwise one of us would have to change," she joked, looking down at her own rather distressed black leather jacket.

"I had to. This place needs a Morrigan."

"Tereza's bound to be back soon. How are you feeling?"

"Very...on edge," she said, arms crossed in front of her chest, one foot tapping on the ground impatiently. "I can smell and hear everything. I'm so unfocused my shields are probably shit...and I'm starving."

She started pacing back and forth after a beat. "And you're right. I can smell her. And smelling my friend shouldn't make me feel this weird."

She looked down at her nails that looked to be more claws than anything. "Oh, well, that's great," she huffed.

The Morrigan walks over to put a hand on Haley's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"You're still yourself no matter what you're shaped like. I wouldn't have stuck with her if she was unrecognizable, and you won't be either."

Haley stiffened for an instant then immediately relaxed at the touch, leaning against it a bit. "Everything sucks. I'm glad I was able to find you...and that you're...well...a goddess or whatever."

"I think I always was. It just took me awhile to accept it."

"I don't have room for doubt in my life after the school fell. There was no point in wringing my hands over it. I had to accept what I am."

"Guess I did tequila shots with a deity then," she smirked. "I'll go ahead and cross that off the bucket list."

It was a toss-up as to which of them might pick up on it first, but Tereza was returning. Sam on the other hand would feel that she wasn't alone.

The Morrigan gets a bit of a faraway look for a moment.

"...seems this is a day for guests. I'm glad I tidied up."

Haley let out an audible growl and bared her teeth reflexively, before clamping her hand over her mouth in shock.

"...I'll thank you not to growl at my girlfriend," she smirks.

"I didn't mean to," Haley said, her hand still covering her mouth, eyes wide. "Holy shit that is weird..."

"Just don't try it with her. I hate to tell you, but she's rather an alpha bitch in the most literal sense."

"Well she's not the bos--" Haley snarled, and then abruptly covered her mouth with her hand again. "What the hell?!" she let out a hand-muffled whine.

"The wolf is you with no filter," she offers by way of explanation.

"...which I think I already saw halfway through the tequila shots that one time."

"...probably less than halfway through. Sorry I got so handsy with everyone."

"Didn't do much other than make me wonder why you haven't had a girlfriend or two," she chuckles.

Tereza's much closer now and moving with some speed. Apparently, she's noted Haley's presence or at the very least 'another werewolf'.

Tereza's urgency lessens, but she's still moving quickly.

"Too much drama for anything long term," she smirked. "Maybe a fling someday."

"Who doesn't have drama, these days?"

"By the by, I just told Tereza you weren't sent to kill me. Don't disappoint, aye?"