The three littermates had not spent much time around each other as of late. Euron and Ramsay seemed to venture further and further outside the woods with each passing day, while Maegi, drawn to the whispers in the trees and the darkness of the shadows, stayed put, spending much of her time at Nightcaller Temple or exploring the tunnels below.

The sleek white-furred girl, nearly three moons old now, was slipping silently through the trees, looking for things--or other wolves--to occupy herself with, when she caught sight of the dark female.

At first, she thought it was Cass, and her heart did a small leap for joy. But as she rushed forward, her steps slowed in disappointment as she realized that this was not the long-lost Cass. No, not at all. Both of Cass's eyes were green, and this woman had a blue right one, instead. Maegi's own bi-colored eyes blinked once, twice, before she approached, head lifted curiously to regard the stranger.

"Hello." Her voice was quiet, emotionless. This woman smelled strongly of the woods, and moved through the dim light like she knew the place well, but still Maegi did not know her. Who was she?

To her surprise, the stranger reacted not with shock or disgust but with a genuine greeting, an inquiry into her name. A little taken aback by the normalcy of her response, Maegi stood silently for a moment before replying, "Maegi." Her tone was still flat with wariness, but she had an iota more trust in this woman than she had carried before. . .for now.

The woman was cloaked in a variety of scents, most of them Blackfeather. Among them, her brother Vaati. . .and her uncle, Damien. She had not seen Damien in quite some time. Maybe she knew where he went!

"Who're you?" she continued, cocking her head. "You reminded me of someone. . ." Her voice trailed off, growing sad as she thought of Cass. Come to think of it, the female resembled her older sisters as well, and they had been absent as of late. Why did everyone in her life disappear?

Her ears flattened a bit as Nyx told her about her own mother, feeling suddenly quite sad. Weren't mothers meant to watch out for their children, through thick and thin? The Night Mother, after all, was their eternal guardian and caretaker. Why had these mortal women left Maegi and Nyx behind?

"I'm sorry. That sucks," Maegi said simply, frowning. She wondered if Nyx's mother still called the woods home. She hadn't met any older females besides her own mother. . .then again, she hadn't met Nyx until this day, either.

Maegi nodded as Nyx gave her the correct answer. "Yeah. But your eyes are different. Two colors." A small smile returned once more to her face. "Maybe you can be Vaati's new best friend! I think he's sad that Cass left."

"Well, I have Melonii blood, and my mother doesn't like me," she offered tentatively, feeling bad that Vaati had treated this kind woman poorly. "So. . .yeah."

Her ears perked up as Nyx described her profession. "An assassin? Cool. So you sneak, and kill things, right?" That was her best approximation of the information she had been given about that word before. She knew Cicero held the same skill, and that her brothers may one day follow suit.

"What's a temptress?" she added, confused. It sounded pretty. So absorbed she was in what Nyx had told her that she missed her question completely.

The girl gave a shrug at Nyx's question, blinking up at her. "I dunno," she said softly, mouth twisting in indecision. "I don't really care."

She hadn't ever really thought about Potema in terms of love or hate. The white priestess was such a non-factor in her life that no emotions came into play when Maegi thought of her. How could you care about someone who'd never been around? Even if you did feel hatred, you hated the absence of them, not them as a whole. You couldn't hate someone you'd never met. . .right?

Her spirits lifted when the pretty girl explained the art of the temptress, and though some of the terms flew over her head--seduces? she thought blankly--it seemed a rather interesting way to live one's life. "That sounds cool," Maegi said in a blithe manner, smiling. "Maybe you can teach me more about that? Miraak is teaching me prayers."

"I suppose," Maegi responded with a rueful sigh. She felt as if her life was composed of waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting for the time to come. When would she grow up and finally get to know everything that everyone spoke about but never explained to her in full?

A question rose in her mind, but she pushed it down--perhaps it would be upsetting. But it gnawed at her as she sat in silence, and finally. . .finally. . .she burst out quietly, "Where's your mother?"

She closed her lips tightly, regretting it. Her eyes blinked apologetically up at Nyx, tail thrashing in agitation. "I-- I'm sorry," Maegi whispered. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Or if she didn't know. What if her mother was dead, gone to the Void?

But maybe it would be better if Potema was dead. She basically already was, to her younger litter.

Maegi let out a little hum in thought. Potema leaving without a trace was also quite agreeable to the girl. But Nyx seemed a little sad at the fact that her mother had left, and Maegi gave her a small bump to the shoulder with her snout, wagging her tail.

"What about. . .do you have a father?" Maegi asked. She didn't really know about any fathers besides the Dread Father himself; she certainly didn't know hers. For all the absence of a mother in her life, the other role was even more deficient. She supposed Vaati and Cicero had done an adequate job filling it. . .but it wasn't the same.

She supposed the pups were turning out all right, regardless of having no parents. After all, they were Blackfeather babes, born crafty.

She shrugged, shaking her head. Kove wasn't a familiar name to her; he must be one of the scents adorning the forest she didn't recognize, or else he wasn't here at all, just like her mother. Feeling more than a little empathy for Nyx, she cuddled up next to her with a wistful sigh.

"Tell me more about being an assassin," Maegi pleaded softly, looking up at the girl's pretty face. "Have you killed anybody yet?"

A dark query, from a wolf so young. That was, though, the way of Blackfeather. And it wouldn't get any brighter than this.