discovery: seek not your fortune in a dark, dreary mine

Don't mind this, most of this post occurs in Jinx's head. She's crazy. :P No need to match this length!

IC: Her eyes drooped as the gloom of the cavern pressed in around her. Standing vigil over her circle was tiresome, especially when there was nobody to defend it from. Without understanding why, the Kesuk woman half-expected Hawkeye to descend into the dark and criticize her work. Perhaps it was because the dark-haired Alpha of the plateau had once come down here. Jinx didn't know that Hawkeye was not fond of the cavern. She suspected the other woman was not fond of her, but the mambo had never been one to care about that. Her insecurities were well hidden, and most of them she associated with her two past packs. Little of it had anything to do with anyone's opinion; she did, however, keep from the world the pain judgement inflicted on her.

Before she knew it, she had slipped into a light slumber. In that slumber, she dreamed she was standing on a precipice, overlooking a world upon which the sun spread a jovial warmth. It was so warm, in fact, that there was no snow whatsoever. Grass rose light and springy from every surface, even the hard terrain beneath her paws. Flowers jutted out of the earth in great clusters of red, orange, and yellow. The trees were in bloom, and dragonflies and bumblebees frolicked in front of her eyes, dancing with the breeze. It was wonderful, a scene befitting a dream, but it was no ordinary dream. Jinx could feel its spiritual sway.

Beneath her, romping in the grass, she could see Pied. Features creased into an uncertain frown when she spotted another female prancing alongside her. This one was young, scarce old enough to be an adolescent, yet there was a light in her that would have suited a full-fledged priest of Atka. Even from on high, Jinx could feel goodness emanating from her. It brought her back to her conversation with Pied on the sea lion's beach. She recalled Pied mentioning dreaming of Atka, of the name this child would take. The Kesuk could not recall it, so spidery a word was it.

A grunt to her side made her turn her head, and there standing alongside her, embraced in a radiant glow, was a Kermode bear. The eyes were the deepest blue, like sapphires, and shone with an all-encompassing brightness. Never had She approached Jinx, but there was no doubt that Atka had sought her now. The Mother Bear said nothing, but cast a glance at Jinx, catching the molten gold eyes with Her own. That one is the Light, came a soft, calm voice in her mind, though the bear had not spoken a word. Jinx felt tranquil in Her presence, though there was an edge of uncertainty; she belonged to Sos, but not He alone. Sos was Atka's shadow, He was Her twin; they were two different aspects of the same thing. Atka gave Light to Sos' Darkness, and from Her Light, He delivered souls.

Together, They were God.

She will bring peace to the sea, the voice came again. Jinx turned her head to peer down at the adolescent with Pied, only partway understanding Atka's message. That Pied's daughter would play some role in Atka's plans was definite. The dappled ridge wolf had said as much herself, in revealing her dream. But what role, Jinx wondered, would she play? Was she to embody the Light that Akhlut believed in? She turned her head to ask Atka what she thought of being compounded with the sea and the sun, but the bear was gone.

The sound of pebbles clattering against stony ground roused Jinx from her dream. Her head came up and her ears pricked forward as she blinked grogginess from her eyes. Her hair lifted into an uncertain bristle as she sought the source of the disturbance. With alarum in her eyes she scanned her circle, but felt relief when she spotted the bloodstone, still safe in the middle. It wasn't until Dovev appeared around The Dungeon's entrance, his own demeanour cautious, that she relaxed. It was only slight relaxation—her pointed ears still quivered atop her head—but enough to suggest she was no threat.

Besides, if he came too close to her circle, she would warn him away, simple enough. "Hail, stranger," she said in a gruff voice, her gaze held like a pin on him. "What brings you to the belly of the mountain?"