Blacktail Deer Plateau A broken oath.

The westward coast had been battered over the course of the previous season, leading the wandering woman to retreat along a path she had marched before; except this time when she came to the gilt-laden sand it was not a gossamer sight she beheld, but more catastrophe. The coast was in ruins. The Mother had been relentless in her fury. Minerva need not search for further signs; she knew she had wronged both the Sea and the Moon in her abandonment of them, but there was no way for her to reunite with her people. For all she knew, her island home was no more — herself a sole survivor. In making the best of a bad situation she headed inland.

As the woman carried herself away from the coast she noticed the dwindling saline in the air, the deepening pine scent, as well as the persistent chill of winter. This was not so surprising. Minerva knew she had wasted many moons on her misadventure and planned to make up for it with the fervor of her devotion, eager to fall back upon the traditions of her people; yet she also knew how to read the stars, and she knew the next moon was not far off. If she were to turn the proverbial tides to her favor, Minerva would have to pay attention and do things right. But how could she, knowing that this terrestrial space was not meant for her? This land of heathens, who knew nothing of the Mothers?

So her search would go on for days. Mindlessly she trailed within the valley, seeking out what meals she could (often picking at carrion, which up until now was beneath her) and keeping to herself when strangers crossed her path. She thought of the kind woman of the hinterlands often and considered returning to where she had met her, but in her meandering she came upon a plateau first. All thoughts of her previous meetings in the Teekons fell away at that point. She smelled many wolves here, and an oddly persistent minerality to their combined scent — almost like the sea. It had to be another sign.

Minerva thus made plans for herself. She would ingratiate herself to these people, make herself indespensible. As she approached a section of the claim's edge she saw that the exposed granite gave way to dirt paths approximately the width of a wolf, and it wound its way deeper along a quarry, around which there were miles of deep green pine to shadow everything. She knew not to go further — and poised herself there, raised her chin, and made it known she was waiting there for an audience.