Redsand Canyon as the building continues to burn

it was indeed unfortunate that neither of them seemed to have any interest in speaking to each other beyond progressively more cryptic metaphor. equally unfortunate that they both thought they were being smart about it, when it was something they’d both be eager to agree on. no matter how much either of them thought that might be the case – and renard did, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered with the hook in the first place – it all sailed right over both of their heads and made itself comfortable in the desert beyond.

they were not bothered. these things took time, and they were not so eager yet to – well, they were already creeping around in the shadows, but the thing about shadows was that they concealed you. stepping directly out into the light – donovan was not displaying competence, exactly, but neither had it graduated into blatant incompetence. a lot of risk to take, on a stranger they’d spoken to for less than five minutes, all told.

concern would come later. it would truly be the nail in the coffin when the saints’ leaders displayed enough weakness that they needed to take action.

and yet the moment crept closer and closer each day. they were not oblivious to its approach. what was left was the lingering hope that donovan could turn this around before they had to step in – as though he’d displayed any helpful ability beyond beckoning wolf after wolf into his forces. not that charisma was to be dismissed, but they needed…more.

satisfied for now, renard lifted their head from the shrinking pool and met finley’s gaze head on.

“as familiar as any of the saints, i think.” the lines were examined, read; there was less danger in this direction than there was to admitting a lack of faith in donovan’s judgment out loud. the smile still coiled along their lips, a near-permanent presence. “everyone’s miserable here, but we know the ins and outs.” the canyon exited into the peaks of the sunspires, a narrow path into the pine forest, and the kinder places were not altogether barren; prey was not something pinging on renard’s sprawling list of concerns right now. maybe that spoke to just how deep the hole they’d dug for themselves was.