Lion Head Mesa i'll be a regular guy for you, i never said i'd do that

one of the little things was sent from the room. fellahin, presumably. qiao was still, cool eyes tracing the departure of that lean figure.

later, she sought to probe his mind on what he meant by mention of her blood. she certainly did not consider herself among the rank-and-file coyotes -- no, she was something different. better.

and she would become something so much greater than teacher,  given time.

ramesses stepped closer, the gold of his topline glittering. qiao bent a slender ear towards him. to the east of them was a mountain - a canyon of red sand held by a man named germanicus. qiao kept these details close.

certainly, this task was more befitting of qiao's... particular skill set. she smiled, the closest thing to warmth she'd demonstrated thus far. "of the child, what i do with it depends on how useful it is to me in life." inferring, perhaps, there was some use to it in death too. "and i would keep no secrets from you on its behalf. i will go east." east -- funny wasn't it, she was always going east.

"i can go now, if you'd like. better now before the scent of this place settles in my bones. if that is your command."  qiao bent to the ground in a deep bow. there was one last thing, yet she sensed the edge of the knife grew close and ramesses' patience ever-thin.

rising from her bow, qiao teased the greenbrier noose around the deerskin open. from its contents, she raised a small, gleaming thing to the light with reverence.

a chipmunk's skull -- chittering with diabolical madness. around her voices thrashed, yet qiao paid them no mind.

she placed the skull upon the deerpelt and raised her paw to her teeth. one quick jerk of her muzzle, and a welt of blood rose to the surface. qiao held her palm upright, watching detached as scarlet bloomed among her fur and then ran in a thin line pulled by gravity.

qiao allowed seven drops to falll with quiet plops on the skull's brainpan. then, she raised her palm to her mouth and sucked the blood clean.

no blood spilled on his pristine floor, of that she was sure.

"a malevolent spirit," qiao explained with a smile. "useful for certain practices. this is my oath to you --" she closed her eyes, murmuring an ancient incantation over the pale bone. when she finished, a hissing rent the room and the droplets of blood seemed to sizzle. "and it seals us on both ends."