Blackwater Islands prosaic

coraline knew first a brief taste of success, followed swiftly by bitter disappointment. the druids guarded their secrets as closely as sapphique guarded theirs. perhaps more. the speaker demanded her loyalty in exchange for the knowledge she sought. coraline wanted to scoff, but she did not.

instead, she considered his words. she would not be far from sapphique, living here. she could visit her mothers, her sisters. her brothers, too, of course.

but how could she trust these strange, secretive wolves? did she truly wish to know their ways, their secrets?

coraline could only imagine terrible, frightening things ahead. somehow, the thought intrigued more than it repulsed.

i... i be needin' some time. to t'ink about dis. an' i want to talk to de listener, she would not consider tulok's offer otherwise. she needed to meet this strange wolf, to finally hear the full truth of what had happened. mireille and sobo would never tell her.