Chimera Fields My mother told me

for @Galen

Íruna patted the loose earth with her paw, ensuring the bundle of roots she had buried was secure. The forest around her was quiet, save for the faint rustle of leaves overhead. She took a moment to straighten, brushing dirt from her fur, when the sharp crack of a twig broke the stillness.

Her ears swiveled toward the sound, her posture stiffening. The borders weren’t far—too close, perhaps, for her liking.

The voice called out, a name upon his tongue. Familiar, but still, the woman was unsure. Luhtar. Íruna’s brow furrowed, curiosity pricking at her. She glanced back at the cache she had been working on, hesitating briefly, before stepping toward the sound.

It wasn’t long before she caught sight of a figure, large and unfamiliar, standing among the trees. The wolf’s fur was a striking gold, bitten by a scar or two. He was large, perhaps amongst some of the larger she had met since arriving in Forneskja.

She watched the man as if she could see right through him, a gentle edge about the Seer. “Who are you, and why do you call for Luhtar?”