Ravensblood Forest the bigger they are, the harder they fall

Just as Pied knew she would, Jinx took advantage of the opportunity to tell her side of the story, launching readily into the backstory leading up to her departure. It began with a mention of shared bloodlines with Akhlut; the Gamma received this information with a faint twitch of a gray ear. The Kesuk traced her current fears back through history, particularly to their shared mother. Again, Pied wanted to point out that Jinx was just as guilty as her mother and Akhlut but, knowing the argument would fall on deaf ears, she remained mum.

"You know I shared your anxiety," Pied said after Jinx finished, "but he's actually doing better now, not that I expect that to mean anything to you at this point." She shrugged a pale, dappled shoulder. Then, despite her resolution not to bring it up, she nonetheless found herself unable to resist asking, "How is what we did with Bon Dye any different than what you did with Horizon Ridge?" Only, a second later, she added, "Never mind, we'll never agree on that subject," to dismiss it just as quickly.

Pied thought, Honestly, we'd just be trading one flake for another, in regards to the prospect of Jinx ruling the ridge. She was quietly glad this hadn't come to pass, even though there was a part of her that was genuinely sorry that Jinx was no longer part of the ridge. Despite their troubled history, Pied did see the value in Jinx. She supposed she'd hoped to one day reconcile their differences too and now it just seemed like their spheres just wouldn't touch much anymore.

"So where are you living now?" Pied wondered, genuinely interested. "And—wait a second. Is the shaman you mentioned the same one who lived in Bon Dye? Who disappeared the same time you did?"