Witch's Marsh off the beaten path

Sesi was going in the opposite direction - away from Phoenix Maplewood and the corpse of her mother. She had no conscious knowledge of that, of course; as far as Sesi was concerned, her mother had been spirited away by the vengeful Shadow King. Her mission now was to find his kingdom and guide Scarlett back home, no matter the cost. It was freeing, somehow, to have a mission. Sesi felt calmer than she had in her entire life.

The half-light disguised the Brotherhood wolf well. Sesi did not spot him until it was too late to hide, and stood there like a deer in the headlights. He had a strange aura about him, and an unusual coat to match - black bordering white, like a skunk or a magpie. Sesi sucked in breath, willing her body to move closer. This was no chance meeting. ".. Did you come from the shadow land?" she whispered, eyes wide.