Dragoncrest Cliffs rolling stone

After struggling with it for weeks, Haunt arrived at a decision. She left the territory to observe Broken Antler one last time, then bade them farewell and headed down to the beach. She scoured the sands in the hopes of finding a fish or two and was rewarded with a freshly dead sea otter instead. She plucked the carcass off the ground and carried it up toward the caves, one paw coming to rest on the startlingly soft pelt as Haunt took a deep breath and howled for the attention of @Erzulie and @Rosalyn.

erzulie chose this year to be the one where she did not fret over the outcome of her tanglings with merlin and with njord. she traveled self-confidently toward the beachfront, intending to bathe, but the call of ghostly haunt lifted then.
the girl had spent a good deal of time away from sapphique, especially following the failed hunt with the harlot and chacal upon the water. but the obsidian had seen how vex's departure had affected the girl, and came upon haunt with affection in her gaze, and approval for the sea otter underfoot.

Erzulie arrived first, alone. Haunt supposed Rosalyn might appear too, at some point, though she didn't favor the idea of waiting indefinitely in awkward silence—or, worse, trying to make small talk—until then. She would tell Erzulie the news and one of them could fill in Rosalyn later.

She dipped her head to the Obsidian, managing a wan smile and a few waves of her tail. "This is for you," she said first, nosing the impossibly soft carcass toward her superior. She sucked in a rather noisy breath as she took a step back and added, "I'm leaving to visit my mother. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. I do intend to return," Haunt said before catching herself and hastily adding, "if I'm welcome back, of course."

erzulie accepted the gift gratefully. it would be a fine pelt for the den she shared with her wife, but her attention was on haunt now. the news that the girl would be leaving did not surprise her; the offer to come back certainly did, however. 
a blink of her lashes and a grin to accompany that; "you will always have a welcome here."
her mother, the stern woman who had come to their door. the sense of filial duty was strong in the alabastrine girl, she considered. a wave of her cinnamon plume. "she be lucky to have you."

Both remarks were met with a bashfully pleased smile, though she tried to school her expression as she answered, "Thanks, Erzulie. That means a lot." Although she didn't feel particularly close to any one wolf in Sapphique, they were nonetheless a second family to her. They had kept her alive and she just hoped she'd repaid her debt in full.

"I'd like to give you my notes about Broken Antler—the local herd—before I go," Haunt said in the next breath.

"of course, cher." erzulie settled herself to listen. haunt was dutiful and had earned her place here. erzulie hoped that the pale girl would not be gone long. it was of particular interest that she would be given parting notes upon their resident herd, something greatly important now and would only be moreso as their numbers grew.
and how she herself would be the catalyst for such — ah, the passing of time amazed her always.

Erzulie settled in to listen, so Haunt wasted no time. She began sharing everything she knew about the herd, from its number of members to their identifying features, making certain to mention the pregnant does in particular. She told the attentive Obsidian all the observations she'd made regarding their range and habits. No detail was spared. Quite possibly her Ted Talk bored Erzulie to death.

By the time she finished, her throat actually ached since she wasn't used to speaking so much at once. Haunt fell silent, then wondered, "Any questions?"

erzulie was not a hunter of things that traversed the land, not by trade. she found that during the girl's talk, she learned several things, and was pleased that such a skilled hunter had begun to train chacal. there were several deer in this broken antler herd, named so for their lead stag. and the does were pregnant, or had been, which promised the tender flesh of fawns for their devourment if they so chose.
"none at all. magnifique, haunt," she breathed. "i am only sorry to lose you, even if it is for a time. you have left wid us a good source of strengt' and knowledge for de pack." 
mothers to be heeded, and, she was sure, more fauna upon which the girl could make more of her detailed notes.

She must’ve covered it thoroughly, as Erzulie did not have questions, only praise. She expressed her sorrow at losing Haunt, which pained the yearling a little. It was nice to know she would be missed, even if she hadn’t developed any particularly deep ties.

I’ll return, she repeated her promise. Haunt yearned for her family, though she knew it was unlikely she would remain with her mother long. She’d always been too independent for that. Besides, this was where Vex had left her; she wanted to be here when he came back too.

I’d like to be on my way. Will you tell Rosalyn and the others I said goodbye?

"of course i be doin' dat," erzulie said softly. she wished that haunt would not go so soon; she had come, somehow, to think of the alabaster girl as her own in a way. but haunt belonged to arbiter, or so it seemed with the woman. and she would not keep the child longer.
"may your travels be light," she blessed, standing to pull haunt close for a wolven hug if the girl allowed before releasing her to the wilds.

The hug caught her off guard. She was equal parts embarrassed and pleased by the display of affection, both of them making her cheeks hot. For a beat or two, she went rigid in Erzulie's grip. Then, with a ferocity that likely surprised them both, Haunt returned it with a, "Thanks for everything," murmured against the leader's neck.

And then they drew apart and Haunt turned, eager to begin the journey. She did want to see her dam, spend some time with Legion wherever the pack had settled. And she and Arbiter were long past overdue to catch up and strengthen their mother/daughter bond. But mostly, Haunt knew the sooner she left, the sooner she would return.