The Tangle Know Thy Neighbor

For @Rosalyn but all welcome <3

Cerne's meeting with the stranger at the rise had set him on edge, but there wasn't much time to dwell upon it; as he traversed through a mass of gnarled trees, doing his best to avoid spiny undergrowth, he scented yet another pack. He was a good distance away, still, and, worrying they might have the same response as the other stranger had, he stopped where he was and let out a short call — he was just a distant neighbor, come to visit and know those he lived nearby. Cerne only hoped he would get a warmer welcome this time around.

In her rush to get away, Rosalyn forgot her promise. And as her frustration and fear twisted into paranoia, she pressed further into the Tangle.

The call made her freeze and brought a harsh snarl of surprise from her. Drageda. He was close, too much so to avoid. But if they were going to attack, they would have a fight to remember. She would not be taken again.

Tell your coward of a leader we want nothing to do with her. Rosalyn growled when she drew in close enough. Unfortunately for Cerne, it seemed his luck wasn't turning up just yet. Nothing associated him with the wolves who once inhabited the cliffs except for his proximity to them, but at this moment, it was enough.

A woman approached, bearing hostility. Cerne gazed at her doubtfully, and at her words, he told her, "Apologies, madam — we've not met before." He could see that she was much older than him, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was confused. Gently, he said, "I am Cerne. I live with a small family a ways to the east of here." He hoped he had offered enough, and hoped that she would believe him; he wasn't looking forward to what she might do or say should she not.

He didn't rise to her challenge or take issue with the insult the way most of their kind would. Either it was a tactic or he truly didn't know what she was talking about. She did not let down her guard, but she did cease her snarling.

She wouldn't trust anyone in these lands. He was right, though; she didn't recognize him.

If you are telling the truth, then you should be careful out here. They don't treat strangers who get too close well.

It didn't matter that now, Sapphique had claimed the cliffs. Lingering memories had enemies all around, a phantom pack nearby that would not hesitate to capture her again should they get the chance.

You are new here. It wasn't a question. If he did not know Drageda, he must be.

Her words made him think of the male he'd met at the rise, and he assumed it was them that she spoke of. Sighing softly, Cerne stated somberly, "Yes, I've had the unfortunate luck to find out firsthand. I simply sought to greet them, and I was turned away with much aggression." Then, she stated the fact that he was new; Cerne nodded once, ears flicking.

"Indeed, madam. As I've said, I live a ways east of here, at the base of the glacier where a river runs." He would return once more after this meeting, to let him know of his findings. Still sensing the female's agitation, he offered, "Would you care for a bone reading? To set your mind at ease?" He would then gesture to the hareskin pouch about his neck, smiling as he told her, "I am a Soothsayer — a speaker of truths."

Some more of the suspicion died from her look as he agreed and spoke of similar aggression. He seemed trustworthy and what he said sounded like them. Perhaps he was not there to harm them after all.

Despite her sensible appearance, Rosalyn was a deeply superstitious wolf. She did not believe in gods necessarily, but ghosts and fortunes she did. Luck was something she would always give credence to as well. She regarded him a bit more seriously when he spoke of his skill, and for a moment she forgot her earlier worry. She focused sharply on him.

What would be your price? There were things she would not pay, and she did not want to be indebted to some unknown magic.

Cerne gave her an easy grin. "There is no price, except honesty. Lies interfere with the readings," or so his mother had taught him, "And you must remain open-minded. Neither I nor the bones can tell all." He did not have much in his pouch yet; a pawful of bones, pebbles, and shells. Eventually, he would make a larger pouch, but for now, this would work for the basics.

He removed the pouch from his neck, removing the cordage so she could look within to see it's contents. Cerne then looked to Rosalyn. "What questions have you for the bones, madam?"

The complicated setup that contained whatever he used only confirmed more that he could probably do what he claimed. Rosalyn herself had no connection to any kind of "spirits". She knew of the loa that her wife and some of her children touched, but she had never felt it was her place to intrude. Usually these kinds of things were untrustworthy at best and cruel at worst. Especially to wolves like her, for whom "devout" was a laughable descriptor.

But her mind raced and twisted with questions. She couldn't bring them to her wife or family, and she couldn't risk them reaching their ears by other channels. This man was a stranger and it almost seemed like fate that she'd even met him here. She couldn't recall why she had even left the cliffs now that the panic had subsided.

If she only got one question, it was going to need to cover a lot. Rosalyn thought about it for a long, silent moment.

What am I doing wrong? It was the only part of all of this that mattered. If she could not stop it, then there was no point in knowing the rest.

So I have no idea how bone reading or any of that stuff actually works, so a lot of this is just Cerne's interpretations/his own spin on things! This is his first actual reading so I hope you like it! I can change some things if you don't like the assumptions! <3

Her question seemed to ring in his ears, and he bit back a sorrowful smile. "Very well." Came his low response. He gathered the pouch in his jaws, shook it vigorously, and then gently swung it downwards, so the contents might spill across the earth.

At once, he saw the stones had gathered mostly in the center of the reading plane; his mother had once taught him that stones could represent stubbornness, especially when they cluster. Quietly, he murmured, "Perhaps, like the stones, you resist change, or are too hard-headed." He looked to her once more, recalling again how much older she looked. Perhaps her age was catching up to her? Then, he looked back to the ground; there was more to read, but this was merely the first piece.

totally fine!!! That's how I do fennec's tarot readings also <3 it's a lot of fun!

There was very little chance, from the start, she'd like the answer she was given. But she hadn't expected it to strike at the matter quite this deeply, or for the answer to be so pointed and barbed. There was no way for Cerne to know what those words meant to her, but Rosalyn felt she might collapse beneath the weight of it.

You expect me to just accept this? She couldn't. This would not be her new reality.

Rosalyn's lip curled defiantly at the message and her look grew less friendly. He was just the messenger but she wasn't exactly the most fair-minded when it came to judgements. There's changes that shouldn't be accepted. I don't care what your pebbles say. It was clear from the way she reacted, though, that his reading had hit a very real nerve. And that there might be a grain of wisdom and truth there, though she was dead set on fighting it.

So sorry for the wait, depression had me
The reading angered her, but Cerne's expression did not change. He remained calm, impervious to her words, and he could sense there was more here. Why else would it affect her so? Cerne sighed quietly, then met her hardened gaze, pressing. "Lack of change can cause stagnation," he gestured once more to the stones. "All your problems compound, for there is nowhere else for them to go; If you do not accept change, you will become crushed by it." Now, he reached towards the stones, tenderly swiping them away with his claws, to expose the mix of shells and shimmering seaglass beneath. "But accept it, and you can see how beautiful it might be."

Physical Health (100/100)

Cerne is healthy.

---

Mental Health (100/100)

Cerne is mentally well.

He didn't know what he was speaking about, clearly. Rosalyn stiffened even more under his advice, and while she should have listened, she rebelled against it. There is no beauty here. The words came out bitter and harsh. She refused to see any good in what was happening to her.

I think your rocks are broken. And I need to get home. She brushed past him rudely, aiming to depart without even so much as a thank you or a farewell. All of her earlier desperation had been clamped down into an avid denial. She would not accept this fate.

no worries!! She's being rude anyway <3 but i loved this!! This can be her last if he lets her go

Still she would not listen. Cerne had to let her go. He sighed softly, then simply nodded, and she turned and left. He then returned to the reading, examining it further. Off on one side, two crossed bones, a trail of pebbles connect it to the rock-covered shells. He closed his eyes, said a silent prayer of sorts for the woman who had left, for the bones read clearly: death, an end. He hadn't the heart to delve deeper into that; he swept his tools back into their pouch, then left.