Fairspell Meadow Faceless

Let me know if the pp isn't ok! I left it somewhat vague for you to decide details <3

the quiet of night was broken by the soft footsteps of a thief. a hungry, ragged thing; a wolf-girl, scarcely more than a child, skulking in search of scraps and bones. anything she might snatch.

@Qiao would find the little thief a wild-furred, viper-eyed thing. not so skilled at stealth after all — but desperate, ribs standing stark under dull dark furs which still smelled faintly of blood. intelligence shone behind those darting green eyes — but hunger had made the young wolf a feral thing, single-minded. the wolf-girl thought of meat, and nothing else.

they camped that night in a meadow where the brush was tall and the trees still held the verdant glaze of slow-dying summer. good sight lines here, and the crisp brush underfoot betrayed every little passing. 

qiao shot up from her makeshift bed, rheumy eyes pinning in sharp focus towards the source. 

a starveling. many times she’d come across things like her, the nameless thousand as they starved in the woods.  urchins with wide, stark eyes and thin sides, everything from fat to hope stolen from them by the constant and ceaseless advancement of kingdoms. 

don’t think you can come sniffing around here for handouts, the crone hissed as she rose, motioning her off with a snap of her teeth. unless you got something useful, beat it.

the faceless girl recoiled with serpentine swiftness, teeth bared, yet she did not flee. she'd seen things in her rummaging, yes, the sorts of things women carried to keep a power of their own. not so unlike the power which had made her — this.

medicine woman? a whisper, tongue drawn over dry lips.

or witch?

there were still some things in this world left untamed; qiao’s gaze swept past the feral snap of the onlooker. 

neither. both implied a roadside service qiao did not provide to itinerants; though it bladed her to be so openly seen.  what do you want?

jadeite eyes lingered on the woman for a long moment.

something useful.

i have something useful.

something secret. though it was only part of a whole, she supposed. the rest of the bones still rested somewhere in —

sharp pain lanced through the spaces behind her eyes.

i can show you.

she stepped back now, still slinking and wary as if expecting the woman to strike her. she would show her, yes. something special. but nothing in this world came free.

then i want to know what you'll give me for it.

though this waifling spoke plainly the subject matter was in riddles. qiao’s gaze cut across her, measuring her with cold scrutiny. you think i live this long,  following strangers into the woods? 

she hissed. you bring it back, i look at it, maybe. otherwise off with you. qiao turned her back, preparing to return to the trail.