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tags are for reference, though any/all welcome!

Whether or not the meeting had taken place, today Fennec had somehow found her way to the base of the Moonspear.  And despite @Bronco's insistence and her desire to train with @Kukutux, she couldn't help but awkwardly feel that the open border policy didn't really apply to her.

She was a Firebird.  She wasn't one of them officially right now, and she hadn't settled in her mind what she even wanted right now.  She'd assumed she would stay a while, learn what she could, and then go home.  Back to her family, who she missed a lot, particularly Fig.  

But also back to boring. Back to where Penn wasn't.  Where Bronco wasn't.  Back to watching her friends come and then leave her behind, over and over again.

Fennec heaved an annoyed sigh, then sat down near the border.  She kept her ears open for anyone who might be near, but she wasn't in the mood suddenly to test anyone.  Poking idly at the tree she had chosen to settle under, she felt moss, and began to slowly begin to scrape some of it off.  Maybe she'd go back and turn some of this frustration into work on her store den once she was done with this.  God knows it was going to take her long enough to dig the fucking thing out.

She had reached an age where she looked more adult than youth. Sure, Sialuk was still gangly in places, but she held herself differently than she had a month ago. Her features were beginning to take on their final form, although the wolf she came across today would not notice that. She might, however, notice the more confident step of the five month old Sialuk, or perhaps she'd notice that the girl spoke more like an adult than a child, even though her voice was not quite in its final tone.

The stranger had strange eyes, and she was pulling moss off a tree: something the Ostrega had seen her mother do time and time again. Kukutux was a healer, after all, and Sialuk had been an observant understudy since before she had found her voice. She woofed lightly in the stranger's direction, though she stayed a good distance back. If she needed to flee or call for help, she knew all of Moonspear would be there to help.

Hello! Are you looking for somebody who lives here?

Though perhaps she should have gotten all of that, all Fennec really heard from Sialuk's sudden approach was "stranger".  It wasn't Bronco or Meerkat, though they did sound lighter than some.  Hydra?  She didn't know anyone here well enough to have gotten their gaits or scents down by heart.

The woof tipped her off the rest of the way that this was no one she knew.  Fennec dropped the moss gently onto the pile, the turned, head cocked slightly as her ears rotated to pick up the question.  

No.  The denial was flat and to the point... possibly a little too much so. She wasn't really looking for anyone in particular, she just was curious and didn't want to deal with an interrogation for being caught "behind enemy lines", so to speak.

Unless your packmates usually hide behind tree moss? She asked with a small huff.  It was barely a laugh, but there was some humor there.

Sialuk found herself staring at the stranger's eyes, but upon realizing she'd been doing so, she averted them. It seemed rude to stare, and she did not wish to be seen as rude. (There are just too many unintended puns in here, ok?) Sialuk blinked when the wolf answered that she was not looking for anybody who lived here. She was about to speak, even though she wasn't quite sure what to say, before the strange-eyed wolf asked a question that threw her for a loop. How... she trailed off, trying to picture a wolf between a tree trunk and moss, but the thought was absurd.

Oh, you are making a joke! she said, suddenly pleased with herself for picking up on the humor. She was still getting the hang of that side of conversation. I am Sialuk Ostrega. You don't smell like Moonspear, the girl sniffed the air again, breathing in deep. She smelled of something faintly familiar, but Sialuk could not quite connect the dots.

You're quick, Fennec replied a little blandly, her tone indistinct on whether she was making fun of her or not.  (She definitely was).  I'm not from Moonspear.  I'm the witch of the glen.  She attempted to direct her face to where she imagined Sialuk would be.  She'd been told that it was unnerving at times, and now felt like a reallll good time to play that up.  I didn't have to be looking for someone, not when I knew someone would come.

Properly spooky - she was actually proud of that little fib.  This would definitely sounded younger than she was, but sometimes voices could be decieving.  She wondered briefly just how many wolves lived on the Moonspear, or even in the Glen.

The Witch of the Glen. It sounded ominous: just as the witch had intended. Sialuk swallowed hard, wondering what things a witch might do. Cast spells? Curses? When Fennec the witch said she knew someone would come, it sent a chill down Sialuk's spine, lifting the hairs all along her back. H-how did you know? she asked, doing her best to keep her voice even and not show her fear, even if it was written all over her face.

Any thoughts of talking about healing suddenly slipped from the raindrop's mind. Now she was thinking only about what nefarious things the witch might do. Then again... Can you teach me how to do it? she asked. Sialuk wondered if befriending the witch was even possible. It certainly didn't seem probable, but maybe she could make it work. At the very least, it didn't seem like a terrible thing to ask. Unless the witch was offended and decided to turn on her. Another gulp.

Extra senses.  When you are a witch, you have to be able to tell parts of the future, otherwise you can't give proper trade.  Fennec said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.  She could hear the fear (and was that awe?) in Sialuk's voice and it encouraged her to push more into the role.  She was eating this shit up.

I could take on an apprentice, maybe.  But I can't take just any wolf.  So you'd need to prove that you were able to meet the challenge of keeping up.  Fennec answered.  She kept her voice a little dismissive, as though she doubted the younger (?) girl could really accomplish it.  Her mind was in actuality working through the opportunities this presented.  She could have a lackey who would help her do the gathering, and better yet, one who she could creep out and eventually, maybe, teach to creep out others.  There was absolutely zero downside to this.

Sialuk listened, curious as to what the extra senses were. Maybe it had something to do with the witch's eyes. They were peculiar. At the mention of a challenge, Sialuk's ears perked up. What's the challenge? she asked, so eager and ready to begin whatever training or trials the witch might throw at her. There was something quite compelling about knowing the future, and Sialuk wondered if she would be able to know her ugi this way before they even met. What a delightful treat that would be!

Of course, she didn't consider there might be a cost to all this. Nor did she consider that the witch might not take her on at all. Sialuk was an Ostrega, and they were fierce. Her mother had said as much time and time again.

Apparently all it took was 'challenge' and she was running with it.  Fennec did a heavy, heavy metaphorical eye roll.  She hadn't intended there to be an actual challenge, but her attempt to make the role of apprentice seem hard had evidently come off as indicating some kind of entry test.

She could figure out some kind of hazing, she was sure.  But what would be harmless yet extremely, extremely funny to see happen?  Okay.  She agreed.  A snap idea had flitted into her mind and she'd grasped it.  The first step to becoming a true witch is to commune with the toads.  You have to join them in the swamp, make them think you are one of them, and convince them to tell you their secrets.  Delivering this with a straight and serious tone was a credit to a lifetime of telling lies.  It still took about everything she had.

When the witch explained the challenge, Sialuk was shook. How did she know that she'd already talked to Toad? Were they friends? We didn't talk in a swamp, but Toad did tell me her favorite foods. Is that secret enough? Sialuk asked. How was it that she'd already completed the challenge. Now she was half-convinced she already had the makings of a witch. Surely she had known somehow that this challenge was to be presented to her. Or maybe the witch already knew that she'd talked to Toad, and she was using this to spook her. That sent another chill from the base of her neck to the tip of her tail.

How did you know that, though? Did you talk to Toad, too? Sialuk was now convinced that Toad was a witch, too. Both of them were in on it somehow, and this was their way of inviting her into the fold... or capturing her and using her blood for some ritual. Yikes. She stood wide-eyed at the witch, expectant for answers.

Toad?  Did..... this girl.... have a friend... who was a toad?  For once, Fennec was the one who was surprised into silence.  Honestly, she couldn't even say it was the last thing she expected, because that would mean she'd somewhat been expecting it.  No, favorite foods definitely doesn't have anything to do with being a witch, Fennec replied after a beat, still more than a little flummoxed.  She had no idea there was a wolf in the pack who went by the name of 'Toad'.  And god forbid she ever meet her, because holy shit she was going to have fun with that one.

I've talked with plenty of toads.  They just keep the first secrets though.  To get more power, you gotta talk to other animals.  Fennec was talking completely out of her tail now, but she had come back around.  Maybe Sialuk had spoken with this toad friend, or whatever, but she hadn't done the secret (bullshit) ritual that Fennec was currently concocting.  So it hardly counted.

Sialuk frowned. Perhaps she could get Toad to tell her some more secrets next time they saw each other. The witch explained that she would need to talk to others, too. Other animals, in particular. Sialuk scrunched up her face, wondering how she would be able to do that. Maybe her mother would know a way. She was a kind of a witch, wasn't she? A good one, of course.

How do I do that? Sialuk asked, still feeling like a sponge for information. Having some kind of secret power was exactly the kind of new obsession Sialuk needed. She knew that her ugi was a long way off, but until then, she could learn things to keep him happy when they did finally meet.

If you have the power, then you'll just know.  The dumbest lies were sometimes the best.  It didn't matter how complicated you made it - all you needed to do was make it sound believable and personal.  Kids wanted to feel special, and Fennec got the sense this one in particular was a mark.

You just have to listen the right way.  Fennec shrugged, as if for a loss at how to better explain it.  Sialuk sure asked a lot of questions, and pretty sure she'd be running thin on credible answers.

Her answers were vague, but that didn't deter Sialuk. She was bound and determined to be the best witch apprentice that had ever been! Now that she had a mission, she was going to have to go find some animals to talk to and get their secrets out of them. Perhaps her mother could hel—no, that wouldn't be fair. Sialuk was pretty sure she had to do this on her own: no help from anybody else!

I won't fail you, Witch of the Glen, Sialuk solemnly declared. I'm going to go find those animals and listen to their secrets, pronto! She whirled around, picking a direction at random (within Moonspear's boundaries, of course) and began her search for the secretive little critters the witch had spoken of.

Good! Fennec tried to put the proper gravity and approval on it, then finally let herself crack a grin.  I look forward to hearing how it goes. She listened as the girl scampered out of earshot, then cackled quietly.  Oh my god, this was too good.

She was going to have to keep an ear out, see what kind of weird stuff the girl tried.  She was a riot... Fennec could spare some time to help her learn some actual healing too, she supposed.  Only fair since her mom was returning the favor.