Barrow Fields high octane

Just like most days, Haunt intended to spend her time tracking Broken Antler. The name had come to her while gnawing on the piece of antler in bed last night. Immediately, she began to think of the entire herd by that calling card, named for the lead stag.

But Mother Nature had other plans for her today. After drinking from the stream that wound near the territory's far border, she spontaneously rousted a rabbit and gave chase. The fleet-footed critter led her in a zigzag pattern alongside the creek, past the borders. Soon the water dropped away behind them and the hare vanished down a hole in a sprawling field.

Haunt drew up and caught her breath, then loped toward where her prey had disappeared. There was a small burrow in the grass. She began to sniff around, quickly finding others. Perhaps this was a was a warren, a discovery which made her think of her older brother, @Warlock.

Assuming the wolf @Alyx met either pointed the way or escorted them, whatever the case may be, at some point Fennec ended up here.  She did not know how close she was to the destination that her sister had in mind, and honestly didn't know much about the place at all.  She'd asked a few questions, but she really hoped to meet them herself and form an opinion that way.  All she knew was that Alyx had made friends there... and that Niamh hated them.  The latter actually made them interesting.

She didn't pass by close enough to hear the other wolf snuffling at a burrow.  In fact, she nearly passed straight by without noticing... but then the wind caught her and carried a strong scent of strange wolf.

She turned and stood somewhat defensively, listening hard for anything coming up on her.  She didn't immediately speak... in moments like these, instinct told her first to find where they were.  She could introduce herself as soon as she had confirmed they weren't about to jump her and (literally) bite her face off.

When another wolf materialized close by, Haunt's heart did a strange little leap as she thought, Meerkat? But upon closer look, it wasn't her half-sister, despite the resemblance. This was a stranger, her body language speaking loud and clear. She was very still, legs braced, and appeared to be listening, though her eyes were cast vaguely askew.

A little nonplussed by this uncanny behavior, Haunt also went very still. She said nothing, blinking as she watched the other she-wolf, waiting for her to make a move of some kind. Mostly, Haunt waited to see if she would look at her.

Fennec's ears twitched and rotated as she waited, breathlessly, to hear any sound.  All she heard was silence, but the scent was too strong for them to be far.  They might be sleeping but they might also be watching her, and the latter made her fur prickle.  She was reminded suddenly of the wolf in the canyon and the creepy way he'd circled her.

I know someone's there,  she called out, likely a little louder than necessary.  Truthfully she wasn't one hundred percent sure, only like... 98%.  But she'd rather know than not, because otherwise she'd be keeping ears to her back even more than usual.  She hated the uncomfortable feeling that came with being followed.  At least she knew it was a wolf, because having it be anything else would have been ten times worse.  It didn't matter how brave she was; the thought of fighting another mountain lion on her own terrified her.

So don't try anything.  She added after a beat.  She lifted her tail instinctually as her pose took a more commanding, somewhat aggressive lift.  Generally Fennec didn't speak in body language, but some things were deeper knowledge than needed to be learned via mimicry.

She didn't look at her, though the stranger shouted something that made absolutely no sense. Haunt blinked, hard. She shifted her weight, yellow eyes narrowing a little at what came next. Haunt's lips parted, though she was at a loss for words for a beat.

When she found her voice, she said, "Ah, I'm standing right here...?" There was an edge to her voice, borne out of uneasiness, particularly when the other female's posture shifted. Her own stiffened in response as she mentally scoffed, Are you blind?

There's definitely someone there, Fennec thought, though as the silence stretched a moment she wondered if she was wrong in her feeling.  Then Haunt spoke, causing a small internal alarm bell to go off.  She'd thought they were farther away.  She'd forgotten how different the coast was... how loud.  Last time she'd had Penn and hadn't needed to worry.

Doing what, just standing there?  She asked a little pointedly.  But she did relax some because the girl (sounded like a girl) had let her know she was there and didn't seem like she was lurking to pounce or whatever. Little weird.

Normally Fennec didn't pay much mind to strangers, but with Alyx coming to move out here, she figured anyone she met might become a good contact should she head out this way again.  It didn't occur to her that this might go smoother if she turned off the usual snark, but hey, talk was talk.

Haunt's head actually tilted almost ninety degrees when the stranger called her weird. "Look who's talking," she shot back, oblivious to the pun. "Are you—" Before the word "blind" could roll off her tongue, a realization struck her. Her yellow eyes widened a little, fixing on the other she-wolf's face and attempting to make eye contact to test her theory.

She had never met a blind wolf before, though she knew of it conceptually. The stranger's gaze was pale and unfixed. Did that mean anything? Haunt wasn't sure. She'd seen a wide variety of eye colors. And she had no idea if blind wolves' eyes looked any different than normal.

Asking if she was blind outright seemed rude, sort of like asking Chacal why the hell she sang everything. She didn't know this lady, she might be sensitive about her disability. So Haunt considered a moment before carefully asking, "Can't you see me?" She felt a little foolish as she lifted one forepaw in a little wave.

Fennec heard the question cut off and thought she knew what it was going to be.  Instead, Haunt seemed to choose the polite route, which immediately triggered Fennec's slightly wicked sense of humor.  Apparently this girl was afraid of offending her, perfect.

Are you making fun of me right now?!  Seriously?  She asked, full on offended and adding a slight edge of hurt.  She'd pulled this shit on Osiris so long ago, but that time she'd overreached because she thought it would be hilarious to see Bronco and him (momentarily) at odds.  This girl she didn't know shit about, which made it easier.

She carefully watched the other wolf's face for any reaction to the movement. There was none, though before she could process this any further, she was being accused of making fun of the stranger. Haunt's whole being paused for a moment and she shook her head, forgetting that she wouldn't see it.

"No, er," she said quickly, her voice laced with curiosity and a bit of wonder. "You are blind," she stated in that same slightly marveling tone, before realizing how that must sound. "No, I'm not making fun of you," Haunt repeated. "I'm—" Her tongue stilled as she sought the right word, though it failed to make an appearance.

Damn, she didn't give in to the guilt trip.  Good on her but not a whole lot of fun for Fennec.  She did seem to stumble a bit on the response though, which would have to be enough.

I'm just messing with you.  But yeah.  She answered a little blasé, shifting to better face the direction and catch what was said.  Do you live around here?  If she did, maybe she'd have some info - or at least some tips.

"—impressed." The word came to her at the very same time the stranger spoke, revealing that she was only messing with Haunt. The youth met this information with a loud exhale, then a slight squint as she was forced to admit, Okay, you got me pretty good...

Anyway, she'd asked a question. "I live close by. I'm here hunting rabbits." Haunt paused and then, a little apologetically, added, "I'd ask you to join me, but..." But she couldn't hunt, right? She couldn't see, how could she?

Wait, how did she survive? How was she out here on her own? Once again, Haunt found herself marveling. She was so caught up now, she didn't even realize how insultingly that remark might come across.

It wasn't all that often that a stranger was able to knock Fennec off her game but Haunt, with a single sentence, managed it.  Her ears straightened a bit indignantly, and her first instinct was to call Haunt out on the fact that it was a bullshit assumption.  But, aside from a few lucky snags here and there, she was right.  Fennec was dead terrible at hunting.  She just couldn't track the animal, her surroundings, and what was happening enough to respond to everything at that speed.

Right.  Well, don't let me cramp your style.  She replied indifferently.  But, if you wanted to pay up part of anything you catch... I could tell you your future.  Bring it around to something she could do.  Besides, more importantly - she was hungry.

The offer was as distracting as the woman's blindness. "The... future?" Haunt repeated stupidly, trying to make heads or tails of what she meant. "How do you mean?" she pressed before adding, "I don't mind sharing my catch, if I manage anything. But how do you..." She scraped her bottom lip with her teeth as she once again struggled to find the right words. Haunt ended up going with the blunt approach. "Is that how you survive? By 'paying' others to hunt for you?"

Seriously!?  This girl didn't have any filter.  Fennec's expression shifted into amused pride.  So?  Nothing wrong with that.  Better than starving or takin food for nothing.  I don't need anyone's handouts.  The way she said it, it was clear she wasn't at all embarrassed by this state of the world.  She'd had that crisis... what, a year ago?  It was old news now.

So you share, you get a future.  No self-respecting witch would get herself into debt with a stranger anyway.  She added, not answering the first question.  She'd explained it to Sialuk and to Bronco, but it felt like it was bad for business, sharing her trade secrets with every loner she met.  Better for them to guess it was random magic or a hoax or whatever shit they might put to it.  Didn't matter to her so long as they were curious enough to give it a try.

She didn't intend it as a condemnation, though she deserved the defiant rejoinder. Haunt's lips parted to say she didn't mean it that way, yet she pressed them together again and let the woman finish. Perhaps she should think a little more before she spoke anyway.

And if I don't share? I don't have a future? she mused, though thought better than to say. Haunt was entirely fascinated by this stranger. It was incredible that she was alive and well, by the look of it. It took grit to survive, even with eyesight. She was something else.

"Witch," she repeated, the word making her think of Artemis and her visions. All of that had fallen by the wayside. In hindsight, Haunt was pretty sure the goddess was just a symptom of a neurological trauma which had eventually healed. But she hadn't forgotten about Vex's dealings with Sos, nor lost her faith completely.

After another ponderous moment, Haunt decided, "Okay... deal."

Great.  That made today way easier.  Fennec sat down and tried to fix her attention on where Haunt actually was.  Okay.  If you go and pay upfront, I'll have time to get a longer one.  If you want one now, it'll be shorter.  She didn't make the rules, she just delivered them... or that's what she usually tried to imply.  Really she did make the rules and payment upfront meant less risk of giving her end and having Haunt run off.  She didn't mind waiting around while the girl hunted because it meant she got to rest her paws a bit and pull together whatever bullshit she could about her.

This conversation hadn't revealed much, but it had some.

Her payment would require much more time and effort, Haunt assumed, though she didn't really care one way or the other. She did warn, "I'm fine with hunting first. It might take a while and there's no guarantee I'll even catch anything. Of course, I don't expect anything from you if I don't. Wait here."

Well, where would she go? She was blind, she couldn't go sightseeing. As Haunt ventured to a more isolated corner of the fields, she couldn't help but wonder how this witch found her way around on her own. Maybe she could ask while they ate.

It took several hours and Haunt was feeling rather harried by the time she finally made a catch. She carried the freshly slain rabbit back toward the area where she'd left the blind she-wolf, curious to see if she'd really waited around all this time. If Haunt was her meal ticket, then...

Fennec had some time to burn, she figured, before she needed to meet up with her sister again.  Still, she was antsy by the time Haunt did return and had settled down for a quick nap to kill the wait.  Sleeping in the open meant for shitty rest, though, and the fitful attempt had her sitting up and waiting when Haunt finally arrived back carrying a kill.  Well, she'd certainly had plenty of time to think on a reading.  Full size it is, she thought, the scent of warm prey hitting her and making her stomach rumble.

Alright, think of a question.  Or, y'know, just something you want to know about with the future.  Doesn't have to be specific, but maybe they'll answer.  Fennec paused a moment, then took a breath, sitting down and affecting a bit more of her character.  She hadn't really fully embraced the 'Wraith' persona since leaving the canyon behind her, but she did enjoy the gravity the predictions had when she spoke with a slightly more formal (and ghostly) tone.

This girl was kind, or at least nicer than Fennec herself.  She didn't think much before she spoke and didn't really apologize for that, which meant she wasn't self-conscious.  Normally Fennec could tie a wolf up in knots calling them out like she had.  She was curious about her future, though, which meant she either was curious in general or she wanted something.  Wasn't a whole lot but it was more than enough for a start.

You are looking for something.  A connection, something warm, fulfilling.  For some reason the field she was in brought this to mind and she went with it.  It was the strongest feeling of the 'signs' she'd gotten and saying anything else just didn't really feel right.  The sensation had been shattered pretty abruptly, though, by a flock of sea birds overhead.  To find it, you'll want to avoid enemies both inside and out.  Petty drama isn't worth holding.  This girl seemed pretty drama-free to Fennec but practically anyone, she reasoned, could find something worth the name if they looked for it.  Think about what you have and where you are.  You've had disappointments in the past, maybe even grief.  Thinking about what she'd give for past, all she'd really heard was the wind, and it sounded empty.  If you are looking for more, for others to see you as you want to be seen, then don't rely on false appearances.  You'll earn it soon enough and you'll grow into something even more.  New growth was always one of the easiest things to read and it was always one she secretly enjoyed giving.  Not that things like doom and gloom weren't fun too, in their own weird way.

You are anxious and worried about things, that isn't good.  You need to find some honest perspective on that.  Sometimes the truth is something to fear, but usually it's what you need to hear as well.  If you do this, you'll overcome and achieve success.  It had been, perhaps, one of her most positive readings yet.  She blamed the coast, honestly.  The birds, the clean salt air, the gentle rumble of the waves.

That's what they tell me.  She paused, waiting to hear a reaction.  She would have liked to have thrown a couple more curveballs in there but honestly... there was something fun about giving a true, real account of her first impression.  It felt like she was actually touching on something at times.

Been a while!!! <3 AHHHH! celtic cross reading

heart of matter - the empress
opposing factors - X of swords
root cause - VII of pentacles
past - V of cups
goal - son of wands
future - ace of wands
self - V of pentacles
hopes/fears - ace of swords
outcome - VI of wands
external factors - daughter of swords

She was still there. As Haunt drew up near her and set the rabbit at her feet, she realized she'd never gotten a name. Her mouth opened only to clap shut when the blind she-wolf detected her presence—and, more importantly, the food's—and promptly launched into her reading.

Haunt retreated a few steps, then took a seat. She listened carefully as her fortune was told. At first, she carefully controlled her face. Then she realized: her company couldn't see it. She stopped bothering to keep it smooth, various expressions drifting across it throughout the fortune.

Will I become the hunter Artemis wanted me to be? was Haunt's somewhat belated response to the witch's prompt. With this context, some of the words fit. Others simply didn't. Some of it could apply to anyone at all. Regardless, it was all rather fascinating.

"Where do you get all this?" Haunt wanted to know. "The food's about two feet in front of you," she added, perhaps unnecessarily. Surely she could smell it. "It's all yours."

Fennec sniffed at the rabbit while Haunt, doubtless, thought on the future. It was a good sized catch. Nice, she responded, testing the weight and setting it down. She'd have offered to share, and almost did, but stopped. If the girl was willing to release the whole thing, that meant she could take it back and give Alyx a part.

It's just what the signs tell me, she replied, as if it were the simplest and most obvious thing in the world. At some point, Fennec supposed, she should find a source behind the signs. Some kind of dark entity, no doubt, that she'd sold her soul to for the power. Now that'd make a cool rumor for her witch origin. Some tradgedy, perhaps, drove her to it? She'd workshop it.

I just listen. And feel, and.... sense. But she'd get the idea.

Haunt wasn't really sure what to make of that, nor what to say. She offered a bland, "Ah." She didn't know whether she believed in any of it. Once upon a time, she might've put more stock into it. Nowadays, Haunt was pretty ambivalent about spiritual matters.

"Well," she said a moment or two later, "I need to get back." She could've been more specific but didn't really feel the need. "Enjoy," Haunt tacked on, her gaze lingering on the blind she-wolf for a moment before turning to go, forgetting all about getting a name.

Sometimes she had an effect, sometimes she didn't. It was definitely more enjoyable when she did, and Haunt's lack of any real give was disappointing. But Fennec wasn't about to let that discredit her image, and she simply smiled, trying to give of the air as if she knew more than she was letting on. It felt like the girl had sniffed out her bullshit but that didn't mean she wouldn't find some confirmation of it later.

Bye, she said after, listening as she disappeared. Then she snorted lightly to herself and picked up the rabbit before turning to return to Alyx. Pretty successful trip, if she did say so herself.