Bramblepoint Green-Cheese Moon

qiao had misunderstood. she recalibrated the conversation, thinking back. she had thought he meant a long con mark -- and when he supplied a name, her brow visibly furrowed.

she imagined if autolycus got caught, he would get far more than he thought he deserved. wolves were unkind, doubly so to those who had wronged them. she imagined she'd come across him with his throat cut one day. "tch, well. i'll tell you one thing." qiao leveled him with a knowing stare: "the fang that gets us is never the one we're looking for."

she hunched down upon the ground and began to murmur something into the earth. when she rose, her expression seemed blank. "i must continue east. one thing, before i go. you ever find interesting objects, or hear of things of great worth, you find me and i will reward you well.

go to any birch sapling with the heart of a partridge, and repeat 'green ark' to it three times. i will come."