she hamstrung the animal as it attempted to flee and smoothly sliced its throat before it could escape. Her sword shone in the sun as she whipped him sharply to remove the deer’s blood from his blade. He was so bright, her beautiful fang. As she thought this, something clicked in her mind. Brightfang was his name, she was as certain of that as she would have been if he had whispered it in her ear. “ Brightfang? Aptly named, well chosen.” She set about gutting the deer using the only sharp thing she had around; the pace-length, razor sharp edge of Brightfang. It was easier than she anticipated it being to her pleasant surprise. Before long she was dragging the animal back to the rough lean-to she had built in a copse of sweet-smelling fir trees. The familiar cries of the ravens that roosted above her makeshift home greeted her arrival. Mindful of scavengers, Callindra poked her fire into life and set about skinning and butchering her prize. She didn’t have as much experience preserving food as she did hides, but drying meat didn’t seem terribly difficult. Keeping it safe from forest creatures would likely be more of a problem. The sun was falling behind the horizon by the time she had finished cutting the venison into strips and hanging them over the fire to dry on a lattice of green willow trees. For her supper she sliced up the deer’s heart and roasted it, knowing it wouldn’t keep and that it had the most nutrition. With a sigh, she decided she could allow the skin to sit until the morning and after carefully cleaning Brightfang climbed into bed. - It was a year to the day since she had left and it was not without some trepidation that Callindra approached the homestead. Her clothes were tanned hides of various animals as the thin wool she had been wearing when she left Glarian to his fate had long since disintegrated. Although initially she had thought to make some sort of breeches she eventually adopted a short skirt out of necessity; she couldn’t make the stitching durable enough without proper thread. Besides, she had to grudgingly admit it was a lot easier to move when your legs were totally free. After her soft boots had fallen apart over the winter she made an attempt to make a pair of shoes but her attempts had failed. After a month she found her feet had become accustomed to standing up to the abuse. After another month she figured out how to cushion her feet slightly with air and began to spend entire days sitting on the peak of the tallest bare hill she could find meditating and listening to the winds as they blew around her. Once or twice while moving through the Stances she thought someone was watching her, but if they were actually there she never saw them. With her nerves on edge she walked into the clearing and towards the silent house. Upon not seeing any signs of life she squared her shoulders and opened the door, “Master I’ve returned…” her words were softened by the layer of dust on every surface, no one had set foot in this room for months. The door closed behind her as a breeze curled around her ankles swirling the dust into the air. With a sneeze she walked through the house, searching for any sign of Glarian but to no avail. Despite the doors and windows being closed a slight breeze moved the curtains, catching her attention. She calmed her mind as she had been taught and the breeze changed to a whisper. “ Callindra I am sorry I am unable to be here to witness your return and personally bestow your reward upon you. I have instead left it for you in your hidden place to keep it safe. Keep my sigil against the day we meet again. I will find you; refrain from looking for me, the path I must now travel is far too dangerous for a young pup like yourself even if you are a wolf cub.” “ Like hell I’m not looking for you Master.” Callindra shook her head ruefully as she went into the tiny room where she had slept; he knew about her hiding place the whole time did