About midday, Hotaru is in Optime.

Word Count → 376

It was time to settle down. To find a place where the grey wolf could rest at night and have a place to return to when the rain hit. Hotaru had been wandering from leafless trees to deserted caves for the past several days, but it was time for her to find a real place to settle down. The blind woman had heard some whispers of a town within the pack boarders where houses could be found and claimed. Hotaru wondered if this was really true. Many old human dwellings were too dangerous to stay in, while others were covered in mold, vines, and assorted plants. Finding old buildings that could pass as living quarters was hard and Hotaru had always ignored such places. Still, Hotaru felt that there was no harm in looking. After her "accident," Hotaru had found it difficult to make a den for herself. If she could find a usable place, then it would be preferable to her current living conditions.

Fawkes had left earlier in the day to scout the pack lands for this supposed town. After about two hours, Fawkes had successfully found the town and returned to Hotaru. She wandered through the forest using the red tailed hawk as her guide. Eventually, both bird and master stumbled into the old town. Hotaru knew the second they had left the forest, for her staff struck the hard pavement and made an odd clattering sound. The blind woman paused for a minute to bounce her stick up and down on the pavement. Her reddish ears twitched back and forth as she worked to identify and memorize the sound. It wasn't easy, but Fawkes was able to provide some help through his input.

Once she was done inspecting the concrete, Hotaru continued on. She moved quietly and carefully through the town. There were many small shrubs that had poked through the pavement, making them serious tripping hazards for the blind woman. One moment, she would be walking along, and the next she was bumping into a bush. Hotaru cursed as she hit yet another bush and let out a loud frustrated howl. There were supposed to be other wolves living in this town. Perhaps one of them could help her out.

Sorry for the wait.

Word Count → 346

It wasn't long before Hotaru was joined by an unfamiliar female and the somewhat familiar Shawchert. Shawchert had renewed himself in Hotaru's eyes. Her first impression of the large male was not a pleasant one, but after finding out he was a woodcarver this quickly changed. Hotaru had a soft spot for fellow artists and actually hoped that Shawchert might help her get back into the swing of things. Hotaru still had a passion for carving despite the fact that she was now blind, and she would appreciate any help she could get.

Hotaru heard the female's paws before she heard her voice. The blind woman's ears twitched in response but she did not move. "I'm looking for a place to stay. I heard there were houses open somewhere around here." The blind wolf didn't react to Erzulie's gesture, nor did she know what the puppy was up to. Hotaru continued to stare blankly into the world through unseeing eyes. " I'll be fine as soon as I can stop running into these infernal things." To make her point, Hotaru smacked the bush with her cain and let out gruff sigh. She was still not used to navigating new places.

Fawkes had settled himself earlier on the roof a nearby building. He could see both the unknown female and the red male before Hotaru noticed their presence. Fawkes chirped a greeting in low speech when he saw Shawchert. However, Fawkes's good mood was put out when the unfamiliar puppy got too close to his master. Fawkes winged down and alighted on Hotaru's should screeching all the while. The warning made Hotaru happy. She was glad that she could rely on Fawkes and his protective nature made her feel safe. Hotaru stroked Fawkes in praise while at the same time saying, "Fawkes, calm yourself."

Shawchert's arrival made her feel a little better as well. Best to deal with someone you know than someone you don't. "Hello Shawchert. I was just looking for a place to stay. You would't happen to know of any open houses would you?"

I mention in later posts that there is a boulder outside of Hotaru's house. So when we find one that Hotaru likes someone should point the rock out.

Word Count → 360

The young woman seemed quite strange and rather rude. Not only was she talking to herself, but she was actually talking about Hotaru. The rude comments that emitted from the young female's mouth annoyed Hotaru and she felt rather put off by the puppies comments. "Being blind is not that strange, or is your education so lacking that you cannot even tell. Not to mention that you should learn to speak directly to others in their presence." Hotaru's tone was slightly chiding, but not too aggressive. After all puppies could be quite ignorant in certain matters. She would learn soon enough.

When Fawkes joined the pair of wolves he was surprised to encounter an antagonistic tone. He was simply protecting his master and warning the puppy to back away. Rather than fight, Fawkes decided to ignore the young wolf. The red tailed hawked puffed his feathers a little when Hotaru praised him but otherwise reverted to his normal, neutral demeanor.

Erzullie's suggestion to look at strange and creepy houses rather disgusted Hotaru. The blind woman needed a practical, steady house that was easy to navigate and would provide ample workspace for her to carve. Not some haunted house that children like to run around in. Hotaru was relieved that she didn't have to point this out to the puppy. Shawchert's words were far more... gentle than the ones that Hotaru had in mind. Still the woman appeared as neutral as a statue, the slight flick of her tail the only indicator to her mood.

Hotaru chose to ignore how Shawchert suddenly ended his sentence. It had been clear from the first time that the two met that the large wolf was always on edge when Hotaru was around. He was far too conscious sometimes, although the consideration was nice. The grey wolf inclined her head a little saying,"Please lead the way Shawchert. I'm sure you can find a house that would suit my needs." Hotaru patted the satchel that hung at her side where she kept her carving tools. Hopefully things would go off without a hitch, although with the...interesting puppy around this would most likely not be the case.

Perhaps I can say she pushed the boulder there herself at a later time.

Word Count → 375

Puppies. Hotaru shook her head slightly as Erzulie talked, her skepticism coloring her voice and annoying Hotaru. The blind wolf reminded herself that she needed to be patient, Erzulie was still young and there were many things that she didn't know yet. It seemed as if blind wolves fell into this category. The puppy's comment about help was confusing. But rather than showing it, Hotaru simply leaned closer to Erzulie and whispered. "You shouldn't rely on your eyes so much little one. My ears and my nose are all the help that I need."

Fakwes did not enjoy the shift in position, and he spread his wings and tail slightly for balance. The red tailed hawk decided to add in his own opinion to the conversation by stating quite loudly, "I help!" He then dropped down into low speech, chiding Hotaru for not mentioning all the work he had done. Although Fawkes knew that his master was aware of his efforts, the bird would not relinquish his credit. After that, Fawkes was silent.

Hotaru returned to her normal position with a small smile. Fawkes's outburst was unusual and actually pretty funny. Her ears flipped towards Shawchert, his words offering some hope to her. "Thank you for your help." The grey wolf gladly took Shawchert's hand, his guidance more than welcome in the unfamiliar territory. Hotaru lifted her hand a minute and allowed in to rest on the large male's arm. "It will be easier this way." Shawchert always seemed uncomfortable around Hotaru, and her suspicions were confirmed when she felt how tense he was. It was understandable of course, their first meeting had not gone so well and Hotaru had allowed her anger to get the best of her. She seemed to be doing that a lot actually and it was something she vowed to work on.

The blind wolf kept her staff out in front of her. The methodical beating of the wood against the ground marking their passage. Hotaru was careful not to hit Shawchert as she swung the staff in a tight arch. Each tap was to test the ground where her next step would be. The system worked although it wasn't perfect, as was evident by her crashing into bushes earlier.