Three Blind Mice

As Andy settles on the sand keen pale blue eyes watch for the arrival of wolves. The first to arrive is a woman that the lavender wolf does not know and the girl offers her a friendly smile and dip of her head in way of greeting. The woman remains silent and the girl takes no offense, knowing that they are a newer addition to the pack and likely still feeling the Armada out. Next to appear is her sister, Kite, and the girl’s tail lightly thumps the sand as Lioness, her sibling’s feline companion, guides her forward. While her sibling mummers her name to the stranger, Andy’s attention is drawn up to the arrive of her brother, Dread.

Gratitude swells in her chest for her siblings’ appearances, feeling their support bolster her confidence at her first attempt at giving a lesson. As Dread voices an apology, the girl lifts a paw to shake it away, a warm smile on her lips as she says, “You are not late, Dread. We haven’t even started.” As he settles in next to Kite, the girl takes a deep breath, looking over the gathered wolves before beginning, “Thank you all for coming.” Looking to the stranger, the girl bows her head in greeting and says, “I am Andromeda Fatalis. But please, call me Andy. Everyone does.”

A warm smile is given as she lifts a paw and introduces the other two, “And these are my siblings, Kyanite and Dread.” With that done, Andy sweeps her gaze over the gathered wolves once more, an excited smile on her lips even though her sister cannot see it. Producing the leather satchel, she says, “My sister actually sparked this idea. Today, we are going to learn how fight… blind.” Carefully, she reaches into the depths of the bag and produces two, black strips of leather as she talks, “We have more senses than just our sight and it is important to know how to use them.”

She lifts up the strips of cloth, offering them to Pyrite and Dread as she continues on, “Thankfully, Kite has come prepared for this lesson. Both of you, please take one a blindfold and I will help you to secure it.” As the pieces of cloth are taken and tied in place, Andy carefully checks that no one can see out. Once she is satisfied, the girl says, “Okay, now that you are all on a level playing field, we are going to begin. Lioness, no helping Kite.” She raises a paw to the cat, offering a wink and waggle of her toes before turning her attention back to the wolves, “Now, I want you all to tell me exactly where I am. Work together!”

Quietly, the girl shifts in the sand, moving until she is standing several paces away from the group. Her intention is to get them to use their senses to pinpoint her location before the lesson continues on.


"Andromeda Fatalis"