A Tear In Space

Barghest turned sharply at the sound of the voice, her fur still bristling from her outburst. She studied the wolf before her — a stranger, yet there was something familiar about her scent. She took a moment to compose herself, though the raw edge of her emotions was still apparent in the huff of her nostrils and the wild glaze of her eyes.

‘Hopefully you aren’t planning on joining that rock,’ The stranger had said. Barghest's bright blue eyes narrowed slightly, defiance and wariness clear on her features. ‘What a waste that would be.’ What? Kill herself? What a joke.

Barghest took a step back, feeling the cliff's edge close behind her. “Who are you?” The mottled girl demanded, the rough timbre of her voice laced with a blend of suspicion and guardedness. “And why do you care?”

The stranger — a slate and cream fae — seated herself calmly, her long tail curling around her body. ‘Why don’t you tell me your name and what’s bothering you? Family should help family, after all.’

Family. The word struck Barghest like a blow. She had lost so much of her family recently and was actively losing more, but here was someone claiming to be part of it. “Barghest.” She finally replied after sizing up the woman before her, her name falling from her lips like a sigh. “My name is Barghest Klein. And if you’re really family, you would know that there’s too much bothering me to even begin.” Her surname tasted sour on her tongue, but she still said it.

Her eyes, bright and sorrowful, locked onto the stranger’s. “And you? Why haven’t I met you before?” The wind from the ocean whipped around them, carrying the scent of salt and distant lands. Barghest's tail lashed once, a reflection of the turmoil within her as she waited for her answers. Complete with all the charm of an angsty teenager.

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