( It had been easy to dodge or sidestep this topic, so long as a colleague hadn’t actually seen it happen themselves; hadn’t been there to haul the dead wolf off Astrid’s panicky body. She’d settled into Riftwatch life. A big beaming smile, a laugh, a strong drink, all to hide the fact that there was anything under the surface. Generally skirted this subject in the meantime. )

Something something something, learning’s all the difference. I remember back when the Inquisition first started…

( She sets her empty cup aside and turns her hand in Abella’s, her free hand reaching out to flip Abella’s palm instead to reveal the shard of green, Astrid’s fingertips running along it like she’s checking lifelines. The anchor that all rifters have. )

These things. I heard of a Sky Watcher went and joined the Inquisition outright ‘cos of this. Because the rifts are tears in the sky, right, and healing them must be a good thing for our goddess, the Lady of the Skies. I’m not a priest and I don’t know anything about anything, but it does feel sort of right? A good place to be, to make a difference.

( It was why she was still here; and hadn’t yet gone skulking home with her tail between her legs. )