The people of this village - one of the larger ones humans have attempted so close to a fairy city - would quite object to that. Several of them seem quite adept at heartful magic - 

Though of course no match for her artifacts.

Their objections are of no concern, of course. Simple annoyances to be swatted out of her way that she might carry on uninterrupted.

- Someone walks into the village.

He's vibrant, colors settled into him with more life than they do for most humans. His hair is a gleaming white, his robes a blue like sapphires, the black of his fur trim so utterly black it might be best to call all other shades of that color a light grey. His eyes are green, glittering with shards of gold and blue, and his staff of ivory is topped with a gem that sparkles with a marvelous iridescence. 

He doesn't seem at all concerned with the fairy's power, and his magic lashes out in a rainbow of color, shielding the people as they flee, restoring color to those who have lost their hearts to her but not yet died.

"This is not," he grumbles, "Proper behavior."

"Yes, it is quite rude of you to interrupt like this."

"You don't understand the true value of a heart, do you? To you they're just toys, raw materials - "

"Obviously. If you are going to continue to be bothersome, old man, I will take my leave."

He taps his staff on the ground.

"You will understand."

And color washes over the plaza - washes over her, kindling something in her chest...

She stumbles, grabs her chest-

"Even one such as you may have a heart," he says, voice ominous, and then vanishes in a swirl of color.

The humans are gone, too.

What is- happening. Everything- feels. So much.

She's angry.

She's angry at that man. He's gone but she's still angry. How dare he do this to her? Take her artifacts, take her prey. How dare he. He will pay for this. She will make him pay. Hunt him down and feed his face to the dogs.

He's nowhere to be found, unfortunately.

She needs to figure out how to find him. Can't use any of her artifacts because of this useless lump in chest. Fuck that old man. She doesn't really want to go back to the city like this.

So.

The Heartful have magic. She should figure out how to use it. Scavenge what she can here and then... push outward.

There's food, some of it already prepared so it'll keep for the winter. There's clothes, in sensible colors (her own outfit, once no longer in the grey-scale of the Heartless, is quite colorful apparently). There's tools and bags and daily usable stuff - none of it artifacts. There's no books, nor any indication of writing.

What a pain. Don't humans know how to read?

She'll trade out her outfit for a darker one. Pick a pair of bags and fill them with a collection of food and useful items. No maps or anything at all?

There's crude maps of their fields - on wood, not paper - with little symbols of different plants. No larger scale maps, though. 

Idiot humans with their idiot hearts. Whatever.

One direction's as good as another, then. She starts walking.

There's trails, cut through the forest. This one winds down-slope, towards and then over a peaceful stream, until there's a rhythmic ting! ting ting! ting! sound curling through the trees as they start to thin out.

That sound is intensely annoying. She would very much like to kill whoever's making it.

Seems to be: a blacksmith! Working in a smithy a distance from another, smaller village. He stops when Shade comes into sight, smiling a bit, and calls out, "Hello and well met, stranger! Are you from down Luta's way?"

"Who the fuck is Luta?"

"Village up the hill? Paths might be a bit different than I remember, I 'spose, haven't been that way in a while."

"Whatever. I need a map."

"Of the area? Think there's one with the priests, since they do the coordinating trails and all."

"And where are they?"

He'll give directions! It's a small village, and the temple's also the granary for this and some outlying settlements so is the largest building.

She starts heading that way.

She's able to get out of earshot before he starts hammering again, fortunately for everyone's collective sanity.

The temple isn't particularly grand, nothing like even the most modest of fairy buildings. It's stone, with tapestries inside and woven rugs and scenes carved into the walls, and a woman in an undyed robe washing the floor.

"Oh, hello and well met, stranger!" she says. "I haven't seen you around! Are you a traveler?"

"Are all humans so stupid? What else would I possibly be?"

She's a bit more wary, suddenly. "Well, we get immigrants, sometimes," she says, evenly, "Or people who don't customarily travel. Still, is there something I can do for you?"

"I need a map."

"Well, we have a few. I can't give them away, but I can show you them, and copy one onto a wooden board, if you need it."

"Yes. Do that."

She frowns, but heads back, bringing out two large wooden plaques, some clay tablets, and a blank piece of wood - as well as a second, older woman, who is somehow a bit more vibrant, and who regards Shade calmly.

The priestess can point out their village, and the other nearby villages, and the paths to important places, and then can transfer whatever map-portion seems most needed?

What are the important places?

The market clearing, the freshest stream nearby, good hunting grounds, the broader paths that lead to the main river, and farther clusters of people and villages.

Of those, she's interested in the paths and the further spread villages.

Then a map covering just those, with the smaller paths not detailed, can be transferred magically onto the wooden board for her.

Hmmm.

She sticks the board into a bag and walks away.

The temple people seem subtly relieved to see her go.

She isn't accosted on her way outside of town.

How do these people not have any paper at all? It's ridiculous. She was doing them a favor by turning their hearts to a useful purpose, putting them out of their misery.

If they really don't have any books at all, she'll probably need to talk to someone to find out what they know about heartful magic. Ugh.

She's definitely not in the mood to do that now. How far out are the furthest villages on her map?

Miles; it could easily take her until sundown to get there.

Maybe the walk will clear her head. Somehow, she doubts that it will. She's still simmering.

And, a good ways from the village, when the sky above is streaked in shades of dying orange and yellow, there's a girl in an incredibly vibrant orange dress sitting on a tree branch over the path, looking out towards the sunset, though she twists around when Shade comes into sight.

Her saturation's off, in the way of someone who became Heartful after a while without a heart. She has human coloring, mostly, but there's a spryness to her they often don't have - and, of course, the fabric of her dress is far more cleanly manufactured than the typical rough-woven linen or hand-worked leather of human clothes.

"Hello!" she calls, cheerfully.

"Hello."

"Are you a fairy also?"

"Yes."

"Hm." She sits on the branch so she's facing Shade and kicks her legs. "I haven't seen any other Heartful fairies while I've been here. Did'ya steal someone's heart?"

"I have taken many hearts. To use in artifacts."

"Aw. I miss my artifacts kinda, but Heartful magic's neater. Still, if you were making them, it's sad you lost them."

"I did not lose them, I know precisely where they are. The ability to use them was taken from me."

"Aw. Someone made you have a heart? That's mean."

"Yes. An old man with a staff."

"Old men with staffs and old ladies with weird voices do all the cool stuff in the stories," she says, sagely. "Or at least the human stories."

"If you say so. I never paid much attention and they're too stupid to write anything down."

"They've got really good memories instead, I think! The one who taught me magic knew all sorts of stuff, from her whole life."

"Mm."

"It's good magic. I can turn into things, now!"

"How nice for you."

"If you don't like your heart, have you tried taking it out?"

"I'm given to understand that usually has poor results."

"You can do it safely! Some humans do it on purpose, even."

"Can I use my artifacts again if I do that?"

"I think so! Heartless humans can, at least."

"Do you know how to safely remove a heart?"

"I've done it to someone before! Though I think it's safer if you do it yourself. The thing I heard was focusing on really wanting it gone for, like, a few minutes?"

She'll try that, then.

She doesn't want this thing in her chest, it should be gone, her life was better before it, if she gets rid of it the old man loses...

Nope.

The girl's frowning, kicking her legs and biting her lip.

Focus.

Get this damn piece of shit out-

Still not doing anything, except maybe giving her indigestion.

Out out out out out get out! She doesn't want it! Useless! Worthless! A chain dragging her down that she will snap!

Her chest hurts, sharp and bitter, and she's becoming more vibrant, possibly, her heart beating loud in her ears like it's grown a size larger -

What the fuck! This is the opposite of what she wants to happen! She wants silence, not a louder heartbeat!

Her heartbeat speeds up but doesn't grow much louder.

Fine. Fuck this, then.

"Maybe you're cursed?" the girl says, hesitantly. "If there was a strange old man involved, and you can't get rid of it at all..."

"That seems unfortunately likely."

"Aw, that sucks."

"Yes."

Kicking her legs. "Do you wanna learn Heartful magic then?"

"Yes. Can you teach it?"

"I think so! I'm good at doing it at least!"

"Will you teach me, then?"

"Sure thing!"

"Good. How do we start?"

She jumps down.

"It's about wanting stuff, specifically enough and in the right way that it happens! Some stuff, like lighting a fire, is really simple and easy to do, while some stuff's harder. I started with meditating on wanting my fire lit - it was cold and I wouldn't get a fire otherwise."

"So simpler, concrete things are easier."

"Yeah. Though so are things you want a lot, and things you can clearly visualize."

"And how- broad is the category of what's possible?"

"I dunno! I can make people immortal, if I care about them. Not myself, but that's 'cause I'm Harrowed. I can light fires and make things and heal people, and I've heard stories of devoted lovers bringing back the dead..."

"Based on desire. I see."

"Yeah. I think there's an effective cap, just on how much people can care..."

Nod. "How does wanting things in the right way work?"

"Hmmm." She kicks her legs. "I think it's a little different for everyone. You gotta be focusing on just that to get it started? Gotta want just that thing at the moment."

"So it's focused desire."

"Kind of, yeah."

"I will need to practice..."

"What's something you tend to want? That's small? We can start with that."

"...A hardboiled egg."

"Alright! Random bird eggs okay, or like chicken eggs?"

"Chicken."

"We'll find a village, then!"

She has a map that shows villages. She takes it out.

She points to one. "That one's close-ish, and they've got healthier animals, I think, and they don't mind me too much."

"Let's go there, then."

"Alright!"

And she leads the way, scampering to the edge of the village to steal their eggs - quite a few - and then back out a distance, where she finds a comfortable pair of rocks to perch on. 

"So! Try to focus on wanting these hard-boiled - just one at a time, mind you, whichever you're holding." And she offers one up.

She takes it. And starts to focus.

It has been a while since she's eaten. She's hungry. Can't eat the egg raw, though. And there's no other way to get it cooked here.

It doesn't seem to be cooking right away.

Well, it should hurry up. This is magic, it's ridiculous that she has to wait. She wants this egg to be hardboiled right now.

...No. Not quite? Not yet, at least.

Yet another grievance to add to this day's list of sins. Hurry up, dammit.

Her hand tightens too much on the egg, and it cracks apart.

It's maybe a bit firmer than it should be raw, at least.

The girl hands her another egg.

Jaw clenched, she wipes her hand off on the grass and prepares to try again.

For some reason, it goes a bit easier this time - but not quite perfect. The yolk's still a bit runny.

She holds out her hand to the girl for another.

And focus.

And the egg boils.

Ha. Finally.

The girl claps! Being careful of her eggs, of course.

She cracks the shell and peels it off, then eats the egg. She is hungry, after all.

The girl grins. "You should also boil the rest, to practice it."

She can bend herself to that task.

And soon they will have a very hearty snack!

Good.

Om nom nom!

"So what're you hoping to do with your magic?"

"Find the old man and kill him."

She hums. "What if you're still stuck Heartful, then?"

"Then I'll curse his memory. But by that point presumably I'll be powerful enough that I can make do."

"It's easier with power, yeah."

"Mm."

"What types of stuff do you like to do?"

"Experiment with artifacts, mostly. Read."

"You'd have to steal books from the fairies, probably, if you don't like listening to people tell stories. But there's lots of experimenting to do with Heartful magic."

"Yes. I will also need to find a new place to live."

"Do you not wanna live with humans?"

"I have not been terribly charmed by any of the specimens I have met thus far."

"Do you want to live with Heartful fairies, then?"

"That depends on them. Though I have never been very fond of neighbors of any description."

"You could have a tower! With books! And magic spells protecting it!" She seems charmed by this idea.

"Possibly, yes."

"I bet I could turn a lizard into a dragon for you. Every wizard tower should have a dragon protecting it."

"Only if I could control it."

"Obviously! I'd show you how."

"...I'd need more information about the area to pick where I'd want a tower. A better map."

Humming. "And you might figure out something else you wanna do, anyways."

"Perhaps."

"I know there's more Heartful fairies around - I've been looking for some. I can teach you magic, and you can help me look, and then maybe we'll both have allies for our stuff."

"A fair enough bargain. Very well."

"Good! Do you got any questions about magic, then? Oh, I can show you how to make a shelter, if you don't want to go stay with humans!"

"Yes, that would be appreciated."

"It's easier if you've got some rock or pliable trees..." she says, bouncing to her feet and starting off into the forest. "There should be some exposed cliff-faces this way, though."

Shade follows.

Cliff: is findable! The girl walks her through how to move things simply, and how tree branches are different from reeds which are different from stone. Breaking things is pretty easy. This section of cliff's stable, though, and the girl can correct for anything dangerous.

Fun.

"I never did get your name," she says.

"Didn't get yours either!"

"I am called Shade Eclipse Heart."

"That's a cool name!"

"Uh."

"I'm September Morning Bell."

"...I see."

"Is," Shade gestures vaguely at her colorfulness, "that why you disappeared?"

"Uh. Kinda."

"Also realized I don't agree with my mother's rule."

"Apparently if you're Heartful you care about stuff like murdered dads."

"Are you seeking Heartful fairies to recruit allies, then?"

"Yeah. And 'cause I don't like feeling lonely."

"Hm."

Fidgeting. "You're not gonna report me, are you?"

"No. I don't care for the Queen enough to go back there like this."

"...Thanks."

"You are welcome."

Heee!

She leans back. "We should try to get more food than just stolen eggs tomorrow, but I haven't figured out the making-plants-grow trick yet..."

"The humans barter, yes? What do they value that you can make?"

"I can heal people! That's super valuable. I gotta care about someone to make them immortal, so that's harder to trade, but I find it pretty easy to care about people."

"Then if you are willing to share the proceeds of your efforts, that seems to solve that problem."

"Yeah, I am."

Then Shade will continue to practice breaking and shaping until it's time to sleep.

The next morning, September leads them deeper into human territory, towards one of the larger settlements, since, "It's more likely to have people who need healing, and to have the stuff we wanna trade for."

That makes sense.

This larger village is a bit more suspicious of them, but is willing to put that aside for September's healing. They have further maps to trade, and preserved food, and cloth bags and assorted wares.

Useful things all. No books, but what can one expect of these people. She should have brought some with her. Not that she could have foreseen the need.

September trades for food and a bag with colorful embroidery and a bunch of beads and cocoa beans ("These are kind of like currency," she explains, "'Cause everyone thinks they're valuable."), and a thin strip of heavily embroidered cloth like a belt or very long hair ribbon.

Shade doesn't think she can care about any of these people enough to do any healing. She still has some supplies from that first village, anyway.

September can cover for anything Shade wants, but, yeah. Of course even a relatively big settlement doesn't have a ton of people needing healing, especially not with them just dropping by and not wanting to wait for word to get out.

September also gets them some supplies for making camps with that fold up small, and heads out of the village with a cheery wave back at the villagers. 

"You want to do anything other than I guess learn magic and find books?" she asks Shade.

"Not really."

"Hm. Well, I can teach you as fast as I can, and we might be able to find somewhere with books that's safer to interact with..."

Shade nods.

And, after a while of traveling and teaching and learning, September, eventually, goes her own way.

She bids a cheerful goodbye to Shade, promises that she'll try her best to keep Shade immortal since Shade's been a good friend, and heads off.

Shade makes her own path, continuing to practice with Heartful magic. In September's absence she keeps her temper on less of a tight leash. There's no one standing next to her that might take offense. And letting it out is... helpful, in certain regards. It's possible she acquires somewhat of a reputation.

She hears horns in the distance, one day, thundering over the hills.

...And just what in the world is that?

Beasts begin to flee through the trees, many of them at reckless speeds, like they may from a fire.

There's a distant sound of hooves, and hounds baying, and laughter, all swept up in the tumult of the birds and rabbits and squirrels and foxes and deer all streaming very determinedly away.

Never let it be said she can't take a hint. Shade will also start moving away from the disturbance.

The earth shakes - 

And a massive wolf snaps into being near her, arriving like thunder, chasing down a large stag.

Someone's riding it. Someone Heartful, with the odd coloration some Heartful fairies have - her hair's a dark bloody shade, her eyes like flecks of crimson, her skin almost too perfectly even. Her clothes practically glow with red, she's so vibrant.

She's laughing, and her eyes flick over towards Shade as she pursues her prey.

Oh, hell. That makes this the Wild Hunt for certain, then.

Running favors them more than her. She stops. Make a stand of it, at least.

She cuts down the stag as it's mid leap, causing it to enter a rather artistic death throe. 

And then she circles her wolf around, to stand square before Shade.

"Well, I don't believe we've met," she says, almost purring.

"I don't either. And I'm fairly sure I would recall something like that."

"I as well!"

"Do you believe you can offer me a challenge, then, that you face me head on?"

"More than by running. This better suits my nature."

She jumps off her wolf, who backs away at a signal.

"Then let us dance, shall we?"

It's less a dance on Shade's part and more an angry, stubborn refusal to be pushed around.

The odd fairy - it's unclear yet what role she plays in the Hunt, though she certainly seems comfortable abandoning her chases to fight Shade - flows around Shade's defenses, snapping like fire then moving like a windstorm, harsh and sharp and fluid. Like a very energetic dancer, in fact, if dancers were customarily armed.

She's good, and it's quickly apparent she's testing Shade. For one, she's barely used any magic at all.

Shade doesn't hold back. To be toyed with is to be taken lightly, and there, perhaps, is opportunity. If the opponent is less than supremely skilled.

And if they are, well. She's not a toy, and would make the play as brief as possible.

She is exceptionally, supremely skilled, enough so to blow September out of the water, who had - other than the old man - been previously the most powerful Heartful that Shade had met. And this woman applies her power well, wielding the same sheer caring as a finely honed blade.

Still, Shade manages to bloody her, ever so lightly.

She pauses, then starts laughing. "I like you! Few manage that."

"I'm not the one playing a game here."

"Who said it was a game?"

"You certainly seem to be treating it that way."

"I enjoy life, I must admit. The thrill of the hunt, the pleasure of fighting a clever opponent... And you are so very clever. A bit more practice, and you'll be terrifying."

She narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Would you like that? For people to flee before your heralds, for nations to tremble at your coming?"

"I want," she grits out, "to kill the man who forced this heart upon me."

"A fine ambition!"

"Do you, by any chance, know where he is?"

"No."

"Then it shall be a hunt."

"...With you?"

"If you wish! Though I would hardly steal your prey from you."

"Are you not going to keep trying to kill me?"

"Not unless you want me to, no. You've quite impressed me."

...Confusion.

"To put it simply: I'd like you to join my Hunt. You're good at what you do, and rather clever. I like your fire."

"You lead the Wild Hunt?"

"Yes. The Yew Queen is my name."

"...I am called Shade Eclipse Heart."

"Were you an artificer, then?"

"I was."

"Well, the name's still suitable. Your magic just relies on your own heart, now."

"Mm."

"You know, I don't think I heard an agreement or refusal for my offer. I won't kill you if you refuse, but, well, I suppose your life will be far more boring, on your own."

"If you turn your Hunt against the man who cursed me, then I'll join you."

"Of course. The full Hunt might not agree - we're hardly centralized - but I will Hunt him, and many will follow my banner for at least a time."

"All right then."

"Then let us raise our banners and find you a steed."

"A wolf?"

"If you'd like. There are other options, of course - stags, great cats, and a lucky few have convinced dragons to bear them..."

"I don't think I'm a wolf person."

"You strike me as a cat person, truly. Or someone who would rather learn to fly."

"How perceptive of you."

"I'm not sure we have any cats going spare... You could ride with me for a time, or I could explain flight now, as best I can?"

"Explain flight, how about?"

"It's hard, as far as most are concerned, but I think you'll get it - it's rather like any other Heartful magic. You must care very, very deeply. Except to fly, you must continue to care."

"Either that, or turn yourself into something natively capable of flight. People vary in which they find harder."

Shade prefers not to mess with self-transformation. She also does not want to share a ride with this fairy who was trying to kill her five minutes ago. She wants to fly.

She'll be able to get a light, floating feeling, like gravity just blinked in shock, but her feet won't leave the ground quite yet.

Yeah, keep your eyes shut, gravity. She's leaving you behind.

This fortunately seems to be a 'very reluctantly rise' type of experimental flying than a 'rocket upwards.'

Once she gets her feet off the ground, it turns out to be rather challenging to balance.

That is not how she desires this to work.

She'll be able to, with enough concentration and stubbornness, maintain a pleasant float!

Good.

She might not be much for conversation until she really gets the hang of this.

The Yew Queen will climb back onto her faithful wolf, who pads along at a speed Shade can keep up with, until then.

How considerate of her.

Maybe she will get a cat.

The Yew Queen just laughs.

Yeah, whatever.

"You're flying very well!" she says, cheerfully. "Do you want to try getting somewhere clear, and racing?"

"Not really."

"Aw. It'd be good practice, but I suppose you can do that on your own time..."

Shade really, really doesn't understand this woman.

She stretches out over the neck of her wolf, tangling her hand in the thick fur. "Do you have any questions of me?" she asks.

"Not right now."

"Then once the other hunters have acquired their prey or given up, we will convene, and I will introduce you."

"Right."

"Would you rather I not?"

"I would rather you stop attempting to engage me in conversation at the present moment."

She smiles and turns to keep riding.

Flying along.

And soon enough they reach a large clearing, where a number of people are already gathering - fairies, humans, and Heartful in a shifted form alike. Many of them stop talking when the Yew Queen enters, turning to watch her. A few flick their gazes to Shade.

The Yew Queen and her wolf go to sprawl at one edge, both stretching out languidly, apparently unbothered by the attention.

Shade stays nearish the Yew Queen.

And, when some critical number of hunters has been reached, people start stepping forward to tell tales of their hunts, presenting prizes if they caught them. The Yew Queen speaks up rarely, though she does seem to enforce a ban on people recruited unwillingly or taken prisoner, challenging a few hunters to duels when she perceives they pressured someone into pretending to be willing. No one takes her up on the challenge, instead relinquishing whoever they'd stolen.

And then, apparently, it's the Yew Queen's turn to present. She tells her tale lowly, so that people have to hush to hear her, of pursuing this or that minor challenge, never knowing herself tested - until she came upon one who stood. The tale of her and Shade's fight glows with praise for the latter's abilities and instincts.

"When the fight ended, we came to an agreement, she and I," the Yew Queen says at the end. "That I would join her hunt, for the man who inflicted Heartfulness upon her. The wind has barely carried whispers of such a man to me, all from centuries ago; our prey is clever, and old, and powerful. Our banners will fly on the morn. Those who wish to have the hunt of a century may join us; those who wish for simpler prey may direct their banners elsewhere."

The gathered hunters break out into murmurs, many of them assessing Shade with keen gazes.

Yeah, fuck you all too. Stay or go, she doesn't care.

She really, really, really doesn't get the Yew Queen and whatever game she's playing. She didn't have to tell the story like that. Shade wouldn't tell the story like that.

The Yew Queen, sadly, can't hear Shade's internal narration. Things would perhaps be simpler if she could.

Once people have started to disperse, the Yew Queen returns to sprawling, and turns to Shade. "You're a very astute student," she says, plainly, "But there are many magics relevant to a Hunt that you might not yet have, beyond flight. Would you like lessons?"

"...All right."

She hums. "Usually I'd start with divination, but given the strength of our prey I suspect that might be of little use... Still, healing, speed, endurance, sleeplessness - all these are minor tools, but they are quite exceptionally useful."

"I've made a start on some of those already."

"What level would you say you're at? I've been Heartful for centuries, now - I expect I'd have some tips."

"I've had a heart for about six months."

"Impressive! Most take years to get even the basics."

"Most people are slow learners."

"Did you have a teacher, before?"

"Briefly."

"So you've had a basic explanation of the best ways to want, then?"

"Yes."

"You know," she says, sounding intensely amused, "It'll be hard for me to help you if I don't know where you're at - though if you don't want to share I can just explain the entire thing from the start."

Shade can summarize.

The Yew Queen then offers quite extensive, organized, actually helpful advice - rather unlike September's mostly intuition-based ramblings.

Her information should be enough for Shade to stop sleeping, assuming she cares about doing that, and heal most simple injuries. Endurance and speed are harder to summarize, more about sustained wanting to keep going, and endurance especially can be finicky to mess with. Still, if you can get sleeplessness and flight, those both synergize well with the required mindset.

That is helpful. Shade doesn't seem to be having much trouble with the wanting to keep going mindset.

"Why are being so helpful?"

"You're my ally, now. It's good, to help allies. Besides, I want to see you excel - you're already powerful, even with just fledgling potential. If you stay Heartful? Within a century the world will tremble at your coming."

"I don't understand you."

"Oh?"

"You're too nice for someone who was trying to kill me earlier in the day."

She laughs. "I wouldn't have actually killed you, not after you stood up to me, and especially not after your display of talent! And I likely would not have killed you, even if you had fled - I rarely kill the Heartful."

"Why not?"

"There's potential there the Heartless don't really have. Little webs of passion and caring - a Heartless would hardly blink, except to be miffed I stole a fun toy, were I to kill their whole family."

"And that's... interesting?"

"I'm playing a long game, somewhat. I would like to see the Heartful thrive, in a way they can't under the Heartless's dominion. I want to see their vibrancy spread - right now, if I wiped out a tribe or a village of them, the ripples are tiny."

Shade doesn't look like she understands the appeal of that.

"Is there something wrong with my logic?"

"...The premise is more what I don't understand."

"That the Heartful are interesting?"

"That anyone's interesting when you prod them in that way."

"People are interesting in general! But maybe I can find you a selection of entertaining people to hunt, hm?"

"Maybe."

"Or would you rather I steal you a library?"

"That would be more to my usual taste."

She laughs. "I don't think hunting books is typical, but I'll see what I can scrounge up."

"You do that."

She hums, and redirects the conversation back to magic lessons, this time winding over towards divination - it's hard while you're in motion, and most need some kind of focus, like a pool of still water, but far-viewing is definitely possible, and it's rumored that future-viewing is, too...

Shade does not quite have the same talent for this sort of thing, but her stubborn attitude still prevails.

"We won't be able to go after your quarry directly," the Yew Queen comments. "But it is good to have somewhere to ride, when we set out tomorrow. There's a divination trick, that will give us a heading towards someone who might know something."

"Oh?"

She holds one hand out, and a crystal forms in her palm. "This should warm and hum when we approach the proper quarry - not yet your man, but someone linked to him, as closely as his own protections will allow."

"That seems... imprecise."

"There are better divinations - far sight is usually very precise - but, unfortunately, he's protected himself from all such approaches. This, though, is hard to protect against - it's a feeling in your own chest, which the crystal is merely a channel for."

"I see."

"I imagine I'd be similarly hard to find."

"How can I learn how to do that?"

"A lot of it's simply - background wanting. It's immensely hard to get without practice, and sometimes happens naturally. Someone who flat out doesn't want you to find them will always be harder to scry for than someone who wants the attention."

Nod. Another thing to keep in the back of her mind.

She explains the specific inner thought processes in more detail, then loops around to how to apply the speed increases to flight.

Shade follows along.

"Do you want to try this before tomorrow's hunt?"

"That seems wise."

"Then let's choose a prey. Any preferences?"

"No."

"Then... We'll target a woman. Young. Alone. Lost. Heartful - you should get the full experience the first time, after all."

"Can you handle that divination?"

She will certainly make the attempt.

It's hard! Especially without a firm image and a strong desire.

She can concentrate on the traits. Lost. Heartful. Alone. Her desire is more driven by a want to not fail than any particular connection with finding a person.

There's a flicker of humming warmth in the crystal.

And then it's gone.

She refocuses, and tries again.

She almost had it. Needs that warmth, needs the person-

It hums for longer, this time. It's very faint, though, barely more than a wisp of warmth.

Nnrgh. What are people even like? Soft. Vulnerable. Alone.

It lasts longer. There's no sense of direction attached, though, just the crystal pulsing like a heart.

...Does the Yew Queen have any further tips?

"Try turning or walking around. See if it reacts to direction and distance."

Does it?

It does! Faintly, but noticeably.

Is that good enough for them?

Good enough for her!

How does Shade want to do the hunt itself?

Quietly.

She grins. "I think I'll go on foot, to match your flight. It's been a while, since I had that pleasure. And I can do quiet."

"Then let's go."

She starts flying in the direction indicated by her tracking crystal.

The Yew Queen runs along the forest floor below her.

And the mountain falls away, and the trail winds, and they come to where a stream vanishes down into the limestone, creating a hole in the side of the mountain.

The trail goes down into the darkness.

A cave. Wonderful.

She lands, and creates a little floating light. She doesn't much feel like wandering in the darkness.

The Yew Queen's eyes start to reflect the light strangely, and she doesn't bother with making a light.

There's a few muffled noises, a bit below them. Person ones. Someone scared, perhaps.

Sounds like the quarry. Can she use 'the person making the noises' as a focus for further divination?

It seems to think every person present is making noises.

The scared person, specifically, the one further into the cave, being hunted. She wants more details about them.

And she knows -

The prey is female, barely out of her teens, scared but determined, Heartful, very much so -

And using her magic to run.

The trace rapidly goes down into the cave system.

Shade does not want her prey to get away. She wants to be faster, to know where she's going, to catch her-

The chase winds through the caverns, emerging into a forested slope on a different side of the mountain -

Where Shade will be able to quickly gain ground on her prey, a woman in deerskin clothes with no weapons beyond a stone knife and the determined look in her eyes.

How primitive. That knife is not going to be able to hurt her.

The way the air freezes around her, enough to flash freeze her sweat, might.

That makes her angry, enough so to restore her temperature and nearly boil the air.

The woman stumbles back, her skin flushing, and then swings a hand wildly at Shade, creating a sort of odd shimmering barrier.

Not something that will stop her for long, if at all.

The woman makes a strangled noise when Shade gets up to her, chest heaving as panic enters her eyes. She stumbles back.

Maybe this is kind of fun. She advances closer.

"You can't hide from me," she says in a low voice. "You can't run. You can't get away."

She bares her teeth. "St - stay away, I'm warning you," she calls, taking another step back.

She matches her step. "Warning me? That's cute." Another step. "Warning me of what?"

Sudden concussive blast seems to be what!

Shade should be able to weather it, though.

How dare she.

Shade knocks her down in retaliation, and uses her speed to get over there and place a foot on the girl's chest before she can get back up.

She bites back a scream.

She pushes down a little, just enough to make it hard to breathe.

That very predictably gets her some gasping and struggling!

"Congratulations on a good hunt," the Yew Queen says from behind her.

"Thanks," Shade says, looking at the girl under her foot.

"Do you have a concept what you'll do, now that you have your prey under your power?"

"I'm not quite sure."

"I can offer quite a few suggestions, if you'd like."

"Such as?"

"Well, there's fun we can have with physical means - I am quite the fan of knives - and fun with magical - which requires a bit of finesse, but, well, there's always more prey about. Depends on which path you'd like to take."

"Let's start with physical."

Then the Yew Queen can show her all the many, bloody ways of physically terrorizing someone!

And then teach her healing, so they can start all over again.

Surprisingly enjoyable.

Shade gets very into it, by the end.

Oh, good.

"This is fun."

"It quite is. One of the great joys of a hunt."

"I see now why you do this."

"Wonderful."

"What should we do with... this?" She pokes the girl with a foot.

"Kill her or set her free, possibly after healing her. Some people like taking trophies from their prey, too, but that's your choice."

Shade looks over the girl consideringly. "I don't think I need a trophy. Nor, I think, do I wish to let her go free."

"Very well, then."

Shade puts her foot on the girl's throat and presses down slowly, until she feels it collapse entirely.

That gets a few final, weak struggles.

"You have a good mind for this."

"An unexpected talent."

"One I suspect you'll enjoy honing, before your ultimate prey."

"I find that more likely than I would have this morning."

"We can certainly find you many opportunities, there."

She kicks the corpse over.

"Now what?"

"I'd suggest more practice. Either in magic on its own, or in the practicalities of hunting. Or we can plan our hunt tomorrow."

"More practice hunting would be good."