The two talked for hours. Caracara, easily steered the conversation away from the two-way nature of their bond. He did teach her how to put up a barrier to block him out. It had gone a long way to establish trust between them. Of course the barrier wouldn't hold up to a concerted effort but he was surprised at how quickly she'd picked up the skill. He knew he'd have to be very careful as she grew stronger. After that, Soren was more open to talking with him. He was fascinated to learn about the dream she'd manifested the Ochre from. The dream itself was clearly powerful, likely a premonition. He knew dreaming of the future wasn't unheard of, but it was rare enough.

As he'd understood it, the future was an undefined bolt of cloth. It was slowly being weaved together one strand of control at a time. Controls in the house of Eadra could give mortals a sense of where to be and when, but rarely why. Premonitions were different visions of the future. Though arguably just as obtuse, premonitions from Enki's control showed vision of the future with pieces missing or moved around. Sometimes to the point of making the premonition useless. There was a whole field of study on the subject he had never cared to delve too deep into. He wondered if Soren had a control or two in Eadra's house. She'd been surprisingly tight lipped about her Controls. No matter how many times he subtly drifted the conversation in that direction she changed it right back. It was no matter, He had nothing but time. He supposed immortality was a form of peering into the future as well.

His musings were interrupted by an odd jerking sensation. His dream projection from the real Caracara had been severed some time ago. He'd assumed the degenerate must have finally died. He'd honestly forgotten about him. For the past couple hours, he'd been fully immersed in Soren's perceptions. It wasn't like when he controlled a dreamer and it wasn't like when he and Litaelim converged. He was a prisoner with a great view and able to have a nice conversation with his captor. Plus, he could return to Enki's realm whenever he wanted, so he wasn't actually a prisoner more like a tourist in her life. When the jerking sensation became a strong wrenching that pulled him out of Soren's perception, he still wasn't nervous. He just assumed their connection would draw attention. But he doubted it could really effect him or the connection between them. Looking around, he saw only four walls and no discernable entryway. The walls were wrought iron and illuminated from the back. Strange shadows jumped and danced everywhere. He tried to return to his dream projection in Enki's realm but nothing happened, that's when he began to get a bit nervous.

"Ok so what's the deal with the Enlil? And why would Dr. Hayes get executed?" Soren asked. Only silence responded.

"Caracara? hello? you there?"

Soren sat up on her bed. She'd been looking at the remnant of the mark. It looked like a line of wispy smoke curling up her arm. She'd been tracing it with a finger as she asked about the Enlil. It was the only reason she saw the pulse of grey glow that the mark emanated. It was quick and faint but definitely there. Turning around, the mark flashed again. After a moment of turning around wildly, she realized it was flashing when she turned the mark in one direction. She sighed, what now? she thought. And what was she supposed to do, escape from her room? again? But Caracara obviously needed her. It didn't take a genius to guess he'd probably gotten caught in a dream-trap or something. Soren knew some people kept them over their heads at night to protect them. She also new only the really powerful ones actually worked. Most were barely more than ornamental. She sighed again, She could not get caught. Period.

Slipping her feet back through the oversized trousers Soren snaked on her filthy socks and held her boots in her hand. She tried to make as little noise as possible as she walked across the bare floor. She reached out and turned the knob. To her surprise, the door didn’t budge. She tried again but to no avail. It was then she realized what her parents were talking about, what that strange click noise was as her mother closed the door. She started looking around the room. No windows and the only door locked. She suddenly wondered if this room was built to keep people in, to keep them locked in. She put her ear to the door and thought she could faintly hear footsteps. As the footsteps grew louder, a plan formulated in Soren's mind. When she was sure they were right outside, she bent down to the bottom of the door Soren saying “Hello? Hello? Anyone? Please!” The footsteps stopped and after a moment there was a soft ‘click’ at the door and it swung open. Soren scrambled out of the way of the door. Mrs. Hayes was standing above her wearing an extremely weathered nightshift and slippers.

“Mrs. Hayes, I’m sorry to disturb you but I was wondering if I could have a glass of water. I’m very thirsty and I forgot to eat or drink anything before I went to bed.” This was actually true but Soren also hoped this would give her the opportunity she needed.

“hhmm. I suppose, though breakfast will be served in a few hours. Can’t you wait child?” Mrs. Hayes said in her shaky voice. Soren realized that the woman had heard her just fine and she hadn’t spoken loudly. Soren wondered if the woman used the deafness as an excuse not to speak with her mother or just selectively chose to hear Soren because she didn’t shout.

“Please Mrs. Hayes?” Soren asked again. The old woman sighed significantly before looking over Soren.

“you are very skinny. Wait here.” She said and turned closing the door. At the last moment Soren kicked her foot out, catching the door just before it closed. Soren paused for a deep breath before slowly opening the door and peeking out. She watched Mrs. Hayes walk to the opposite end of the hall where a large doorway framed the end of the hallway. The doors were open and looking past Mrs. Hayes, Soren could see a small closet at one side. The box like contraption had a rope going through the center and was barely large enough for the old woman to fit into. Mrs. Hayes walked into the closet and began pulling up the rope. Soren watched with surprise as the entire closet began to move down.

As soon as the woman was out of eyesight Soren put her boots next to the door so it wouldn't swing shut and tiptoed back to her bed. She quickly made a rough imitation of herself under the covered. It would never fool her mother or father or even Dr. Hayes she suspected, but perhaps in the dark, it would be enough to fool Mrs. Hayes. As quick as she could, Soren grabbed her boots and quickly went to the opposite end of the hallway. She quietly descended the narrow stairs to the kitchen though more than a few of the steps creaked alarmingly. She heard Mrs. Hayes shuffling around clinking glasses and silverware. Soren stopped just out of sight, peaking her head into the small kitchen. The woman was fixing a plate of dry bread and butter with what looked like dried meat and a glass of water. As plain as the food looked, Soren’s stomach growled in protestation.

She waited for Mrs. Hayes to finally begin taking the meal back up to her now empty room. Watching her leave, Soren quietly ran back up the stairs. There she watched the woman open her door. She held her breath but after a moment she saw the woman come out of the room quietly grumbling under her breath. Mrs. Hayes continued slowly down the hallway and into another one of the rooms. Soren ran back down the stairs and turned to the side of the kitchen where a door to the back of the house was. The door had also been locked but thankfully, a key hung at the doorpost. She pocketed the key and set off. Once free, she realized she wouldn’t have long at all before someone likely realized she was gone.

This time though, Soren was awake. She knew where she was and had every intention of returning, quickly with any luck. The vast majority of the townspeople were asleep in the early predawn. Soren made her way towards the outskirts of town, stopping only to keep an eye out for a stray reveler or early riser. She crossed one unbelievably drunk old man who didn’t look up but was mumbling nonsense to himself as Soren passed. The storm had vanished at some point in the night and the first hues of suns light were just beginning to lighten up the sky. Soren’s head ached something fierce as she walked, the Shamash was upon her in earnest now. As he head pounded, lights flickered in her vision in tempo. It made for slow going as she had to discretely but regularly check her mark for a pulse. Finally, she reached the wagons outside of town and the pulses on her arm stopped all together. The thumping in her head and vision continued unabated. The dark red hues of the first sun were beginning to lighten the eastern sky. As she approached the wagons Soren touched the mark on her arm and whispered,

“I’m here.” Caracara didn’t respond, instead an older voice in a strange northern accent came to her mind,

“Come to my fire, we have much to talk about you and I.” Soren’s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected voice in her mind. She approached between two of the wagons cautiously. The small flicker of a watchfire was still alight though it had clearly burned down and was now being rekindled. Soren moved between the two wagons and entered into the ring of firelight. Her eyes darted left then right but she only saw one figure hunched over the phoenix light. Her hunched back was turned against the coming dawn.

“Come, sit by me. I am old and you are young so time is short for us both.” Soren made to obey, surprising herself. Why was she allowing herself to be ordered about by this old woman? She stopped herself from walking any closer to the fire saying,

“First, where is Caracara?” The old woman finally looked up from the fire, a curious expression on her creased face. Soren thought she could see a twinkle in the old woman’s eyes.

“Ahhh. Yes. Caracara you say? Haa, those things don't have names you know. But I thought you’d be wanting it back all the same. Here take it, I meant no harm.” She lifted a metal lantern octagonal in shape with intricate engravings around each side. She reached for a small door on one of the sides. Her old and withered fingers paused on the latch.

“Before I release this, we're going to talk you and I. Been waiting a long time for you.” She patted the stump next to her and Soren found herself sitting down next to the old woman before she realized what she was doing. The old woman continued,

“My name does not matter. My station does not matter. It's been lost a long, long time. But once I was a wealthy woman with opportunity brimming in my cups.” She smiled at Soren and took a waterskin and began filling a kettle. As she worked she spoke quietly,

“When I was young, older than you now but before I had my children, a fortune teller came to our city and set up shop outside of town. This was long ago but even then, foretelling the future was dangerous business. As it is today.” She put the kettle over the fire and began adding leaves and dried herbs, many of which Soren did not know.

“At the time, as I said I was young, I thought I was in love. The son of a local baker you see. He was of common stock. Much too common for my father. We planned to run away but, even young and foolish I had my doubts. My father was a cruel man who enjoyed hurting people. Especially when he drank and he drank often. If he was home, he’d turn that cruelty on whoever was closest. I knew if I left, that cruelty would be directed to my sister and mother. I didn’t know what to do so I decided to see the fortune teller.” The water began to softly bubble. Soren watched the old woman take a long willow reed and with it sift out the herbs. she then began putting in new herbs that smelled of licorice and mint as they steeped merrily.

"One night after everyone’d gone to bed, I snuck out and found the fortune teller. I explained to her about the Baker’s son and our plan to run away and live together. Then I explained about my father and how I had to protect my sister and mother. When I had finished the fortune teller looked into my eyes for a long time. Eventually she said, “you think you have two roads, but really there is only one. For you, all roads lead to the child of Enki. The Baker’s son, your father, it does not matter. Make the decision you can live with. Either way you will eventually meet the child of Enki. That is your true destiny. She went on to tell me I had to buy a Dream lantern from a specific shop on a specific day and keep it with me at all times. when I finally caught something with it, it's companion would be the Child of Enki.” The old woman looked up pointedly at Soren before rising and with a thick rag taking the kettle from the fire. She poured two cups of the hot liquid and set the kettle down before handing one to Soren. Soren took it and inhaled the aromatic steam coming off the cup. The old woman blew on her tea and then began taking tiny sips. Smacking her lips she continued,

“I’ve thought about that a fortune a long time. I am haunted by the idea that no matter what I’d have done in my life, we would meet, have this very conversation perhaps over this very fire. I've thought about throwing out the lantern more times than I can count. For some reason I always ended up keeping the thing. Later, I looked into what it was supposed to do. The shop owner said it was to keep fairies in, but it was obviously a Dream lantern. Eventually, I took it to one of the Dream Colleges to be identified. One of the professors there told me it was of a very specific kind of dream trap intended to trap Huella-Cull. The professor told me the Huella-Cull were likely gone from this world and Enki's completely, though he couldn't be entirely certain. He'd never seen one and only heard of a few cases in the dream records the college kept. He assured me there were plenty of other dangerous entities in the Dream realm but Huella-Cull were likely extinct. he told me I'd likely never find a use for my lantern and offered to buy it from me to add to their collection. I thanked him but, obviously took the lantern with me.”

They sat quietly sipping there tea and watching the now rekindled fire. Finally Soren asked,

"What happened with the Bakers son?" The old woman smiled and looked at something above Soren. She turned to follow her gaze and nearly fell into the fire.

“Whoah there.” He said catching her arm before she could fall further. The man easily stood a head and a half taller than her father and must have weighed twice as much. She couldn’t respond, all she could do was gape for a moment. Then Soren turned wide-eyed and getting to her feet nearly bolted through the small crack between two of the wagons she'd come in from. Before stopping herself.

"This is my son. He makes a mean Croissant, just like his father." She said smiling. Her son smiled as well letting go of Soren's arm.

"pleased to meet you." she said, forgetting to tell him her name or ask for his. All she could do was stare at the mountain of a man.

"Well, I believe you'll be wanting this freed. But before I do, please let me give you some words of wisdom about the Huella-Cull. I've done my best to research them as best I could. I've been met with limited success. Oh there are plenty of tales about the Huella-Cull but few actually have experience with the creatures. I believe the colleges may know more but they are quite stingy with their research. What I do know is concerning enough. The Huella-Cull are nothing like us. If the stories I've found are true, they can't even be killed. At best we can send them back to where they came. In every single account I've found, Huella-Cull are vicious. There apparently used to be a Dreamer council set up to contain and control the Huella-Cull. They were a secretive bunch so there isn't much information but, oh I say all this as a warning to you girl. That Huella-Cull is not your friend, you cannot begin to understand it and if you let it, it will one day devour you. I have no idea what kind of deal the two of you have struck," She said this looking at Soren's mark on her arm. The mark was faint but the old woman was close and the light of morning was beginning to poke through the wagons. "But that thing wants only one thing, to consume you and wear your body like badly fitted boots."

"I appreciate the warning, can you please release Caracara now?" The woman looked at Soren a long time but still she held her hand as if she were contemplating saying something more, Soren was growing impatient she needed to return home before her parents woke. "I listened to you speak and I kept quiet I've heard your warning now let him out." She sighed,

"So be it." the old woman said, opening the side door of the dream lantern. Caracara quickly spoke in Soren's mind saying,

"Finally! It worked, did you see the mark flash?"

"I did." she replied. He went on speaking quickly,

"Soren don't take this the wrong way but I'm leaving. If you'd like to contact me, you can find me on Enki's shores. I do not recommend staying around these people any longer than you need to." With that she felt his consciousness leave. She knew she could find him if she wanted, she wasn't sure how she just knew. It was somewhat reassuring.

"Thank you again for the tea. I should get back before my parents worry. It was good to meet you, ma'am. I hope your destiny was what you were looking for." the old woman gave her a strange look before waving and returning to her stump. As she left, she heard the old woman throw the lantern into the fire.