Green - a werewolf story

20. A Goat's Tale

"I do wonder if it will be a comedy or a tragedy," the faun continued.

"What does that mean?" Green asked, startling Terin from his contemplation of Vanessa.

"Hrrm? Oh, something the woman who gave me this wolf told me."

"Which was?" Green pressed.

"That I would once come across a wolf with a shredded soul who had the ability to change the destiny of thousands."

"That's ridiculous," Vanessa said before thinking.

Terin's face shimmered dangerously, the outlines of those horns visible for a moment.

"I mean, I'm nothing special. I don't have a destiny."

The faun relaxed and smiled. "I'd be the first to agree, but everyone has a destiny and the Moirai are capricious mistresses. The threads of the weave do not follow the reason of mortals."

"What destiny, exactly?" Green asked.

Vanessa wanted to tell him not to believe any of this... this old goat's tale, but Terin was already speaking again.

"She said that when I met a wolf whose torn soul would call out to me I was to give her this figurine and tell her to be brave and not fuck things up because..."

"Really? Not fuck things up?"

"... because the future of their people depended on her. The medicine woman referred to this future wolf as 'Vana Chainbreaker'. Apparently there's some old prophecy about a werewolf saving a ton of other wolves."

"Ah, a prophecy," Vanessa said sardonically. "Then it must be true."

Terin glared at her. "I have encountered plenty of prophecies and seen my fair share of heroes over the years and I must say that if werewolf kind depends on you it's likely done for."

"I couldn't agree more," Vanessa said.

"What is the name of this prophecy?" Green asked.

"You can't honestly believe that I'm supposed to..."

"I don't recall," Terin said primly.

"Do you remember what clan the woman was part of? What people?" Green insisted.

"Not particularly," Terin said, studying his well-manicured fingers.

"Figures," Vanessa muttered.

"Vanessa, why don't you wait outside?" Green suggested.

"Why?"

"Because you seem to be going out of your way to be... unpleasant," Green said.

"Unpleasant?" Vanessa asked, her irritation turning to fury. "Let me show you unpleasant."

She didn't get to do that, though, because Green grabbed her under the arm and propelled her through the door. It wasn't until the glass door shut behind her that she realized that Green had managed to maneuver her out of the store and close the door on her.

How dare he? Vanessa had a good mind to go back inside and tell them both that they could... she paused. She was getting ridiculously worked up over this. Why did she care that Green and some random faun prone to theatrics shut her out of their conversation? She'd been meaning to leave anyway. So there.

Checking the maps on her phone she took off down a road leading back towards the harbor. If Green was so keen on talking with Terin she wasn't going to stop him. Hopefully he'd remember to get the parasol off him because she sure wasn't coming back for it. Maria could send someone else to get it or, even better, travel here herself.