#elsewhere

She keeps the belt VERY close

Art suddenly blinks. "The Totems. We can't forget... we owe them for their guidance." He looks to Mato, a question in his expression.

Mato squints at Art, and then at Thistle and Gwen. "What did you offer them?"

"A good story. And by damned if he didn't get that."

"Er. Well. We didn't actually... say." Art admits, truthfully.

"We're in debt" Gwen says "Thunderbird is, in some stories, a foe of Injustice, but I do not know if I have done enough to pay him in that coin"

She digs out some skittles for the Never, a stubborn look on her face.

"Still, Thunderbird IS just, and he knows my worth and will not ask too much of me just to show his power" She says with trust, then she looks over at Thistle and Art "PRetty sure you two Coyote friends are fucked though" Straight faced

The air ripples with a strange energy, as if every breath is drawn away from them all at once. In that eerie silence, the figures materialize—a smaller, more human-sized avatar of Coyote stands before Thistle and Art, his coyote-headed grin wide and mischievous. Beside him, Thunderbird-the-Brave, wings flapping in a slow, deliberate rhythm, hovers before Gwen.

The Coyote’s voice is gleeful, teasing, as it echoes through the air, “They didn’t SAY!” His eyes glint with that familiar trickster gleam, as though he finds immense joy in the tension of the moment.

Art grips Thistle's hand for a moment as a shiver runs through them both.

"Were you bored? Nope. You offered, and you didn't ask."

Thunderbird breaks the tension with his speech that makes both Art and Thistle flinch. Mato and Gwen somehow are not as affected.

"You wanna haggle after services rendered?" Her grin has as many sharp teeth as Coyote's, but her dark eyes are sparkling with mirth.

"I will ask my boon of Gladiola Twomothers, walker of many roads." The thundervoice rumbles through their bones.

Gwen bobs her head as Thunderbird makes his declaration.

And waits for his boon

He holds out his hand, palm open. "Surrender your weapon. Yield it as an offering to me."

She has a knife ,she could offer that instead. But she's not a trickster either and she will not dishonor herself or disrespect Thunderbird. If he takes it from her forever, she knows it will go to hands that need it. She offers it up reverently , reverence to both the totem, and the spear that has served her well. It lays upon her palms for the taking "I surrender it to you, Thunderbird , with gratitude"

A flicker of light in his eyes - approval!

The moment it leaves her grasp, lightning arcs down, striking the weapon and obliterating it into sparks and cinders. It is gone, lost to the storm.

The crackle of thunder lingers in her mind, Thunderbird’s voice a deep rumble that resonates in her chest.
“Is it the weapon that makes the warrior, or the storm that rages within?”

Then, a sudden, sharp pain lances through her shoulder—like the bite of cold fire. When she blinks, the spear is back in her hand, but it is forever changed. The once smooth shaft now bears the marks of the storm, blackened where lightning had struck it, yet it hums with a new, powerful energy.

The storm within She answers though it was rhetorical so true it was. And yet, she cannot help but smile at the spear, changed or not, it is one of her oldest friends in a way. She inclilnes her head "Thank you for your trust, Thunderbird." It could, after all, gone to any warrior the Thunderbird chose

An approving hum at the new spear.

On her arm, where she felt the sting, etched into her skin, is a mark—a symbol she has never seen before, yet somehow knows with every fiber of her being. The mark of Thunderbird. Its jagged lines and sweeping curves pulse with an otherworldly energy, a storm captured in ink, as if the thunder itself had descended and left its imprint upon her.

Before she can speak, Thunderbird's voice rumbles in her mind again, clear as the crack of thunder.
“All Nunnehi will know you by my mark." Then, he vanishes.

Coyote, standing off to the side, rolls his eyes dramatically, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.
"Always has to make a scene, that one," he mutters.

Her heart swells at that mark. She fights the urge to puff up a bit more, and probably fails.

Then, his attention turns to Thistle, and a wide, toothy grin spreads across his face. His yellow eyes gleam with mischief as he leans in closer, the grin growing even more wicked.

"As for you..." He trails.

"Were you bored?" Defiant - no, jesting? Teasing?

Gwen watches and tries to hide concern Don't taunt the guy who put the wolves in the sky

"Owl would have taken a beakful of Memories. Spider always hungers... she probably would have demanded one of your little flittery friends to eat." He snaps his jaws in Citrine's direction, playfully.

"But me? Poor little me?" Coyote’s grin falters, replaced by a dramatic pout that could rival any child's. He crosses his arms over his chest and glances away with a huff.

“I was going to say that the amusement you gave me throughout this adventure was enough... but you beat me to the punch!” He narrows his eyes at Thistle, then lets out an exaggerated sigh, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite his best efforts.

Art gives a sudden bark of laughter. "So what you're saying it, you DID enjoy it." Quickly latching onto Thistle's ploy.

Gwen gives a sigh of relief

She taps her nose. "I know what a bargain's worth. In the best ones, everybody wins."

“Guess I’ll just have to find a new way to amuse myself, then!”

He draws a claw across the air, smoothly opening a rift through which they can see, through a vast distance that also appears to be only a step away, the clearing outside the Tulsa fairgrounds. A faint echo of drumbeats comes through.

Coyote vanishes and reappears between Art and Thistle, tossing a companionable arm around each of the two fae! "Now, GIT." He grabs each of them by an arm, and tosses them out the portal!

Gwen sees their forms dwindle and vanish - only to POP into view on the opposite side.

Coyote is looking at her.

"Ah, the offer is still open, Mato" She says "Though I understand if you don't risk the trickster. I kind of have to. They're my warband. You know?"

Mato is watching Coyote very carefully, and he moves to stand beside Gwen. "I will join you." He says, then gives Coyote a carefully respectul nod.

Then with a look to Coyote "And thank you for the short cut, Coyote" worried she'll end up landing without clothes, she takes a deep breath and steps through, holding Mato's hand.

Oddly, she is sure the spear at least, will be with her.

"It's been FUN!" Says the Totem. "And..." Coyote slaps Takota, surprisingly gently on the back.

“Don’t you worry about him,” Coyote says, “He needs to learn a few things, and I am nothing if not a just teacher. Perhaps he’ll be a little wiser on the other end.”

Mato shakes his head, and rumbles, "I will see you when our paths cross again, Takota. May you find your way." Still irked, but not... unkind.

Then, he steps through with Gwen, and the portal closes behind them with a snap.

Gwen can't say anything nice to Takota, so.. doesn't say anything.

On the other side she checks to make sure she A) Has clothes B) Is wearing the clothes she came with C) Isn't wearing a funny mask or mustach doodle or something

Art checks her back. "No sign that says "Kick Me", in Lakota or any other language that I can find." He reassures her.

Ivan presses against her side as well. If Wolf took any boon from the Fae dog, it's not visible.

"Thanks, Art. In many ways, Coyote and some other trickster totems are the Uberpooka" She looks around "SO... Frybread tacos for everyone right?" She pets Ivan

"Hell yeah!" Chime!

And flashes Mato a smile, a warm one. Substance over style. And the style he's got ain't bad

Citrine is back to bells, and she rests on Thistle's shoulder, exhausted, but well pleased.

As they head towards the Fry Bread Tacos stand, Mato asks Gwen, "Your mother - can she cook?" An innocent enough question.

Art grins over to Thistle, though, and happily settles in for the torrent of praise for Marigold that is bound to erupt at any moment.

It may not have gone how they expected, but perhaps, in the end, the Quest succeeded - all thanks to Coyote.

At least, to hear HIM tell it.

(Scene?)

(Scene! Though, yes, he will hear how her mom can COOK)