The true story

Zas walked along with the rest of the pack. Having made their way closer to the witches hideout and what horrors likely awaited them, the pack seemed to be in a more focused mood. This was broken up periodically by the groups lovable Ragabash-who really tried hard to break up the tensed air.

Zas found himself alongside Zoe at one point during the trip and nodded to her, "I wanted to commend you on your slaying the witch in Houston. That's the first time I can recall seeing you unleash such divine fury from the sky. It was impressive."

The Silent Strider gives a smile and says, "I'm sure even our pack Alpha took note. You may have gone up a few notches."

A proud smile graced Zoe's lips as she walked alongside the Silent Strider.

"It's a gift I picked up back in Nacogdoches a while back. It took a while to complete the spirit's request, but it was definitely worth the wait!"

The philodox smiling said, "I would certainly agree with that. That little wyrmspawn didn't even see it coming. Anything that lets you hurt the enemy where it least expects is worth it."

Zas angled his head and asks, "Was it some sort of quest you have to undertake?"

Zoe laughed aloud. "I just wished I could have seen her smug little face when the lightning took her down!"

When asked further about her chiminage, she shrugged.

"Not a quest, per se. You know that new lightning rod in town? I had to have one built of silver and installed in town before the spirit would allow me to use its power on others. Silver is not cheap, my friend, and is not something that I really like accumulating, but it all worked out in the end."

Zas chuckles and says, "I can assure you, regardless of what her expression was, she looks much better now."

Zas gives a a look of concern as Zoe explained her task of gathering silver and nodded when she mentioned it not being something she enjoyed.

He makes a few more steps before asking, "Did Connor have any complaints when you asked him for the Silver?"

Zoe shook her head. "I didn't get the silver from Connor. Red had a pretty significant stash. More than enough actually. But she is a businesswoman, so she wasn't just going to hand over something that valuable and dangerous."

Zas gave an inquisitive look as he said, "Now I'm intrigued. Iron Riders wheeling and dealing is a thing I am far from familiar with. What did you have to do for the Sept alpha in order to accomplish your chiminage and get ahold of that much silver?"

Zas rubs his head, "Did she ask you to cleanse the caern bawn or try and rile up Papa Stagecoach or something?"

Zoe was silent for a moment then shook her head. "Well, no, nothing like that. She just wanted money, which I was able to scrape together eventually."

At his packmates momentary silence Zas stopped walking and said with a protective voice, "I am no fool Zoe. None of us have a means of making large amounts of money...at least not without killing..." A look of concern flashed across his face"--what did you do?"

At his mention of killing, Zoe stopped and turned to him, her eyes wide and pleading innocent.

"No, no, no! I didn't kill anyone! At least not physically or spiritually for that matter..."

She lowered her voice to nearly a whisper as she leaned in conspiratorially toward her packmate.

"The other blacksmith in town had been cutting corners and making unreliable goods, but they were cheaper so people were buying his and not Connor's. I may or may not have blackmailed him by saying that his faulty horseshoes cost someone their horse but they were willing to settle outside of the courthouse for a certain sum of money...that just so happened to be the money I needed for the silver."

Zas's face slowly relaxes into a more studious expression as his theurge explains her deeds. When she had finished Zas nodded once and began walking as he said, "How very cunning. You deserved to get your gift."

The pack philodox looks at Zoe and adds, "I would not have thought to do that. In your actions you were able to not only aid yourself, but that of a kinfolk and in all actuality those who dwell within Nacogdoches-potentially even the cheating blacksmith himself, who could use this event to seek to turn down the right road."

Zas offers a smile, "I commend you for this as well."

Zoe smiled shyly. "Thank you, brother. You make my acts sound far more noble than I had initially intended them. I was merely looking out for myself by way of seeming to have Connor's best interest in mind."

She smiled menacingly. "That gift has certainly proven itself worth the wait and the trouble. I hope to use it to bring down even more of those ridiculous girls very soon."