Sonder kept her sword low but ready.
"The shard is my concern alone. But I am not working with anyone," she said. "I found the shard. There is more than just one. That I know."
The tall figure stepped fully into view now, a dog-woman with long, drooping ears.
For a moment, she simply studied Sonder.
"Show it to us," the bloodhound woman demanded.
Slowly, she reached into her robe and unwrapped the dark stone.
A hush fell over the beastmen.
Their ears perked up.
The bloodhound leader stepped closer, nose lifting slightly, sniffing the air around the shard. Her nose crumpled and ears twitched.
"No…" she murmured. "Not the same. And its stench…" She recoiled slightly. "Worse than I remember."
She stepped back and bowed her head apologetically.
"I wronged you," she said. "We all did. We mistook you for his ally."
The others lowered their heads too.
Sonder tucked the shard away again. "It's no problem," she said. "These shards… seem to have a strange effect on people. I understand."
The bloodhound's eyes darkened.
"The one we hunt," she said, ears folding back. "He got ahold of one of them, and death followed in his wake."
"Who is he?"
The others stiffened. They seemed unwilling to share with Sonder.
But the bloodhound woman raised a hand, calming them.
"It is alright," she said, though her eyes remained watchful. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "The one we hunt… is my brother."
"Your brother?"
"Yes. Or was." The woman's ears drooped low. "He found a shard. Or perhaps it found him first. Through it, he channeled a darkness."
The wolf-man beside her bared his teeth, not at Sonder but at the memory.
"He slaughtered those who tried to stop him," the wolf growled. His voice cracked with something like grief. "We were powerless."
"And his eyes," the fox added quietly and shuddered.
The bloodhound woman closed her eyes. "When he was done, he ran west. Left bodies in his wake. Left us behind him."
"But justice must be done upon him," the hyena said.
"If your brother has one," Sonder continued, "then I must go with you. I will help you in any way I can."
Silence. The leaves rustled above them. The forest held its breath.
At last, the bloodhound woman nodded slowly.
"We do not trust you fully," she said. "You carry the same corruption we fear. But we do not have the strength to face him alone. And you seem to be a skillful fighter. Maybe we can use the power of one shard against another?"
She placed a hand to her chest and bowed her head. "We would ask for your aid."
The others followed her lead, though some did so reluctantly.
Sonder bowed back, stiffly, unsure if she did it right.
"I will help," she said. "Wherever he went, that is where I must go as well."
"Then our hunt continues," she said. "And you will walk with us."