A/N: Tortall and all the characters don't belong to me. Here's a short one.
As soon as Daine drifted into the land of sleep her dreams were strange, she dreamt some normal ones, memories of her childhood house on fire, the bodies around the village, animals running, wolves singing their hunt song, but soon they changed. She was in a cave, near her home in Snowsdale, one with many memories, when a bright white and silver light flared at the cave opening, and in walked the largest badger Daine had ever seen, and she'd seen a lot of badgers in her 13 years.
Do you know how long I have been looking for you? You're a hard kit to find, when I thought I'd finally found you, you up and ran off with those wolves of yours The Badger mind-spoke to Daine in an aggravated voice, he huffed and fluffed up his fur, walking into the cave and straight up to Daine, he came up to her waist. I told your da I'd keep an eye on you and now that I found you you're much bigger than I expected, guess time really passes quick down here… Well any way you do hold a special place in my heart, you have helped many of my kind, I am the first male badger, but you can just call me Badger, he seemed to have a thought at that, maybe I should have a mundane name the last thought wasn't really for Daine but she was still stuck on one of his earlier statements.
Daine had perked up at the mention of her father. "You know my da?"
The Badger took Daine down, a kit's place is to listen, not to question. His claws dug in deep to her shoulders, sure to leave marks, he was heavy and pressed his weight down as if to make his point stick longer. Now if you plan to keep moving all around, I don't want to keep losing track of you, he looked down to his paw, lifting one off her shoulder, it doesn't hurt much and it grows right back, but it is such messy business and with that began gnawing at a nail.
"No! Don't!" Daine tried to stop the Badger but it was too late because, by the time she finished speaking, he had finished ripping the claw out. Spiting it out onto Daine's chest, where the nail once was there was another silver claw, identical to the one that lay in front of him. The Badger allowed Daine to right herself, sitting up, grabbing the silver claw, she began inspecting it, turning it around in her hands, then looked up at the Badger. "What is this for?"
The Badger god was losing patience, I need a way to keep an eye on you, keep it on you always and I'll be able to find you wherever you are he gave her a headbutt, without thinking Daine reached out and stroked his head, you're a good kit, stay safe. And with that, he walked towards the opening of the cave and just as before was gone in a flare of white silver light, leaving Daine alone in the cave.