Juniper's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Juniper spread the log across the table, twelve entries in careful columns. The grey cat adjusted her hat and poured her fourth cup of tea. She had seen the spiral three mornings running, and today she would check it against the books one more time. Mastering tasseography meant finding answers, not just collecting questions. But the books would have to wait. A dog stepped through the doorway of the training center, carrying a stack of papers. She glanced at the table, froze, and her face went pale. "Where did you see that?" she asked, pointing at the log. Juniper tapped the most recent entry. "In my tea leaves. Three days now." The dog set down her papers with shaking hands. "That's not a weather sign," she said quietly. "That spiral means something is coming back."