All was quiet in the Waste. 
 
Wind blew the ash into small, lazy tornadoes, sending them dancing for a few moments before settling again. Sparrows cried out overhead, fighting amongst themselves for scraps, and occasionally a rat or some other creature would dart from one patch of vegetation to the next. It was almost peaceful, really, if not somewhat lonely. 
 
Dawn sat cross-legged in the ruins of some abandoned house, scooping some sort of stew out from a can and into her mouth. She wasn’t entirely sure what, exactly, it was that she was eating- the label had been worn to the point of being completely undecipherable- but it was filling, and seemed fresh enough not to kill her with food poisoning. That was good enough for her.
 
She paused to take a swig from her canteen, placed her meal at her side, then pulled a map from her pocket and carefully unfolded it. The towns printed on it had been long since destroyed, but the roads and landmarks remained. Dawn had scribbled over some of it upon actually finding the thing, filling blank spaces with notes and the like. Helped to be prepared, after all. 
 
A few of the more amiable travelers she had encountered had tipped her off to a settlement off in the east- a bit small, apparently, but friendly enough and open to trades. If its residents were still there, it would be a good opportunity to replenish some of her supplies, and to have what might be the first friendly bit of conversation Dawn had had in weeks. “Friendly” being the key word, there, seeing as the last person she had met as of late had attempted to put a bullet through her skull without batting an eye. It was only expected, out in the wasteland, but it was an unpleasant experience regardless. Shaking the thought off, Dawn tucked the map away, and was cleaning up some of her mess when she stopped in her tracks.
 
Someone was coming. 
 
Dawn quickly stuffed the rest of her things into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and stepped away from the nearest window. She cast her Gift out to the stranger in the same moment, probing carefully at the forefront of their thoughts. If this person was a more hostile sort, Dawn didn’t want to take any chances.