[PQ] Into the Woods Without Delay

KIADA

The Harpy watches the interaction, dutifully silent – a sentinel among her friends and allies as she stares with her blood red gaze toward the fox. Uncertainty laces through her as Jigano speaks exactly what is on her mind, and the offer of reward upon the results. Luckily it’s nothing drastic, and Kiada relaxes slightly as the fox agrees. Amalia’s voice follows suit soon after, a chime of a deal struck between leopardess and fox, and as the woman moves forward and brushes her shoulder as if in invitation, Kiada accepts, finding some form of security within her at the comfort Amalia gives her.

And she begins to imagine Amalia as a mother of sorts – a protector, strong and willing to fight with the fire in her heart, and it warms the Harpy as she imagines it.

Taking up the leopardess on her offer, she expands her wings and lifts from the ground to rest gently as she can on Amalia’s back, careful as she can be to avoid digging her sharp talons into her spine (gods knew she already had the scars on her own back from her previous companion doing the same) and nestled close to Amalia for balance. But then, a sound strange and unwelcoming comes through the brush toward them.

And she notices when everyone begins to grow on edge, but before long a huge elk emerges and Kiada sighs a bit of relief, laughing quietly as if they had been frightened by a mere Elk and not some kind of tiger or terrible foe. It isn’t until the elk speaks that Kiada realizes she’s heard his voice before, and she hops off Amalia’s back and swoops a bit toward the elk with her scarlet gaze wide and surveying. “Caiside? Is that you?” She questions, humor in her mental voice despite not speaking audibly.