RP:A Different Kind of Tracking

Part of the The Most Dangerous Game Arc

Oculus of the Air Marshall

Satoshi stands before her desk, back to the gaping entrance in the tower floor, and side by side with a Wood Elf. The stranger seems to be some sort of scout, clad in layers of wool and leather colored with various shades of brown and green, an arrangement that promises to make him near invisible within a forest. Along with Satoshi, he is bent over a continent map stretched out over the desk, a stick of charcoal in his gauntlet'd hand and a quill in the magus' as they add marks across the page--although most centralize around the region of Venturil. There is an endless stream of talk between the two although they keep their voices to just below a murmur, so as to produce a sound more akin to a sleepy river than a conversation. The subject is an unpleasant one, if one were to judge by the cloak of roiling mist about Satoshi's shoulders, tumultuous in reflection of her internal unease.

Hildegarde had decided to explore the Eyrie headquarters, the place she had been accepted into but had yet to find a real place or use for herself in. As she traipsed upwards, she found herself coming across Satoshi and what appeared to be a scout of sorts; definitely of an elven nature. The knight raised her halberd a few inches from the ground in greeting, "Hail," she said with a warm voice, offering the pair a smile, but remaining close to the exit should she not be welcomed.

Satoshi, at the greeting, lifts her head from where she'd had it lowered into her hand, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in an unconscious gesture of frustration. The grasp is loosened as the kit raises her hand in return to Hildegarde. "Hullo, Mithril. How goes?" Although the scout glances back at Hildegarde to offer a courteous nod of his hooded head, he's quick to return to his work over the map, something Satoshi watches from the corner of her eye even while paying the Knight heed. "You've been faring well, I've heard. Training hard, I hope?"

Hildegarde , given her own Silver nature and her helpful one, is instantly curious as to why the pair are pouring over a map so intently. "I am well, m'lady, yes. You have heard things of me?" she asked, somewhat surprised by the notion. But she continued on, "Yes, m'lady, training hard! Trying to prove myself a worthy protector of your kin and to the peoples of the land." After a small pause, in which her fingers flexed around the shaft of her halberd, the Silver asked gently, "M'lady, why do you and your acquaintance pour over this map so intently?"

Satoshi meets Hildegarde's question of having been heard about with a grin, small, mysterious, and far too vulpine. The kit, after all, hears a great many things when they take place in Frostmaw, especially if it involves her kin. Naturally, she doesn't know exact details, but rather, the simple remarks and rumors made by the general populous. Suffice to say, Satoshi doesn't regret inviting the Silver to stay. Hints of these thoughts are reflected in the foxkin's expression as she gestures Hildegarde over toward the desk. Quietly the scout shifts to one side to make room for the Silver, thus revealing the map to her properly. Although none of the displayed areas have names, it is clearly a map of the realm, and the region of Venturil is heavily ticked with ink marks. A number of lines curve away from a circle in the area's center, but they seem to lead to no where, all ending abruptly with a harsh X. "A dear friend of mine and the Eyrie has gone missing. We are attempting to trace what we think may be a band of poachers in this region, possibly connected to his disappearance," Satoshi explains after a moment, "But they've left very few clues as to where they've gone. For the past week I've had rangers studying the area, but they haven't been able to find anything certain. We were just discussing my going there myself--" The wood elf frowns here, his look interrupting Satoshi. What they were unhappily discussing earlier were the dangers of Frostmaw's Queen going there alone, and her refusal to take along a party of scouts to assist her. The kit clears her throat before continuing, "Going there myself, although Quinton feels I should take a group with moi. We don't have further time to waste on another group trek out there. I can get there quickly and quietly on my own, and be back, before the group could arrive." The scout huffs and looks away, irritated.

Hildegarde only seemed to smile a little more at the foxish grin, perhaps a little naive of what it truly meant. The Silver was given no answer about it, but it didn't seem to bother her as she was quickly distracted by the new information presented to her by the Queen and the elf scout, as well as the map itself. The knight squinted at the map, scanning it intently. "Poachers," she echoed with a tone of discontent, "those who are hunting illegally." She watched the exchange between Queen and scout, only to speak after a long silence. Her voice was gentle, yet held a strength in it; perhaps determination or strength of her will, "I would wish to escort you, m'lady. I can fly, as well as assume this form. I will offer what assistance I can, m'lady, if you would have use of me." At these words, that quickly turned solemn, she gave a bow of her head and held her head in that position, until Satoshi delivered a response.

Satoshi glances, smirking, at Quinton. "Does that appease you, Forestling~?" The scout, not quite as familiar with the Silver, takes a moment to eye her carefully. After a time, however, he dips his head in consent. The determined knight would do. "Well then~," Satoshi trills once the elf nods, "if I'm not stealing you from your ward, Mithril, I'd be glad for your company. Do you think you could be ready soon? I've wasted too much time already with reports and arguments concerning this, as it is." At this, the mist-woven cloak begins to churn anew in symbolism of the kit's anxiety. She should never have assigned rangers to sorting out the issue. She should have gone herself in the beginning, when she'd first felt that stab of alarm to her mind. She shouldn't have stayed, when all contact had been severed. Yes, the contact had been relatively blocked for a number of months, but it had never reached this degree of isolation. She'd made too many mistakes already, she can't waste more time when Emiur was at risk. These thoughts flicker across the kit's face as one of her hands unconsciously lifts to stroke the rainbow-colored feather in her hair. Her tie to the missing couatl.

Hildegarde raises her head once the decision has been made, offering the pair a smile and both a respectful dip of her head. "My liege often vanishes without a word of notice to me, I believe he can cope without me for a while. For now, my life is your shield, m'lady. I pray you do me no dishonour in our quest, m'lady," she said all in that solemn voice. "I vow upon my Oath and my honour, we shall return your friend to you!" That said, she offered the woman a smile and stated: "I am ready when you are."

Satoshi, caught up in the solemn tones, offers Hildegarde a bow in answer before turning to the scout. "I'll leave you to your tasks of following what trails we have, then." And back to Hildegarde she turns, to say, "Let us go then, Mithril, and see if we can't unearth hints our rangers could not~." Quinton doesn't bristle at this remark, knowing the foxkin isn't taking a jab at the skills of himself or his men. What she means to do is attempt to find clues of a magical or psionic nature, something that would have been missed by his magicless team but may be readily discovered by an adept mage.

Hildegarde didn't even blink at the use of the nickname, having actually grown rather fond of it. She smiled to the Queen, ready to follow her wherever she may lead. "Do you wish me to fly you there or shall we be getting there by other means, m'lady?"

Satoshi says to Hildegarde, "If you don't mind bearing me, it'd save us time in seeking a pair of off-duty flyer available for that flight distance. I'd be rather honored to fly with you, if you're willing." See? The foxkin can be formal too. Quinton half smirks beneath his hood, listening even as he consults the map.

Hildegarde very nearly dropped to a knee, given that carrying one of nobility was such an honour. "It is I who is honoured, m'lady. I would only ask that you keep a hold of my halberd during our flight, as I'd be heartbroken to lose it." She offered the woman a smile, "Whenever you are ready, I shall take my true form and we shall take flight."

Satoshi , by way of saying she's ready, holds our her hands with their palms up, to accept the halberd. The item, of course, will be handled with all the care the magus is capable of--and considering she handles magical and highly volatile artifacts often, care is one thing she can manage very, very well. It will be safe in the kit's hands. As long as it doesn't bite...

Hildegarde very gently passed her halberd to the woman, obviously indicating her own personal reverence for the item. Satoshi may have been able to feel the repair work done to the shaft, perhaps implying the Silver had been in a brutal fight of sorts. The knight took a step back and within minutes, the tall knight was replaced by the hulking form of a Silver dragon. The dragon bent a fore-leg, to tilt her body to Satoshi so she may 'board' more easily. With each word spoken, her voice seemed to be followed with a copy of her own, only with a delay of a few seconds, "I hope you are comfortable upon my back, m'lady, I shall fly swiftly and safely." Ever the knight, even in her dragon form which she was one to often avoid using.

In the Dead Forest

Satoshi, from astride the Silver's back, squints through her goggles as she keeps a sharp eye out for the section of forest they're searching for. Quinton had said it would stand out, especially from the air, as a circle of destruction, with the normally dead, close-knit trees torn down and trampled flat. When Satoshi spots it, she takes a hand off the halberd's staff to tap the scales of Hildegarde's right shoulder before pointing downward. The dragon should have little trouble finding room to land within the area, for those that caused the damage can roughly match her in size, and they were wide-spread with their wrathful combat.

Hildegarde , unlike her father and male counterparts, lacked the little frill under her chin that most of her kind carried. Instead, she carried a splendid frill from the top of her head to the base of the neck; smooth horns sloping back on her head to create a sleek and aerodynamic appearance, as well as effect. The dragon took the indication from Satoshi, emitting a little chuff as if to say 'roger that!' as she tilted her body to the right. From the air this location looked... depressing. It screamed that bad things had happened here, may even happen again. The dragon continued with her tilting until she formed slow descending circles, landing as gently as a dragon can upon the ground. Wings shuddered from the exertion before rising up, only to tuck into her sides again. The dragon bent her fore-leg once again, allowing the Queen to disembark at her own pace and will. "Something terrible has happened here," she comments in that peculiar flanging voice.

Satoshi drops to the ground without the Silver's offered aid, not to be rude, but simply because her focus is on the site itself. All around them the land is torn, trees uprooted and hurled aside in broken heaps, ground ripped and pitted in lengthy strips, and all liberally splattered with layers of a rust brown color. The kit lowers a knee as she gazes at a section of furrowed earth, fingers tracing the outlines of one of the dark stains in the soil while her noses twitches in surveying the airs. Blood. Old, of course, yet still potent in its scent. Hildegarde's words draw a soft, unhappy sound from Satoshi. "Something terrible indeed, Mithril. A great deal of blood has been spilt here." Stooping further then, the foxkin brushes aside a pile of dead leaves to reveal a shard of bright green. As she lifts it up to show the dragon, it catches the light and flares into life like a brilliant emerald, revealing itself to be a scale, large enough to have belonged to an enormous creature. "Couatl blood." Before Satoshi can say further, there's the faint crackle of a foot shifting upon dried leaves, sounding from Hildegarde's left and just beyond the circle of trees. A glint of silver and a soft 'shnk' accompanies it, the sound of a blade being drawn...

Hildegarde had returned to that more humanoid form once the Queen had dropped to the ground and began her scouting. The knight followed her with careful steps, filled with trepidation as she didn't wish to destroy any evidence of the scene. Her hands gently reached for the halberd, taking it from Satoshi without much ceremony about it, "One can hope it is not enough blood to bring woe to us, m'lady," she said with such genuine hope, it almost sounded as if she were a well-spoken child. As the scale was lifted and examined, the knight frowned with disappointment and a certain sadness akin to the sadness in her face when she met Ignatius, but the knight has little time to dwell upon that sensation of sadness as the sound of someone hostile approaches. The Silver turned sharply on her heel, halberd swung into a defensive position as what appears to be a human mercenary wanders into their view. Hilde showed no expression of anger or need to attack, but her posture was clearly defensive. She spoke clearly enough for the mercenary to hear her, "If you wish to strike at myself or the lady here, you -will- be stopped. I offer you the chance to surrender now, peacefully."

Satoshi doesn't rise from where she is kneeling. As a mage, she does not need to take a defensive stance to defend herself with her spells. Nor does the kit feel she's in any immediate danger with the steadfast dragon knight between herself and the simple human. In a brief glance Satoshi's gathered valuable information about the man. Armor rusted and mismatched, inexperienced hands hold his bastard sword roughly, the blade pockmarked and just as poorly cared for as his gear, stance that of an aggressor, but not of one with any formal training in combat arts. No, this man is no more than a ruffian, likely here in hopes of earning money--how, Satoshi cannot guess--and all that stands in his way are what appear to be a stern-faced woman and another looking curious yet bored. The man flashes a grin of rotted teeth before spitting upon the ground before Hildegarde's feet. "Why would I s'rrender t' some uppity bitch, eh?" Raising his sword above his head then, the man charges forward with a yell.

Satoshi said, "Tch. Stupid move."

Hildegarde held her stance as the man waited, making his vulgar remark. At least, in Hilde's mind it was a form of vulgarity. She had never heard that word in her life, particularly not addressed to her. It was simply improper and a show of poor manners. But now was not the time to dwell upon it. With sword raised above his head, the ruffian charged towards her with his battle cry. The knight didn't seem to move, other than finally twirl her halberd so the end that was designed to wrest riders from their steeds was now pointing at the man. As he closed the distance between the two, she pushed her leg back to anchor her into the earth as she angled her halberd to catch at his shoulder. With a a snarl of effort, the knight raised the man up and threw him down onto the ground to the side. The impact of the earth must have hurt, surely! The knight was quick to twirl her halberd back around; blade of the axe-head burrowing in between the plate of his poor and badgered shoulder piece. She spoke in a voice that was factual, as if explaining a rule of sorts: "Rise to do harm and I'll take your arm."

Satoshi, of all things, laughs. Far from a mirthful sound, this laugh is coldly amused and serves all the more to rub into the man's wounded pride. As he lies winded on the ground, Hildegarde's blade pressed expertly to the joint of his arm, his vulgar attitude melts away to reveal the brutish coward beneath. "P-please dun kill me. I w-was only doin' as I was paid ta," he pleads between painful gasps for air. He's out of his league here, and he knows it. Satoshi rises then and approaches, fluidly maneuvering around hildegarde before she crouches down over the man with her knees buried painfully into his ribcage. Her right hand reaches forward and its claws extend, shredding the satin gloves to reveal lengthy blades of ice that are pressed to the man's quivering throat. When the kit leans forward, her voice drops to a whispered purr, as smooth as velvet yet as keen as knives, "You're no more than a bully. Attacking a pair of ladies when you fancy they're helpless. But the moment one plants you on the ground without effort, you dissolve into a whimpering dog. Pathetic." As if to emphasize her words, the man groans weakly then and tries to press himself further into the ground to escape the pressure of the frozen claws against his neck. Satoshi voices that cold laugh again. "Quit your squeaking et squirming. We'll let you go soon enough. Once you tell me what I want to know. ...Where is the couatl?" The man chokes out a faint, 'I dun know.' "Wrong answer." Claws dig a little deeper into his flesh before the mercenary squawks, "I dun know! I swear! I dun move the catches, I jus' scout the locations! 's all they pay me for!" Satoshi tuts and draws one of her fingers lightly along the human's throat, tracing a paper-thin crimson line across the skin. "I need more than that, or I'm cutting deeper next time. Why are you here?" No further persuasion is needed as the man feels blood and sweat trickle down his neck, "I scouted this spot, told 'em there were two big flyin' snakes to catch here. They came an' got the beasts a few weeks ago. But I got sent back. Told me to find the nest, an' bring back the rest of the prizes. 've been tryin'! But these rangers kept showin' up, an' now you! The pay ain't worth dealin' with them an' you lot. I jus' wanna go home." Scoffing, Satoshi shoves herself off the man and stalks a few paces away, where she stands with hunched shoulders and lashing tails. Pinned still by Hildegarde, the man glances anxiously between kit and dragon, uncertain about his fate and wishing he hadn't been so eager to cash in on this job.

Hildegarde was not entirely comfortable with Satoshi placing herself upon the ruffian, mostly because the woman was temporarily her ward. However, she understood that the situation was well within both of their control: her halberd could end disable him swiftly and Satoshi's claws could send him to his End even quicker. The Silver had nothing to contribute to their conversation as it were, simply remaining quiet until Satoshi moved a few paces away. She kept her almost sad gaze upon the man, addressing Satoshi with her powerful yet tender voice, "M'lady, what do you wish for me to do?"

Satoshi doesn't answer for a long moment, the only sound coming from the man as he shifts against the dried earth. The kit's thoughts are elsewhere, racing over what she'd been told, analyzing the words, calculating their meanings, and coming to conclusions both unpleasant and captivating. There had been two couatls here, which means her guess is true, that Emiur's prior disappearance was related to finding a companion. But the pair had been captured, around the same time Satoshi'd felt that mental-stab through the feather she wears. Emiur was taken. Where, she does not know. This man doesn't seem to know either, nor had the rangers successfully found any tracks to follow. Emiur had vanished into the blue along with his companion. But this man had been sent back to... 'Find the nest. Bring back the rest of the prizes.' Could that mean...? Satoshi straightens abruptly with a sharp intake of breath. Whirling around, she glances at Hildegarde and the mercenary a moment, only seeming to half see them as she answers, "He is your catch, you may do as you desire, Mithril." With this, the kit begins pacing while eyes frantically scan the ground. Where? Where? There must be some clue. But the rangers had found nothing... if they failed at seeing the hints, then the hints... "...aren't visible to the eye. Of course." Seemingly talking to herself, Satoshi stops pacing, takes hold of the rainbow feather, and falls perfectly still, motionless as if carved from stone as she focuses inward. She feels nothing at first, just a thoughtless void around her, until the slightest twinge brushes her mind. The touch is as light as a breeze, almost nonexistent, but enough for her to get a vague sense of its direction. "This way!" Not waiting to see if Hildegarde follows, Satoshi dashes off in a northwesterly direction, feather still clutched tight.

Hildegarde held steady until Satoshi gave her command. She was ready to pull the man to his feet, until something caught her eye. She squinted her eyes and cocked her head slightly, before jerking the halberd to the side to detach the pauldron with a 'pop'. Once the pauldron was off, she stabbed the end of the halberd into the earth and hoisted the man to his feet. The Silver took the blade from him, inhaling deeply until a 'click' went in the back of her throat; allowing her to blow a concentrated cone of dense frost about the blade. Her hands moved to the blade itself, snapping it in two and rendering it useless. "If I find you again, sir, committing illegal acts, I shall not be so forgiving. Seek out work locally and do good in our world, not cruelty." The ruffian turned and ran as soon as he could, allowing the knight to lift the pauldron and eye the damaged and almost indiscernible mark upon it. Hilde yanked her halberd out of the earth and quickly pursue the Queen.

Satoshi can feel it growing closer and surer with every step. While still vague, the pressure reaching out to the feather is persistant and yearning, a sense of the familiar woven into it. It's not far. Satoshi pushes forward, heedless of the branches snagging at her hair, the thorns rending clothing and flesh alike. She leaves an obvious trail of torn, dead foliage for the dragon in her wake to follow, a path that ends rather abruptly as the kit shoves through a screen of brambles and halts. There before here looms an enormous pile of boulders, possibly the remnants of a cliff long ago collapsed, that blocks further progress forward. Satoshi stares at it a moment, frowning. "How..?" The feather pulses once, resonating with the pull coming from up ahead. "...Oh. Clever, Emiur, very clever." She squeezes the feather tight and steps forward then, eyes closed tight. To any watching, they'd see the foxkin seemingly walk straight through the wall of solid stone as if it wasn't there at all. If Hildegarde wishes to follow, she'll have to convince both her body and her mind that the rockface is an illusion, that she can go where the magus went. Any shred of doubt, however, will result in her walking into a stone wall, rather than going where Satoshi has...

Hildegarde was not quite as agile or light-footed as the Queen she tried to pursue. Her armour weighed her down, her mind too distracted by her thoughts of the pauldron and what it could mean. She found herself wandering speedily through branches and thorns, nicking at her pale cheeks; grasping at any flesh that was on offer. By the time she had followed the trail of dead foliage, she had only seen a whisper of Satoshi's tails before coming to a dead-end of a stone wall. The Silver frowned, walking up to it and pressing her hand. But she could only feel the stone, the coldness of it and the harsh reality. The Silver frowned with frustration, before recalling the wisdom of her mother and father; their stories of powerful wizards and witches who could bring the imagination to life if one had been properly fooled by it. She stepped back and took a few moments to collect herself, slowing her breathing and relaxing herself; rolling her shoulders as if to aid the process. Once she was certain this was an illusion and nothing more, she slowly stepped forward and proceeded beyond the 'stone wall', following after the Ice Queen.

Cavern Nest

Satoshi, as Hildegarde appears beside her, blinks in wonder. She hadn't expected the dragon to be able to follow. In all honesty, she had momentarily forgotten the dragon altogether, but now here the Silver stands. "You... are a special kind of guardian, Mithril." It's a compliment sincerely given, although the kit's voice is hushed. Once the knight looks around, she'll see why Satoshi speaks quietly. They stand within a deep, low-ceiling'd cavern. The air is warm and close, almost to the point of uncomfortable. The floor is covered in a thick, cushioning mat comprised of dead leaves, twigs, scraps of fur, and what appear to be pale versions of the feather Satoshi carries, all woven together expertly to produce a natural blanket. In the center of this blanket, and cozily nestled into further heaps of the material, rest five green objects, shaped like fat oblongs. "Eggs, Mithril. These are Emiur and his companion's eggs... They shielded the nest from intruders with psionics. You cannot enter, unless you know it is a false rock. This..." She gestures to the feather in her hand, "told me as much. It's Emiur's. It was calling to the eggs. Or they were calling to it... I'm not sure." Satoshi heaves a sigh then and pinches the bridge of her nose. "What do I do...? I have no trail to follow to find him or do I know if he's still alive, but even if I did, I can't leave the eggs unattended. They need care, or we'll lose them."

Hildegarde looked to the woman with a smile, happy that she had managed to calm herself and convince herself that it was simply nothing more than an illusion; a trick of the mind. If there were any more adrenalin in her, though, it is doubtful she would have been calm enough to convince herself. She replies with a hushed tone, just copying as one tends to do in conversation, "I will never abandon my ward," she replied, as if the feat was nothing. In fact, the knight had been told by a few now that there was something "special" about her. But those were questions and thoughts for another time. Hilde's eyes scan the room, noticing the five eggs all nestled into the makeshift blanket. Given that she did not know Emiur or have the emotional attachment to the coatul as Satoshi did, she replied with strategy: "Either one of us has to stay - which does not suit our icy natures, m'lady - or we call upon our brood; our Eyrie."

Satoshi approaches the eggs before crouching down beside them, a cool hand resting upon the smallest of the brood. For a long moment, she does not speak, all thought set upon the eggs and their missing parents. "They can't stay here. The ones who took Emiur know there is a nest. If they were able to subdue two couatl, I have no doubt they'll find the eggs given time. We'll..." Satoshi stops. A deep breath is taken, as if she's bracing herself, before she says, "we'll take them back to Frostmaw and tend to them there. And once I'm certain they are safe, I will resume the hunt for Emiur." The eggs first. Satoshi's made her choice. Whether it determines life or death for her couatl partner, will be seen in time. The kit isn't sure she could face Emiur if she abandoned his young to look for him instead.

Hildegarde watched as the woman touched an egg, saying nothing about the action. Certainly, if she felt as though Satoshi was not as bonded as she was to the parents of this brood, she would have perhaps frowned upon the action or felt it to be a little perverse even. But alas, she understood the bond and felt that it was a tender moment that shouldn't be disturbed. "Then it is important we transport them immediately, m'lady, as you already know. I suspect that ruffian may go against my suggestion and report to his cohorts, which narrows our time some," she frowned slightly, eyeing that pauldron once again and the ruined symbol upon it. "If you are to carry the eggs - somehow - I can carry you to Frostmaw."

Satoshi stands, face a determined set. "Right. If you'd carry them outside, I'll see to fashioning a net with my magic. We'll use this nesting material as a buffer to keep them warm." No longer dawdling or lost in thought, the kit goes into action, scooping up armloads of the material and bringing it outside. After three trips, she doesn't return, entrusting the movement of the eggs to the dragon, while Satoshi busies herself with calling down the air moisture nearby. In little time, she's woven a net of water and snow, delicate by appearance but stronger than any rope they could hope to use. Atop it she piles the nesting, ready for the eggs, and once they're in place, ready for the Silver's talons to take hold of the net so that it can hang beneath her during flight. "It's quick work, but it will last the trip easily enough. So long as you don't drop them." It's almost a joke. Almost.

Hildegarde gave a nod of her head, quickly stepping outside to dig her halberd into the earth while she carried the eggs out. Her hands were delicate and careful as they handled the eggs, pulling them softly to her chest to make sure she wouldn't risk dropping a single egg. The egg was placed softly on the ground, atop some of the dead foliage which had become so very convenient in this moment! She returned for the other eggs, carrying one at a time, until she reached the smallest of the brood. She pulled that egg into the crook of her arm with a slightly bigger one in the other crook. Eggs all placed outside upon the foliage, she waited for Satoshi to ready a net. The Silver kept quiet as she transferred the eggs to the blanket carefully and gently, smiling slightly to the woman, "I wouldn't dream of it, m'lady," before she nodded to her halberd, as if asking the Queen to hold it for her again. Within moments, the Silver had reverted to her truer form, talons gripping the net carefully but firmly. She bent a fore-leg for Satoshi.

Satoshi climbs aboard the dragon's back, halberd held firmly in one hand. Once she's situated, the kit taps Hildegarde's shoulder scales to signal. The Silver won't find Satoshi an active conversation partner on the flight back, as the magus is completely buried in her thoughts. It's an unpleasant thing, having to dwell on the potential consequences of one's actions or choices. It's a relatively new concept for Satoshi, and one she's been learning bitterly. She can only hope this choice does not come back to bite her.

Hildegarde is not expecting much conversation during this flight, given that she wishes to be as aware and careful during this flight as possible. The Silver took to the air with ease, but there was a slowness to her take-off as if she didn't wish to disturb the net and the careful contents of it held in her grasp. Hilde would carry the Queen and the cargo to their destination with speed and care, her growing worry for the eggs only fuelling her desire to get there as quickly as she can.

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