Private - Poached, Scrambled and a Job Well Done

It was time to teach Savannah the secrets of Beast Taming, though if she were honest, Luna wasn't actually sure that there were any secrets to be known aside from needing to be compassionate and willing to have an open heart and mind. And it was useful to be able to push fear aside for whenever they needed to, though Luna found that sometimes, being slightly afraid filled whatever Beast she was speaking to with a sense of pride and accomplishment, that something might consider them a potential threat. Maybe it was an effect of Beast Taming, but creatures often felt fairly human in terms of personality and mannerisms than she'd first expected when she'd selected the Mastery itself. For now though, she'd left Natiri under the watchful eyes of Lucia and would probably be making a new animal friend in order to help herself teach Savannah how to do it and what the whole process was. The tigress was almost certainly safe with the necromancer, so it was time to teach the knight how to connect with nature and nature's beasts in a way that was nearly impossible to do in reality.

She smiled, being the last one to reach their agreed upon meeting site, somewhere in the forests of Brisshal being the ideal spot for looking for beasts to tame. She'd spent a lot of time thinking about how she was going to teach Savannah, but at the same time more thoughts had started to dominate her mind as she thought on exactly what they were going to talk about. She had a feeling, from the way that Savannah had messaged her, that something had happened between the knight and Lucia, though from the start she'd expected that might happen at some point. What truly had her thinking though, was the nature of her own bond with the knight and the way that she'd actually kissed the woman after the whole ordeal with fighting the Bandit King. Sure, she could claim that she'd been caught in the rush of the moment and that she'd not been thinking clearly, but the truth was she couldn't say that she wouldn't do it again in that same sort of situation, or that she hadn't enjoyed being in the blue woman's arms. To claim something like that would make her a pretty bad liar.

She sighed, shaking her head to clear herself of those types of thoughts as she pushed through some undergrowth, getting closer and closer to the clearing that she'd marked for Savannah and herself with each subsequent footstep. Thinking about everything now wouldn't do her any good, they'd only serve to make her nervous and anxious as time went forward. Instead, all she could really do was hope that the talk would go well. Besides, they couldn't get too distracted when she also had to teach the woman.

Eventually, she emerged from a particularly dense section of the forest, her face lighting up as she spotted a familiar blue form waiting for her. Her eye sparkled with joy and her face sported a rather radiant smile as she walked forwards towards the woman. "S-Savannah! S-Sorry if I'm late! It's so good to see you a-again!" Even better, her stutter was slowly fading as she got more comfortable, though in real life she found she still stuttered fairly badly. "How are you?"

 

Savannah lay in the middle of the clearing, right ankle crossed over left, her arms folded behind her head, and a small smile on her face. She hadn’t felt this calm, this peaceful, in a very long time, longer than she could remember. It felt like a weight had disappeared from her shoulders, an ache finally soothed instead of left raw and torn by the elements. The morning was cool, but the grass was free from snow and the sun was angled just right in the sky for the blue woman to receive the full effect of the morning sunlight. She relished it, sighing contently.

Though the woman appeared calm and relaxed, there were many things running through her mind, none of which had to do with her Ladyship. The intimate encounter she had with Lucia had been playing on repeat for longer than she would have openly admitted, and not just while she was in game either. She found her daily thoughts consumed by how much this game and its inhabitants meant to her. The night she logged off after the battle with the bandit king, she slept poorly, the fight rewinding in her skull and showing her how much her recklessness could have cost her.

She had pictured Luna’s death and Lucia’s utter disappointment more times than she could count. And yes, it would have been possible for the white-haired caster to merely respawn, but after Savannah’s own harrowing respawn journey, she wouldn’t wish the mental scars on her newfound friend.

Friend…

The word didn’t adequately describe their relationship. They were both in love with Lucia and the Dark Lady loved them both, individually of course, so that technically made them girlfriends, right? Or sister-wives? Or…something? Her foray into the world of polyamorous relationships via google did not help her understanding of what Lucia was building nor did it completely soothe her mind when it came to how they would all interact with one another.

They would have to talk about it. If there was one thing that google reinforced time after time, website after website, podcast after podcast, it was that communication was key. Of course, it was also one of Savannah’s failings. Her grandpa hadn’t wanted to talk. The few questions he asked her related to food, what was broken within the house, and how school was going. They were roommates more than kin and roommates that hardly liked each other at that. Yet she was supposed to tell her deepest darkest secrets to these women, confide in them and explain any feelings of inadequacy that ran rampant through her mind?

The mental image of Vivian’s laughter immediately bubbled up to the forefront of her mind and she scoffed while simultaneously sitting up.

Silver eyes flicked up and landed on Luna as she approached, a friendly smile immediately crossing her lips. Her thoughts scattered to the wind, Vivian’s smirking face along with them.

Hey Luna, Savannah greeted, slowly standing and dusting the grass from her clothing. She had forgone her armor for the time being, her attire composed of fur-lined breeches and tunic along with the black bear cloak that she had used to keep them warm on the journey to the north.

You look well, she said, noticing that the woman was about an arm’s length away from her. Shouldn’t she…hug her or something? A flicker of confusion crossed her cheeks before it was erased, Savannah’s attention swaying towards the trees and further into the forest. She didn’t know where they were going, but she was antsy to start moving. All this standing around made her feel awkward.

So, ready for today? It’s gonna be a long one. She rest her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply, her chest inflating with the cool springtime air. She felt invigorated. Oh, hey. Where’s Natiri? I thought we were gonna practice with her?​

 

"Thanks! You look really good too! I-I um, I don't think I've ever seen you quite as relaxed before!" Savannah really had looked peaceful when she'd walked into the clearing, it'd almost been too hard to approach her and break that sense of ease and peace. Still, at some point she'd have had to approach and say something, since Savannah likely wasn't the type to enjoy being watched whilst she relaxed and took like easy.

Luna smiled, watching Savannah stand up to meet her, but was almost disappointed when the woman simply stopped in front of her. Was she....too embarrassed to hug her now or something? Luna shifted awkwardly for a moment, before darting forward and wrapping her arms around the blue woman. "I really missed you, y-y-you know? I'm glad to see you looking so well and relaxed." She stood there for a moment, holding the woman, before she let her go and stepped back, looking away to hide the blush that stretched across her face and dyed her skin crimson.

The woman's next question did make her stop, looking back to Savannah once her cheeks had settled on a light pink dusting instead of a deep crimson blush. Oh right, she should probably explain that, shouldn't she? "Oh uh, I did some asking around and uh, i-it seems that usually, p-practicing with an already tamed beast doesn't really uh, do anything." She shrugged, looking around. She would've liked to bring Natiri, goodness knows the tigress was fond of Savannah just like Luna was, but she wanted to go into this as empty handed as she could.

"S-so yeah, w-welcome to Beast Taming 101, I uh, suppose?" She giggled, shaking her head and offering Savannah her hand tentatively. "C-come with me please? We can uh, w-walk and talk..."

 

Hesitantly, Savannah wrapped her arms around Luna and gently patted her back. The flush of skin against skin immediately settled the woman and she gave a squeeze in return, a soft smile touching her lips. Hugging was pretty awesome, if she did say so herself. There was an exchange of warmth that Savannah liked. Plus, pressing herself up against Luna’s bosom always was a plus, right?

As Luna untangled herself from the knight and looked away, Savannah also blushed looked away herself. When did these thoughts become center stage in her mind? She didn’t used to think like this about the women around her.

I feel really good, she said after clearing her throat, her eyes finding their way back to Luna’s lithe figure. I…I dunno. I guess I’ve been pretty wound up since, ah, I got killed and, well, Lucia helped me……release some of that energy. She flexed her fingers, trying her hardest not to blush and maintain eye contact with the other girl, but it was hard. The mere whisper of what they had done had the movie playing once more and the sounds Savannah had made that night…

Ah, so, yeah and I did some talking to Sylvanas, but I don’t think you’ve met her. She shrugged her shoulders, signaling that it didn’t matter if Luna knew the person she was speaking about or not. She’s one of Lucia’s summons, probably one of her strongest...outside of Alice. Anyway, she said that blood craze is…well, not normal, but it happens sometimes. It used to happen to her but she found a way to redirect that energy into making her stronger. I think she’s gonna teach me that.

There was a note of excitement in her voice as she spoke. Sylvanas was intimidating, yes, but she was a woman who knew her way around a weapon and, furthermore, knew how to protect Lucia. Savannah wanted to learn all she could from her, every technique and every ability so that should anything ever happen to the dark elf, the Death Knight could easily step in and fill her shoes.

Her mercurial gaze landed on Luna’s outstretched hand. Without thinking about it too much, she fit interlaced her fingers with Luna’s and gave a nod of her head. Oh, that actually does make sense, she chuckled in reply to Luna’s explanation of where her white tiger was.

Right, ah, walk and talk, okay.

Nerves began to unfurl in Savannah’s stomach as she allowed herself to be led through the forest. She didn’t know where they were going, after all, and Luna apparently did so why not follow? But, her real hang-up was centered around whether Luna was okay with…well…her.

So! Ah, where to begin. Uhm, well, Lady Lucia explained her, ah, relationship with you and Vivian and, to…just put all my cards on the table, she…well, she asked…for me to, ah, consider…being apart of it all…​

 

Luna was relieved when Savannah actually wrapped her arms around her, glad that she hadn't made the woman uncomfortable with the sudden hug. But after what they'd been through together, she supposed it was fine to assume that they were close enough to hug and stuff without it being a huge deal. Which was definitely nice, since she really did like the knight a lot. And the feeling of being pressed against the woman was a familiar one, even if Savannah had usually worn sturdier clothes the last few times they'd really had to be close to stay warm.

Though, the talk of Lucia helping her release some energy had Luna's blush returning as she glanced at the floor for a minute, before looking back up with a small relieved smile. "A-ah, I-I uh, I see. Y-you too then?" She lowkey admitted to having slept with the necromancer already, shifting slightly in place as she banished thoughts of Savannah and Lucia, or worse, Savannah and herself, from her mind. And she didn't mean worse as in she didn't want that sort of thing, but now really wasn't the time to get hung up on that sort of mental image, considering what they were doing.

"Still, I'm glad that you might have a more useful way to channel that sort of thing. I was worried about you back then, b-but I have faith you'll always be okay." She smiled as the woman took her hand, slowly leading the way into the forest as she set off in search of a teaching opportunity for Savannah. Maybe she'd even learn a little bit about Beast Taming herself along the way? "I-I just don't ever want to have to see you die or get badly hurt, even if it's to save me or anybody. Your health matters too, after all." She smiled.

As for hearing that Lucia had asked Savannah to consider joining her in the strange little relationship they all had going on, Luna could only smile warmly and squeeze Savannah's hand. "Y-you don't have to if you don't l-like the idea of having to share or being shared." She blushed, shrugging. "B-but for what it's worth, I'd uh, y-y'know, l-love if you were a part of it. I like you Savannah." She didn't quite mean in the same way she liked Lucia, or even Vivian, but even then she didn't like those two the same way.

"I um, I s-spoke to Vivian about w-where I stand with them and we uh, came to an agreement. I'm uh...i-involved with both of them?" She still struggled to understand sometimes, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, that was certain. "I-If anybody else were to....j-join us, I'd w-want it to be you. Y-you're kind and sweet and loyal. I-I feel safe with you nearby." Admitting that much came easily. "You h-have my blessing t-to go for it, i-if you want. I-I want you and L-Lucia and V-Vivan to all be happy."

 

Maybe Savannah knew on an instinctual level that Lucia had been with Luna in that way, but her higher thinking didn’t want to admit it or recognize it. So there was a moment of surprise that crossed her face, her brows suddenly pulled up high, before a mask covered her reaction. She merely nodded and offered a smile while an uneasy feeling developed in her stomach. She didn’t know how to feel about the fact that they had been together. Frankly, it wasn’t her business, not really, so she shouldn’t have had an emotional reaction at all.

Still…

I think being badly hurt is just part of the job, Savannah told the other woman, her free hand scratching at the back of her neck in embarrassment. She wet her lips and continued forth with her words, glancing from Luna to the path they walked and back again as she spoke. I’m…Lucia’s Death Knight. I’ve given her my solemn vow to protect her, come hell or high water and everything in between. If I didn’t take a beating now and then, I’m not doing my job correctly.

Her tone was deadly serious as she spoke, and her face had those same solemn lines etched around her mouth and upon her brow. While she could understand Luna’s worry and appreciate it, her life meant nothing if Lucia was hurt on her watch. It was her duty to give up her life for Lucia if necessary. The idea of it, that dark tunnel and the Lady Who Waits and the cold marble at her back and the quiet chanting of the priests and priestess within the temple; all of it made her want to run screaming in the other direction.

But she couldn’t and she wouldn’t, no matter how much death scared her.

I just…ah, I don’t really understand it. Her words tumbled forth with a frustrated huff, that same hand pushing back the onyx locks that tumbled around her shoulders. The motion was a jerk of her hand through her hair while a few loose strands twisted around her fingers and were yanked from her scalp. She winced, not meaning to hurt herself.

I mean, you hear about those crazy Mormons up in Utah with compounds of women and children and they’re all sister-wives or whatever, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what Lucia wants. She shook her head to emphasize her point. But I just don’t…and I mean, I’ve never been in a relationship with, well, anyone before, and now I’ve got…or well, I could have…and it’s just really…overwhelming.

Savannah stopped completely, took her hand from Luna’s grip and buried her face in her palms. She took two deep breaths, cleared her throat, and dropped her hands to her side. She wouldn’t break down, not in front of Luna. There was no reason to give the girl more to worry about, especially when it came to her.

Sorry, I just…it’s a lot going on in my head right now, she said in a whispered, her hand once more resting on her hips. Her tongue flicked out and smoothed across her lower lip as she looked off into the distance, her eyes unfocused, the voices and images in her head running wild against her will.

But, I’m glad to hear that…you wouldn’t mind. That, ah, that really makes me happy. I just…and then there’s Vivian and…ugh. She scrubbed her face with her palms and let out a harsh, quick grunt.

Let’s just…not talk about it I guess. I’m just being…worrisome and…and…stuff. Ah, where are we going? I never asked when we decided to meet up.​

 

The idea that Savannah was totally willing to stand there and get hurt badly for somebody else was both inspiring and upsetting to Luna, who cared about the other woman much better than she cared for her own health and safety. Part of her wanted to speak up and demand that Savannah never put her life on the line for Luna's own sake, but that would be hypocritical and wrong of her to do so. How could she ask the woman to stop doing something that she was dead set on doing, if Luna wouldn't be able to make the same agreement were the terms being set by Savannah? That wasn't right of her to do.

And then came the whole thing about how confused Savannah was about the whole relationship thing. Luna nodded, swallowing as she blinked. "Y-yeah...I'm also confused about the whole thing, b-but I figure that...." She trailed off, not exactly sure if what she was saying would be received well. "Uh, that Lucia was w-worth it to a-at least try, to make her happy. B-because she might've been sad....h-had I walked away."

She sighed for a moment, remembering how strange and distant Lucia had seemed when she'd felt so against the idea of dating Vivian alongside Lucia. She stopped as Savannah took her hand from her grip, fixing the girl with a warm smile as she waited for the knight to compose herself. In a way, she kind of envied Savannah's bond with Lucia. The woman would always be useful to the necromancer, would always be there to help protect her and her ideals. Even Vivian, with her own plans and goals, had a place within the group that Lucia was building for herself.

But where did Luna fit into all of that?

She blinked, swallowing as Savannah spoke up again. She really did wish Savannah wouldn't speak of Vivian so badly, but she could honestly see why so many people would dislike the witch. If only she'd show that softer, more tender side of herself more often, she might have a good reputation. "O-of course I-I'd be happy with you. I-I'm sure, if I hadn't met Lucia..." She trailed off. She'd meant to say that if she hadn't met Lucia, she'd have liked Savannah all the same, but there was a chance they'd have never met. Lucia really was the one holding everything together, wasn't she?

"Uh, where we're going? We're searching the woods, but we're heading to the deeper, more dense growth." She explained, pointing forwards. The further in they went, the thicker the vegetation became. "A-and if you e-ever want to talk things through, o-or need a listener, I'm here for you. A-after what we went through t-together, I-I'd call us close."

 

At Luna’s mention of Lucia, all of the air that Savannah had taken into her chest seemed to deflate right out of her. Her breath exited her nose and mouth in a slow, long huff and she found her head swinging, her eyes pinpointing Luna’s and a small smile escaping her control.

Yeah, she murmured, nodding her head in agreement. She asked me to try, to consider, and then we…well…I’m sure you know what happened. She coughed and blushed, the blueberry coloration staining her cheekbones and painting her blue skin even darker around her throat. So…I’m going to try, I have to. It’s a request made of the woman I gave my vow to and…love…deeply.

Savannah’s words petered off into nothing. She was surprised that she even had the courage to say those words, let alone to a person whom wasn’t the object of her affection. She had loved her parents, but her memory of them was hazy at best and she had love her grandmother, but she had only known her a few months before the cancer took her away as well. She couldn’t say she loved her grandfather, which hurt on some level of her being, but it wasn’t something she actively thought about.

But she could say, with certainty and a strong back, that she did love Lucia.

She took a long look at Luna and found that the idea of loving her wasn’t so strange nor so horrible. What encompasses that word? Wanting them to be happy, to be safe, to be taken care of, right? Doing your best for them and for yourself so that they were likewise proud of you? There was probably more but those beginning ones…yeah, Savannah wanted that for Luna. She really did…

Yeah, we are close, Savannah agreed after a moment. She dropped her eyes, realizing that she was being a creep and staring at the poor girl. Clearing her throat, she extended her hand for Luna’s and looked off to where the Arcanamancer had pointed. There were deep shadows in that direction and the entire direction gave Savannah a foreboding feeling. But there was no rush of adrenaline, there was no spike of her blood pressure, just a narrowing of her eyes as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She’d just have to be on her guard.

Thank you…for that, Savannah told her as they started walking again. I’m…not used to talking about stuff or having someone to listen to my shit. It’s…I lead a very lonely life outside of here so I’m grateful for you Luna. I just dunno how to express that, sometimes.

Ugh, she sounded so cheesy. But this was that whole communication thing that Google harped on, right? She was communicating, even if it was cringe-worthy.

Should, uh, should I be looking for, like, rabbits or birds to do like animal whisper with or something?​

 

"A-ah uh, y-y-yeah, I know what you um, what you mean..." Luna blushed and looked down at her feet awkwardly, still not used to talking about that sort of intimacy in any sense of the word. She was only young after all, it was strange talking to somebody about the fact that they'd both done it with the same person, especially when both of them liked that person and Luna liked Savannah in a way that was slightly more than just as a friend. She had a little bit of experience with love and affection now, so she was pretty sure she'd have never pecked just a friend on the cheek the way that she'd pecked Savannah when she'd found out that she was okay.

She smiled, grabbing Savannah's outstretched hand with a soft giggle, glad that the woman was okay with holding her hand still. She was even happier that Savannah was willing to try to make Lucia happy, but that also meant that they'd have to try to see more in each other than just friends and companions. Luna was okay with that, she really was, but there was that underlying worry that Savannah wasn't okay with it. That the reason the woman was so torn was because she couldn't even begin to see anybody other than Lucia in a romantic light. From the bottom of her heart, she hoped that wasn't the case.

She'd noticed Savannah staring and it'd made her blush, but she didn't exactly speak up against it. The woman seemed to stare whenever she was deep in thought of concentrating on something intensely, so she wasn't upset by it in the slightest. Besides, it was almost a compliment that the woman would even stare at her.

"D-d-don't worry about it Savvy." She smiled. Did Savannah mind her shortening her name like that? Hopefully she didn't, but she'd not use it more until she knew the woman was comfortable with it. "I-I have the same k-kind of problem. I'm um, I'm really bad at talking to people. B-but it makes me a great listener and I like you, s-so I want to try and help you deal with your problems..." She smiled, squeezing the woman's hand.

"Uh, keep your eye out, but we're looking for something that um, doesn't run immediately." She grinned warmly, gesturing around them. "Try to clear your mind of violent thoughts. Anything about fighting, anything about battle, just let them go." She explained her own mindset. "Being relaxed is key. Nothing will see you as a threat."

 

Savvy.

Addison had never had a nickname. She was sure her parents had probably given her one when she was little, but she couldn’t remember it now, and her Grandfather liked to call her “Miss Addison” because she “thought she knew everything.” So hearing Luna spout off such a nickname for her made her feel warm inside. She couldn’t help but smile and glance toward her.

That’s cute, she told her with a small chuckle. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a nickname to christen upon the Arcanamancer. Lu Lu would probably work, but that sounded too childish. A small frown creased her brow as she walked and thought, going through different variations of Luna’s name inside her head, casting most aside because they sounded like shit.

She nevertheless heard Luna’s offer but Savannah wasn’t sure when she would actually take her up on it. She didn’t talk about her problems to other people. Growing up in the house she did, it just wasn’t done. She had to figure shit out by herself or ask her internet friends about certain topics. While they would eventually tell her what she needed to know, she would usually be “comically” ridiculed for her lack of knowledge on a subject. Eventually, she just stopped asking and instead turned to google.

But you couldn’t spill you worries, your hurt, your pain, your uncertainties to a search box. She had tried it once and it hadn’t worked. Crushing, really…

Something that doesn’t run, she whispered, sweeping a low hanging branch out the way so they could easily pass. She waited for Luna to pass as well before she allowed it to snap back up into place. The shadows were long in this part of the forest and it was cooler than the clearing. The further in they went, the thicker the canopy got. Savannah couldn’t help glancing upwards and noticing how much she couldn’t see the sky.

This area doesn’t make me think of fuzzy rabbits and unicorns, she whispered to the other girl, noticing that a lot of the wildlife had gone silent. There was a chirp here and there, but the commotion in the forest around them was hardly to the level of where they had come from. Were they trespassing? Was their combined inquisitive nature going to end up getting them killed?

The Death Knight slowly exhaled. She expected to feel that spike of adrenaline hit her system, the battle lust ready and raring to go but when she looked for it, she found her metaphorical hands empty. She felt…calm. There was worry, yes, and anxiety in small doses, but nothing else. She felt protective over Luna, of course, but there was nothing inside her that felt caged and ready to be allowed free, nothing that banged against the bars of an enclosure and rattled its chains.

I need them to see me as a threat, Savannah said after a moment’s quiet, her voice oddly calm even as the words whispered from her dark blue lips. That way we don’t get jumped and I can protect you. Another sigh, this one as slow and long as its predecessor. But, I’ll try. Okay. Ah, I guess lets just stop and let me…chill out…

True to her words, Savannah stopped walking, glanced around them for immediate danger, and then closed her eyes. She was fully trusting her safety to Luna as her hearing was only so good as a human and her eyes were closed. She relaxed her hands, tried to relax her shoulders and clear her mind, but she found it difficult. Another exhale swept away some of her anxiety, allowed parts of her brain to clear.

Okay. I feel…a little better. Uhm, no-now what?​

 

Luna sighed in relief, thanking whatever gods were out there that Savannah didn't mind the accidental nickname. Maybe she would start using it just a little more often, especially since the woman had such a long name. Not that Savannah wasn't a lovely name, it really was quite nice and she thought it suited the knight well, it was just that sometimes it felt like a handful to say in the middle of a sentence, even if Savvy wasn't exactly a whole lot shorter that the full name.

Luna smiled as Savannah held a branch for her and stepped through, letting the woman let it snap back. She could tell that this part of the area was making Savannah slightly anxious and she honestly didn't blame her. A few weeks ago she'd have probably never have been able to make herself go to these parts even with a friend. Now she spent a lot of time in them by herself, thanks to the benefits of the Beast Taming mastery. Not being immediately labelled as a threat by any sort of beast was such a huge benefit to the mastery that it almost made it worth it for that alone.

"Don't worry too much, Savvy. I uh, I-I spend a lot of time in these parts, believe it or not." She smiled, wrapping an arm tentatively around the woman's waist and pulling her closer gently as the woman explained why she felt like she needed to be seen as a threat. "I understand, but t-trust me when I say that's the last thing w-we want. For a lot of creatures, w-we're too big to be considered easy prey and thanks to Beast Taming, well..." She trailed off, gesturing upwards where birds and smaller rodents had congregated, seeming unafraid of the two women. "...creatures don't feel threatened by us a-as easily. They feel less of a need to run, o-or strike."

Was she explaining things well enough? She kind of felt like she was a bad teacher for Savannah. She'd never actually had to teach anybody anything before, so this was all new territory for her. Watching Savannah relax however, she felt pleased and almost a little proud, of herself and of Savannah. "That's good, just stay relaxed. Keeping calm and being compassionate are the biggest key factors, or so I've found." She pulled the woman just the tiniest bit closer, wanting to be as close as possible without actually making it obvious. Eventually however, she retracted her arm and instead took the woman by the hand.

"You need to care, to forge a bond, but I know you can do that. You're one of the most loyal, caring people I've uh, t-that I've e-ever met..." She blushed, feeling awkward giving out compliments out of the blue like that. She opened her mouth to speak, when a strangled snarl sounded out from relatively close. It sounded like a hurt, or dying animal. Not one that she'd ever heard before. "Q-quickly! W-we have to help whatever creature that is!" With a gentle tug, she led Savannah in the direction of the sound by her hand.

 

Luna’s high compliment forced a blush to Savannah’s azure features. She felt she was doing what any Knight was sworn to do: protect a household and make sure that the members of that household prospered. Maybe loyalty and compassion were facets of her personality and not merely a role that she was playing. It was something for her to think about and consider, for sure, but now wasn’t the time or place.

She exhaled, focusing on what Luna had said. She had to appear nonthreatening, clear her mind of violence and battle, and listen to the world around her. Okay, she could do that…she thought.

As soon as she was starting to get into the groove of things, or so she liked to tell herself, Luna’s hand clenched her own and they simultaneously heard what sounded like a shriek. Whether it was pain or aggression, Savannah didn’t know, but she was instantly against being pulled in the direction of whatever the hell it was. Luna tried, of course, and Savannah went all of two steps before putting her weight behind her feet and stopping, her eyes glancing quickly around them before narrowing at her partner.

That’s not…there’s no way that’s a good idea, Savannah said, even as Luna continued to pull, her heavy boots sinking into the undergrowth. If she had to be an immoveable object, she would. She couldn’t allow Luna to get hurt, after all. What if it’s…ah…like bait?

But Luna was still tugging, still pulling, and while Savannah was nervous about what they were heading up against, she couldn’t deny the white-haired woman.

Fine, fine, she quickly replied, allowing herself to be dragged further into the forest, the dappled sunlight that floated through the canopy soon becoming a thing of the past. ​

 

Luna didn't fail to notice Savannah digging her feet into the ground to stop Luna from pulling her, though the white haired woman was determined to go and at least make sure that some creature out there wasn't suffering. "But something might need our help!" She insisted, feeling a sense of elation as she finally managed to get Savannah to move. Say what you want about Luna, but when something might be in danger she always threw her own safety to the wind and wanted to help out when she could. It was one of the reasons that she'd managed to impress Lucia so much, as far as she was aware at least.

Quickly, she led the blue skinned woman through dense undergrowth, feeling less and less at ease as the canopy blocked out more and more of the light the further into the forest they managed to trek. Eventually, they pushed past a set of shrubs and bushes, with Luna holding the branches so they wouldn't slap into Savannah, emerging into what was clearly a non-natural clearing, with trees and shrubs cut away by either a blade or some kind of claw. And in the center was a creature that made Luna gasp.

A strange, reptilian creature with two powerful hind legs and a pair of clawed, smaller arms, laid there on the ground, covered in slash and bite marks, as if it'd been savaged by multiple creatures at once. On its feet, the creature had a set of claws, with one larger claw on each toe. Luna let out a shuddering sigh, stepping closer to the dying creature that she could only slightly recognize. Was it....even possible for something like this to be here?

"This....is it a....dinosaur?" She turned to ask Savannah, a hand raised to her mouth before she squeaked as the creature rose to stare at them, pointing sharp eyes at them. It growled, huffing a desperate breath. Luna took a step forward, cautiously, before the creature shifted to reveal a nest beneath. "Oh! Oh no..." Luna gasped.

 

And those are dinosaur eggs.

Savannah took a step in front of Luna the minute the raptor growled at them. She squared her shoulders and was prepared to growl back, but the creature was already turning away from them. It was during that movement that Savannah got a good look at the raptor and how hurt she was. The scars that crisscrossed her flesh were new, some of them open and bleeding profusely while others looked to be about a day or so old.

What really captured Savannah’s attention was the massive gash in her side. The Knight blinked, hoping that the shred of rib bone that she could make out wasn’t actually there, but with the inflation of the mother dinosaur's chest and her labored breaths, it was safe to say that something much bigger and much scarier got to her. Savannah gulped, feeling a hint of remorse tug at her heart strings as her silver eyes glanced down at the nest that the mother was guarding.

Two massive eggs were nestled in the middle. Just outside of the eggs was a ring of brightly colored pebbles, each about the side of a quarter. They looked smooth to the touch and Savannah wondered what they could be for if not just decoration. The eggs, in contrast, were a cream coloration, one of them holding purple and pink polkadots and the other was clear of all markings.

Ah…Luna. Those are definitely raptor eggs. Her voice was whispered and while her eyes were focused directly on the dino in front of them, she turned her head a little so that she could whisper over her shoulder at her companion. I don’t think…I don’t think we can save her though. Her ribs are almost exposed. Something got her good…​

 

Luna stifled a gasp at the sight of the eggs, even as Savannah pushed past her to place herself in between her and the mother raptor. Just what on earth had even happened here? That poor raptor looked so awfully brutalized, honestly Luna was surprised the creature was still able to draw breath. These creatures were sturdy and hardy, they didn't go down until they physically couldn't go anymore. At least, that was the impression that she got from the mother raptor, who turned away from them and continued to stalk the general area of the nest.

Luna sniffled, a hand moving to grasp Savannah's and giving the blue woman's hand a slight squeeze, swallowing as she watched the bittersweet scene. There really was nothing that either of them could do, both of them lacking any sort of actual healing magic or equipment, besides just standing there and watching. They couldn't save the mother raptor, but there had to be something that they could do, right? No matter how small the task was, they had to be able to do it.

A sudden thud caught Luna's attention as the mother raptor collapsed, labored breathing echoing throughout the nesting area as it clearly suffered. Luna whimpered, clearly distressed at seeing the suffering of the innocent creature, before she let go of Savannah's hand and, before the woman could object, she left the safety of the woman's side, slowly approaching the downed dinosaur whilst making sure that she remained firmly within the creature's line of sight, so as not to startle it.

A growl made her flinch, though she kept slowly inching forward, a single hand extended with the flat of her palm pointed at the wounded creature. Eventually, she reached arm's length, her breathing fast and nervous as the creature eyed her hand, before tentatively pushing its muzzle against her palm. The scaly skin of the reptile shocked her for a moment, even as her hand moved to slowly stroke the animal's head. "G-good girl. I'm sorry this is happening. I promise we'll look after your babies."

She smiled, speaking to the creature as if it understood her. As if she understood it. "I'm Luna and this is my friend Savannah..." She paused, raising her other hand to gesture to Savannah. "She's nice too. She'll make an excellent mama for one of your children. She's so kind and loyal, but also strong enough to protect them. I promise we'll raise them together." She smiled gently, peering over her shoulder to gesture Savannah closer. "Come and say hello, Savvy. Introduce yourself."