"No way." Narrita shook her head furiously. "No way I'm letting you... summon those rabbits."

"But I can do it!"

"I believe you, kid. But I'm still not letting you do it!" Narrita looked up at the sky, her head following a sudden shadow that soared overhead. "We've got a crazed griffinhawk chasing after us! You're not going back there to get torn to pieces."

"They can help us! Along with Mister Cuddles!"

"What are some rabbits going to do against a big creature like that, huh? Nibble on it to death?"

Edith nodded. "Yeah. Watch."

"Nope." Narrita took in a deep breath before going off with a burst of speed further through the forest. Edith shook and flailed but Narrita's adrenaline prevailed, allowing her to power through the flurry of kicks and squirms as she carried the girl and her pet to the cover of a larger tree. She lowered the angry girl to the ground again and began to pant. 

The Cutthroat leader saw Edith staring towards the distance were the deceased bunnies lay and held onto the shoulder of the girl's dress to stop her from running away. "Why are you fighting me? I'm trying to get us both out of here!" she barked. "I'm stopping you from doing something stupid!"

"It's not stupid!" Edith stomped her foot and turned around, her hands wadded into fists and dangling at her side. "I've done it before! I know what I'm doing!"

"Bringing back Mister Cuddles is a lot different from—"

The area became darker. Narrita pulled Edith to her side, placing the girl as best as she could between her body and the tree. She stared upwards, watching the leaves rustle in the canopy. More feathers dove to the ground, plunging into the soft soil like knives. 

"We can't outrun it!" Edith said. "We have to fight it!"

Narrita gritted her teeth. She stretched out one shaky hand, her gaze shifting between one of the bladed feathers that lay upright in the ground in front of her to the spots among the trees above. The woman plucked the feather out of the drifted and retreated to the safety of the tree. "You're right about at least one thing, Edith. We can't outrun it." Still holding onto her newfound weapon with one hand, Narrita used her free arm to dig into the pockets underneath her jacket. She pulled out a few of the Ivory Asters she plucked and handed them to the child. 

"What's this for?" the girl asked, holding onto the stem tightly with her thumb and pointer finger. 

"I'm going to distract that bird. Hopefully I'll last long enough to give you and Mister Cuddles enough time to make it back to your home. When you do, make sure you give those flowers to your mother." Narrita knelt on one knee and placed her hand on Edith's shoulder. Their eyes met, with Narrita's on the verge of letting tears spill onto the grass below. "Make sure that your mother brings back Pierce for me." The thief leader cracked a smile. "Then this will all be worth it."

"But... what about you, Rita?" Edith looked down at the flowers in between her fingers. 

"Don't know. But your mother said something about a sacrifice being needed to bring back Pierce. Maybe... what's left of me will be enough to work."

"I'll just wake you up if that bird hurts you too bad."

Narrita gave a short and gentle shake of her head. "I appreciate the offer kid. Really do. But I wouldn't worry too much about that right now. Just focus on getting you and your little rabbit home without being turned into pin cushions."

Edith sunk her head low again, grinding the toe of her shoe into the soft earth. "I'll come back for you."

The thief placed a finger underneath the girl's chin and lifted it up to eye level.  "Like I said, first things first. I'm going to try and distract it. When I tell you run, you do it." Narrita pointed over Edith's shoulder and off into the distance. "Run. As fast as you can. Hold Mister Cuddles as tight as possible and don't turn around. Understand?"

"Yes, Rita," a somber Edith responded. 

"Good. There's some hope for you yet, kid." Narrita stood up to her feet and further messed the small child's already untidy hair. "Now, get behind this tree. On the other side."

Quietly, Edith obeyed. She vanished behind the thick trunk, leaving Narrita alone on the other side. "Listen for my voice,' the thief said just loud enough to overcome the ambient sounds of the forest while looking at the side of the tree. "Remember what I said. When I say run, that's when you get out of here."

With a deep sigh, she turned around to face the vast expanse of foliage. She looked up once more, staring at the sky, waiting for the griffinhawk's shadow to pass over again. The moment dwelled for what seemed like an eternity before there was another momentary overcast. There was the sound of a rush of wind from above followed by the more feathers dropping down.

Narrita hopped forward, waving her empty hand in the air. She then pursed her lips together and made a loud whistle as she jumped up and down. "Hey!" she cried as loud as she could. "I've got something of yours!" Edith jutted her head out from the side of her cover, watching with worry on her face as Narrita continued to try to get the flying predator's attention. 

"Come on down! Don't you want it back?" Narrita lifted the feather and flailed it above her head, the sharp edges glistening as it swayed. "I'll show you how—"

The ravenous bird broke through the branches above, raining leaves and shattered wood over the thief as she placed her arms over her head in protection. With a gentle thump, the griffinhawk landed on its feet, wings resting at its side as lowered its head down towards a floored Narrita. She scrambled on her back, scurrying away as the animal remained close, keeping its big, bulging black eyes focused on her. Narrita lifted the feather in front of her, holding it with a trembling hand as she followed the movement of the bird's head with it. 

A deep and bellowing squawk came from the griffinhawk's open mouth. It stretched out its neck and screeched as it moved closer towards Narrita. Long rows of jagged teeth and an equally sharp tongue flashed forward in an attempted chomp towards Narrita’s wrist. A quick flick of her hand allowed her to narrowly avoid the chomp. 

"Run Edith! Run!" Narrita shouted as loud as she could while not taking her eyes off the griffinhawk. It bit at her again, this time aiming for her head. She rolled to the side, avoiding a lethal blow to her neck. "You hear me, Edith? I said run!" Her eyes stared at the tree that Edith used as cover, waiting to see if the girl would flee. The child stood behind the trunk, looking back at her. "Run, kid!"

Edith left her cover, only to run in the opposite direction that Narrita had instructed. She scurried past the attacking bird as well as Narrita before vanishing off into the dense forest. Narrita faced the griffinhawk again, this time angling her weapon for a stab. The predator opened its mouth as it tilted its head back, ready for another peck. A backhanded swing from Narrita sent the feather flying in a straight line, going straight into the agape maw. 

The griffinhawk gagged and coughed as its lanky legs swayed like blades of grass in a strong gale. With the animal in a state of disarray, Narrita got to her feet and towards Edith's direction. 

"That kid is going to get us both killed!" Narrita grumbled underneath her breath as she barged through the thicket of branches. She glanced behind momentarily and saw the shine from the griffinhawk's feathers. The thief then turned around and continued to press forward. "Edith!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "Where did you go, kid?"

With her eyes focused on the immediate area in front of her, Narrita didn't look at the ground beneath her. A large root on the ground caught her foot, sending her tumbling forward, stomach first. She grunted when her smacked against the moist soil. Once down, the thief lay motionless as she focused on the sounds of the forest. 

Narrita lifted her head up and angled one ear towards her right. A familiar voice travelled through the trees. Through the ambience, the thief could hear Edith muttering something over and over. It was the same few words, repeated in a rhythmic manner. 

"Of course," Narrita huffed. "That kid doesn't listen."