“Say kid, you doing alright nya?” Prisilla skipped back to the caravan, her armor still stained with monster blood.

“Prisilla, please wipe yourself off.” Sylvestra gave an exasperated sigh as she shook her head.

“Meh, I’m sure the kid is used to it anyway.”

“I do not want my child to get used to monster blood.” Sylvestra huffed. 

Prisilla, visibly unimpressed, rolled her eyes and made her way to the back.“I’ll never get used to the furless.” She muttered.

Within seconds the voice of an annoyed water mage could be heard. “Really Prisilla again? Ugh. Come here.”

A soft chant and then a splash of water.

“Man having a water mage has got to be the best thing that’s ever happened to this party mroew.” 

“Ugh stop. You’re getting water all over me.” Rafine exclaimed, her voice laced with indignation. “And I am not your portable washing basin!”

“Haha. Prisilla you should really stop going so wild when we’re just facing Lure Rabbits.” It looked like Swift and Donovan had come back from the hunt as well, and the brown haired scout gave his commentary on the situation. “You’re carving them up like they owe you money.”

“Would you want the Berserker to not berserk nya?” Prisilla retorted.

“Aren’t you a Valkyrie?” Swift countered, a bit confused.

“Same thing nya.” Prisilla dug her greatsword into the ground and leaned on it, a smug look on her face. Though the other members had no idea what kind of point she was trying to make.

“Sylvestra.” Donovan called out to the green robed rogue, ignoring the strange antics of Prisilla, “Do you have a moment. Swift and I need to speak to you.”

“Alright. Just a second.” The young mother left her child in the capable hands of the mage Rafine before hopping off the carriage and following her two companions.

Alfon sat on the edge of the carriage while the two women discussed the strange frequency at which their other companions were conversing.

“Whadda think they’re talkin about nya?” Prisilla cocked her head to one side and extended the claws on her foot to scratch the back of her neck while balancing on one leg.

“I’m not certain. Though it is probably regarding th- woah!” Rafine jilted at the sight of Prisilla’s outrageous dexterity.

Prisilla paid her reaction no mind and bristled before shaking the water off once more, to which Rafine reacted by stepping aside, picking up Alfon to get out of range of the water splatter.

“Oh oops. Sorry nya.” The beastwoman apologized while giving a lazy stare.

“You... nevermind.” Rafine just shakes her head at the wild behavior and wipes some water off herself.

It was at this point that Alfon lifted his small body and half walked, half crawled further into the carriage, producing a towel from their supplies and handing it to Rafine.

The two women just stared at him wild eyed, which prompted him to shake the towel again, as if asking Rafine to take it.

“Oh. Thank you Alfy.” Rafine received the towel with a shocked expression.

“Yah know. I knew he was smart but this is... really pushing it. Don’tcha think?” Beastman children also grew up fast and matured quickly, but even among her species she had never seen a child quite so knowledgeable. 

“You should see him during my magic classes, the boy is smarter than most of my students. He certainly learns much quicker. Why just the other day he solved a complex equation using something he coined as ‘calculus’. I have no idea where he’s even getting all this from.” Rafine murmured as she wiped herself off with a blank stare.

“Hey Rafy, doya think...” Prisilla whispered to her mage friend in a low tone.

Upon hearing this exchange the boy, Alfon, grew quite nervous and curled up his small fist.

“Do yah think he really does have dragon blood?” Prisilla pondered.

Alfon slowly let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Nonsense,” Rafine dismissed her idea with a wave, “that would imply either Sylvie or Jordan had Dragonblood.”

“Yeah, good point. But still nya...” Prisilla glowered at the child. But rather than crying Alfon simply smiled back at her, which only led her to narrow her eyes further, “Like are you seeing this Rafine.” She whispered, “This is seriously weird. What is up with that kid?”

“If you’re so curious just ask him.” Rafine gave her a sly smile.

“You know what, maybe I will!” Prisilla crossed her arms and marched over to the child, picking him up in her arms and raising him above her head, “Heya Alfy. Auntie Prisilla has got to ask, why you so smart?”

While Alfon did not express audible joy in being picked up and played around with, Prisilla did notice his smile growing wider and his arms waving around as if he was having fun.

In response to her question, however, the young boy looked to the side suspiciously and shrugged.

“Ay Rafine, the kid says he doesn’t know. But I get a feeling he’s lyin.” Prisilla examined the boy closely.

“Do you think the child is old enough to even know how to lie, cat?” Rafine rolled her eyes.

“I dunno Rafy, geniuses are different.” Prisilla looked back to the child in her hands, “Aren’t you nya?”

Alfon just smiled back at her with an open mouth. Prisilla thought he looked quite adorable. “Man, I love small children.”

“Ugh, I didn’t know you were part of a man eater species. We’d greatly appreciate it if you kept your teeth out of the child. Thanks, Sylvie prefers him alive.” Rafine joked sarcastically. 

“Oh.” Prisilla swiveled her head to look at Rafine, a surprised look on her face, “Was that a joke from Professor Rafine, nya? And it was actually good? Who are you and what have you done with Rafine?”

Rafine returned her gaze of shock with a smug expression, “Well, it's only natural that a worldly individual such as myself is well versed in humor.”

“Ah. Wait, that brand of humor feels like Swift. I suppose he taught you, didn't he?”

“Wha- How did you?”

Just then, they were cut off when Alfon started moving his hands up and down in the arms of Prisilla. His face was one that resembled worry, from all the wrinkles and he swung his tiny fists wildly.

“Uh, Rafine?”

“Do not presume I know what the child is implying. It's been centuries since I’ve had to deal with children.” Rafine shrugged. “Perhaps your ferocious visage spooked him.”

“I don’t think it's that.” Prisilla sniffed the air, trying to figure out if something was amiss. Rafine, on the other hand, noted that she should emphasize her tone more when she was joking. She was grateful that the beastwoman did not notice her failed attempt. 

“Oh I got it.” Prisilla realized it immediately when she started paying attention to her sense of smell, “Sorry Alfy, gotta put you down for a second.” She carefully put the boy back down on the carriage, patted his hair, which had gotten a bit wild from the wind, and moved him way inside before hiding him in a box. “Be a good boy and stay still okay?”

“Excuse me? What did you figure out?” Rafine asked with a look of confusion. In response Prisilla just lazily rummaged through one of their bags of supplies, humming as she did so, and pulled out a throwing hatchet.

“Ah there we go.” She studied the weapon in her hand, “How did Donovan do this again? Shouldn’t be too hard.”

In an instant, she shed her relaxed demeanor and assumed a combat stance, her body taut with energy. With lightning-fast reflexes, she spun around and hurled the hatchet towards the rightmost oak tree. The weapon sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, cleaving a branch in its path before embedding itself in the trunk with a deafening thud.

Rafine witnessed the impressive display, surprised only for a moment before lowering her head and manifesting multiple balls of water around her.

“Come out. Now.” Prisilla growled.

For a moment the pair of adventurers stared motionlessly at the shrubbery, dead silent with only the cold whistling of the Avenstron wind making a sound. 

Slowly, three figures emerged from the foliage right beside the stricken oak with their hands raised in surrender. The tall woman in leather armor carried herself like a lady of some knighthood, whilst the man assumed the attire of a squire carrying blades of varying sizes. The last lady had brown hair with freckles, her dress seemed dirty from traveling along the road, she was likely a maid. 

“We mean no harm.” The tall woman said.

“We’ll be the judge of that.” The water mage floated the droplets of liquid beside her menacingly, each water pellet fully capable of breaking bone. “Pray tell, what are your names, and what is your objective? Lurking beside our parked carriage like that?”

“I am Leonie Arvensnow, a knight of the Snow Leopard order. This is my squire, Bariel, and my half-sister, Sara. As I take my leave, I have taken it upon myself to assist my sister in finding a new livelihood.”

“A new livelihood nya?”

“Due to circumstances beyond her control she is out of work, and cannot sustain herself. We were simply passing through to Hartford City when we encountered your carriage and were unsure whether you were travelers or bandits.”

Rafine mused the story in her head while Prisilla studied the knight’s expressions.

“Does it check out Rafine?” Prisilla consulted her companion.

The water mage sorted out the thoughts in her head before giving a detailed and eloquent response: “The Snow Leopard knights do give out temporary leaves for extenuating circumstances, and I have heard of the minor house of Arvensnow being under their employment. Furthemore, while the route we are taking is unusual, it would make sense if they were coming into Hartford City by foot, as the other passages are more dangerous. That or they were coming from one of the mountain fortresses.”

Rafine continued, “Leather armor is certainly a sensible choice, though the attire of the squire is rather suspicious. The longsword at his right side is fitted for males so it doesn’t belong to the lady knight, but the squire shouldn’t be issued an official blade unless he had been knighted already. The woman, Sara, on the other hand, seems a bit underdressed for the weather. What’s your take on this Prisilla?”

“Hmmm, they smell like they’re telling the truth. And they don’t seem that dangerous honestly. Just cautious nya.” The beastwoman shrugged.

“You seem quite well versed in knight culture, madam mage.” Leonie remarked.

“I had the fortune of studying the history of the country. Though your house may be titled as a fallen one, there is still much text praising its valor.” Rafine commented.

“I... that is good to know.” Leonie was shocked by the genuine compliment, a deep cascade of emotion bubbling up in her chest. “It means a lot.”

“So we let them through nya?” Prisilla asked to confirm.

“I have no qualms about it.”

“Alright alright. Go on.” Prisilla waved them through with open palms, hoping to convey her lack of hostility. 

The trio slowly passed their carriage, giving them a wide berth. As they continued down the road Leonie waved back at them. “I wish you good tidings madam mage, madam fighter.”

“Indeed. Best of luck in reviving your house.” Rafine bowed her head.

“Cya nya.” Prisilla waved back.

Once they were nowhere to be seen Prisilla strutted over to the tree and removed the hatchet, then coming back to the carriage and stowing it back away in the supply bag.

“Say, you sure you’re a beastwoman? Didn’t the kid detect them before you did?” Rafine delivered a veiled insult with a smirk, “Maybe we should get him to replace you.”

“Oh lay off tiny. I had water in my nose okay?” Prisilla smiled at Rafine’s cute attempt to poke fun at her.

“Wha- I am not tiny!” Rafine stamped her foot in indignation, to which Prisilla responded by picking her up, similar to how she picked up Alfon earlier.

“Haha tiny tiny mage.” Prisilla laughed at the now red-faced Rafine, “Tiny tin- BLEH.”

Though Rafine responded by firing water up her nose and eyes. She brushed herself off as the beastwoman wiped her face.

“Rafine,” she said as she coughed up water, “you’re so mean. Why you so mean to me nya?”

“If you would not treat me like a child, perhaps I would regard you with more respect.”

There was a measure of silence between the two of them, as they were both angry with each other. As Donovan, Swift, and Sylvestra came back they were confused at the strange atmosphere but none of them would talk about it.

It was only later that night at the campfire when they reconciled.

 

---

“Nice throw.” Rafine whispered.

“Thanks. Nice.. err.. Words nya.”

“Thank you.”

The rest of the party looked back and forth between them, wondering what the heck had happened.