Dahozhoni Meadow dancing in the moonlight

What a puh-retty place!

Hira, the thin-limbed girl she was, found herself dancing within the meadows. A mixture of elegance and eccentricity. Bounding in great stride through the flowers before she'd sink herself back down to the undergrowth, singing some strange tune as she went.

The desert night was hot, the moon in its' fullness and the twinkling stars illuminating Hira's figure and the plant-life around her. She'd roll on her back for one moment, jumping back up on her toes in the next. She was free of worry, free of doubt, free of her duty for this one moment. For this brief second, this fleeting memory, she could have some fun.

If only she had someone to share it with.

With the prince off of her mind for this singular night, Hira would gladly take company. Any company, for that matter. Someone, though, who would be willing to dance with her. To sing, to tell her stories. Someone who, perhaps, would even catch her a late-night snack, should she be so lucky. Even now, the sound of a lizards' scurrying talons was enough to make her drool.

But, in an attempt to savour the moment, she continued, brushing her already unkempt fur against the shrubs, the flowers, the greenery. Dashing and crawling and leaping, before exhaustion eventually would take hold and she'd be forced to slumber.

The longer she stayed awake, kept nearly-glowing eyes peeled, the longer it'd take for the sun to rise, and for a new day to begin.

Oh, how she did not want to continue searching for that prince.

once she had washed sangue di sangre off her pelt, there was no fear of reprisal from whatever enemies soto and his ilk had managed to drum up. even if she was apprehended, she could always plead ignorance, captivity, whatever.

this thought allowed her to wander with little care, which brought her to the meadow, and the frolicking fae within.

she was small but well-built, and moved with an abandon that caught fiamma's eye immediately. she watched from a taller patch of scrub-brush, grays poorly hidden among the dull greens and browns. 

this dance seemed to go on for a while, and fiamma had a decision to make. should she approach the dancing doe or return to her temporary camp? she weighed the options for a while, content in her position among the desert foliage.

finally, though, she emerged, pale eyes cutting through the night to rest upon the stranger.

you have a lot of joy, fiamma remarked, smirking. maybe too much, since there's danger in this land.

unsure of why she had taken the approach of potential fright, she stood tall and proud, carefully watching the woman's countenance for her response.

Oh, and she, indeed, was not alone. This night was one that could be shared after all!

The voice of another rung through the meadow, and Hira pushed herself up from the ground, panting as to return some of the energy she'd lost from dancing. Amber hues scanned the shrubbery until they settled on a woman: streaks of grey marked her pelt, distinguished, standing out against the yellow-green of the plants. A pretty diamond laid upon her forehead, a few ways up of stormy-sky eyes.

Hira trotted towards the woman with not a care in the world. Thank you, she smiled, responding to the comment of her joy. Tonight was one of the only nights where she'd be able to relish in the rays of the moon and the glittering stars above her. Come the morrow, she'd be on the prowl for her brother once again. There's never too much joy—but I must know, are you the danger, my friend? Her face was painted in a sly grin, eyes partly squinted.

She kept a somewhat safe distance from the stranger, moving in a circle around her, examining her. A pristine pelt, not at all like her own. Similar shades of charcoal and stone, but without Hira's fire. A statue, almost. When she found herself back in front of the woman, the fae sat herself down, tilting her head.

Or, how do you know that I'm not the danger? She snickered, now. Whether she was laughing at being considered dangerous or the girl in front of her being so confident was uncertain. Her paws were dainty, yes, but they were clawed nonetheless. She could be a threat, should she decide to be perceived as one.

But tonight was a night of peace, and so her eyes laid upon the stranger rather placidly.

i am not, fiamma replied coolly, and you are not, either—no one dangerous reveals themselves as such. the patchwork girl was dancing, teasing. . .but overall innocuous.

she cocked her head, regarding the stranger with a gimlet gaze. 

if you fancy yourself as danger, there are wolves nearby looking for someone just like you, she noted.

a thrill rose up within her at the prospect of this femme being scrutinized by soto and his ilk, examined down to the bone. . . 

fiamma took her bottom lip within her teeth and waited for the woman's response, nearly vibrating with anticipation.

This stranger didn't seem to consider herself dangerous by any means, no, and for a moment Hira seemed bored. Way to take the edge of things, hm? And the princess, of course, was one who enjoyed living on such a precipice.

And she didn't seem to perceive Hira as dangerous either. A small offense. One that could've possibly ticked something within the woman, should it be any other day. But in this moment, she was fairly relaxed. The moonlight seemed to soothe her typically erratic persona—aside from her dancing only a few moments ago. A giggle: I might be. Maybe she would reveal herself as such!

Looking for someone like me, hmmm? Her eyes shone curiously; a learnt behaviour. Truly, she had no care for these strangers, never one to join sides for too long. Always the loner in the end. But she would gladly preoccupy the statue with questions. Her demeanor seemed to shift, something that garnered a somewhat real amount of wonder from Hira.

Finally, she spoke again, feigning interest with a forward lean and a single word: Why? Voice airy. Somewhat mystical, as if she truly were faekind.

it did not take long for fiamma to tire of the woman. she was putting on an act, all giggles and batting eyelashes. she listened to the words floating toward her with apathetic ears, and then shook her head, beginning to turn back toward the basin.

i was mistaken, she told the stranger, with a shrug of her bony silver shoulders. i see no danger in you.

if the wolf were to follow, she might entertain further conversation. as it was, fiamma was beyond skeptical of this one's wiles, and looked back toward those bloody men for her next moves.

Ah, but what a shame! Goodbye, stranger! Hira called after the silver figure. She was right: as of now, there truly was no danger within the girl. And she would enjoy it while she could.

She would not follow, but perhaps she would meet the statue once more. Having her question go unanswered was a bother, yes, but the night was still young, and she could go back to her frolicking, should she wish.

And so, Hira stood, turning back to the meadow where she'd inhale the late-dusk air, rejuvenized; happy.

happy to end here!! thank you for the thread <3