Stavanger Bay escape from the fade

Y'hear that? She asks @Valyri as they pass between the mountains, glancing at her with one ear tilted toward the sound. Her steps slow for a moment, then speed up again as she pinpoints the source and turns toward it. Waterfall, I'd bet. Been an age since we've seen one o' those. She couldn't be less interested in the waterfall, truthfully, but she knows her warden-queen holds a fondness for beauty in the world; she would hunt down a million waterfalls if Valyri wished it, and never rest a day until those sparkling purple eyes beheld the millionth. She presses ahead briefly, nose dipping for a moment. They're alone for now, but she doesn't let her guard down, even as she falls back to walk slightly behind her queen with a grin and a wink to let her know all is well.

Lost she is in a fever dream, observant to that of around her, and yet allowing her Champion to guide their adventure. There is a pull here; the recent dreams lingering upon her mind as she walks in uncharted lands with unnatural nostalgia. Her every gliding step is answered by a pulse from below; nature calling back to her.
Hm? She flickers awake, pale purple eyes dancing towards the beauty at her side; her tone distant for a beat, until she collects herself. Ears swerve forth, giving listen at the beckon of Nefris. You are right. She breathes in, chest fur ruffling at it’s depth, and she releases it along with every inch of tension within her. A smile gracing her lips.
Nefris falls back in line with her with a grin of her own and a wink as a bonus. Beautiful her Champion is, and she so knowingly pleases Valyri. Her toes curl briefly, her smile lighting from lips to cheeks to eyes.
You mustn’t keep a lady waiting, she teases, striding forth in an attempt to outpace Nefris, with her tail tip brushing the edge of her nose. Let us see this waterfall.

The grin seems to melt into a slightly goofy smile, and Nefris finds her attention drifting a bit, intoxicated by the sweet scent and bell-chime voice of the High Priestess. She bites lazily at the tail tip that brushes her nose, purposefully missing and chomping the air with a snap of sharp teeth; a rare bit of play, something for their eyes alone. If another were present, she wouldn't dare be so casual with her queen. Her head dips, shaking almost imperceptibly for a moment as she shrugs off the feeling and reminds herself of her duty.
Still, she can't hold her tongue; she never can. Aye, 'tis bad manners, She responds playfully, glancing around to be certain they're still alone as she allows herself to fall behind the warden-queen. But what would a lowborn cur such as myself know o' manners, m'lady? Duty is my mistress, your safety my job. Mayhaps I ought to scour the waters before letting you near. Might be there's a fish or two with a taste for royal blood. The air turns crisp and damp as the sound of flowing water gets louder, and she starts to glimpse the lake through the trees, hints of the crashing falls. Her gaze turns to Valyri as they near the water, studying her intently as she watches for the queen's reaction.

If not for these moments where both could figuratively put their hair down, Valyri would live a sealed life: donning armor that did not fit, and a cold shoulder to all whom passed her. Though careful she is at observing their surroundings, she knows Nefris worries more for her own reputation than she; it is a dynamic they've long fit into, and one Valyri trusts wholeheartedly.
A giggle escapes brief from her lips, as teeth snap air and Nefris joins her in their play. A stage that fits neither of them, yet actresses they are, imagining the royal world they've left. How much she'd urge to disagree with the social class that's been forced upon them both, akin to a too tight grip on the wrist.
'Tis fortunate your lady is not helpless. She can bare her teeth just as well, taught by your master and you, Valyri pauses, turning from their continued path towards her Champion. Eyes ablaze with blue fire, as she steps forth to rest her forehead upon Nefris'. The greatest fighter she's seen.
Voice quiet, soaking in the touch and scent until just as quick, she turns back. Might be a fish or two, yet they'd sooner rue the day than get a taste of me.

She halts abruptly as the High Priestess turns to face her, struck by the sudden intensity of the moment and rendered speechless in the face of her queen's sudden fire. Dragonfire, she thinks, recalling the old witch's tales. The touch is warm, as if that fire runs through Valyri's veins. She melts under it, basking in the praise for a moment. Then the warden-queen turns away, and the spell is broken.
She takes in a breath, composing herself enough to release a breathless chuckle. Aye, the flower-queen bears thorns o' her own, She slows as the trees part fully, eyes still on the Priestess. Ain't the thorns drawin' the bees, though. Need t'protect those pretty petals o' yours, else you'd have no need o' me. She's teasing, of course, yet there is some truth to her words. Valyri's petals are her kindness, her empathy, her patience, her intelligence and foresight, all the traits a queen should possess. A touch of dragonfire runs through her veins, too, but few would follow a queen who promised destruction. So it falls to Nefris to be her sword and shield, the storm that fells her enemies before they ever reach her. "The greatest fighter she's seen." She must never fail.

Flower-queen suits her well. Whatever would happen if Nefris slept on her job, and those petals were gone? Leaving only but thorns. There’d been hints of it; of the turmoil that struck her down before, leaving her on death’s door by her own undoing. Yet still, she thrives on, with her Champion the only one she trusts in her blind spots.
True as the storm’s words may be, there is also a falsity that lies within; her need of Nefris ends not with protection, it is just the beginning—the shoreline where underneath there is a bonus of wants that lurk, too.
Kind of you to think me pretty, she hums with the arch of a brow—taunting, for she knows how she affects the druid warrior. Yet the reach of the falls is within their grasps now, and Valyri wastes no time in striding from the foliage of trees to the brief clearing at it’s bed. A great lake lay at her feet, and above, a sight that would take one’s breath away.
She pauses, lifting her gaze from the roaring of the first falls up along to the second. It hits her all at once; she’s seen this place before. This is what she’s been searching for—the flashes of imagery from dreams that called her here. The obsession to find waterfall after waterfall ever since, and this. This is it.
Nefris, she breathes out slow, breath strangled in her throat as she steadies herself. My visions… they lead us here.

She smiles at Valyri's words, biting back her response as she watches her queen emerge into the clearing. The priestess is absorbed in the sight of the waterfall, but she herself commands Nefris's attention. Drifting to her queen's side, the Champion notes the slight tremble of willowy limbs, the widening of sparkling gemstone eyes. She presses herself lightly to the High Priestess's side, offering a steady shoulder to lean against. Nefris feels the weight of the words as much as her queen, yet she remains solid beneath it, unwavering as always. Aye? Home, then? Her own voice is scarcely more than a whisper nonetheless, ever mindful of how much these moments mean to Valyri.

To think one chapter reaches it’s close, right before her is what they’ve sought time and time again since they left the clutches of Minrathous. Valyri breathes in the air of salty sea, hears the crashes of waves and thundering of the falls. Nefris is a welcomed support, and she melts into her Champion’s side—strong enough to stand on her own without any doubt, yet comforted by the ability to sink into this impactful moment.
Home, she echoes, confirming what her Champion knew to be true the moment she spoke. Nature weeps here; it is overgrown and what calamity lay before we found it, I know not, yet we were called here for a reason. We must help it heal. And in return, their Keep will flourish—Nature always gives back.

She nods, taking the queen's words to heart. Aye, Her agreement echoes softly, and the pair lapses into silence. Nefris simply soaks in the touch, and contemplates the meaning of Valyri's words, and their future to come. Home. Here, they will heal the land, and themselves in the process.