Blackfeather Woods phoenix; you can't touch her without burning

for my own reference so i don't have to keep typing it all in "mephala speech"

the captive stares at him and then shrugs her shoulders and reclines back into the shadows. he stares at her silhouette for a long moment in return and turns away with a frustrated huff. she refuses to speak to him because he will not help her but he cannot help her without risking betraying the woods. he lets out a low snarl and starts to walk away. "tundrian," the whisper soft voice of mephala causes him to freeze in his steps. a shudder of both excitement and reverence slithers down his spine. he thought only the listener could hear her. "is it not the path of the digital pads, of the speakers, informants and snitches that you seek to follow?" mephala's whispering tone is soft in his head, as if she is amused. "am i not the goddess of lies, tundrian? does the weaving of half-truths and false words not fall within the duties of a spy?" her words are not a question despite that she poses it as such. wintersbane isn't inclined to answer aloud without the risk of sounding mentally unhinged to the captive. "she wants to trust you, prince of ice," because of course mephala knows who he really is. "prove that you have your mother's skill, prove to the dark master and listener," mephala croons the title and wintersbane feels his skin heat beneath his pelage at the blatant mention of relmyna. "that you have what it takes to be apart of the brotherhood."

wintersbane is uncertain and visibly hesitates, pivoting with one paw mid-step. it's risky and he can't proceed without the knowledge of the dark master or listener. but ...then again, every minute she spends as their captive is a minute that the drums of war advance upon them. he turns around abruptly and moves back towards the flame-kissed captive. this time, he closes the distance between them so that he might see her even as she is veiled in shadows. "if i did agree to help you ...what could you promise me in return?" he inquires for surely her stubborn silence earlier meant that she thought she had a hand to play.