Lion Head Mesa when you're feeling low, i'll be there too

posted with permission from Heretic!

Tuna knew that life was not always a cakewalk. this was a prominent thing when she was a young coyote and even still as an adult. there were many who did not like her because of the blood she had, most of which who had come to place permanent teeth marks on her rump to remind her that she was not like them.

but perhaps it was better to be different, to not be of the same cloth as the beast. of course, there were those who walked both sides of animals. she always wondered how they had come to be. and tuna held this thought only for a moment when she had come upon @Beatrix. originally, Tuna assumed that she was sleeping by the spring, as it was a very relaxing place to be in within the mesa. but as she looked on further, there was something wrong. something visibly, terribly, wrong.

so the fellahin, who did not know a single thing about this noblewoman, rushed over to check to see if she was alright. she called out loudly and would even dare to touch the woman with a delicate paw to see if she could rouse her. but every attempt failed, and even Tuna would come to notice that her body was cold.

soon a panicked cry would search for the ears of @Senmut and any others who would be able to help Tuna with her next decision. she didn't dare call for the divine one, not wishing to bring such sorrow to her throne room. but until anyone came, tuna would be pacing around, desperately trying to see what could have caused such a death.

urgency. senmut did not go to the queen, but attended the servant himself.

he swept an eye over the deceased, then called for bayek and the other fellahin to carry the body to the top of the mesa for further investigation.

a palace was a dangerous place. "calm, tuna," the prince murmured. "it will soon be known what has happened."

flash.

it was like the one on a camera. here one moment, gone the next with blurry eyes. Tuna trembled as she watched the body get transported, large ears pressed forward as the other fellahin put care into their actions.

"a-a-ah foun' 'er t-that'away," she comes to say shakily as she looks upon the prince with a concerned brow, "thought t-that she w-w-was sleepin'." Tuna could not find much in the little time she spent searching for clues, not that she was a murder detective anyways. her ears come to press against her skull once the body was cleared from the spring, tail tucking behind her leg.

"what do we tell miz' toula?" she comes to ask, concerned of how the divine one may take to the news that her noblewoman was dead.

"you will let me tell her," senmut gently urged.

indeed; he motioned tuna away from where the body had lain, and to his side, outstretching a gentle paw to touch her shoulder. "do not fear that this is your fault. i know you are loyal to your queen."

senmut exhaled. "but you must keep your ears open for whispering, and bring to me those things."

Senmut was quick to calm her frazzled mind, Tuna forced herself to take a breath when she felt the reassurance in his touch. but her large ears did not miss the hints dropped by the prince, as she comes to look towards the spot where the noblewoman once lay. "yew don't think..." well, it was more likely the fact that Senmut did think that there could be a responsible party at hand.

"miz' toula will be sad t'ah hear." Tuna didn't like seeing the divine queen upset. she comes to meet his gaze if he'll allow her. "ah'll keep m'ah ears open, but do yew have 'ny suspicions?" Senmut knew the ins and outs of Akashingo better than anyone, perhaps he would know who could possibly be a reasonable suspect for this death if the cause was even intentional at all.

"would th'a suitors 'ave gained 'nythin' from killin' her?" she hoped that this thought was nothing more than a major jump in conclusion and nothing more. tuna's tail is still tightly curled around one of her legs.

"it is unlikely, as they would be struck from her sight at once."

"i will make inquiries." but he had no suspicions, thus he was vague.

"in the meantime, stay close to our queen. do not let her from your sight." it was a moment for the fellahin to succeed where others had failed, to ascend.

last from me <3

there was nothing but the truth that came from his mouth, Tuna knew this. had anything happened within the walls of Akashingo, she would be the first to unsheath her teeth in the name of protecting her divine Toula. a pit opens within her stomach as unease sets in. 

the walls felt dangerously close.

with the command, Tuna would come to deeply nod her head to Senmut. "a'wf course." she needed to fulfill her duties, the same way she believed the prince would do so for himself. she would return to Toula's side but would not dare to say a word under the instruction of her superior. Tuna would not be the one to spread panic. not yet at least.

"ah'l see her na'ow, but 'ah won't say 'nothin 'til yew see fit." Tuna would have to bathe herself clean to prevent the smell and appearance of stress from her coat, and she would have to dare to speak to the other fellahin to see what they knew of the noblewoman.

Tuna would turn to leave the hereditary prince to his thoughts, attempting to dream up a cover up in case Toula grew curious of her most recent whereabouts.