A connection between her and the manticore? Aeylisia couldn't help but release a soft snort at the very idea, very nearly rolling her eyes. "Don't be foolish. I would never ally myself with such a monster." The very idea was so repellant, she felt an instinctual shudder trickle down her spine before she could stop it. "I was taught from a young age to be wary of beasts such as manticores. They are not common in these woods, but neither are they unheard of. To encounter one alone is almost certain death. I had the unfortunate experience to come face to face with a manticore a few years back, one of our city guardians trapped the beast shortly after it began stalking our borders... So many children had already died..." Her gaze grew distant for a moment, the memory of pain and loss echoing within her once more, before she blinked, returning to herself and glancing quickly at Shade, clearly embarrassed. She cleared her throat and glanced away once more into the trees, refusing to say more on the subject and pointedly ignoring his comment about her resembling a rabbit.

Holding her tongue as they continued their awkward trek through the forest, the elf contemplated over her wavering wariness towards the human. Or at least, that was how it was appearing. How disconcerting. He wanted nothing more than to kill her people, destroy her forest... Didn't he? She blinked thoughtfully, biting briefly at her lower lip. She was still lost in thought win Shade finally brought their awkward procession to a halt, nearly collapsing on the spot when her leg gave a protesting throb at having any amount of weight put upon it for longer than a second. Steeling herself, Aeylisia carefully removed her arm from around Thatcher's shoulders, leaning most of her weight onto her good leg after taking a cautious step away.

"this isn't what I pictured when you talked of a camp." She murmured, looking up into the branches of the mighty elder of the forest. After a moment, she shook her head, red gold hair swaying with the movement. "normally, I would Skoff your suggestion that I couldn't climb a tree, but..." Again, she shook her head, laughing dryly. "I wouldn't trust my strength after the day I've had to face..." And with that, using the help of one of the nearby trees, she lowered herself to the ground, keeping as much weight off of her injured leg as she could manage.