As the others discussed magics and gear, Katia spent the better part of the ten-minute summoning ritual that Wick cast trying to pull bits of stick and sap from her fur. When that inevitably failed, she walked over to the lake where Cesar seemed to have been enjoying a quiet dip and used its water to wash away the worst of the mess as her friend disrobed. The water appeared nearly pristine, and Kat stepped into the lake, feeling its cooling sensation around her ankles. A quiet sigh of happiness enveloped her as she waded deeper in. Many tabaxi disliked water, but as long as she chose to enter a body of water herself, it could be as much a playground as a forest or field. 

She lowered her head, dipping under the surface of the cool water, and attempted to force the sap out of her fur. This would normally take much longer than the time they had, but the most egregious spots would be washed out shortly, and Katia returned to the shore. She was soaked through, and her clothing hung heavily with the extra moisture, but both would dry out in time. For now, she felt refreshed and, although not perfectly clean, somewhat less sticky.

As she walked up beside Theodore, wringing water from her hair, she grinned in response to his praise. [color=ed1c24]"It was pretty great, wasn't it?"[/color] she replied. Her comment was not haughty or self-serving, but simply reveling in the situation. [color=ed1c24]"After that last hit, I was worried for Thea, but it looks like she's fine now. A hit like that, and I'd have been swimming with the fishes in a different way, for sure."[/color]

She peeked over at the map that Wick had created, spending a bit of time to get a feel for the area. [color=ed1c24]"It doesn't look like we have much of a choice where to go from here,"[/color] she announced. [color=ed1c24]"The valley wants us to head that way. We could brave the mountains, but I feel like we'd just end up really cold and really uncomfortable. I've never seen mountain formations like this. It's almost as if the gods themselves reached down to pinch the earth into the sky. Perhaps we were meant to follow this valley. With any luck, we'll find some civilization before long. The area seems to be full of life, so starvation should not be an issue."[/color]

With the serious talks completed, she stretched her arms into the air, turning towards the sun and allowing its rays to warm her. [color=ed1c24]"I think I just found a new favorite meditation spot,"[/color] she added with a chuckle. [color=ed1c24]"But something tells me that we shouldn't linger. Whatever we just fought, I dunno, maybe it's still after us, and we have no idea what kind of monsters roam these hills at night. If there aren't people, there's probably a reason for it."[/color] Katia adjusted her clothing slightly, ensuring it would stay in place before approaching Wick and wrapping her arms around the celestial. [color=ed1c24]"Thanks for the map, [i]beloved[/i],"[/color] she whispered as she backed away, leaving a very wet outline of herself on Wick's clothing. She then plopped down in the grass near the lake. The smarter folk could take the discussion from there. Katia would just be sunbathing in the meantime.

[@Gordian Nought][@Hekazu][@Cu Chulainn][@Zverda][@Big Dread][@The Harbinger of Ferocity]