[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/C8oz9aI.png[/img][/center] In the presence of the warrior-lady who parted the scattered groups of Silver Moon soldiers with her girth alone, no one noticed the shadow that trailed behind her, pensive and quiet. Despite her dark, priestly garbs and the pure white staff she clutched in her mittened hands, it was hard to see the girl as nothing more than a child, with her rosy red cheeks and her wide eyes. Well, it was hard to see her at all, when she stood 4’9, stuck up to her ankles in the snow. Shuffling forward ardently, she stopped right behind Ettamri, took a deep breath and said, [color=6ecff6]“Um, ex-”[/color] [color=c4df9b]"From your garb, you seem to be a magician. Join me on the caravan escort quest."[/color] Immediately, the girl’s eyes glittered, her face raising up. [color=6ecff6]“Oh, really? Gosh, I was just about to ask if I cou… oh.”[/color] She wasn’t a magician. The big strong lady wasn’t even talking to her at all. Despondency flashed over her features, but before she could get too sad about it, she shook her head and smacked her cheeks. Round two? Round two! [color=6ecff6]“Um, ex-”[/color] [color=#C0C0C0]"Hello, my name is Argentum and I was nearby and heard a party seems to be brewing here. I would like to ask if me and my companion could also join on this quest.”[/color] Survival instincts immediately kicked in as the girl shut right up. Was there an order here? Was there a queue? She swayed from side to side, but with her own lack of height and the great heights of literally everyone else in this profession, she couldn’t very much tell the difference. One thing she did note though: something smelled like chicken, and now her stomach was grumbling. [color=c4df9b]"There is no objection to taking this escort quest, right? I've been to Fort Stalwart before, having participated in the battle to retake it from Tithemal and his orcs.”[/color] Oh, wow! The young girl brightened up again. She knew Mr Mathers was super smart and all, but to think that his advice was this good? Tithemal and his orcs meant nothing to her, but from this, she could conclude at least that this big warrior lady had fought something before and survived! That was great! That was awesome! Pumping herself up again, she began side-shuffling around Ettamri. If her voice couldn’t draw the armored woman’s attention, then there was nothing to do but move herself into her field of vi- [color=0072bc]"You stand before the Fang's Shadow, a Devoted Disciple of The Jaws of Death! Deliverer of Doom, Reaper of Sorrow, look on and rejoice all lesser creatures, for it is I, the Fiend Knight Siwon!"[/color] Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black mass rushed up against her. Random and ostentatious and overblown as it was, the priest didn’t even realize a Fiend Knight was unleashing a killer blow upon her before it was too late; like a battering ram, Siwon’s buttocks bumped right into her, a hip thrust potent enough to send her tumbling onto the snow. Drunk on his own hubris, Siwon surely didn’t notice, and the soft ‘eep’ that escaped her as cold snow got underneath her robes was drowned out as well. With a thunderclap, Ettamri suddenly began yelling. [color=c4df9b]"Are you picking a fight, you trash?! I did not come back to be accused of leaving them to die!"[/color] What? Why was she yelling? Did she do something wrong? Survival instincts told the young child to curl up into a ball and roll away, but no, she couldn’t do that! Mr. Mathers told her that since she was alone, she [i]had[/i] to be brave enough to assert herself into a party! They didn’t have a priest, after all, and everyone needs a priest. [color=6ecff6]“C’mon, you can do it! You can do it! I can do it!”[/color] Soft whispers became a powerful mantra as she rose up again, a bright light in her blue eyes. First off, assert dominance! A strong, independent young lady like herself isn’t going to be pushed around by anyone! [color=6ecff6]“Eyap!”[/color] With the force of an enthusiastic child with a stick, she bapped the offending Fiend Knight on the head, before stepping up, sucking in her breath and… [color=6ecff6]“If you don’t want to be accused of leaving them to die, then leave it up to me! I’m Katya, the…”[/color] [color=ed1c24]"Anyway, the reason I brought this up is simple. Ever since your... absence? I've been in a lot of…”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“…bestest priestess out of all the new people who came here this month! They call me the…”[/color] [color=ed1c24]“…parties. I've experienced it first hand. If you treat people like trash, baggage, disposables, cheap…”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“…um…Light’s Shadow, a Devoted Desple of the First Light! Deliverer of Healing, Reaper…”[/color] [color=ed1c24]“…meat-shields — call it whatever you like — you're only going to endanger the mission. It's not…”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“…of…Healing, look on and know that I am Katya! So I can join your party, ple- I mean, you will join MY party…”[/color] [color=ed1c24]“…helping these people, at all, even if it may be the truth. I've seen it. And now, with winter at hand, it's going to be that much worse.”[/color] [color=6ecff6]“…big warrior woman! And the rest of you! Because everyone needs a healer, and I’m the healer!”[/color] [color=ed1c24]“Speaking of Winter, it is my first time experiencing it. I wonder if I prepared enough?”[/color][color=6ecff6] “So, ple- just do it!”[/color] [color=ed1c24]“I'm sure a seasoned warrior noble like you has some wisdom to share about that?”[/color] Oh no. Oh [i]no[/i].