It was difficult not to smile when in Caw's presence, Rhaeyla decided. He'd just offered her a sweet-looking fruit, and the stark contrast between the tone of his voice and the giddiness in his face as he did so only further endeared him to her. She grinned brightly as she thanked him and explained as best she could about pressing flowers and keeping mementos. [color=cbd5e0]"I want to remember where I've been, y'know?"[/color]

As she and Caw plopped down to eat their fruits, Caw had suddenly jumped up, looking startled and utterly mortified. [color=cbd5e0]"Hey, what's wrong?"[/color] Rhaeyla got to her feet and hurriedly trailed after the panicked kenku, a hundred different concerns popping into her head all at once—did he choke? Is he allergic? Was the fruit poisonous? Ever quick to act, she had been ready to heal him, was in the process of reaching her hand out to him, but stopped abruptly when realization finally dawned on her.

Oh.

Rhaeyla laughed, harder when Sebastian, who'd looked a second away from giving a stern scolding, practically melted at the sight. Like she said, it was hard not to smile around Caw. Scrunching her nose up as she tried to contain her amused smile and laughter, Rhaeyla followed Caw's lead and replaced her fruit inside a small hollow at the base of the tree. [color=cbd5e0]"Let's let leave it there and Madam Honeydew can fix it with her magic green thumb."[/color]

This little detour had gotten her in such high spirits that Rhaeyla was certain it could only mean good omens on the rest of their expedition. An optimistic thought that was proven wrong only minutes later, when chaos ensued. 

Without fully comprehending what was happening, other than her employers clearly being distraught, Rhaeyla followed after Sebastian. She had kept running even after Sebastian stopped, driven by momentum and adrenaline, but then the skies roared and she all but skidded to a halt. [i]Boom, boom, boom, boom[/i] it went. Rhaeyla's heart thrummed against her chest, echoing the thunderous but steady beats, and looked up the sky. A dragon. In her shock, it wasn't the fearsome creature, with its enormous maw and its lightning, that she fixated on, but the smoke that billowed from the town underneath it. What has happened to those in town? Have they all been caught in its destruction?

Only Sebastian's resounding plea shakes her out of her awe-stricken stupor.

[color=cbd5e0]"Right!"[/color] Rhaeyla shook her head, as though it would also shake away the quiet fear that gripped her or soothe the shivers that skittered up and down her arms. When she spoke again, it was no more than a whisper, as though she was convincing herself to move. [color=cbd5e0]"Cassandra and Vaal are in trouble."[/color]

The name that Sebastian had mentioned had not registered, although it was almost familiar, like something she'd read or heard of. But it wasn't relevant right now. Cassandra and Vaal are in trouble, she told herself again, and the more she did, the more she regained her mettle. It spurred her into action and cleared her mind.

[color=cbd5e0]"Let's go, Caw!"[/color] she called out, lending him a hand up Sebastian's mount. As soon as she and Caw were situated, Rhaeyla took control of the reins and sent Lucian galloping after Cassandra and toward the city in flames.