[center][h3][color=seagreen]Artemisia[/color][/h3][/center]

As the group of hunters advanced, the atmosphere of the forest surrounding them continued to be more than a little impressive, but it didn't exactly get any worse, at least not at any noticeable speed. Nothing jumped out at them just yet, so Artemisia's rising apprehension started to even out. Still, she couldn't exactly start her mind wandering at a time like this, so she contented herself with listening to the dialogue between dainty Luna and her new lady knight friend. Despite the circumstances, the mention of Luna's bow seemed to lift her spirits, her manner quite casual all of a sudden. The knightess replied in kind, also pretty lighthearted if a little forced. [i]Is she trying to break the tension? Because it's working.[/i] She even went as far as to introduce herself, offering a rare and nice-sounding name that made Artemisia think.

Toward the other side of the party, the spearmaiden and swordsman exchanged a few curt phrases, their 'conversation' as succinct as it was unsatisfying. As such Artemisia turned her attention back to the others, just in time for Luna's bright, excited voice to ring out through the woodlands in a far-too-cheerful examination of the name, revealing it to be both a name for a butterfly and a flower. The black mage didn't mind, though, since random facts like that never failed to capture her attention. [color=seagreen]”Hm, is that a fact?”[/color]  In addition, the thought of such a formidable and stolid-looking lady knight having such a cute and girly name made Artemisia giggle. [i]Almost like an expression of inner beauty and whimsy, buried deep down under all that discipline and muscle. If she's got a reputation to uphold, she might keep that name hidden away beneath that armor too, sharing it with only those she trusts to see her true self. Wait, no, she just told it to a bunch of strangers.[/i] 

Almost getting so sidetracked that she stopped paying attention, Artemisia tuned back in just in time to realize that whether she meant it or not Luna was saying something else, aside from that she knew a lot about organisms. [i]Whoa, she grew up with access to a library? She might have lived in a big city like Civitas Miribilia. But who's a tutor? Some kind of teacher? [/i] Not wanting to come off like the uneducated mountain yokel she technically was, though, the black mage kept quiet. Instead, since there seemed to be no monsters around at the moment and nobody said to be quiet, she decided to repay Luna's trivia with some of her own. That meant trampling right over the girl's rather childish lack of self-assurance, of course, but that was hardly her fault. [i]We're not a support group, after all.[/i]

[color=seagreen]”If you know that, you probably know about the plant I'm named after too. Well, less plant and more family of plants. Worts, sagebrushes, sage, wormwood, even tarragon. Not exactly flowers, I'll give you that, but still plenty good. Strong odor, strong flavor, strong all around. We don't die easy.”[/color] She crossed her arms, looking proud herself. [color=seagreen]“Plus, you get absinthe and vermouth from the stuff. Pretty cool, right?”[/color] The whole time she neglected to mention her name, but if Luna knew her stuff she might even be able to guess it.

Artemisia, however, gave her only a few moments before fixing her with an innocently inquisitive look. If Luna wanted to chat, she ought to experience an expert, and though no doubt a woman of many talents Ianthe wasn't cutting it. [color=seagreen]“Almost as cool as someone with libraries, and tutors, and fortes who goes shooting for enjoyment becoming a monster hunter, huh? You must be a real natural talent. What's your story?”[/color] Sure, she was putting Luna on the spot, but Artemisia's voice held no hostility. As a connoisseur of stories, she wanted to learn what made the girl tick.