[Color=gray][center][h1][Color=silver]M[/color][Color=lightblue]i[/color][Color=cornflowerblue]r[/color][color=green]i[/color][color=mediumpurple]s[/color][/h1] [Img]https://i.imgur.com/BMVZGcF.jpeg[/Img][/center] [Color=darkturquoise]Race:[/color] Changeling [Color=cornflowerblue]Location:[/color] An unremarkable jungle [H2][center][COLOR=RED]FLASHBACK[/COLOR][/center][/h2][hr] The following morning, after meeting and becoming glued to Minerva- or was Minerva glued to her? Anyway, the jungle had changed in the time it took for Miris to decide the shifter was no longer an immediate threat to her. If anything, she was like a gnat. Miris didn’t want her around, but there Minerva was orbiting her like she was food left out for too long. However, having a companion so deep in the jungle had its perks. The jungle hadn’t shown any signs of getting any safer, no matter how familiar the sounds became over time. Insects buzzed from the canopy above, while distant creatures rustled through brush thick enough to hide a settlement within. The humidity clung to the pair’s skin, and beads of sweat were beginning to be the norm. At the moment, the two were quiet, with Minerva always a few steps ahead. Minerva walked barefoot the entire time. Not carefully, but far from reckless either. If anything, it just seemed natural to the shifter. Branches dipped around her instead of catching her clothes, and roots failed to trip her. [color=white][i]She moves as if she’s walking through her hometown. She’s barely even paying attention.[/i][/color] Miris scowled at the back of her head, envious of the way the jungle seemed to cater to her every whim. [color=peru]“Awkwarrrd,”[/color] Minerva stated in a singsong tone. [color=peru]“You’re staring again.”[/color] She continued without ever turning around, but still Miris averted her eyes from her. [color=white]“I am… assessing you.”[/color] Miris figured that’s something Wendel might say. [color=peru]“That’s just staring with extra steps.”[/color] Minerva chuckled while Miris clicked her tongue in response. [color=peru]“You could at least talk. It’ll make this… Oooh!”[/color] Minerva stopped in her tracks before crouching beside a cluster of vegetation. [color=white]“What?”[/color] Miris stepped right beside her, wondering what in this jungle could interrupt Minerva. [color=peru]“People.”[/color] Miris quickly crouched beside her. [color=white]“How many?”[/color] Miris had to know if there were any threats to her mission, especially this deep in the jungle. If she had to flee, she’d have to choose either to retreat or push forward. Unfortunately for her, Minerva only shrugged. [color=peru]“Don’t know yet.”[/color] [color=white]“But… You just said-”[/color] [color=peru]“Shh! I said ‘people.’ That just means more than one.”[/color] Minerva’s eyes scanned the ground once more, ignoring Miris’ sigh of annoyance. [color=white]“Can you at least tell how long ago?”[/color] [color=peru]“Hmmmmmm… How ‘bout you tell me.”[/color] Minerva pointed lazily toward the dirt while wearing a smirk. Miris frowned but shifted closer toward the tracks. They were faint beneath the loose debris of the jungle, but she could make out the impressions that were deep enough to suggest boot tracks. Her eyebrows knitted at the possibility of there being a military presence here, but it would make sense in these times. She narrowed her eyes in an effort to focus on the now more than the scenarios to come. [color=white]“Four people.”[/color] Miris started confidently. [color=white]“Moving east. A few hours old?”[/color] She noticed Minerva tilt her head. [color=peru]“All that assessing and you still get it wrong.”[/color] Minerva teased before her expression focused. [color=peru]“At least seven. Mhm. Heavy packs… and moving fast. Interesting, huh?”[/color] [color=white]“How did you do that? No. How exactly would you know that?”[/color] Miris couldn’t bring herself to believe the answer. [color=peru]“They hit too many branches for a group of four,”[/color] Minerva explained. [color=peru]“And heavy things drag your feet differently.”[/color] Miris looked down at the tracks again, now noticing the difference in stride lengths. [color=white][i]Inconsistency…[/i][/color] She also noted that one side of the trail had deeper impressions than the others. [color=white][i]Uneven weight distribution.[/i][/color] She wondered if Wendel might have caught this detail. Of course, he would. He and Darius both would, and she hated that she wasn’t the adventurer she desired to be. She stood up, frowning and filled with envy. [color=white]“You guessed,”[/color] Miris grumbled, which only instigated a grin from Minerva. [color=peru]“Tch, yeah right. I’m just that good.”[/color] Minerva stood up, and not hiding her smugness either. [color=white]“You couldn’t have gotten all that from one look.”[/color] Miris argued as they continued walking. [color=peru]“I’m just. That. Good.”[/color] Minerva repeated. [color=white]“That doesn’t mean anything.”[/color] [color=peru]“It means a whole bunch if we wanna keep our pretty little heads safe.”[/color] Minerva turned to shoot a playful wink that met only with a scowl. [color=white][i]I think I hate this woman.[/i][/color] [color=white]“Minerva. Can you tell me how you learned to track like that?”[/color] Despite her annoyance with the shifter, Miris was hungry to learn. [color=peru]“Saaame way birds learn to fly, probably.”[/color] Minerva shrugged. [color=white]“What?’[/color] [color=peru]“Mhm.”[/color] [color=white]“That makes no sense.”[/color] [color=peru]“Makes enough.”[/color] [color=white]“It… doesn’t,”[/color] Miris muttered through her teeth. Minerva grinned, turning around to show Miris. [color=peru]“You think too… Hm… Loud. You think too loud.”[/color] Minerva wagged her finger and nodded as if she had worked out a perfect explanation. [color=white]“What does that even mean?”[/color] [color=peru]“You stop and think and think and think and… think!”[/color] Minerva shook her head exhaustedly. [color=peru]“Meanwhile, your surroundings have already told you what you need to know. You just gotta read it like a book.”[/color] [color=white]“That’s nonsense.”[/color] [color=peru]“Mhm.”[/color] [color=white]“And vague.”[/color] [color=peru]“Mhm.”[/color] [color=white]“And incredibly unhelpful.”[/color] [color=peru]“Mmmhm.”[/color] Miris’ eye twitched, and Minerva’s grin only widened. [color=peru]“You’re so funny when you’re annoyed.”[/color] [color=white][i]I [b]do[/b] hate this woman.[/i][/color] [/color] [Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/sQwQ5Zr.png[/img][/center]