Sara
*It was a new day, and for Bella Gladstone, it was the beginning of what was likely an adventure that would change her life. She had a goal in mind, to discover where her elder sister Jasmine had disappeared, and the primary clue for her was but her sole weapon, a ritual dagger wielded by oculists. It was, however, a shame that Bella's lack of experience with the world outside of Kadho was relatively minimal, and as a result, had led to her getting a little lost within the Ombu Forest - even with a map and compass in hand. Keeping as cautious as ever, she'd stumble through the thick forested landscape, a fearful look on her face as her boots crunched across the ground, making an audible noise for anyone within a reasonable distance to hear...*
Chuck
*Atop the large branch of a tree, a Canifor sat squat with a bow in hand. Juna had been sitting there, waiting for signal from her Jackal as an alert that there was prey nearby that she could easily shoot down. So far nothing had come up, however, her ears rose to the sound of someone recklessly making their way through the forest. Juna found herself, pressing against the trunk of the tree to keep to the shadowed canopy of its leaves in case an enemy was nearby. There was a moments pause as she sat silently in waiting before the culprit came into view. A Macen whose scent of fear carried as easily as the sound of her crunching her way through the forest. 


Juna observed her from the shadows, a part of her wanting to keep silent and just let her past, another wondering if the Macen was okay. The way she walked said otherwise. Juna knew her Jackal would be nearby somewhere, drawn to the sounds of clumsiness, but instead of hopping down to where the Macen was, Juna decided to say in a low, hushed voice:*

"Are you okay miss...?" *Juna wasn't sure if the Macen would be able to tell where the voice came from, but she at least hoped that would get her attention enough to stop her from causing all the ruckus she was making.*
Sara
*It the midst of her journey across the forest, the otherwise neatly dressed and delicate Water Macen who made herself known in Juna's eyesight had stopped. However, to say that the way she did it was subtle - and that it was the cause of the Canifor's cautious voice - was far from a lie.*

*Bella's clear unfamiliarity with the forest suddenly made itself known as a thick tree root that was right in Bella's path got caught around one of her boots, immediately catching the apothecary off guard and causing her to stumble forward a few steps in hope to regain her balance. And if the sound of her shoes or the scent of her fear weren't enough to attract attention, it was the volume of her voice that would.*

**"Eek!"**

*Bella suddenly cried out in surprise, managing to save herself from falling due to some semblance of dexterity, however feeling a cold chill shiver across her body upon hearing the sound of Juna's voice, having little of a clue where she could have been. Immediately she proceeded to try honing in to her arcane senses to find anyone who could have been hiding, but alas, she couldn't find a single trace of another person. Beads of sweat began to form upon her brow, as she slowly and desperately brandished a dagger by her side... But even with the presence of a weapon now in her person, she didn't look like much of a threat at all.*

"W-Who is there... State your business..."
Chuck
*Juna flinched as she watched the Macen fall only to react so fearfully to her question. At the sight of the dagger, Juna grew still. Already, she has had too many bad memories of people with daggers. Most of those memories being close calls to either her or her Jackal nearly getting stabbed.

'Keep calm.' She tells herself, giving a silent reminder to not panic and freeze up as she's had in the past. Juna was starting to get better at it and the thought that this Macen wasn't aware of where she or her Jackal was at least gave Juna a little more confidence. She didn't have to reveal herself, Juna just hoped that Jace could match that. The Canifor took a deep breath, then said more calmly:*

"I am the lady of the forest..." *She bit her lip at the response. What a ridiculous statement, but she's already committed. Why not see how far she could go with just that?*

"Worry not, I am a friend..." *She continued, forcing more confidence in her tone in contrast to how she felt internally.*
Sara
*Bella continued to hold the ritual dagger in her hands as she made an attempt to discover Juna... Alas, it was thanks to Juna's skills in stealth as a Huntress that allowed her to go by still undetected by Bella's eyes, even with her capabilities to see in the dark easily.*

*However, it was her calming words that otherwise put Bella into a little more ease. She was far from gullible, and she had little of an idea what a 'Lady of a Forest' actually entailed... But her skills as a merchant were more than enough for Bella to understand that the best way to win over a customer is to appeal to them first, and with the mentioning of how she sounded like a friend... Bella slowly began to relax at the thought.*

*Taking a deep breath as to recompose herself, Bella slowly placed the dagger back into its sheath, before she placed it inside one of her bags, as to show that she did not mean any harm. Her eyes still darting from side to side, she spoke once more.*

"... I do not know who you are, but I have to say that I must deeply apologize for my intrusion... I'm afraid I have gotten a little lost here in the forest, and alas, navigation with a map has never been a strength of mine, especially in such a thick and winding location such as this... But I quite simply mean no harm to you, or to any of the other forest inhabitants."
Chuck
*One ear lowered on Juna's head in question. 'That actually worked?' She questioned to herself, surprised that she had managed to seemingly get away with that small statement. Seeing Bella tuck the dagger away allowed the Canifor to relax more. Her tail wrapped neatly around her waist as she feigned silence for a moment while she listened to the Macen's apology. Juna could never get used to those who found the need to apologize to her for mishaps the Canifor usually caused herself, but seeing as she was now meant to be 'the lady of the forest' maybe she should show some form of forgiveness. She cleared her throat before speaking up once more, her confidence gaining with her previous victory of the words she had spoken moments before.*

"It is the forest that seems to be doing more harm to you than you can do it..." *Juna added a hint of amusement to her acting tone, hoping it would be more convincing.* "Do not apologize... I'm sure a simple guide can save you the recklessness... And extended journey... Where is it that you are trying to go...?"

*Juna went quiet once more to recollect her thoughts. The Macen seemed to be going along with it well enough whether she actually believed what the Canifor said or not, but despite it, things seem to be going fairly well. A smile formed on the Canifor's face, rather genuine as she used it to keep herself from wagging her own tail at the thought.*
Sara
*Hearing the sound of the 'Lady of the Forest' and her forgiveness for otherwise disrupting the forest was at the very least something that made Bella clearly understand that she was going on the right track. And thankfully, Bella understood that she was capable of handling a situation more easily if it was done less with physical violence and more with just a simple conversation. She couldn't let this opportunity go to waste just now.*

"I am trying to find the way to the nearest civilization filled with people so that I may search for a library. I have some things that I must study for, but alas, my journey has come without any semblance of fruition. I would appreciate it deeply if I can find a way out of the forest, especially if it is without conflict... The idea of getting hurt deeply frightens me." 

*As Bella explained her business, it was clear as day on her face that she was speaking the truth. Her face, while the calmest it has been so far, was still rather uncertain, and if one were to closely inspect her, she looked more like a noble than she did a warrior, especially with the brilliant violet and white outfit she wore, which included a skirt so long that it otherwise hid her boots from plain sight, and forced Bella to move around with one hand gripped onto it as to not get it caught onto anything.*

"So, as I have mentioned before, I would be deeply grateful if you were to assist me. And if you do, I will vouch that I will not try to disturb the peace of these beautiful lands again. I am just not familiar with an environment such as this..."