Amber
"Are you sure?~ You seem to have plenty to me~" 

*Mizu would continue to slowly inch forward, but stop upon hearing about the town. She looked over the Canifor's body once more, taking note of her well toned legs. She would glance back to Yuzu who was starting to cry out, and then stop moving forward. As much as she wanted to give chase to this convenient meal that had just walked up to her, it probably wouldn't be enough to enough to satisfy Yuzu, and would likely cause him to cry if she started to run right now. There was the wise proverb of the rabbit on hand is worth more than two in the bush, but she was confident in being able to catch the rabbits in the bush as long as this one led her to them.*

"A town nearby you say?" *She would press her finger to her lips and ponder a bit* 

"I know the layout of the region fairly well, but as far as I can remember the closest major town is more than a day's walk away. Is there a closer a settlement?"

*She would sway her tail back and forth to soothe Yuzu while tensing up her calves. The canifor appeared to be tense, and it would not do her well if her prey made a break for it. Though depending on her answer she might have to go for it anyway*

"If so, would you be a darling and lead me to it? I assure you I will make it worth your time~"
Catherine
*Once more she found herself backing away from the woman, faster and faster the steps quickened until the woman had stopped all together. The Canifor paused too, reaching a hand to come to rest on the trunk of a nearby tree. Her claws protruded out, scratching at the bark as if she were at least half tempted to dart up the tree like a cat chased by a dog which would be quite ironic with her more wolf-like traits.

She could feel heart racing in her chest in a sort of fight or flight response which in this case would have most likely gone to flight, but instead she just found herself standing still while she watched the woman look back towards her young. When she asked if there was a town closer than the one a day's journey away, Juna would bite her lip in thought.

She didn't know if there was a town closer, she didn't even know where the one a day's journey was and now she was being asked to lead the woman towards it. The Canifor had to admit, the woman made her feel uneasy, most likely with her tone of voice, but Juna could feel some sympathy seeing as she was with an infant. Maybe she wasn't always like that or maybe she was and Juna should probably turn and flee like the coward she typically was.*

"Sure I... I just need to get a good look of the area-"*She'd say, angling her head up towards the tree she took to as support.*"I... Can get a better view from up here-"*Back to the traitorous trees it seemed, but at least then Juna could have some distance while also getting to scope out the area.*
Amber
*Mizu would follow the canifor's gaze and glance up at the trees as well. She would then look back at Juna, taking note of her claws and firm forearms, and then smile and nod.*

"That would be great. Do be careful though, you're more prone to make mistakes when tense~ It would be a shame if you were to get hurt~ " *She would gently caressing her lips with her tongue as discreetly as she can, imagining the thought*

*Yuzu, perhaps picking up on Mizu's hunger-lust, would continue to squirm and be fussy in Mizu's tail, and after taking a few sniffs in the air would reach out his arms toward Juna with his mostly toothless mouth open wide. Mizu would quickly wrap the tail closer to her chest and sooth him by rubbing his back*

"There, there. Mommy will get you something to eat soon. This traveler is going to help us find a nearby settlement" 

*Mizu's ears would then perk up a bit, as if realizing something.*

"Oh, how rude of me. Here I am asking you for help when I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Kyuu and this is my son Ketsu. What is your name~"
Catherine
*With the permission given, Juna found her claws digging even further into the branch. She watched the child reach out to her, his fangs more prominent as it looked as if he were trying to bite her. Maybe that's just how Oriates are when they're young, teething maybe, or just hungry enough to put anything in their mouth. She decided not to question it, already grabbing at the tree as she would begin her progression up.

It was only when the woman had introduced herself that Juna would stop, no more than a few feet above ground.*"It's... Nice to meet you two..."*She'd say in a quiet tone. There seemed to be a sense of tiredness in the way she said it, maybe from long travels or earlier tension. Nevertheless, Juna found herself abided to give her name in return, but with all the strangeness that went on in the forest, the Canifor figured it was best if the woman saw her as nothing more unique.*"You can call me... Lady..."*She'd say. 

It was such a basic name, but it seemed to fall on common ground to Juna. Lady could sound rude in an angry tone or nice in a respectful one. It at least carried less power than her regular name. She'd rather not let it travel too much around here as she did Salvania which did make her wonder how things were back at home. It wasn't important now, after all, she was a ways away from it. For now she was just on a simple scouting mission. Yes, that was all it is.

Further and further she climbed up the tree, growing tense at each creak of a branch as if she expected it to break out from underneath her like the last one did. They held firm and the further Juna got the more she began to build trust for it. Eventually she would break above the expanse of dying leaves, coming to see just how wide and expansive the forest was. Trees, trees galore in every direction. Juna's temporary confidence immediately faltered. She really was lost.*
Amber
*Mizu would watch the canifor climb up the tree, admiring her mastery of the skill. Mizu would reminisce what it was like before giving birth to Yuzu, the ease at which she in climbing trees and exhilaration of looking over the whole forest. Not that she regretted becoming a mom, but she certainly missed her prior free lifestyle.*

"You are certainly a fine lady, Lady, for helping a stranger like me~ How's the view up there?~ " *She would ask, chuckling slightly at her wordplay*

*After waiting a couple seconds and receiving no response, Mizu would stop chuckling and let out a sigh. As a cartographer, Mizu didn't recall any nearby settlements on the maps she had drawn for the area. Thus, along with the lack of a response from the canifor, Mizu assumed there must not be any nearby.*

*Mizu would then get closer to the tree and look at her surroundings for nearby trees that were in jumping distance. She felt it was a safe assumption that the canifor had used pseudonym given the pause and phrasing when giving her name. Not that Mizu cared since she was using one herself. The only concerning thing was that the canifor didn't trust her, and would likely take this chance to run away. That would be unfortunate for both her child and her*

*However, it would be unwise to jump to conclusions right away, so Mizu would look up and wait and see what the canifor would say/do next*
Catherine
*Juna sat on the branch, overlooking the large forest in stunned silence.*"Come on... There has to be something..."*She'd say mostly to herself. She tried to see, to hear, to even smell despite her disliking of using it. Even with her enhanced senses, there was nothing. Juna rose up on the branch and tried to face a different direction. More trees, more forest, no town. A whine threatened to rise in her throat. She had told the woman, no Kyuu, that there was a potential town nearby. How wrong she was. Juna wasn't exactly sure how long the two have been traveling or how hungry they were, but Juna couldn't help but feel as if she had already doomed the child with her false information.

In her lost of thought, she hadn't realized that Kyuu was speaking to her. Only when a sudden draft from a cold wind hit her, did she finally return to reality. She'd quickly clutch the shawl she had, clinging onto it as it threatened to be blown away. She had already left her friend with her Jackal for longer than intended and denied the food and extra clothing she offered her, Juna couldn't lose this as well. With the wind having made its way pass, Juna began to slowly make her way down, unsure of what to tell Kyuu. Maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe there was a town close by just hidden by all the trees. Juna knew it was wishful thinking, but she couldn't bear to break the bad news to them.*

*She neared the ground, coming to a stop as she spotted Kyuu standing near the trunk of the tree which left the Canifor having to hang a number of feet above her. Juna stood there, silent for a moment, seeing Kyuu gazing around at the forest. She didn't know what went through the Woman's mind, but it didn't stop her from trying. The Canifor didn't know what it was like to be a mother, even less of what stress it could bring. She didn't want to add onto it, so, in the moment of desperation, she'd say:*"It will be quite a walk, but... It shouldn't take too long..."*A lie, one Juna would curse herself for doing something especially in a situation like this, but she had to give them some form of hope. Maybe.*
Amber
*Mizu would stare into the depths of the canifor's eyes, and then take a deep breath. The cold breeze certainly was refreshing, and allowed her to think more calmly instead of acting on instinct. Hanging from the tree instead of coming down to the ground, the canifor clearly felt corned, which was to be expected given Mizu's behavior. She used to be more discrete with her hunting, but ever since having Yuzu it proven much more difficult. So she had instead decided to adapt the strategy of fully embracing it. But it appeared to have backfired here...*


*She would then slowly open her eyes and smile.*
"No need for you to keep clinging to tree, I can assure you that the ground is more comfortable~ Or are you perhaps weary of me, young 'Lady'?~" 

*Mizu would take a few steps away from tree, indirectly indicating where she wanted the canifor to land. It was possible the canifor was lying out of self-preservation, but it was also possible that the canifor had found a settlement. Macen certainly had the capacity to make new settlements rather quickly, so perhaps a new one had appeared since the last time she had been here. So Mizu was willing to play along, as at worst she would simply have to give chase on the ground.*

"It sure is cold, isn't it? Would you be so kind as to lead us to the settlement? I would like to provide shelter for my child as quickly as possible" *A lie, as she was fairly tolerant to the cold weather and her tail provided more than enough insulation to keep her child warm, but wanted to provide some sort of incentive for the canifor to come down. It wouldn't be possible to lead them while clinging to the tree after all*
Catherine
"Oh- I'm... Sorry miss..."*Juna would begin, her voice carrying the tone similar to that of one who had been scolded while she tried to find good explanation for why she remained hesitant in climbing all the way down.*"You just... Seemed to be lost in thought... I didn't want to accidentally fall and disrupt you... I can be... Very clumsy at times..."*The Canifor would gradually make her way down from the tree with Kyuu giving her the space needed, feeling her feet hit the ground only moments later. With Kyuu bringing up how cold it was, Juna would quickly give a nod in agreement. She felt the cold too, most likely taking it more harshly than the vampire which was left unbeknownst to her.*"Yes... Yes ma'am..."*Juna would answer. It wasn't the words she'd usually say to another woman lest she felt she carried age with her which was most likely caused by the child she had, creating a sense of politeness to the new or maybe even old mother. She had that feeling of respect anyways. 

Juna decided to turn in the direction she had originally been heading in with what was once confidence in retracing her steps, now left completely drained from her after seeing what little progress she's made. Despite it, she began to walk onwards, her ears remaining pointed for anything. Animals, people, maybe some sign of a civilization. If they didn't find anything, Juna could at least hope to find some animal out here that could fill their stomachs even if things seemed more scarce as of lately. She had to at least try. Juna didn't speak much as she walked, never really did. Maybe she was actively hunting in the meantime, hoping that in silence she could catch a single bit of prey off guard, but she knew very well if she found anything she wouldn't be able to put up much of a chase if it ran, not in her state.*
Amber
*Mizu would show a satisficed grin upon seeing 'Lady' drop to the ground and start leading them. Looked like her concerns about the canifor running off were for naught.*

*That said, the longer the two walked, the more she started to doubt the canifor's words about a settlement. Mizu wasn't also particularly fond of the silence. The woods were naturally barren this time of year, yet it felt unnaturally silent. It sort of reminded her of that one time she went though a cursed undead forest, but the air here was much more clear than it was back then, so that couldn't be the case. In either case, unable to tolerate the silence any longer, Mizu decided it would be fun to engage in small talk*

"Say, you said you weren't around here. Where are you from if I may ask? I don't know many beast tries that would give their child the name of 'Lady'. Are you perhaps a runaway slave?"
Catherine
"I'm from... Quite far away actually..."*Juna would say in response. It seemed that Kyuu found a need to fill the silence which Juna was fine with. After all, the lack of animal song did make the forest feel dreary, but even then, her odd questioning of where she was from did make her prefer it.*"I'm not a slave I..."*She paused, considering if she should actually talk about her past life. They most likely were going to be stuck with each other for a while, so maybe Juna could share what little information she wanted while also making it into a sort of story.*"I had quite a loving family... Lady was actually I name I gave myself..."*She would continue, her tail waving in the gentle breeze of the fall weather. In saying this, she knew she would practically be telling Kyuu that it wasn't her real name, but still she could add reasoning for it.*"I'm afraid I've been living in the forest for so long that I have forgotten who I am..."

*Juna could think back to the years she had lived in the forest, becoming more and more accustomed to them in that time only to find it harder and harder to fit in with civilization. The near bar fight, the ruthless killing upon a farmland, and the awkwardness of meeting new people. Maybe she did lose a bit of touch with people.*

*As Juna would speak, she'd spot a stick upon the ground, one that she couldn't help but pick up to have something to hold onto other than the string of her bow. With the stick now in hand, she'd allow it to tag along at her side, continuing her explanation to Kyuu.*"There was once I time where I've traveled to a forest far from this one. There was a Macen there who seemed lost and troubled, so I tried to see if she needed help..."*Juna said, that bit of story being quite true as she thought back to her time in Ombu.*"She could not see me, I was but a voice to her... She wanted to know who I was, so I told her I was the Lady of the Forest..."*Juna couldn't help but smile at the thought. She could almost picture being back in that forest, walking along the thickly wooded branches of the trees there. She couldn't do that now. The place was far and the trees were most likely suffering the same fate as these ones with fall nearing.*"I guided her to the nearest town and... She seemed happy... Happy to be helped by someone she couldn't even see..."*Turning to glance back at Kyuu, she'd give a bit of tilt to her head.*"...But you can see me... Can't you...?"