Théadan pulled her closer and Navia was happy to settle against him once more and have his cheek rest upon her head. “I think you’re right,” she said softly in agreement after hearing him point out how they handled their different personalities in a way to work in harmony. He spoke of her playfulness and how she could bring it out in him. She could have pointed out to him how his steadfastness gave her strength and his ability to analyze their problems for the best solutions had saved them more than once. They really did complement each other, not completing each other, but enhancing instead. They were still their own person after all, and she felt they celebrated that about each other. “Safe above all else,” Navia added though, glancing up at him with a small smirk, “If this child really is to share either or both of our stubborn sides, we’re bound to make them unhappy from time to time.” Sighing, she sat up and looked around at the items in her way of lying down. “Let’s get an early start tomorrow,” she began packing up the food to put away, “Maybe we can find an inn if we make it to a town.”<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>It was the restlessness of the horses that woke her. Wyndagar was snorting and pawing the earth, even whickering lowly. “What’s wrong?” Navia muttered as if the horse could answer her, propping herself up on an elbow to try to get a view of Wyndagar in the darkness. The fire had died down during the night, cloaking their little campsite in darkness. It was also eerily still, save for the sounds Wyndagar made. They had gone to sleep to the noises of the night, to the glow of firelight, and the quiet breathing of their horses; why had that all changed? Deciding the jungle had finally chosen sleep over sound, Navia disentangled herself from Théadan to scoot down to the edge of the bedroll where she knew she’d find the ring of rocks they’d set up to keep the fire from escaping. After blindly searching for a stick, she poked at the embers enough for them to glow red and give her enough light to grab from the small pile of sticks and brush Théadan had set up for them to use. All it took was a few handfuls of dead leaves and sticks for the fire to flare up and revive itself. She saw it then, and for a long beat Navia was frozen to the bone.<br/><br/>The fire reflected in its eyes, causing unnaturally bright gold to beam out of dark feline orbs. It stood poised in mid-step on the other side of the fire, not more than five feet away and facing the horses. Beautiful golden fur, spotted generously with black, sleek and powerful body, large tawny paws. It appeared just as shocked to see her as she was to see it—<i>she</i>. It had to be a she, right? Males were larger, stockier, their heads squarer. Navia had only ever seen big male leopards after they’d been killed for attacking villagers and brought to the king as offerings. Once her uncle had been given one, but again it had been male and had escaped the menagerie not long after it’d been gifted to the king. It didn’t matter though; male or female, it was lowering into a crouch and baring its fangs, letting Navia know it was not pleased with her for interrupting the hunt and icy fear shot down her spine.<br/><br/>“Théadan,” Navia breathed, eyes never leaving the leopard as she shook his leg and very carefully began retreating back up the bedroll, “Théadan, get up…Get up slowly.” He knew more about dealing with animals than she did, but this was a Khluri animal. What had she been told to do?<i>If it charges, make yourself look as big as possible and make more noise than you ever have in your life,</i>she could hear her father saying when she’d gone to visit her uncle’s leopard,<i>If he isn’t interested in you, let him on his way. The gods are blessing you with a glimpse of them.</i>Worriedly her eyes shifted to the horses, who were eerily still as if they knew a predator was in their midst. That or their poor eyesight was keeping her from being seen. If they spooked, there was the risk of losing them and she hadn’t put the bridle back on Vari before bed. Grief at even the thought of one of them, or Théadan, being injured by the leopard nearly caused her to panic. “<i>Théadan!</i>” Navia finally hissed, smacking his leg as hard and as soundlessly as she could before rising to her knees, “We need your sword if she charges. Slowly, though.”