<div class="floatleft">(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/6007/lyrarhod.jpg)</div><br/>Lyra watched as the snake-woman withdrew.<em><strong>She's strange. Peculiar, even. But she helped us, didn't she?</strong></em>Stepping forward, Lyra sheathed her daggers.<strong>"Hello there. I don't know if you can understand me, but thank you,"</strong>she smiled as she spoke.<em><strong>She seems alone.</strong></em>If there was one thing that caused even a hint of emotion in Lyra, it was that feeling...of not fitting it; not being wanted. She would later tell herself that it wasn't kindness or compassion that led to further words, but perhaps it was.<strong>"If you can understand me, won't you stay? Let us tend to your wounds and get to know you? Maybe we have some food to share?"</strong>Lyra vaguely remembered the snake-woman speaking before, but she wasn't certain.<br/><br/>She watched as Tahline rummaged over the corpses, but she didn't say anything to the girl. Instead, her eyes moved back to gaze at the bear.<strong>"And you? You helped me, didn't you? Your wolf, it...saved me. Are you a person, or an animal, or..."</strong>Lyra had seen druids before. They had come to her village when she was just a youth, to herald in the seasons and bless the crops of the farmers who lived there. She had seen the most powerful among them take the shape of wild beasts, and it always amazed her. The woman seemed similar, and though she had a good guess about what she was, Lyra felt that playing dumb might gain her an edge in their introductions.