By the time they approached the town, Naia was almost herself again.  She refused to be weak and quail beneath the eyes of the villagers, but held to her pride and walked straight, brown eyes looking ahead, but quietly thankful for Tess's support.<br/><br/>As they were dressing after the baths, she embraced the paladin again and whispered her thanks.<br/><br/>During the briefing, she sat in a robe, adjusting a white dress to fit her better with needle and thread.  "I have some ideas for how to better participate in coming fights," she explained.  "This gold will help, thank you.  I'm with Tess, we can't allow these things to continue praying on the innocent."<em>We can't allow them to continue to exist!</em><br/><br/>She slipped away for a while to don the dress she'd altered--shortening the skirt so she could kick and keeping int snug to her generous chest.  She deliberately left the low neckline she was used too--both for her pride and because she intended to make a target of herself rather than let these creatures reach her less protected comrades.<br/><br/>Her eyes went up the new blond's body and widened in amazement at her height and power.<em>What an incredible woman!</em>