This is it, your last chance, and you're not going to let pride get in your way. After her help yesterday, and because Owl knows just whose backing you, you're not that worried that the adventurers could really mess with you if it turns out they are on the same job.
Still they're not Autumn Shade or Mountain Peak Blossom, and that means you can't trust them all the way. The Lower City's taught you that any trust is a gamble, so you make sure to wait next to the Idiot for them to come out. If he says he saw you arguing with them and they do try something, then no one will hesitate to blame them with the Young Master's word against theirs.
Eventually Owl shows, and Whisper soon after. Perfect! It's not like you care what Peach Blossom thinks, but you'd rather not have her needling you just because you're nice enough to give others an excuse to show off their knowledge.
"Good morning!" you're nervous, so you greet them twice as cheerfully. Owl smiles and ruffles your hair, cocking his head to the side as the vine around your neck reaches out to push his hand away.
"A new pet? I don't think I've seen that species before," the big man's voice carries a faint whiff of curiosity as he strokes Blossom, allowing it to wrap around his finger and try to siphon off some blood.
"Yeah, isn't he adorable?" And, it seems, incapable of getting through Owl's thick skin. Dejected Mountain Peak Blossom droops away from the big man, "Anyway," best to strike before his attention goes elsewhere, "I'm just a little curious, you know the forest really well, right?"
Owl nods, "Anything you need to know about it?"
"Well, I heard there's a lot of foxes, and I thought since they're just so adorable, it might be best to catch one for a new pet... but I haven't had any luck," you give Owl your best innocent smile, one orders of magnitude more effective than you could have mustered a few months ago.
The big man ruffles your hair again, "Silver tipped foxes was it?" dammit, "Well, I think they usually keep their dens near water. They're fairly good at detecting predators and hiding for their rank, but they don't have the endurance to track down most prey or travel as far to get nourishment."
You hesitate, it sounds solid, but you know nothing about nature at all. Owl could be giving you bad information, and no one else here might know.
"I s there anywhere in particular nearby?"
Owl hesitates, deciding whether to lie, or just whether to tell you anything at all? "There is a fairly large river if you head southwest far enough, but more powerful beasts tend to lurk around as you get farther in. It might be best to stay closer by."
The job isn't worth risking your life for, and you don't know if you can handle things alone. Besides, Owl might be lying. Still, there is one way.
Peach Blossom's sleepy face poking out of a room is all the push you need. You raise your voice and project all the brash confidence you can, "Well, unlike someone I could name, I'm not afraid at all of going deeper into the forests!"
For a moment Peach Blossom stares at you, then something ignites in her eyes, "Hah! As if! Anything my rival can do, I can do better!"
Are you really getting this charismatic that quickly? No, judging by Whisper's sighs this is more to do with how easy Peach Blossom is to push around. She really wouldn't last a day in Lower City.
"Prove it," a child could pull one over her.
Peach Blossom glowers at you, "Fine!"
"Then today we'll go together all the way up to the river. The first one to back off loses."
Whisper buries his head in his hands. The Idiot chortles through his drink and Owl shakes his head sadly, and like that it's settled. If Owl's intel is bad, he'd be sending Peach Blossom to the same place, you have a companion and, best of all, you don't have to admit you don't want to go any further in alone!
------
You clutch your spear tightly and try not to look nervous. At your side, Peach Blossom does the exact same thing with her halberd. You haven't seen anything yet, not even another baby treant, but the deeper in the forest you go, the darker and quieter the woods gets. Which isn't to say you're scared of course. There's no way someone whose lived in those slums would be scared at something small like th—
You spin, spear at the ready only to realize that the noise you heard is just the wind blowing through some leaves.
"It should be close, right?"
Peach Blossom smirks at you, "Scared?"
"Of course not!" the way your loud voice penetrates the forest's quiet makes you regret your words. Peach Blossom glances around, but nothing comes out after a few minutes.
Autumn's ears perk and the cat dashes ahead, flitting silently through shadows. You and Peach Blossom share a glance then dash after the cat, not quite as quietly. Soon you too can hear the faint rush of water. You've made it.
"Haha, see, not scary at all!"
Peach Blossom nods, "Yeah, even a kid like you could do this without problems. So, let's hurry up and go back, okay?"
You let the comment pass this time, there are more important things to worry about, "Anyway, I want to find a fox, so if you can spot one before me, I guess I'd have to admit that you're better, and since we did come all the way here, we might as well look."
You won't, but she doesn't know that.
Autumn stiffens as the river comes into view. It's a wide stream, clearer than any water you've seen before, and shallow enough that you could wade through it. More importantly, something is moving through the brush at the far bank.
Quietly you point to Peach Blossom. Then you tap Mountain Peak Blossom into wakefulness. If it's going to hang around you, at least it can contribute.
Seeing everyone ready, you take a deep breath and whisper out your skill.
"
Analyze"
Level: 17
Race: Fox
Species: Three Tailed Steel Tipped Fox
Element: ???, ???, ????
Rank: C
Known for its sturdy fur
Your breath catches in your throat and you take a step back. The fox's head moves, as it turns and leaps, crashing through the undergrowth to land firmly in the stream.
It's stands taller on four legs than you do on two, with teeth large enough to tear off your arm or through your throat. Three tails longer than you are tall float behind it, shining brilliant silver in the sunlight.
Well, you found a fox. Now let's see if you can survive it.
[ ] Blow your whistle
[ ] No, you can do this.
[ ] Rough plan of action?