The Silver Bird, the Hunter's Crown, & the Queen's Treasure

*Featuring characters from "Message from the City," "A Trickster's Tea Party," and "A Family Secret"

"This is not what I expected." Iki has never felt more out of place than she does right now in the woods. Wearing brown leggings under a skirt of woven branches, a brown tunic belted with leaves, and a custom antlered crown on her head and holding a spear... that's not her thing.

"It takes a bit to get used to." Luz pushes a leafed mask over his face. "It was weird my first time here too. It's a whole royal court tradition." He had twigs arranged over his chest and shoulders like armor.

"I'm not royalty, though," Iki says, her words coming out just shy of a whine. "I'm not anything. I'm anything-adjacent at best."

"You are dating Pascal. Pascal's mother, Petunia, is … highly influential in the courts. She even attempted to court Alyn back in the day. But the Ellingtons have always been close ties to the royalty. I think some... several generations back they shared a grandparent with the royal line that was the king." Luz smiles softly. "I know this is all.... a lot to handle. Especially when you're just thrown into it."

"Did Alyn often throw you to the wolves like this early on?" Iki asks, hefting her spear a bit to try and get used to its weight.

"Alyn, no. Alyvia, yes. She … she's a mixed blessing." Luz pushes back branches for Iki to go under. "She's stern at times, being queen but loving and protective with Alyn. But..." Luz hesitates. "Alyn went behind her back to turn me into a fae which defied a lot of laws, especially since their court wasn't in ruling season. So I think she felt the need to test me to ensure I was worthy of her brother making such a decision."

Iki looks him over warily, then. "You impressed her?" She asks, already sure of the answer.

"... In time. Not the first. But in time." Luz gently nudges her to take the right path. "She's a little prickly, but she has a good heart. The twenties really did a number on her. Their host … what they called their father or … well, he was the … human version of him... but when he was killed, everything changed."

"Ah." Iki holds the spear close as she picks her way along the right fork. "She seems... lonely, almost?"

"She … has a companion," Luz says with a glance behind them. "I don't see the silver mockingbird yet. We'll definitely hear the evil thing."

"Lovers aren't necessarily companions," Iki says. She checks to make sure they are still alone and sidles up to Luz. "Is it really an evil bird? I've heard different stories..."

"I personally hate the creature, but it never fails to insult my cooking, so that puts a damper on our relationship." Luz glances at her. "Her lover is the trickster god Thierry. They grew up together and were best friends for their entire youth."

"She's sleeping with your god?" Iki gasps.

"He's a god. Technically he's not in charge yet. Nor is his brother." Luz pokes a bush with his spear. "But yes." Out pops a rabbit with a feathery tail and feathers on its forehead. "Just a hare."

"Hi there," Iki says, crouching. "Do you know where the silver mockingbird is?" The hare bristles its feathers, bares its fangs, and lunges. Iki scrambles to get her spear up in time to block. "What!"

Luz puts out his hand. A rush of cold air hits the hare. It shrieks and scampers off. "Not everything here can talk... or is friendly... Most just want to eat you." He hears a familiar little clicking sound. "Great..."

"You!" The silver mockingbird cries. "Luz! You!" It flits to a nearby branch.

Luz points the spear at it. "Don't try anything, devil bird. Tell us, do you know where the Jeweled Crown is?"

"I don't like your tone," the silver mockingbird says haughtily.

Iki stares at the creature. Possessing a larger stature than a normal mockingbird and purely silver, it gleams in the light.

"The last hunt you led me into quicksand. You've earned the tone." Luz pushes his mask up to glare at it. "Just tell us if you know anything."

"I needed you to get rid of pests for me," the silver mockingbird says. It flutters to a closer branch. "I know where the Crown is. But you won't find it with her." It trills at Iki. "No offense."

"That's pretty offensive," she says.

"She stays." Luz gestures with the spear at it. "I could just kill you. Just one strike, and you'd be one dead bird."

"You would miss me," the silver mockingbird says, spreading its wing to preen.

"I see why you don't like it," Iki whispers.

"You've called the taste of my pasta being similar to dried out worms. I would not miss you." He sighs. "Let's just go. Clearly, his Beakiness doesn't know anything and is all talk."

"How dare you!" The silver mockingbird dives for Luz's head and tugs Luz's hair with his talons.

"Let's not get aggressive!" Iki says, reaching over to try and disentangle the bird.

"Unhand me!" The silver mockingbird cries.

Luz lets his claws release and snatches the bird off his head. He hisses at it with his fangs. "You are the one that insults me every time I come here. And I could kill you very easily." He releases it to fly back to the branch.

"So testy," the silver mockingbird grumbles. "Do something with her scent and follow me." It launches into the air and flies ahead until it is at the fringe of their sight.

"He's a lot to deal with," Iki says.

"You have no idea." Luz gets a few leaves with a powerful stench from a branch and hands them to her. "Just... wear it or rub it on your skin."

Iki takes the leaves and sniffs them tentatively. She doesn't really smell anything, but she trusts Luz. She pauses partway through rubbing her neck and face down. She trusts him? Huh. She smiles a little. It's good to realize she feels this way about someone like Luz. She tucks the leaves into her leaf belt and picks up her spear. "Okay," she says. "I think I'm ready."

Luz grins at her and moves his mask back down. He claps her on the shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about. You'll fit right in."