starter for @occultmisfortune.
The branch quivered as Lucia landed on it - she hovered in midair for a moment, reluctant to put her entire weight onto it, but slowly it became clear the spindly branch would support her, if only tentatively. Settling into her perch high above the ground, she leaned back against the familiar roughness of the tree bark, swinging her legs lazily in time with the intermittent breeze. She almost folded her wings back before opting to stretch them out; she didn’t use them often, and it was better to get used to their presence. Although she frequently snuck out of the palace at night, it was dangerous to stay on the ground now, as she usually did.
No, it wasn’t one yet. After all, they hadn’t assembled armed troops yet. Their allies had, but...
Today had been another tense day of negotiations, of arguing in barely-not-shouting voices, about the renewed conflict. She didn’t even remember how it had started anymore. Would it matter? Granted, their kingdom hadn’t issued an official declaration of war - how did one declare war against an entire race, anyway? - but news of any skirmish any day now might become the tipping point.
Her eyes followed the pale moonlight down to the hazily-illuminated forest floor, where she saw someone amidst the silhouettes of nature.
She may have been unarmed, but magic would do just as well. Raising her hand, she began to gather warmth into her fingertips. Light arrows might work nicely. Efficiently. Had the enemy gotten wind of her wanderlust habit? It couldn’t be mere coincidence, the...presence below.
It would be better to dispose of the threat before he discovered her. Leaping into the air, she landed lightly again on the branch, taking care to not produce enough wind to reach him, hopefully. There was only so much buoyancy she could attain without moving her wings too much. She shifted closer to the tree, anxious to not produce a shadow on the floor below, aware of the moon behind her. Arching her wrist slightly back, she prepared to unleash her offense. As long as he didn’t look up and see her unfurled wings, this would be easy.