[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/tbIvwoy.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240504/7ea89157aa7490b85c1faa2a61df7e74.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Frostmoon Lake[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]
These days Kira's nights were rarely more than four hours of restless sleep. Initially, she’d lie awake, tossing and turning, her mind a whirl of thoughts and frustrations, begging for reprieve. Now, she found solace in the quietude of nighttime walks. She’d attend to the chores that awaited her in both her home and the small shop she had established in Dawnhaven. Her evenings were typically spent foraging for mushrooms, herbs, and whatever remained of the winter berries. Mostly though, she observed.

Lately Kira had spent her “mornings” by the lake, captivated by the moonlight dancing on the ripples. Occasionally, she’d brave the frigid waters for a private swim. Other times, she prayed to Seluna or simply lost herself in stargazing. From the shadows, she’d watch others who sought the lake for their own contemplations, or how the Prince often took a jog in the early hours. Or, more recently, she’d watch the mysterious lake creature who observed the townsfolk of Dawnhaven. 

Seemingly, no one else had noticed her presence, but Kira had. From the moment she arrived in Dawnhaven, she sensed the lake’s secret inhabitant.  It was obvious that the creature was scared to be seen, so she said nothing. It was not Kira’s place to out people who didn’t want to be outed. Instead, she did as she always did - observed from the shadows. 

On this particular morning, Kira sat upon on a boulder by the lake’s shore and the forest’s edge. She silently watched as the Prince took his morning jog, though it was earlier than usual. Whatever the announcement was going to be, she assumed he must have been stressed by it. She continued to watch as Taru came to clean his hands. Occasionally she’d glare at the temple of Seluna, hoping Desya wouldn’t disrupt her peace, despite her heart’s secret yearning to catch a glimpse of him. 

Noticing a subtle disruption in the lake, Kira’s attention shifted to the lake creature, who peeked just above the water, cautiously curious. Kira raised an eyebrow as the creature excitedly retrieved a flyer that had blown into the water, seemingly upset when the parchment became waterlogged after being spooked by the Prince. So it could read? Or was it just happy to have something new to look at?

From her cloak, Kira produced an identical flyer that had been left on her door only a few hours ago. Opening up the neatly folded paper, Kira read the Prince and Princess’s announcement once more, suspecting it heralded their eventual demise if they finally had a child on the way; the supposed savior of the realm. 

Rising, Kira left the forest’s shelter and approached the lake’s center, knowing the creature would be watching her. She placed the flyer on the ground out of reach from the tide, secured it with a rock so that it wouldn’t fly away in the wind, and left it for the creature to continue reading if it wished to. With a glance towards the lake, Kira locked eyes with the pink-finned woman - the first acknowledgement that Kira had ever given that she knew the woman existed at all. 

With that, Kira pulled her cloak’s hood up and headed back towards the center of town. She had herbs to restock in her shop and she’d need to prepare for whatever news the royals had in store.

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[sub][b]Interactions: [/b]Isabella [@AliceInRedHeels]
[b]Mentions:[/b] Taru, Desya [@The Savant], Flynn [/sub]