she's just some wild thing; any

[Elektra]

Elektra panted heavily behind her young, lithe tour guide. The child was obviously used to the jungle, Elektra was obviously not. She got tangled in a vine and swore under her breath. Finally the vine snapped, and the mare nearly tumbled to the forest floor. She shot back to her feet, flashes of anger blazing in her eyes.

Damn it there were a lot of plants here.

She was starting to get the impression that they were going in circles. Everything looked the same. Sette wasn’t following any particular path that Elektra could discern. She narrowed her eyes at the young roan. Was this some kind of elaborate prank to mess with the newcomer? That sounded exactly like the kind of thing Elektra would have done as a child. She was filled with sudden dread and opened her mouth to speak.

“Hey kid —” She cut off suddenly when a clearing opened before them. Well fine, Sette had been right. Elektra nodded smartly, as if she had never doubted her guide, indeed, as if she had never been lost at all and this had been her plan all along.

They had found a clearing, but more importantly, they had found Lagertha. Elektra looked at the mare, promptly decided that she looked a little bit like a bitch, then shrugged it off with equal speed. Hey, who wasn’t? She walked past Sette and whispered conspiratorially in her ear as she went.

“Way to go, kid.” She chucked the little girl under the chin. She really had come through. Plus, as a bonus, they had encountered no snakes, just as promised. As an answer to Lagertha, Elektra nodded and grinned widely, exposing a full set of teeth.

“You bet I am. Room and board.” Again, another smart nod, as if she wasn’t asking for rather a lot. Elektra considered reciting various talents that she could offer in trade for such an arrangement, then decided against it. What were those talents exactly? Not flying, or landing, or jungle trekking if this experience had taught her anything. The mare shrugged.

Hey. A thing of beauty of a joy forever, right? Right?!?!