She's got the devil's eyes
It’s not often she trails the forest paths without purpose, but even a woman infamous for knowing far more than she should needs a moment to herself once in a while. Of course, she has never been much of one for idleness, and it is not long before her thoughts return to her kingdom. To the upheaval sweeping so freely across Beqanna, ripple effects of a plague still newly cured. Oh, those embroiled in the midst of it may not realize, but with her far-reaching vision, it’s so easy to trace the lines. To find the stone in the center that had started those pulsing waves.
It’s laughable almost, if she were one to laugh.
With a soft sigh, she lifts her gaze to the canopy overhead, finding the bare places where velvet black and twinkling stars peek through desolate branches. She should appreciate the simple beauty around her more, but she always seems to find something vastly more entertaining. It’s addicting, almost, to dig and sift through the endless information out there, unearthing the pieces no one is supposed to know. So many wandering in blithe ignorance of the easy way in which she plucks apart their darkest secrets.
It’s not often she is caught off guard. But then, she had not been seeking a small, innocent child who has seen far too little of the world. While it’s true she finds those who are easily hidden (children even, who are so often unwittingly unobtrusive and dismissed) to be the most useful in her searches, the sheltered are far less so. And this girl is of the latter.
Under normal circumstances, she might have spared her a fleeting glance before continuing on, but rather than traipsing past, the youngling instead approaches her with wide-eyed naivete. Unreadable blue eyes dropping to the golden child, Heartfire considers her silently, features a chill mask hiding the heart that beats beneath.
Though she had always had something of a soft spot for children, she has never been mothering material. While she had raised her own children willingly enough, even they would admit she had never been the warmest or most affectionate. Still, she cannot help but find herself idly concerned when the child expresses such an earnest need for help.
Of course, any half competent parent would not have allowed their child to become so lost, and she wonders what kind of parents might have misplaced such a girl. A brief, simple search is all it takes to discover the answer. An answer that brings something akin to irritation with it. While she would never be so cruel as to outright punish their neglect, she does think they could rather do with a lesson in responsibility.
After a long moment of silent consideration, one in which the child had undoubtedly begun to wonder if she might answer at all, Heartfire tilts her head before offering a faint smile. “Of course,” she agrees before dropping to lightly touch the girl’s forehead. “Are you lost?” She pauses then, briefly this time, recalling the niceties of conversation. Normally she wouldn’t bother, but this situation seems to call for something a little different. “I’m Heartfire, by the way.”
and they'll cut you like a weapon