Crouched before a pool of vibrant red, Skadi surveyed the terra around her. On either side of the pool, tall rock walls made walking around the edge impossible. If she wished to continue taking the path she was on, she needed to cross the water. Was it even water? The pool was red, nearly the color of blood, and so thick she couldn't see the bottom. Perhaps it was mud?
Reaching out a dark paw to gauge the depth of the liquid, the giantess gently touched the smooth red surface. Much to her surprise, the "water" didn't give as its appearance suggested it would. Instead, to her amazement, she realized that the "pool" before her was in fact rock, it's glossy surface polished stone instead of still water. She brushed a toe across the rock face, admiring its deceptive properties. It looked so real, so believable in its deception, that Skadi almost didn't want to step on it for fear of sinking.
Soft voices trickled between the rocky pillars, drawing the fae's attention away from the rock. She listened with interest, trying to decipher the words being spoken. Distance broke the conversation into nearly meaningless noise and only the occasional word reached her ears in one piece. What little she understood wasn't enough to reveal the meaning of the conversation. Not that it mattered too much, all that really mattered was that others were near.
Straightening, Skadi shook out her coat and began to walk back the way she'd come in search of whoever was speaking. It wasn't companionship she sought, or even conversation, but information. It had been ages since she'd last seen her siblings and the odds of her finding them on her own were slim. It made sense to use the eyes and ears of the natives to do the searching for her. Destruction followed the heels of her siblings closely; someone somewhere had to have been a casualty of their mayhem. Wherever they were, their presence would be felt.
Finally the sources of the conversation came into view and Skadi, having fallen into an impassive expression, brightened and adopted a cheery countenance. "Oh, hello, over there!" she called as she approached, a smile evident in her tone. Adding a spring to her step, Skadi waited until she was closer to speak again. "I must say, I didn't expect to find anyone all the way out here."
"Speech"
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