Sunward Atop Sunrest Mesa

[Phoenixsong]

"You don't look like Wardens," pressed Aster, with a look of brow-furrowing suspicion.

The blast of wind from the flygon's landing blew Leaf's mane back, but she didn't budge. "And you do? You're sure some funny-lookin' charcadet, then." She rolled her eyes. "Weird how I've never seen you guys out on their patrols, or down in the fort while I was training with them."

Leaf wouldn't've complained if the flygon had tried to push her luck and actually thrown a punch, but Jade was trying to smooth things over now, so fiiine, she wouldn't escalate if they didn't. She didn't stand down, but just about managed the courtesy of not actively brandishing her horn at them. She shook her head instead. "Look, I've met you before. At the Shining Congress roof garden, when the Wayfarers got invited a little while ago. You were late for some kinda meeting." That one hadn't been a CDE thing, at least. Not if Laura and the others had been allowed to go.

"So, you here looking for... what was it you called 'em? Villains? Assholes?" Plenty of evidence of those scattered around this place. If they were actually looking for it, as opposed to, oh, dunno, maybe covering it up.

 

[Jackie Cat]

“Uh, no, not Wardens! You’re uh… you’re knights of the Order, right? We’re with the Wayfarers, we’ve helped the knights a couple times. Just… checking out the wreckage up here to see what happened.”

"And you do? You're sure some funny-lookin' charcadet, then. Weird how I've never seen you guys out on their patrols, or down in the fort while I was training with them.

"Look, I've met you before. At the Shining Congress roof garden, when the Wayfarers got invited a little while ago. You were late for some kinda meeting.

"So, you here looking for... what was it you called 'em? Villains? Assholes?"

Aster grinned, craning her long neck forwards.

"Never said we were Wardens," she growled, in a tone of banter. "But we've got our own business up here – and I figure you do, too. That's what I was fuckin' asking about, obviously?"

"Bring it down a notch, Aster," sighed Zaffre. "She's just a kid."

"She's practically my age, c'mon!"

For some inexplicable reason, Zaffre didn't seem responsive to Aster's assertion that she and Leaf were basically adults. Instead, she stepped over to join the discussion, one paw resting on the hilt of her sword.

"Look, I expect we're all here for the same reason," she said, nodding in polite acknowledgement to each of Jade and Leaf in turn. "Something happened here about two weeks ago, and it apparently involved Covenant personnel."

She held out a grubby, dust-caked lantern-motif badge, distinct from the gleaming silver one on her lapel. The badge of a CDE agent who'd lost it in the confusion, or who'd ditched it to try making a run for it.

"Only, there are no records of a Covenant mission here around that time. So naturally, we have our eyes peeled for anything unusual."

"And interested in whatever you two know about it," pressed Aster, leaning forward even more.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Okay, yeah, definitely didn't seem like they were with the CDE if they were here investigating the CDE. That was good. Still didn't seem like a good idea to give away everything the Wayfarers knew regarding that, but this was at least an opening.

Jade nodded along with Zaffre, doing her best to look agreeable. "Right yeah, Covenant missions happening off the record... that's actually related to why we were at the Congress a few months back. Lord Articuno had asked us to look into stuff that'd been going on without their knowledge. Er, not that they specifically asked us to come here today, just that it's something we've investigated in the past, so... maybe we could help each other out?"

 

[Phoenixsong]

Leaf gave the meowstic a look, not quite able to keep her tail from lashing. "This 'kid' is a big enough girl not to break down just 'cause of one loudmouth knight. If whatever she says actually bothers me, I'll tell her to back off myself, thanks."

She straightened up and scanned the wreckage again, mostly just to give herself a second to cool off. They really had no idea what'd happened? Her first instinct said that was wild given everyone around here and their grandma had at least half an idea by now. Including Articuno themselves. Maybe they still didn't think they had enough proof to actually turf out the whole CDE yet, though. Hopefully it was a good sign that multiple Coven members smelled something fishy. Still, better to play it safe, take it slow. (At least until they were ready to stop being patronizing.)

"This the first time you've had to go digging around after your own guys?" As she turned a cracked monitor over with her hoof—one of the ones that'd been hooked to the Iron Radiance setup—another angle occurred to her. "You ever get to see much radiance? With the work you're supposed to be doing, I mean?"