"Ah! Well, that's... ahh..." Coli stammered, unsure of how to respond to the compliment. She had never been one to take flattery well, even if it was directed towards her new homeland rather than her own faded looks. "F-follow me?" she asked timidly, gesturing with her hand. Taking the lead was new to her, but of course she had to be the one to show Emma the way. Vinátta was a beautiful place and she was very proud to live here. It just made her very nervous for some odd reason, unsure of why her heart was fluttering so quickly to know that Emma was behind her.
Just as Coli would never guess that Emma had killed wolves, Emma would never guess that Colibri had killed coyotes. She harbored mistrust toward the long-eared race of canines, but that life or death situation was behind her now, and she had escaped from the ones that held her captive. Both girls had blood on their hands, but it was inescapable. They would be the ones slain if they had not taken action. It was some solace, but Coli still felt guilt when she thought of it, especially now when she thought of Emma. They were not so different, the yearlings she had poisoned that winter; they could have easily been Emma's coyote siblings or nephews, a thought that made her look away, feeling ill. She took a deep breath and waited for it to pass, reminding herself firmly that the past could not be changed. And the lovely Emmanuelle would not hurt her, did not possess the cruelty that other Infernians did. She should not judge her for the length of her ears or any other superficial reason... even if it was easier to fall into old fearful habits.
The pine trees loomed tall around them as they moved deeper into the grove, blanketed by the shadows they cast and the rich aroma of pine needles. It was the scent all her packmates carried in their fur, and now Emma would wear it too, just for a short while. It was a shame the young female preferred Inferni, because her sunny nature would be welcome in Vinátta; the very name meant 'friendship'. "The village is this way, through the trees... my house is towards the edge, so we won't be bothering anyone else. It's, uh, nothing special really. My house, I mean, the village is really nice," she backpedaled, realizing suddenly that under Emma's scrutiny, her house would seem rather small and shabby... not unlike herself. At least there were the pretty flowers outside, surely the girl would like those? They had the rainbow of colors reminiscent of the starfish they had hunted together, and Emma seemed to like colorful things. She could take her to see the lake and the vineyard, and perhaps the stables if she liked horses, though Coli herself did not. It would be a friendly tour, nothing serious. She just hoped Emma would like what she saw.
