let the children have their way
Sekhmet wrapped her tail mischievously around Ellen's wrist as she was passed over to Rohmarr, causing the female guard to stumble forward a little. Ellen didn't seem to mind, although she did step well out of the tail's reach when she went to poke through the bags. Sekhmet's tail was regarded with a healthy mixture of suspicion and amusement amongst the guards, who had already learned the hard way never to grab it. The first time someone had done that, she hadn't stopped screaming for three hours.

She released her grip on Ellen and turned her attention wholly to her adoptive father when he mentioned what he'd 'brought' her.

“Presents?” She said immediately, forgetting momentarily about the fight. Presents were one of the few things in life more exciting than fighting. Sekhmet grabbed Rohmarr's hands and stared hard at it, as though expecting the presents to appear. When they didn't she proceeded to clamber up his torso and onto his shoulders, almost putting her foot in his mouth in the process. From this vantage point, standing fearlessly on top of the giant's shoulders – so tall that if she reached up, she could touch the roof – she peered around shrewdly. “Where are the presents, Rah-mah?” She demanded to know, squinting down at the guards who smiled indulgently up at her.

It was at that point that she caught sight of the dress, just as Ellen lifted it up and held it out. Sekhmet's reaction was instantaneous and comically honest. She pulled a face like she'd just been made to eat sprouts (as far as Sekhmet was concerned, sprouts were the droppings of the devil) and made a hissing noise which caused the other guards to start laughing again.

“Noooooo!” She threw herself off his shoulders and back into his arms, like some kind of crazy trust exercise. Ellen had moved forward worriedly as she dropped, but stepped back again when Rohmarr caught her. “Where are the weapons?” she asked insistently, which was the same question she asked whenever Rohmarr came back from anywhere. The second question was always how many dragons did you kill? Apparently, Sekhmet didn't see the point of leaving the castle grounds if it wasn't to get weapons or kill dragons.


let the children play.