Vala was searching for Annubis.

The warmth of Atlantis is a pleasant change from the crisp air of Tinuvel, especially during the hasty arrival of autumn. Vala’s body is still accustomed to the sunshine and warmth of late Cove summers, and she is not ready for the cold just yet. She had legitimate reason to be here in the Ridge that had nothing to do with the climate, but she had to admit, it was a nice surprise.

Vala marches into the jungle with purpose, not bothering to announce herself. She knows her father does not reign here, and only suspects he’s on Atlantis at all, so she doesn’t have time to wait for someone to come and tell her they haven’t seen him around. Her best bet is to just put her nose down and pick up a trail.

Unfortunately, she does not find a trail, and by the time the sun sets on the emerald green island, Vala is hopelessly lost. She grumbles to herself as she stomps about the lush foliage, her pale peachy coat beginning to stand out quite starkly in the evening shade. This isn’t getting her anywhere. Where is the border to Paradise? Or the Shore? Surely she’ll have better luck there; Annubis grew up in Paradise, and she knows he had recently spent some time in the Shore. She had been trekking about all day; how could she STILL be in the Ridge?

With a sigh, Vala slows her purposeful walk. She is beginning to feel anxious about being in a stranger’s land. How had nobody found her yet? She is small and quiet, even when trying to be big and loud, and she’s spent almost this whole time in (what she assumes to be) the deepest corners of the Ridge. She might have gotten away with it this far, but someone is bound to find her and throw her out some time. Or worse, keep her here.

Ears flicking about nervously, Vala abandons the search for Annubis and begins looking for a hiding place of her own.