She looked at the jewel in her paw. The woman seemed reluctant to part with it as Dija inspected it, wondering if this would serve for what the mage needed. Normally she wouldn’t have run off to go do his errand, but they needed to save the princess, and anything to aid them in that task, she was willing to do.

“Here,” Ishi said, bringing three more to her. “I found some more that might do.”

When she reached out to take the jewels, Dija heard the portal open from over the hilltop. Instantly she knew what was happening.

She must have looked feral then, because her claws came out involuntarily, and the woman in front of her yelped. Even Ishi took a step back.

That lying dog of a whoreson!

“Mika!” she shouted, not bothering to look over the heads of the refugees to find the woman. She started up the hill as fast as she could. “NOW!”