For some reason, Maude had the strangest feeling that Kiada did not like her as much as most others seemed to. Perhaps the fact that almost everyone else was kind to her made the aloofness with which the princess greets her more obvious; even Kiada’s half brother, Zubari, who was tempestuous by nature, was someone the tree-girl could rely on for a smile and warm hello. It had taken time, of course, to become close to the boy who had made her pretty leg armor pieces, which she kept safe at home, until her legs were of a proper size to wear them, but it had happened.

Maybe she just needed to spend more time with Kiada, then!

Smiling as the other girl looks at the rock she procures, and agrees, the ginger kissed filly happily moves alongside the fire-backed princess with a happy tune humming from her lips, chirruping "Okay!" a split second before she is in motion. As they arrive upon the pile of driftwood and debris, however, her song is cut short by surprise, as a furry fellow dives into the hunt with them; giggling happily at the sight, she looks up at the sound of an adult’s voice.

What an impressive woman! She promptly thinks to herself, taking in the sight of the strong demi-Goddess, who, though short, was stout as a tree trunk. While she’s certainly imposing, strapped down with sheathed weapons and marked with battle scars, she’s also not entirely frightening either. With youthful awe, then, Maude smiles at the stranger, as the princess answers her question with even more brittleness to her tone than she had greeted the tree-marked maiden with. Glancing over at Kiada with a soft, curious expression that wonders why all of Tembovu’s children are so moody, she nods in agreement.

"Is this your friend? He’s awful cute," she asks, and welcomes Roskuld into their gathering, gesturing back towards where Chico is busy furrowing for stones and polished sea glass, her attentions returning to Kiada when she inquires as to whether or not Maude minds carrying the stones back in her pockets. Bobbing her head quickly with a beaming smile, the girl is glad to be helpful, hoping all the while that, maybe, it might bring them closer together. She doesn’t think at all that, perhaps, she’s simply being used.

"Oh, of course," she agrees, pulling her near cloak-side upwards, to reveal the lined pocket, magically enhanced to have a seemingly endless bottom, "just no sharp ones, okay? They might tear up the lining, and I don’t know anyone who knows how to mend magic pockets."