As Harpago slowly regained consciousness, her acute senses alerted her of something nearby. Glancing up, she saw the scalefolk captain standing in front of her. She quickly attempted to extricate herself from the warm golden wings covering her, a surprisingly difficult task. But the captain didn't attack, oddly. As Harpago finally escaped from the blissful bindings around her and grabbed her blade, she noticed something else odd. The captain wasn't standing. She was kneeling, her blade sheathed and a fist over her heart. She nodded gruffly at Harpago. "I was watching over you while you slept." Harpago eyed her warily. "...You weren't trying to kill us? Even though we just killed your leader?" The scalefolk grunted. "It's because you killed the old leader. Part of the code. Why else would a meathead like Phineus be the leader? And besides," She grinned, and Harpago noticed a subtle golden sheen in her eyes, "I like the bird a lot more than the previous guys."

Celaena stirred, softly murmuring, "Mmm... Wasn' ready to get up yet... Oh!" The presence of the bandit startled her as well, but she seemed confident that they were still under her influence. She walked over, smiling, and gently caressed their cheek with a wing. "Hello again~" The bandit growled and averted her gaze, muttering in clipped sentences. "Hi. You killed the old leader so you're the new one. Congrats."  She was trying to hide it, but Harpago could tell that if scalefolk could blush, she'd be ruby red. Celaena's eyes widened. "Oh! That's... Interesting. Well... Hmmm... I suppose it's too much to hope that I could convince them to stop robbing and killing people..." The captain laughed. "Don't think even you could manage that, bird- er, Leader." Celaena and Harpago looked at each other. Celaena whispered quietly. "The bounty is dependent on the outpost no longer having any bandits... So we need to do something to try and deal with them..." Harpago nodded, responding with similar quiet. "Yeah... We already have plenty of treasures, but I'd hate to lose out on the reward regardless... Even if I already found the best treasure on this adventure~" Celaena blushed and giggled. "True, true~... We could try and move them, but I doubt they'd wish to leave the Sympheglades... Wait, actually... I think I know what to do!" She leaned over and quietly whispered her idea, and Harpago's eyes widened. "...Yeah, that's a great idea! Lucky you're from here~..." As Celaena smiled, the bandit cleared her throat, annoyed. "Hi. Still here. In case you forgot." Celaena laughed and turned to her. "Don't worry, I remembered~... And I have a great idea for what you can do~..." The bandit tensed up as she approached, but was relaxed by Celaena's wing encircling her shoulder. "First, I must ask... What's your name?" The bandit nodded. "Euruta." Celaena smiled. "Well, Euruta... How would you like to be leader~?"

Harpago watched as Euruta stared in shock and awe at Celaena. "...What do you mean? Do you want me to kill you?" Celaena laughed heartily, the musical sound echoing around the room. "No, no, I'm giving my leadership to you~!" As Euruta continued to stare, Harpago slyly asked, "That's allowed by the code, right?" Euruta nodded. "Yeah, it is. But... Why? And why me?" Celaena rubbed her scaly head, making her shudder happily. "Well, you're in the right place at the right time, for one thing~. But you cared enough to protect us as we rested, and I think that means I can trust you~." Euruta nodded, dazed from both the situation and Celaena's voice and wings. "Yeah, you can trust me. But why not stay as leader yourself?" Celaena fiddled with her necklace. "I much prefer the life of an adventurer. As does my... Partner, I suppose." She smiled at Harpago, who blushed deeply. "All I would wish to do with a gang of bandits would be pacify them, and that would be far too frustrating and difficult, wouldn't it~? But you seem far more interested in the position, I would imagine~" Euruta silently nodded. "All I ask in exchange is that you do one thing for me as leader~" Euruta nodded. "Of course. What is it?" 

Celaena and Harpago led Euruta outside, to a beautiful overlook of the Sympheglades. She gestured to a large patch of forest near the coast. "Just move your operations away from this outpost to the coast over there~. It's just as lovely as this outpost up here, and I remember it gets quite a lot of traders coming through, so you'll still have plenty of banditry to do~" Euruta smiled wryly. "You're just letting us continue killing people?" Celaena giggled. "Well, I do request you try not to kill unnecessarily~. Just robbery if you can~" Euruta grinned. "Sounds good to me." Celaena smiled, and gently flashed her necklace. "Wonderful~. And, just so you never forget us~..." Wincing slightly, she pulled a single golden feather from her wing, and presented it to Euruta. "Whenever you feel angry, or ruthless, or just tired... Stare at this~... And remember how I made you feel~..." Euruta took the feather, slightly dazed and blissful. "Of course... I'll go tell the oth- My bandits of your orders, Mistress. Or, whatever I should call you... Bye." She quickly left, embarrassed, and Celaena laughed. "That went well, don't you think~?" She looked over at Harpago, who nodded as she watched the bandit leader leave. "Yeah, went pretty well." Celaena walked up, caressing her hair teasingly. "Aww, are you jealous I gave her a feather~?" Harpago blushed and looked away, giggling. She looked up and grinned sheepishly. "...Sure, a little~." Celaena pet her cheek. "But see, I only gave her one. You have aaalll the rest~!" Harpago laughed, leaning into the petting. "I didn't think of it that way, but that does sound so much better~" 

They stood there for a while, happily listening to the wind and watching the sun slowly set. A breeze flew by, causing the forest to sing. Harpago overdramatically shivered. "Hmm, it's pretty cold up here. And you know, I think my blanket got damaged during the fight~..." Celaena smirked at her. "Really~? That's unfortunate~" Harpago pouted cutely. "Yeah, it's so terrible~." A look of mock realization came on her face. "Oh, I know~!" She gazed pleadingly at Celaena. "Can I use your wings as a blanket~?" Celaena giggled, and gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, I suppose~! But only because yours got ruined~!" Laughing together, they reentered the vault. Celaena started a fore with some old wood as Harpago doffed her armor, and soon they were snuggled up, the sounds of night outside like a soothing ballad. Harpago snuggled closer, feeling almost entranced as warmth filled her. It felt better than she had even hoped... And she could tell Celaena was enjoying it too... "Do you want me to sing you into trance, little b-Dear?" Harpago giggled sleepily. "Is that my pet name~? 'Little Deer'?" Celaena snuggled up closer. "I guess it could be~ You are so deer-like~... So slender... So agile... So cute~... And so innocent~... So... Listen to my voice, Little Deer~" Harpago felt herself drifting into trance as Celaena sang, her own voice growing sleepier and sleepier, and soon they were still, locked in a blissful embrace, finally having someone to care about above all else...