Being small was always terrifying, but it sometimes had its advantages. Akiya knew she would be an easy meal for almost anything that moved on the forest floor, but she also knew she could walk on the thinnest branches, and climb into the smallest crevices. That meant she could watch the creatures on the ground without having to worry about getting caught by them--well, worrying too much. There was that one time with the fox...

But regardless, she felt this was important, doing her observations, and she also wanted to use the opportunity to practice her stealth. Could she keep herself unseen? She knew that her prey didn't sense her, but what about the other Gembounds? Just because all the ones she'd met so far were friendly didn't mean they all would be, and from what she'd heard they had powerful magic. Certainly it was far more powerful than her own. Maybe they could track her somehow, and even reach her in her refuges.

Now she heard something approaching, something big. This was the time to practice her stealth, then. If she could hide herself from whatever was coming--well, it didn't prove that she was a master of stealth, but it was certainly good practice.

Crouching down in the crook of a tree branch, she stared down at the spot where the approaching creature would come into view.

Or, more accurately, she tried to. Unfortunately, she fell again--nearly. She managed to hook her claws into the bark of the tree she was on, but she was still dangling from the branch.

@Arkrael