Cora enters the garden

The half-orc rushed into the garden, the doors slamming against the side of the gate. She ground to a sudden halt, observing the moon-lit scenery, and her eyes narrowed. The walled enclosure was a maze of statues, topiaries and decorative elements, each casting long shadows across the grass. In the low light the garden seemed to play tricks on the observer, every ornament a simulacrum of a humanoid figure, teasing the periphery of her vision with the threat of deception and ambush. Any silhouette might be Erin's; did she lure her here on purpose, to confuse her? Cora warily raised her sword, and began slowly stalking across the grounds.

"Cora, darling, are you lost again?" Erin's teasing voice whispered, her words thrown that they might be coming from anywhere. They were seductive caresses against Cora's ears, and the ghost of a dagger's tip against her neck all at once. The half-orc looked around, yet she could see nothing.

Cora knew better than to let her guard down around the rogue, despite the playful tone. "You think you're so clever, Erin," she ground out between clenched teeth, her sword at the ready, "but I’m not letting you get away this time."

"You’ve said that every time, sweetheart. But you’ve always been a bit slow on the uptake." The whispers seemed to grow closer.

Cora's eyes searched the darkness, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. She pivoted, readjusting her stance several times in a row, pointing her sword at naught but ghosts. Wherever she looked, wherever she thought she heard Erin's purring voice, she only found statues and trees. "I swear, if you don’t come out and fight, I’ll-"

"Oh? You’ll what? Huff and puff and glare at the darkness? I’m quaking in my boots, love."

The voice shifted, as Erin circled between the statuary.

"Then again, I do enjoy leaving you breathless..." A soft chuckle, light as silk.