Lily...actually relaxed, slightly, when she picked up that odd scent on the wind. That was, at least, one concern put to rest.

"They're not, actually. Contradictory, I mean. You can be aware of a danger in the area without knowing whether other dangers may be nearby, or when exactly you will encounter it," she responded, before stopping as if to think for a moment, casting a sidelong glance at Helios, and adding, "Although in our case, that would in fact be in about {several*} minutes."

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Estimated as precisely as possible (down to as close as the nearest whole minute) given: an Analytical sense of smell to determine the exact concentration of olfactory particulates on the wind and the current wind speed based on their rate of passage; a +20 Expertise (Nature) to assess the expected scent intensity of relevant substances given that concentration; a +25 Expertise (Biochemistry) to estimate likely rates of initial concentration and dispersal through the air given current wind speed, ambient humidity, and known size of Raphael; a +15 Expertise (Academic) to do be able to perform complex mathematics in her head; the ability to Routine skill checks while not rushed or under duress; and a partridge in a pear tree (let's be honest it's probably Watcher's).


Lily gave a little, patient smile as Peters made her philosophical point. "No, you don't blame animals for their nature. You also don't let dangerous animals hurt people. And if dangerous people are using animals to further goals that will hurt people, then you remove their access to those animals. Ideally, of course, without harming the animals if you can avoid it. If you are trying to say Raphael is more gentle animal than dangerous monster, I'll take your word for it; you seem to know more about her than we do." There wasn't...accusation in Lily's voice, quite, but it was a tad pointed there.

Lily didn't...really have anything against Manchineel's creations, in and of themselves. To be fair, she hadn't really thought about them in any context other than "dangerous". When she had faced them before, she never really put in any particular effort to outright kill or destroy them - but neither had she held back the way she would against a person. She supposed all else being equal, the humane approach would be to neutralize them without permanent harm where possible. It wasn't like she wasn't equipped with plenty of options for that.

"By the wording of your question, and of your intentions, I suspect you know the answer to that," Lily replied. She saw little point in attempting deception here. Raphael's travel speed was a known quantity and a factor in their plan. Lily herself could fly at three times the speed of sound, Nope could teleport all of them in an eyeblink, and she considered it likely that Helios and Ariadne had similar options for swift travel.
Plus, she had Raphael's scent. Either Miss Peters was in fact a minion of Manchineel's in some manner, in which case odds were they were going to be throwing down with her one way or another, or she was what she appeared to be, in which case the odds of her being able to thwart them by either physical force or raising a warning were low.

But that didn't mean Lily would dismiss her. Even if she did not fear her as enemy or obstacle, notwithstanding unknown unknowns, and even if she didn't fully trust her, if she was what she appeared to be she was likely a decent person. Perhaps misguided, perhaps even deluded, depending on just how close she actually was with Manchineel, but still decent for all that. And either way, she could perhaps be a valuable asset.

"We're here to remove Manchineel's access to Raphael. Manchineel's plans are a threat to the people of Forester's Bay, and as best we've been able to figure out, Raphael is a significant component of those plans.
The story goes that you have been able to speak to Manchineel without earning her ire; judging by your presence here, and the fact that you know we are standing between Raphael and where Manchineel wants her to go, I expect the story is if anything understated. I don't know the specifics of your relationship with Manchineel, or what you might have to do to remain on her good side. I won't ask you to put yourself in danger siding against her, and if you would prefer to leave here before Raphael arrives, you are welcome to. We can assist you in returning to town or another part of the forest if you would like."

"Or...if you have any advice to offer us on how best to remove Raphael from Machineel's toolkit without causing her any permanent harm, we would of course appreciate it."

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Let's try some Persuasion. Assuming she's not lying through her teeth, it seems like her motivation here might be centered primarily on keeping us from harming Raphael. As actually harming her is largely irrelevant to our goals, this seems like it might be something we can work with Peters on: (1d20+10)[26]. Since Scent Intensification is on, add +10 if Attractive applies.