Drest turned his head stiffly, a pale cloud of breath dissipating into the darkening forest. A voice calling, "Hello?" had made him tense: after the encounter with the dark magician he wasn't in much of a mood to talk. His jaw tightened and he fixed the young woman with a suspicious stare despite the failing light that made it harder to see. He still felt uneasy, but the dread that had tugged at his heart was gone. [i]No assumptions,[/i] he reminded himself. [i]She could be working with that... that thing.[/i] A large calloused hand brushed back his hair and he sighed softly, a little shakily. He wondered if she'd seen what had happened, and how much she'd witnessed. 

Not wanting to be impolite, he strode at a relatively slow pace--he was being cautious--toward the dame. Perhaps she was lost or needed help, and he had plenty of time to be a decent person before resuming his forest wandering. One bushy eyebrow raised a little. He considered lighting one of his pine-pitch lamps but held off for now; they were a precious resource and he didn't know how long he'd be here. 

"May I help you?" he asked the woman. His voice came out a little rougher than he intended.