“My name is Anna, silly, you must listen more carefully.” Her timid smile disarmed the insult in her comment. Xaih already intrigued her up close. She hadn’t expected such a seemingly kind welcome from a relative stranger, though it had been a long time since Anna had anything resembling normal discourse with another person. Perhaps she had simply grown bitter and cynical through forced isolation. She fixed the girl with serious eyes. “I think we may have a little in common, perhaps, but secrets, secrets. Would you sit with me in the corner over there?” Anna was not overly shrewd; however, this room was full of her mentee’s enemies, and paranoia was something she had in abundance.

If the girl was willing to walk away from the main huddle and sit next to Anna, she would ask her a question.

“Tell me Xaih, are you afraid?” 

[@Xaih]