[b]Maple Leaf Poem![/b]

"Well, I haven't really 'rescued' you yet" replies Kalaya, glancing around at the rain and mud. "I mean, I've literally only helped you walk from that patch of mud to this rock - so unless you were drowning while sitting there ..."

She stares into her hands.

"It's nice to meet you too, Fengye. My name is Kalaya Na and it means ... well, [i]that [/i]doesn't really matter right now. What's important is that we get you warm before you catch your death out here." she continues, searching the alcove for some usable tinder.

"As for my story, well - it's easy to say that today has been [i]very long[/i] already. It started out with a Rakshasa infiltrating and corrupting my tourney, moved on to fighting an aggressive Highlander and then took a sharp turn towards being far far worse." she says, laughing mirthlessly. "Now, I've got to head to a castle that is under the control of a demon-summoning ex-princess who apparently [i]also [/i]kidnaps priestesses and who is ..."

She cuts off with a soft exhale. The release of tension before it can build further.

"I don't really feel like talking about it." she finishes, frowning.

"I'm sorry, I know this is rude, abrupt and all. And if you had found me on a good day then I'd have been happy to talk for as long as you'd like and help you back down the mountain after the weather clears. But today is [i]not [/i]a good day. Today is .. you might say that it's one of the worst in my life."

"I don't want to wait here until the rain stops. I want to keep moving. But I'm also honour bound to help someone genuinely in need."

She flashes her gaze up to yours. Watching intently.

"So, you see my predicament."

[Roll to Figure out a person and spending a string. 6 + 3 -2 + 3 = [b]10[/b] - A question for Fengye: What do you hope to get from this conversation?]