The lullaby of his heartbeat, a liquid-sounding lub-dub, lub-dub, lud-dub, was quick to change and was her first indication that things were likely to take a turn for the worse. At least humans had that about them -- their tender hearts often gave them away, their fear, their excitement, their anger. And while she did not assume to know which of these emotions gripped him, she relied on the knowledge that whatever mood had suddenly bloomed at the core of his chest it was likely not to be anything welcome or pleasant. But really, was she expecting anything different? 

[i]Maybe…

Possibly…[/i]

Through the darkness and the space that separated them, she saw the tension in his body as his back straightened and the muscles in his neck tightened. He wasn’t looking at her, but rather cutting a glare straight across the lake to some distant point. Perhaps, he was trying to hear her. She made sure not to move a muscle and not to take a breath -- not even a sip of air. But that did not mean that the wind did not blow and that her hair did not shift, and that the breeze did not carry her smell, the perfume of orange blossom and bloody tears. 

[i]“Actually, I’ve got a couple of problems with you already.” [/i]

To the best of her abilities, she had tried to be unassuming -- to be small, to be quiet, to be meek. She had stayed out of the way. And like a coward, she had turned tail and escaped into the night rather than face the ghosts that haunted her and those that sought to harass her. But surely this was fate testing her patience. She could not be expected to continue to bow her head and ‘suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ What problems could this stranger possibly have -- what harm could she possibly have done to him? Her small hands had already curled into fists -- tight, white-knuckled, and ice-cold fists with glass-like fingernails that dug into her pale palms. 

[i]“First of all, you say you didn’t want to startle me. But you did.” [/i]

[i]Not my fault you didn’t examine your surroundings[/i], imbecile. She thought to herself. 

[i]“Third, said you seen me coming. Said this is your spot, you got here first. If that were the case, then why didn’t you move on? Leave me be instead of bothering---sorry---interrupting me.”[/i]

“[i]Pardon me[/i]?” she said, speaking up just as he turned to face her, interrupting him -- and surely not for the first time. “That’s some audacity you have there. For someone who doesn’t even bother to look around his surroundings before dropping all of his belongings, you sure do like to wag your finger at strangers. Maybe, you just shouldn’t be so careless.” 

Her knees, which had been pressed to her chest, dropped open so that she was sitting crisscross, and her fisted hands settled in the small gap between them, sinking into the moist sand. For the most part, her heavy cloak fell over her small form, hiding the dainty figure. Her hood still covered the majority of her head, and a shadow still fell across her face. Only the tip of her nose was visible, and her heart-shaped lips, which were pressed into a tight little frown. 

The man didn’t seem to care a bit about what she said, as he went on to explain what other problems he had with her -- mostly being that she didn’t seem to know the first thing about falcons. That was true enough. Falconry was not a sport that she ever took to, and perhaps her advice had given away her ignorance. But was that any excuse for being so rude? She was already so confused and lost, and utterly put off by this new world and experience, but finding out that everyone here was just absolutely awful was beginning to take its toll. 

She was desperate for a way out.

A way back to a familiar place. 

[i]“So what is this really then?”[/i]

He pulled her back to the present. 

She pinched her brows in confusion, but he couldn’t see the expression.

[i]“You could have left me alone. What is this really about.”[/i]

She realized the way he was holding the falcon -- it hardly seemed natural or healthy. However, the small bird seemed at ease, although that didn’t much convince her that he wasn’t two seconds from ripping the poor thing's head off. Horrified, she shifted, suddenly, standing on her own two feet, and moving with a speed that any human would find utterly unnerving. She hoped it frightened him -- intimidated him into backing off. 

“How about [i]you[/i] leave [i]me[/i] alone? How about you pack all your little things back up and you just keep walking and find your own dark little corner of hell to sit and rot in -- and you can leave me alone.”