Yes of course he wouldn’t get lost, what a silly question, she scolds herself, but he humours her with an answer anyway. Her smile disappears as he closes the space between them, far too close for her comforts, and his tone causes uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Had she given him the wrong impression? She blames herself, rethinking her reactions and words searching for something that might have been interpreted the wrong way. Although she could appreciate that he was good-looking, symmetrical, and was probably used to mares swooning over him, she was certainly not interested or attracted to. Even the masculine scent was displeasing. Her honey-hued ears pinned back at the unwanted attempt. If she had been at all drawn to the other gender she wouldn’t be an 8-year-old virgin. Her amber eyes dart to the narrow opening between the trees she had squeezed through and takes a step towards it, moving away from the behemoth. The 5 inch height difference seeming more like a foot as he loomed closer. The eastern rising sun [I assume BQ is in the western hemisphere?] was well hidden beneath the grey clouds and landmarks hidden between the trees. Think, think, think. If she couldn’t make it back down the path she came would she be lost? Those 5 years of solitude seemed like a distant memory, years of tracking experience, honing survival skills and most importantly avoiding predators and now she had gone soft, those skills rusty. Had she seen something in his eyes that reminded her of the look of lust in that of wolves ready to attack? The uneasiness escalated into concern, would she really need to run? Clearly it was just a misunderstanding, seasonal hormones, and her safety was not in jeopardy, or so she rationalized.
“Nice to meet you Kirin, I’m Ashara.” she answers hesitantly, her voice softer with the closer proximity. Her original banter gone, lost for words. “I think perhaps I should get going?” her statement sounding more like a plead and she takes another side step towards the game trail not really wanting to turn her back to the stranger and hoping he will leave first.
It's gotta be a cloudy day