Look out for number one

Echo pulled back, seeming to fold in on herself a bit as she tried to shuffle away while the large slate man strode closer, an instinctive effort that would be in vain as he easily made up the distance, hovering uncomfortably close as his attitude shifted to something much darker. Something about him had her thinking he was unfathomably darker beneath the surface than even this new expression and posture would lead her to believe. He was the new, most present danger to her well being, that much she could understand right away.

For a moment all she could think was that she was glad Sol wasn't here with her right now. Sol. Her heart ached. The man proceeded to elaborate on his interest in the slavers. While Echo understood, she being herself found it difficult to care much for the affairs of others beyond how they related to her. Cropped ears pressed back towards her skull, jingling very softly as one earring bumped the other. It was the only sound for a moment before the man continued speaking and Echo remained silent.

Gold eyes glittered as she assessed him, clearly weighing her options and every one of his words. After a few beats she finally sat up a little, ears still held back in an expression of her insecurity. "If I knew about them, would it not be wise of me to avoid getting mixed up with them again. Surely if your slavers are at all formidable opponents, it would be wise to not let someone who knows me go off and fight them with my name on their tongues. If you failed, they would surely find out I was involved in helping you." She hesitated, pearly white teeth chewing at her lip for a moment. Clearly she'd already given him certainty that she did know the slavers he spoke of, but Echo figured he'd have found out anyway. He clearly wasn't going to believe the fearful 'I know nothing' act.

The war between wanting to spill it all now so that he wouldn't make good on the clear threat he'd been making and wanting to avoid having anything to do with any of the slavers even from a distance was almost unbearable. For a moment she shivered slightly, breaking eye contact with the looming man to stare uncertainly at the dirt. "I..." and then, with surprising suddenness, a shift as she looked back up at him, "If I were to tell you about them, how will I be able to be sure nothing will happen to be because I helped you? If I hypothetically know what you think I might know, it would only be because I suffered because of these slavers as much as your kin have." It was clear to Echo that her best option was to spill, mostly because it was the only option being given to her. However, the memories of her captors were still so fresh that every time she caught movement in her peripheral vision she was certain someone had found her. They had trackers and headhunters aplenty, it wouldn't be surprising to find someone had come after the escapee.