Just as she reached the edge of the pool, she was met with an outstretched paw. An offer of assistance of sorts, or at least that was how she interpreted it. For a split second, it took her aback. It was the little gestures like this that she was sure you could tell someone’s true character. And as her mind clouded with fairytales, she lightly met his touch as she stabled herself on her way out of the water. “Not at all!” Kiliaen sheepishly insisted- a gentle heat rising to her face as the words rolled off her tongue. “My tunnel vision often gets the better of me.” She quickly added, offering an excuse at her own expense. It wasn’t that she had problems seeing or noticing minute details. She was prone to being a victim of her own one-tracked mind. Focus on her immediate interest, and the devil may care for the rest.
It wasn’t until that moment that she realized she had allowed her touch to linger, in which she withdrew her paw at once. Her citrine gaze found his of cyan, a slightly embarrassed smirk edging at her own expression. “See, just like that.” She pointed out another instance of her own foolishness. “Thank you though!” She was quick to finish, but gratefully recognizing his silent offer of assistance all the same. What a gentleman.
As she settled herself on the bank, she fell to her haunches. Tucking her limbs into her core, and wrapping her tail around to cover her paws. In doing so, she met his gaze once more as he carried on their conversation. Auster? Is that what they call this place? She nodded along but didn’t pursue the question that had formed in her mind. “I’ve been staying around her. Sometimes in the caves in a pinch. Though more often in a den nearby.” The autumn fae explained. “The caves smell very sweet … which doesn’t sound like a bad thing in conversation. But I assure you, too sweet can be unpleasant after a while.” After all, she knew from experience. Plus, mixing with the thick humidity of the falls- the lingering thought threatened to turn her stomach just from the memory of it.
But just as she had offered her own introduction, the shadow-cast man did the same. Granting her a compliment all in same breath. “You are far too kind, Balthier.” Kiliaen remarked, her own friendly twinkle illuminating her features. But when he mentioned what she had been doing when he first made himself known, she took a second to think. “Oh, the Mallow? I was just pruning it a little. I’ve no need to harvest it, with no place to keep it. But thank you for the offer though. Truly!” It was a very kind offer. She just hoped that she hadn’t made him feel unwanted.
After a moment of silence, she reached for a question of her own. Curious to know more about the pleasant stranger before her. “But what about you? How far away from home are you?” Kiliaen asked. Not really meaning anything by it other than an opportunity to keep the conversation engaged. However, she also didn’t want him to feel that he had to disclose anything that he didn’t want to … so she offered him an out as well. “Or are you a wanderer like me?”
