Northstar Vale ( 夜明け ) fear not this light

With the sun glaring down at him from over the next rise, Shinra stalked along the rock-hewn path.

He had spied upon a family of goats and after a brief chase, came away with nothing but a racing heart. He was quick, but the goats were nimble little smart-asses; the target had climbed until it was just out of reach and stood there, staring down at him. Judging him - mocking him, he thought.

When he carried on his way again, there was the clattering of cloven hooves as the goat hurried away.

An hour passed during which Shinra gathered himself. He caught his breath, felt his pulse return to something manageable, and he moved on in to the valley. It was more open here, with rolling hills as far as he could see (but he was still quite high up); it felt almost wrong to be here in the open, and so he stopped and looked over his shoulder, back the way he'd come.

her teeth were on the pulse of this animal.

a stoat, plucked from its pinewood home. she had become better at hunting, ironically more sharpened even as she moved with extra caution now.

this beast had cost her a short run and the slap of branches upon her face, where blood briefly welled. she had done it all the same. but as she turned, tamar's ears swung. she was not alone here.

a goat, bounding past. the wolf looked up toward the silhouette upon the ridge. their eyes met.

There was someone watching him; the sunlight coalesced in to a silhouette, and he smelled blood.

Shinra had been upon the island so long that he had forgotten other sexes existed. His attention rarely shifted to others, let alone women, but now he stood staring. He knew it too; telling himself to look away, but finding it very hard.

When he finally managed to avert his eyes it was quick, and he stole glances as if she might evaporate.

they looked at one another.

his figure was like that of a fellahin. of what she had been. this reminder so close caused a quake of fear in tamar.

suppose ramesses had found her and this was his spy? 

but her husband was near. she was safe. tamar clucked her tongue to the other. she waved her tail, all signalling that he could come down without fear.

She was ravishing; that might have been his touch-starved soul speaking to him now, telling him to get closer, to be so close he could taste her - it wasn't the most appropos segment of the psyche.

And 'lo, she called to him! It wasn't a word, but a sound.

His stilted limbs did the work to draw him along, covering the meagre distance with cautious optimism. From there he could discern more scents.

Oh -- ohayō. He greeted her in the manner of a lost child; coy, trying hard to be stoic, while his eyes curiously lingered upon her.

she did not know his words.

but she heard the greeting. "hello. i am tamar. this is epoch." she gestured first to herself and then to the vale. her eyes rested on him again.

"are you alone? traveling?" the red-gold of her fur caught the sun and reflected it back at the stranger with loud brightness.

Tamar! A beautiful name; he was smitten.

Alone, he answered with a little nod, bird-like.

His mouth suddenly felt so dry. Nowhere to go, came the elucidation, which was the truth. Shinra had gotten to the mainland and he'd run until he couldn't, and then crawled up the mountain, and was here now, bereft.

He turned away from her to look at the mountain looming behind him; it rose like some imperious crown in to the haze of burning sky.

When he turned back he was again, sheepish.

Sorry.

she shook her head.

"you do not need to be sorry. we are still forming."

she smiled, small and shy. "you could stay, if you want."

her breath caught in her chest! she was suddenly, shockingly withdrawn, and it occurred to tamar it had been a long while since met someone new.

Stay?

He was surprised and his expression was uncharacteristically candid - shocked, slack-jawed a moment.

I... no, I can't, he stammered, and shook his head, and his tail tucked immediately. His expression became worried for a moment, then masked by stoicism as best he could manage - but he was enamored too, and hopeful.

What might happen to this beautiful stranger if he was caught? Shinra doubted anyone was truly on his tail, he was nothing in the grand scheme of things. The chance that he'd be the focus of a hired bushi would also put the woman in danger.

How could he explain without inviting questions? He couldn't.

I should... I have to go, hm, m'sorry, He pulled back from the audience of one and with a few hasty glances, sought a path of egress that would keep him on the proper side of the woman's scent; he realized now it was everywhere.

<3

just like that he was gone.

just like that he was declining, retreating. tamar watched him go. her pale eyes blinked. she was reminded of bartholomew. but he had gone to find his son.

this time she did not move to stop the visitor.

and after she had gone, tamar drifted back to her husband. she was not good at asking those to stay. perhaps she was too abrupt.