Raven's Watch Dawnthief

Tagg's question, an innocent quip by all definition, had incidentally rubbed Diane the wrong way. A small, unhappy cringe crossed her features before becoming quickly overshadowed by her attempt to erase the expression. The distressed emotion passed by shyly, and she over-focused on what he said next.

"Porcupine Ridge..." she rasped thoughtfully. An unbidden memory jumped to the forefront of her consciousness, and before she knew what she was doing, she had reverted to her conversationalist roots. "My father said he met a porcupine once... He also said that they weren't very nice." She looked at him pointedly, speculatively. It was hard to notice, but her expression had brightened very slightly; now only marginally lighter than the heavy, gloomy air surrounding them.

"You don't look like a 'brown, walking sea-urchin', but should I be worried... about you?" A question so innocently posed, it was difficult to tell if she was joking or not. Diane had yet to find her missing smile.