Hideaway Strath look at the fire and think of me

The ex-soldier was keeping an eye out for danger, gaze drifting between Mona and the valley around them. He was quick to notice the change in the girl-- the difference in her demeanor, the way she walked. Unbidden, his gaze fixed on her swaying hips for a moment. Then he ripped his eyes away, scolding himself: she's a child!
He was startled at himself, for a second. Now that the observation had formed into coherent thought, he realized how wrong he was. The evidence had been there all along, but he had chosen to ignore it in favor of his own bias-- still, she was not as young as he thought. The realization gave him some reprieve from his shame.
Nathaniel was still feeling some odd sort of way, though, when Mona suddenly stopped and whispered his name. Piercing blue eyes were instantly drawn to that which had captured her attention. He smiled. Perhaps before Eirene, he wouldn't have thought of it in such a way-- but these days he knew. This was a sign. The ex-soldier looked to his firebird, the girl with a pelt of flame and eyes like a rainforest, and found himself enchanted by the wonder on her face. Gruffly, awkwardly, for he was unused to such displays, he licked the fluffy outside of her ear. He had no words for this moment, partially for fear of scaring off the bird she seemed so taken with, but he hoped he had expressed something like friendship.