Broken Antler Fen out of the danger and into the flames

Fear. She relished it, knowing that her pale form and scarred face could outweigh the less fearsome aspects of her body--short stature, twisted paw, her youth. . . Maegi drew closer, still silent, the damaged side of her face smiling, the undamaged side expressionless. Finally, she stopped, and the other corner of her lips lifted, completing the grin.

"Hello," Maegi said, her tone friendly, if a bit wary. "What are you doing wandering through the swamp by yourself?" She nodded down at the woman's mud-flecked paws. "It's pretty messy. Wouldn't be my first choice of places to explore. Do you live here?"

It was a careful dance, a carefully-crafted image. Finally, growing out of the angst that had marked her youth, she was beginning to cool off.