Sunset Valley a name she dared not find

And the peace was gone.

She lifted her head from the water at approaching footsteps. Her tail stiffened briefly, and for a split moment there she readied herself to run, run, run again.

And then she turned and found herself met with a boy - a yearling, the others would call him. Hushed voice, no less nervous than she was.

Then came a question she did not know if she could answer.

"Are you alright?"

Her gaze fluttered - somewhere, down to herself, around to the vegetation. Yes, yes, yes she must be alright - but her mind knew that was a lie, a lie, a lie, and nothing more. 

Why? Why are you here? What do you want from me? Will you make me run for my life like all the others have?

She hated it. No injuries, little exhaustion, but her thoughts came all rushing back in, wanting, wanting, wanting answers as fear rose again -

Why was she scared?

This was an innocent boy who had asked her a question. He had not meant to interrupt her solitude. He had asked a question out of concern for her.

It was so simple.

Too many thoughts. Far too many. She needed - what did she need?

Something that would not stir trouble. Something that might root her in reality again. Something to remind her that not everything was about life and death all over again...

Perhaps she should speak to this stranger, after all. Let an unknown voice intrude her thoughts. Make her feel normal again, just a loner conversing with another loner.

Tired, she muttered, not knowing whether her response was for the boy or herself. She turned back to the water and lapped a little, letting the coolness ground her, steady her. Then she meet the gaze of the boy again with a few shreds of panic having been scraped away. How do you fare? She looked to the distant peaks, the slopes that gave way to greenery. What thread of fate led you here?