Heron Lake Plateau your shadow weighs a ton

The noises persisted, but it was only Niamh and the stranger now; the girl of fire was gone. The boy had been distracted by something - whatever had spooked him about falling that second time - and didn't notice. When finally there was silence, he seemed to relax, but still the body resisted contact with the golden girl.

Something about her — the solidity of her body perhaps — caused the boy's face to contort with a confused expression; but once they were alone together, and things were calm, he also appeared to relax. He looked at her with a drift of Screech's face, but this time the singular eye caught upon her features and seemed to focus.

All he did was frown, as if in disapproval.