Shadow Mountain vi. like Rome

luckily, falquan surmises, the dark pelaged woman is not startled. surprised, if the tone of her voice as she greets him if any indication, but she does not go tumbling from her path in fright. hello, he parrots back, the common feeling clumsy on his tongue. it's no secret to the few that know him that he prefers his birth language to the one shared by many. a fox? no. he replies, a bit more curt than he'd intended. i'm looking for a woman, not a fox. he tells her simply, unaware that his words: blunt and vague as they were might give the wrong impression as they have during previous interactions.