vaya

She is still trying to regain her breath and slow her crazily beating heart. At first gasping is all she can hear and slowly her vision returns from the tunnel it had formed in her crazy drive to survive. It is at that moment, as she shakes from fear and adrenaline, that she realizes she is not alone. The voice floats over the ice towards her. Momentarily she squeezes her eyes shut, the embarrassment a bit too much to take in all at once. But she cannot simply pretend she doesn’t seem him, so she cracks her eyes open again.

Then he is crossing the ice towards her and she can’t help but flinch at every step, afraid that he might suddenly drop into the water. Despite her eyes telling her it was perfectly safe, her instincts were still severely on edge. Dangit, he made it look way too easy. It is only a short time before he reaches her and she likes to think she has calmed her breathing somewhat. Though perhaps the wild look in her eyes still gives her away.

She’s tries to play it off cool. It’s not very effective.

But he seems nice at least. She misses most of the amusement in his eyes, focusing instead on the welcoming body language. She subtly drops her shoulders and head, careful to stay below him in a submissive position. It is done so naturally, shrinking her own average size that it is hard to tell whether she even realizes she is doing it. And the truth is, she doesn’t really.

“You’re more than welcome. The island isn’t mine, though I might be here a while… I am not exactly keen to recross any time soon. I am Vaya.” Her tail wags softly as soft brown eyes look up at him. She does shoot the ice an accusatory stare quickly, as though daring it to crack under her again. Then she quickly looks at her own body, as though by looking she can assess whether anything was injured. “I… I don’t think so. Perhaps I will a bit sore tomorrow but my heart is pumping entirely too fast for me to feel it yet.” A laugh, somewhat rusty as though it had been a while since the sound had last left her lips.

And the truth was, she couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed.