"Well," Elina beamed, setting her hand to her hip as Tahl's flames died away. Hvitserk, far too feral to think to go to her for comfort, adopted a defensive line around the perimeter of the clearing. His flaming eyes remained fixed suspiciously, furiously on Tahl. "Aren't you just full of surprises."

She prowled forwards, and crouched down in front of him, a little too close to be polite. A smile teased the corner of her mouth as he massaged his wrist. "Careful sugar," she purred, "your insides are showing." Elina tipped him a wink and withdrew again, adding an extra wiggle to her walk just for him. She found a tree to lean against, and crossed one leg over the other, her arms folded across her chest.

He was amusingly hostile.

"You'd almost think you weren't pleased to see me," Elina observed, feigning an expression of hurt. "Is this how you treat all the girls, heartbreaker? Take what you want from us and disappear without a word?" She tutted, shaking her head. "And then when you run into us again, it's as if all we exchanged was impolite conversation!" Cocking her head, she waited. "You're not pleased to see me, Tahl?"

Letting the question hover a while, Elina shrugged her shoulders. "I could ask you the same question," she replied at last, "as far as I know, you don't own this forest. And regardless, I have a certain proclivity for going anywhere I damn well please." Her scowl transformed effortlessly into a grin. She uncrossed her arms and drew her braid over her shoulder, playing with the leather thong securing the end.

Elina looked back at him coyly. "I'm told there's a king hiding in these woods," she conceded. "And he sounded kind of interesting. I'm not bad with a bow, and even better with a sword. I thought I might offer my services." She sighed. "I've been trying to find him for months. And every single time, I've stumbled my way into something mad. A boy with antlers, bleeding to death, a sex island..." She flashed teeth, looking him up and down as obviously as she could. "You.

"I don't like your traps," she told him, her mouth forming a truly serious line for the first time. "You're cheating, Tahl." Her mouth soured, thinking of the poor struggling squirrel. People called her father cruel, but he wouldn't have stood for it. "You kill clean, and you kill well. Those are the rules."

Shaking her head, she unearths her smile again. "No matter, I took care of it for you. And Val enjoyed her meal. She's partial to squirrel."

She collected her pack from the floor and began rummaging through it. At his final question, she paused, raising her gaze slowly?

"What do I want?" she purred. Elina rose to her feet, abandoning her bag again and sauntered up to him. "I could tell you, but I know how you hate to blush." She walked her fingers slowly down his chest. "But I think you can probably guess. I don't think I'm the confused one here, honey. Why don't you start by telling me what you want?"