Following was something Asche seemed to be making an accidental habit of when it came to women, however, he felt it allowed for some comfortable encounters, so he had decided not to nip it in the bud as soon as it had started. Behind the shelter of the jagged rocks he felt somewhat at ease, watching the pale gold girl with hawkish eyes. For a while, he remained silent, listening to the savage howling of the tropical wind and regarding his newfound companion cooly. She disappeared deeper in the dark depths of the cave, and he remained closer to the mouth, watching the rain turn the ground a darker shade of slate, slippery and treacherous. "I'll stay here, in case anybody else appears."

In case a threat appeared - the animals he heard scuttling around in the jungle at night, watching him from the trees. In the cove it was wolves - here, who knew? Mystery enemies hiding in the night, watching. Or perhaps he was waiting for another, one he would be far more keen to see. Perhaps his optimism that the Ridge would not be forever dormant had not yet died.

He turned to face her again, a smile gracing his features momentarily. "I'm fond of it." he agreed quietly, pivoting momentarily to gaze outside before finally submitting to the weather and pacing further away from the rain to stand by her side, intently watching the rise and fall of her chest and the way she shivered against the cool stone. "You're cold?" he regarded, brow furrowed. Momentarily he considered pressing his pale body against hers and offering her some sort of warmth, but his stride faltered. He remained in his spot, stood awkwardly with a leg extended in her direction, eyes lowered to the floor. Intimacy was something that, despite the nature of of a man around a lonely women, he liked to save for those he knew - it made him feel vulnerable, susceptible to mocking, pain. That was the difference between the boy and his father. Array was made for passion, for love and impulse - Asche's thoughts got in the way.