she isn’t terribly interested in his past… nor has she ever leant toward pleasantries and manners. the last time her feminine curiosity ran away with her, it spelled out all sorts of trouble. ugly trouble. so now it’s easy to will herself to remain disinterested. she did find it odd that their encounter began by him standing alone, still as a statue, in a pool of water at the base of the falls. she is nearly curious enough about that to ask but decides against it. it felt like too personal a question. one that would ruin the blandness of this exchange. they were merely two strangers at the same place during the same time. anything more and she would find it hard to tolerate the situation. she couldn’t imagine being in such a contemplative place, during this strange golden hour of the day, alone… and not feeling some sort of very personal, perhaps even spiritual, experience. she did not want to know what brought him here. a dark tipped ear flickers sideways, toward his voice, when he asks his own question. “i’m not.” she confirms his assumption flatly, not offering any more than he asks. even if she wanted to the gun-metal and white painted mare isn’t sure she could open up any more. she might be too broken for that. dredge is relieved when he pointedly steers the conversation in a safer direction. his ability to read her is impressive, like coaxing a frightened dog to a piece of meat and retreating before it has the chance to bite. she listens to his impersonal banter, actually interested in the geological feature themselves… she is surprised it had taken her so long to wander here but now that she had it was likely to become a favorite spot. her eyes leave the cascading water briefly, glancing over at the flutter of movement beside her when he tosses his mane, noting how he seems to eye her expression. she is quick to turn her attention back to the falls, unwilling to risk the connection of their eyes. her body stiffens as she feels his approach, sees it from the corner of her view. her ears sink softly down toward her head, though not completely flat, but again she doesn’t shift away. his words are genuine and just perfunctory enough that she allows herself to agree. it is a special place. ”i can see why. it is.. captivating.” |