There was something about the way that Eztli looked at her that made her feel shockingly self-conscious. Despite it, she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was about her that was making him look at her that way. On his face, she could see curiosity, and his attempt at looking somewhat friendly, but his eyes told her a different story. Ontari didn't know what the right words were, but there was an almost predatory edge to his gaze. Some part of it reminded her of the alligators. She'd often observe them when they rested up on the banks of Iromar's moors, and they always watched her with a combination of interest and reptilian desire. The eyes of a hunter. It made her inwardly shiver, but she wouldn't let that kind of feeling surface.

Besides, there was work to be done when it came to repairing her image. She'd already slipped up the once, so she had no intentions to make him think she was timid. His tail swayed, but she didn't return the gesture. Instead, she noted it coolly and then nodded in acknowledgement. Yes, she said with her body, I understand you're not here to harm me, but that doesn't make us friends. At least, she hoped the message got across to him.

Then, when he went to speak, her attention had been focused on him entirely. After all, it was the moment of truth! How would he react to what she had said? It took everything in her power to stop herself from brandishing a smug smirk. There was power in saying things that got under the skin of others, Ontari had learned. It was a quick way to establish oneself as the lead...

But he didn't respond. At least, not verbally. Her ears tilted forward as far as they could, and she frowned in concerntration and with a hint of uncertainty. Had she not heard him? She'd seen his mouth move, but the voice had never come out. It took her a moment - and him mouthing some more - for her to reel back with surprise. Mute? Ontari blinked, and then her mouth parted in a silent ahhh of realization and, well, a little understanding. Her mask slipped again - from her desired appearance of a princess - to an almost innocent curiosity as she suddenly started to really look Eztli over. He was a mute, so what else was different about him?

"There are other sounds you can make," she said with just enough bite in her voice to stay in character. She huffed. She hadn't exactly picked up on what he'd said, but she'd gotten the jist of it by his expression, and because it made sense to her that he'd make a comment about his silence. At least, Ontari would have. As if to prove her point, she slapped her paws against the stony ground nearby, and then quickly grabbed the stick and scraped it along the soil to produce a low, rasping sound. Dropping it, she looked back to Eztli with her brows raised, as if to say see?

Of course, she wanted to be quick to drop that topic. She shook her head, and rolled her eyes with a sigh. Formalities! There, they'd done it, so they could move on, right?

"Why are you around here?" She made an effort to mirror the way he had 'spoken,' as if he needed the extra help to understand. In truth, she wasn't really sure how being mute worked... Could he growl, or just not speak? Did he think with words? Coudl he hear them properly? She shook her head, and instead refocused on him and the stick. "You kind of smell like this stick..." She mused out loud, but followed up with a tentative sniff in his direction, still unwilling to bridge the space between them just yet. He might have claimed to not mean any harm... But Ontari had a thought that it would have been foolish to take his word for it.