As she moved along the path, she conjured up the faces of those her mother and father had warned her about. Though she'd never seen them in the flesh, she could envision their silvery eyes, the distinct curl in their smiles that would give away their teeth. Every so often, she looked over her shoulder as discretely as one could, wondering if she'd be met by those make-believe faces. It didn't make her afraid, but she could not entirely deny that it made her heart beat off kilter, that it made her skin prickle with the strangest sensation. Had Esther found herself in the position of being hunted, just like her father had warned her might happen someday? After all, the stranger's persistence...

Finally, she arrived at her kingdom of debris. With a flick of her ears, she launched herself onto the first log that rose from the rubble and quickly pivoted to face the incoming stranger. From her position, it was easier to feel somewhat in control. It felt as if she could see him as plainly as he could see her, and it felt just as likely that she'd lead him rather than having been followed.

Esther stared back, but where he saw strangeness, she searched for familiarity. For Esther, familiarity was not always a good thing. Elohim and Natiya had described many wolves to look out for, and she silently observed him through narrowed eyes, so much like her father's own at times. Then, she smirked. No, he was not familiar, at least in no way that made her consider him dangerous.

"How brave," she said mostly to herself, with a small nod as if to confirm the fact. Her voice was flat and sharp, like a blade. "How persistent." Esther seemed to correct herself. In a way, perhaps she was more like the stranger than she knew. For quite some time, she had become more familiar with herself than others, and at times, that extended to conversation too. With her head tilted, she continued to observe Eros with unrestrained curiosity, having seemingly dispelled any prior caution when he had been revealed as a stranger. Strangers were less threatening than the familiar, after all. Strangers had less reason to want to hurt her, kill her, or take her some place far away. Perhaps, she thought with a small grin of intrigue, strangers were what lay beneath the dark waters' surface.

"Who are you?" She called out to the stranger, bolder than before, as she began to prowl along the rubble she knew so well. He had followed her - no, she had lead him there - and now she wanted to know why. Things seldom seemed to happen for no reason, but who had been the true force behind their meeting?