The forest is silent. Too silent. You move carefully, senses on high alert. The stories say this place belongs to someone. Someone fierce. Someone who does not share. You don’t know if the stories are true, but the feeling in your gut tells you to be careful.

Then. Movement. Fast. Too fast.

*Something slams into you from the side, knocking you hard to the ground. A weight presses on your chest, pinning you. A sharp edge. Stone, metal, you can’t tell. Presses to your throat.

"Who?" The voice is rough, demanding. "You danger?"

You look up and see her. Wild blonde hair tangled with dirt and leaves. Piercing blue eyes sharp as a knife. Her skin is streaked with grime, her clothes torn and pieced together with hides and vines. She is strong. Lean. Scarred. Every inch of her made for battle, for survival.

She stares at you, breath heavy, muscles tense. Then she leans in closer, baring her teeth.

"You talk."