Her hand brushed away a branch, down, to look ahead. She frowned when she saw more clearly the silhouettes she had discerned from far away. She had thought they were two… But looking closely now, she could see that she had been partially wrong. There was only one person in the clearing of the lake, and he seemed startled to see her. The other individual was not a person, but an armor that lied limply against a log.

Ayako could only watch how the man, who had been sitting on the log, leaped literally onto his feet. Before she could get a good look at him, he pulled at the hood of his cape and shadowed his face with it hurriedly. He began to back away, slowly. Away, from her.

She leaned her head a little onto a side and gave him a confused look, not understanding why he looked so scared below the shadows of his hood. Granted, she came out of nowhere behind him, but his reaction had been out of proportion for it to be just a scare. His eyes were wide; one of his hands was over his chest, while the other was half raised at his side.

The hunter stepped out the shadows, taking a step closer to him. But that only made him step back even more, towards the water.

“…Hello?…”

Alexis was trying to hide his face as much as he could. His hair was still damp, and it soaked his hood. He did not care about that though; he had to keep his distance. He still had some ground to take back before he reached the shore. If he had to, he would jump into the water face first, and then swim all the way to the other shore.

She can’t see me. She should not.

Ayako did not think the same.

The human raised an eyebrow with an apologetic smile, because he saw him lose his shock and swap it with weariness.

“Sorry for coming out of nowhere…”

Alexis knew he should just run around her, or leap into the water. He knew he had to, because she began to step closer. But he could not move, no matter how he wished to. He had a million thoughts inside. He was frozen; his gaze was lost in hers, in those icy blue eyes. He knew she could chase him very easily, that she was not someone who gave up. She would follow him, because she had spoken already. She would try to reach him if she saw him run away suddenly.

She can kill with kindness…

Something pounded much more clearly in his mind. The memory of what happened the last time she neared him. The last time he saw her. The last time he felt his wings, in agony.

Ayako blinked and halted. She saw that his eyes were looking at something, intently. She slowly followed his gaze…

“Oh…”

She finally realized that she had her daggers on her belt, always there, just in case. She raised her gaze to him again. She as well noticed that there was a rabbit crouched on his shoulder, which was growling and giving the daggers a furious look. So she raised her hands up with a small nervous laugh.

“I mean no harm! I am not a bandit or anything!” She had very well behaved like one when she stepped out the bushes. “I’m a hunter!”

That was exactly what he feared. He would prefer a bandit, an assassin, or even a bloodthirsty devil. Anything but her.

Alexis ended up giving a small nod to acknowledge her, shakily. His hands held down Abiel a little, before the cute ball of fur could lunge at her. The animal could feel his fear, and it did not like it.

Ayako stood there for a full minute, expecting the man to say anything; she was unnerved by his silence. She narrowed her eyes at him, while he fidgeted on place and hugged his rabbit more closely. She could see blond hair below the hood, damp hair. There was a net, lying forgotten on the shore of the lake. There was an armor as well, something that confused her.

Maybe a fisherman? But then again, why would a fisherman have an armor?

“Who are you?” Ayako swayed a little, trying to smile and sound friendly. “Have I seen you before? Maybe…?”

He really looked familiar.

Did I see him by any chance at the market? Selling fish? Why is he here? Why so far, in these woods that no one roams?

It really puzzled her. But she never solved the mystery, because he kept quiet with a shiver.

Who am I…? A good question. I would like to know myself; because I can’t be me. Not now.

Alexis huffed and curled his fingers around Abiel’s fur. She had not recognized him. Yet.

She has always been nosy and bothersome… It seems  Uriel could not steal that from her.

He had no choice other than to speak. He couldn’t keep hiding in his own thoughts for much longer. So he tried to make his voice as monotone as possible as he dared say something.

“You don’t know me.” But she did before… “And I would prefer to keep it that way.”

He felt something similar to guilt when he saw her eyes fill with surprise, not having expected him to brush her off so harshly.

The angel could see a faint trace of violet inside the armor, so faint that no one could see. A gauntlet was lying limp near the spear… at reach. The human did not ponder that fact, but he did; he knew that the gauntlet had been further away from the weapon. He considered its implications, and it hurt, so much that he was startled when he heard her speak again.

“Very well.” Alexis blinked and looked up at her, because her voice tangled with mockery. “Keep trying to fish, I see you are good at it!”

There was not a single fish in the net, or in his bag.

Abiel let out a little squeak when the angel pressured him a little more against his chest. Alexis glared at Ayako while she stepped around him, with a resentful and prideful expression, refusing to look him in the eye. She limited herself to approach the lake, and return his very same demeanor. An attitude he was fast to answer, even if he whispered to himself.

“Mind your own business…”

She snorted proudly, not looking at him anymore, but at the shore.

“I do!” Ayako pointed with a hand to some plants growing near the water. “I know how to find what I need! Some healing herbs grow around here, not too far from where these do; I just have to roam! May I give you a few pointers of how to catch some fish, maybe?”

You did once already, Aya…

He did not dare voice his mournful thoughts. He buried them deep and shook his head.

“No.” With her standing near the water and out of his way, he was finally free to leave without having to face her. “Keep your words and leave me be.”

His voice was full of sorrow. He did not doubt to hurry towards the trees. Abiel whimpered, because Alexis shook him a little while he walked fast. His hands trembled around his fur, and his ears shivered with each tear that fell on them.

Ayako exclaimed, seeing him leave so hurriedly.

“W-wait! You’re forgetting your net here!”

Alexis halted for a moment besides the log, but only allowed her to see his back.

“…Don’t need it.”

Before he could keep on going, she asked again.

“A-and the armo-?”

“I have no idea why it’s there, really…”

His voice sounded angry and resentful.

Ayako’s eyes filled with worry and wonder, while his figure faded slowly in the woods. His face had looked so depressed… But she could not do anything about it. She did not know this man. And he would not let her know.

She lowered her gaze to the armor and gave it a long stare. It was laying limp, like the dead. She could have sworn that she saw the two silhouettes move. She could have said that she saw a violet glow coming from it. But it had to be a reflection of the water, because there was no light in there.

Ayako sighed and turned to look at the lake again. She decided to focus and search for the herbs she had to find. Nevertheless, she could not stop asking herself why her heart was pounding so strongly.

She would not know.