forgive me for being young ~. [charade]

Hailee continued to squirm in Brenna's arms every so often as she made her path through the forest. She could feel her breath on her neck, inhaling and exhaling deeply as one does when sleeping. She was warm, very warm, and Brenna was grateful for the extra heat on this chilly morning. Her eyes were fixed on the route ahead when she heard the rustle. It came from up more on her path, from a tree towards the left. Twigs snapped as feet pressed down on them, and a face appeared from behind the tree. A boy, around her ages perhaps, with brown hair and a soft-looking face. Harmless, Brenna thought. He whispered to her, trying to get her attention. "Hello..."

She stood there, analyzing the situation. She could walk on and ignore him; that was always what she did when she came across the odd wandering District dweller in the forest. But granted, they never saw her first. She made sure of that much. In fact, this was the first time that she had been taken off guard by another person in the woods. She was usually two steps ahead of herself and everyone else, and she took precaution to ensure that Hailee and she remained unseen. Just as well, she could give this boy her attention. But she could think of more bad things that could happen from that than good. It was better to stay away, and to trust no one but herself. She would never be in danger that way.

But yet, there was something slightly alluring about the boy. The fact that he had had enough nerve to reveal himself to another wanderer was interesting; loners in the woods knew that doing that could get you attacked, or killed. With so many threats hiding in the shadows of the trees, it was hard to distinguish what was malevolent and what wasn't. The boy seemed harmless, maybe even benefical in some ways. Maybe he could be an extra pair of eyes, which were more than necessary at any given moment in the forest. He could look out for Hailee, too, which was the thing Brenna needed most. She never really slept knowing that Hailee was mobile. Being asleep for one minute too long could find Brenna scavenging for Hailee in the trees for hours on end. It would be nice to have someone else for that.

But who was she kidding? Of course he wouldn't help her out. At the first site of a small child, people tended to turn their heads and walk the other way. Little kids were nuisances, burdens, and extra mouths to feed. She looked toward the boy at this moment, gazing at him intently. Even though she wanted to (she was more than sick of her trust issues), she wasn't quite sure she could give him the benefit of the doubt.

Shifting Hailee in her arms, and fingering the knife tucked protectively into her pocket, she walked silently over to the boy, who was watching her approach. "That wasn't the best choice to make," she grunted, her voice tired-sounding and making her seem weaker than she really was. "Popping out suddenly in someone's face could get you hurt."

The boy stepped away from the large tree, revealing to Brenna that he meant no harm. Perhaps a small step towards trust in his mind, but to Brenna it was a huge leap. Anybody willing to expose themself to another wanderer either had nothing to lose or something to gain. Perhaps in his case it was both.

His body was like hers, lean and small from the many miles they had both walked between the trees. She smiled a little to herself as he straightened out his arm, his fingers pointing delicately in Brenna's direction. Brenna couldn't remember the last time she had shaken hands with another human; probably back in her District One days, where manners and polite actions were considered standard protocol.

Hailee maneuvered in her slumber as Brenna shifted herself to reach his hand. Still, even though she had given him the gift of politeness, she wasn't ready to wrap up her complete trust and present it to him as a gift quite yet. The smile on her face feigned kindness, but it did not reach her eyes, which were somewhat cold and definitely watchful of his every move.

"Name's Wil. Used t'be of District seven. Pleased t'meet ya," his words were soft and delicate, just like his hand as she broke the handshake. It was borderline awkward, lasting about two seconds too long in order for it to be considered pleasantly normal. She stroked Hailee's hair, giving her an excuse to look away from him for a moment. She could still feel his eyes though, curious and watchful just like hers.

"I'm Brenna," she said quietly but affirmedly, "and this is Hailee. We're from District One." As if on cue, Hailee shifted her head in the general direction of Wil and opened her bright blue-green eyes. They seemed to reflect the forest sky, exactly as if you were to lay down and look above you to where the tips of the trees collided with the brilliance of the day's sky. The unexpected addition of a person shocked her, and she burrowed deep into Brenna's arm. She bounced her, trying to send a message that everything was indeed all right.

"You don't mind if I ask what you're doing in the woods, would you?" Brenna asked suddenly. She was not one to beat around the bush. The shorter a conversation lasted, the better.

"I could ask you the same thing y'know. Bit odd for a career to be out here with a child," his words bounced around in her warmly. The fact that he was just as brisk and blunt with her was oddly pleasing. She disliked people who refused to stand up for themselves or speak their minds. You had one life, and to waste it hiding everything you felt was not a very pleasant one in her eyes.

The next thing she told him was somewhat interesting. Separated from a group? She had heard of the odd vague tale of a wanderer group, albeit she had never seen one with her own eyes. The mere idea of one confused Brenna to no end. When the point of running away from home was to escape people and everything you had ever known, why resort back to the company of others who shared your same exact story? Everyone had a different background, sure, but in the end every wanderer was the same.

She wondered what kind of friend he was looking for. If he had run away from home with them, as she had done with Hailee, or if he had met them in the middle of the trees. His smile was warm and comforting, and she couldn't help but feel one playing on her lips, as well. She quickly pushed it back away, not wishing to give him a sense of security.

"What kind of group?" She asked thoroughly. "And I'd like to assume the friend is from the group as well, right?" Her voice was not harsh, although it was not exactly friendly, either. She kept strictly to business, as she had seen her parents do in their jobs before...everything.