“Who are you?” Scene

Excerpt from my own unfinished book, Ghost of Eteraine:

“You know, I have met Niriv folk before,” Una said as she peeled an apple, her knife gliding gracefully like an oar through the river. “None of them wear their hair short like you.” She bit an apple slice between her teeth and glanced at Vee.

Vee ignored the unspoken question, but she heard it all the same. Who are you? Rather than respond she nudged another twig onto the fire with her boot. Embers crackled into the dusk air; a vibrant wall between them. The embers burned the same color as her hair and illuminated her blank expression.

Both women remained in silence for a short time, Una continuing to dismember her apple, glancing at Vee expectantly, and Vee packing a pipe with meetalwart.

Finally, Una sighed. “Fine, I can take a hint.” She tossed the naked core into the fire and stood, dragging her hands along her pants. She reached for her satchel and whipped out her bedroll with an audible woosh. It arced gently through the air before resting on the forest floor.

She turned to Vee, “Please note, that if we are to be companions on this journey it may be more pleasant for both of us if we actually converse.” Then she positioned herself on the bedroll, her back to Vee.

Vee observed the delicate curve of Una’s behind from this angle and thought, Bold…or dumb. She could think of at least ten ways to eliminate her ‘companion’ from her current perch. “We do converse,” Vee muttered and shifted on the fallen log. Her pipe glowed as she shook out a match and took a generous puff.

Una glanced over her shoulder, propped up by her elbow, “If this is what conversing is to you, Niriv, you’re absolute shit at it.”

Vee exhaled an impressive plume of white and said, “Thank you.”