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Emerwyn was tired. She'd been sleeping outside the past few days, stopping in her own room to clean up every now and again. Overall, however, she'd fully aquired that "Venison au Naturalle" smell.
And, she wouldn't admit it to herself, but she was still sick. And her condition was not improving. When she pulled her head up from the cool river, she'd find small, liquid ribbons of scarlet desolving into the water. It wasn't much, but it was there.
Sleep was terrible, if it even came. She'd wake in a cold sweat every half hour, adjust herself, and try again, futilly.

To try and combat this, Emerwyn would take to the deeper parts of the jungle - and she'd run. It felt so good to get the wind whipping her face. With the world moving by so fast, she'd escaped from the slow, dreary sorrows that it held.
Forget that she really was not moving that fast.

But, eventually, she would have to stop.
Out of breath, exhausted, and parched, Emerwyn made her way back into the village. It was useless. At least she wasn't hiding from everyone anymore. She knew that she could not hide from her problems. No, whenever she tried that, her problems only escalated. But, facing them head-on. That was something else entirely.

Emerwyn squinted at the sky as she revealed herself from the shade of the jungle's roof.
Maybe, she'd have some tea. She had not had tea in far too long. She didn't have much of a taste for it anymore. Tea was a human drink.

At his approach, Emerwyn's body tensed up. It took a moment after hearing his voice for her to calm a bit. It was very difficult to make herself do this.
Being out even for only a few days was bringing her more in touch with being an animal, and those instincts were winning over.
But, he was familiar. Oh, yes, she remembered him. Their last run-in was not particularly enjoyable.
His name was not as easily forgotten, either. King of the Jungle.

"It's Emerwyn," she said, with a smile of forced calm. "And you're Rex."

"Do not think on it." Someone needed to establish a more comfortable atmosphere, since he'd obviously remembered now, too. However, this was not Emerwyn's forte.

"That's probably the best way to describe it." Having no desire to reveal her pains to a stranger, she held back. Not only this, but it was true. This was as good as it ever got. Aside from a few weeks of bliss...
"And you? You seem well..."
She adjusted her cowl slightly over her shoulders.

"Happy... that's good."
What a word choice. Emer got a vibe that that wasn't completely true. She had found something she liked to call happiness with Ian... and look where it led her.

"Don't we all know it? But, being out here - it helps. At least we're not holed up in metal cages. Though the metaphorical ones are strong enough.
The river... it's so cool... and free."
She stared off blankly. Her voice cracked a little as she spoke, and she cleared her throat, trying her best not to cough. At least the fever had broken.

Emerwyn phased slowly and silkily out of her trance, to notice Rex looking at her.
The look was unreadable, and it troubled her. Her own face became confused, and reading... What was bothering him?

"Is... everything alright?" She brought her cowl a little closer now, though she didn't know why. She didn't feel truly threatened by him... didn't she?

The simple awkward feelings that Emerwyn had been feeling a moment ago had completely evaporated.
And they were replaced with a very nervous kind of fear. She did not fear for her life, no. That she probably could have handled - with two long, fast legs.
But now, she felt constricted to the spot, held against her will by an invisible vice.
The smile made her feel worse. He had seemed a nice guy when she'd met him in the jungle... Maybe she should've put more thought into how much she'd exposed with her new clothes.
But... this was too much.
"Um, listen... Rex... What is..." Calm down, maybe that's not what he's talking about! She sighed, and tried to relax her shoulders. Of course, this appeasing voice in her head was completely wrong, and only trying to make her feel better...
But, she did her best.
"And what..." a nervous laugh. "...would that be?" her voice was hardly above a breathy gasp. Her nerves and her will to hold back her violent cough were draining her of her vocal abilities.

Emerwyn started at Rex's sudden movement, her deadlock being broken temporarily. She hoped that the thing the he - felt like doing - was just that little run... He certainly was an awkward fellow.
But, that nagging feeling in Emerwyn's mind told her that Rex wasn't quite finished just yet.
And something else wasn't right. It certainly seemed there was something - she chose not to think of what - he wanted to do. But he was being completely unforward about it. Did he want to clue her in? Get her to concede to something without even realizing it?
Or did he himself not even know quite what he was doing?
Either way, Emerwyn had to think of something before this fuzzy timebomb exploded.

"Maybe... you should go for a run," she suggested feebly. Just not after me, the nagging voice chimed in her head.

Emerwyn felt a little bad now... maybe she'd been unfair to the lion.
Even if he was a carnivore... a very confused, awkward carnivore.

"No, no... I'm sorry. Why - why don't we try again?"
Still not sure about this...