The voice comes again, and her trembling ears tilt forward. “Forgive me, as I cannot see in this blackness. I mean you no harm, m’lady.” His words are elegant, but his voice lacks the full depth and timbre of her older brother’s. If she had to guess, Nasreen would say that he was not two or three years older than herself.

The stranger introduces himself as Hawkeye. He begins to explain that he is new here, and she is about to chime in that her own story is remarkably similar when his next sentence stops her heart dead in its chest. “…’Tis hard to use the skill of flight when you’re locked in a dungeon cloaked in darkness.” Her muscles tense. How has this stranger picked up on her worst fear, pretending gallantry in the dark? How can he know she is winged—can he see her? The mare backs a cautious step, shifting away uneasily. His chuckle rings through the suffocating blackness, and to her paranoid ears, it sounds more sinister than friendly. Nasreen closes her eyes and grits her teeth, willing herself not to scream.

Yet scream she does a moment later when she feels a sudden gust of air hit her face, hears the rustle of feathers, and realizes that she is trapped down here with this male Pegasus. It is a small scream, a soft one—one that could easily be taken for surprise at the sudden movement, rather than fear, but she is terrified. There is no escaping this Hawkeye, not down here, not above ground. Should he want to hurt her, she is at his mercy. Never mind the fact that he has assured her of his goodwill. She is used to having a safety net, an escape route into the clouds, and here, she is doubly disadvantaged.

"What of you Lady Nasreen, am I mistaken or do you bear the gift of flight?" He had asked just before her sudden realization, and Nasreen swallows hard before answering. “Yes,” she whispers, only the darkness keeping her from turning tail and fleeing. “Quite high, and quite fast,” she adds defensively. She sends a faint rustle of her own through the stale air as she extends her wings, puffing the copper feathers in an attempt to appear larger. Despite the darkness, she attempts a steely expression, which would likely have appeared quite comical to Hawkeye, had he known her better and had he seen it in the light of day.

Shooting for subtlety, Nasreen continues to back away silently, still hoping to make her escape. Unfortunately for the princess, grace has never been her strong suit. She stumbles, and trips…right into the wall. Haunches scraped and shaky confidence bruised, she picks herself up, grimacing. She may have found the wall, but Hawkeye has found her. How will she contrive to send him away?

@[Hawkeye]