hooves stamp into the ground in front, sending dust into her face. she coughs. looks up -  realizes that she loathes the way this animal talks. and to her! to her of all the creatures of this world! her glare is indignant, venomous.

and in her pride, clarity.

the influence which had her so craving a scalding death rips away and retreats over the dunes back to its epicenter. she is left dizzy - familiar!

hands fly up to press into jutting forehead, as if pushing the skull back in. not long, and she's curled up in the dirt, fetal and hugged by overlong arms.

out of her come sounds of mild anguish.

ououough... w-w-why! why me! she whines into a forearm. i'm cold, then i sweat! i'm threatened, then i'm kidnapped - by a- a-

one hand, moving at the wrist, gestures repeatedly at her captor. the sentence's end doesn't come to her.

she lifts her face slightly to expose a brown eye, narrowing it to look at it - him?

what are you? she seethes. what do you want with me?