She considered the man standing before her in silence for a moment. The overhead light cast the features of her face into contrasting light and darkness. Her eyes were sunk in shadow, while her brow and cheek bones were dimly illuminated. One hand rested at her hip, fingers lightly brushing the hilt of the dagger that hung sheathed at her side. With the other hand, she made a vague gesture, indicating the light over head in an attempt to draw his attention there.<br/><br/>She moved the hand from her hip to grip the shoulders of her pack. Shifting her weight, she moved her shoulders in a quick shrug that hiked the pack more securely onto her shoulder, and spoke in a soft voice. While he would clearly hear her words, any observer who might possibly be concealed near by would not be able to make out what she said.<br/><br/>"You gravitate to the light, as do most people. Your first thought upon emerging into the night was to find some semblance of Light for protection. You seek solace and comfort in the familiar, warming embrace of the familiar... the visible. Yet look at what it has gained you."<br/><br/>She made another gesture with her free hand. All around you is in darkness. This light around you serves as a beacon, announcing your presence to all within a dozen yards. You are exposed. You are a target. The light you seek for protection serves only to endanger you. I watched as you struggled to see into the darkness around you. You peer and you squint, and yet you cannot see. One can never understand the darkness that surrounds him  until he steps into it. If you come with me, you will have to do exactly this. My path is not always lit and welcoming. Decide now if you have the stomach for it... the spine to face it."<br/><br/>Through all of this, she kept her stance. She was an unmoving, vague presence. Her shadowy figure was barely detectable in the shifting shadows of the night. When she finished speaking, she made a slight motion, extending one foot backward, turning her body to the side. The resulting posture clearly showed that she would soon begin moving. She waited only for his decision, and would not wait for long.