As she slowly moved off the path into the woods, she began to relax, allowing her careful mask to slip. As she called it, her camouflage. She wore a camouflage around her true self like a second skin, never relaxing in her careful charade. Rubbing her eyes with fatigue, she tilted her head forward to keep the sun out of her eyes, following the familiar path deeper into the woods. She had been careful not to wear a trail in the foliage, but her mind followed the route as if there was a path to follow.<br/><br/>As the silence enveloped her, she let out a sigh, releasing the last of her camouflage gratefully. No longer was she the timid little merchant girl. She was just herself. Of course it was then, when she was the most exposed, that a voice suddenly split the silence like a knife through silk.<br/><br/>"Good day!" called a male voice from up the hill.<br/><br/>At once, many things happened. Her posture snapped into a stiff, defensive stance. Her hand moved to her belt, reaching for something hidden there, and she hopped to the side where a tree trunk partially concealed her. Peeking out from behind the tree, she searched for the source of the unexpected voice. He was there, in plain sight, sitting beside a shield. He appeared calm and relaxed, but she knew better than to relax.<br/><br/>In a firm, though not hostile voice, she responded with just enough volume to be heard, "Announce yourself stranger. State your purpose."