“I’m what, stranger?” My tone came off more waspish than I’d anticipated, and his eyes flared upon hearing it. With a soft exhale, I relaxed my shoulders, trying to convey that I hadn’t meant it that way.

He continued to stare at me for a few moments before asking, “Are you lost, too?” When I didn’t respond he continued in a mild panic, his words coming out in a rush. “I-I mean, I’ve been stuck in this forest for a few days now, and I haven’t seen a single person! You’re the first person I’ve seen in days…” He chuckled awkwardly, turning his head to the side as he glanced back at me while placing a hand behind his head. “Well, that didn’t want to kill me, anyways…” As if a thought struck him, his expression darkened with mild suspicion as he studied me. “You’re not here to kill me…are you?”

…Seriously? I continued to stare at him for a few moments longer before sighing inwardly. “If I’d wanted to kill you, you’d be dead by now.” A flood of relief washed over his features and his grin easily returned.

...This guy’s too trusting… For all he knows, I could be lying! Ugh… Whatever. I’m not gonna pursue it. There’s no point! Best to change the topic…

“You said that you’ve been here for a few days now. Do you remember from which direction you entered the forest?” I speak, scanning our immediate surroundings before returning my attention to him.

“Uhm…” He glanced back the way he’d come before turning in a semi-circle. Slowly shaking his head, he turned back to me. “No… I can’t remember exactly where…” A heavy sigh escaped him, his shoulders slumping forward in defeat as he focused on the ground before us. “I’ve been in here so long that I’ve lost my bearings…” After a few moments, he looked back up at me. “I think I came in from the south, though.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Pulling out a large folded piece of parchment from a pocket, he carefully opened it and pointed to a large dot directly to the south of the forest. “Because I was here before being run out of town…” He traced his finger up and came to a stop at the dot that represented the forest. “And I fled north…”