A few marbles short

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Wow. Someone was getting grumpy. Or perhaps she was just asking about the wrong questions. Maea regarded Loren from the corner of her eyes, but didn't reply, sensing that it might be best not to prod too deeply. She did note that she probably shouldn't follow his example to the letter, if others had been injured due to him... but perhaps that was a bit late now. Granted, he had been the one to offer her company. And he seemed more than capable of looking after himself. But if he did get hurt? It would be her fault. Frowning slightly at the path when they returned from the fork, Maea looked at the hedges, the ground, the place where the hawk had pounced on the squirrel. Or should have. She couldn't seem to find it, that branch in the shrubbery that had bent just so. "Does this look different to you?" she asked him, and glanced over the shoulder as they continued up the new path. "I could have sworn the hedges curved the other way before. Is it my imagination?" Nerves tensing, she leaned down again, this time to pick up a handful of rocks. It was not the best of weapons, but it was something at least. She didn't want to be completely defenseless in case more of those squirrels came back. Suddenly it didn't sound so cute to be attacked by them, with their ghostly voices calling her to follow. "I suppose it's a bit of both" she admitted, returning to the subject of Amalia. "I always wanted to be her friend, but I guess we just don't have the chemistry. There's other things too, old grudges... It's not that I don't want to like her, it's just... She shrugged. "Being around her reminds me of everything I'm not." Looking at Loren, the smile she offered was equal parts bitter and sweet and somehow made her look older. Weary. "You can hold it against me, it's alright. Most people do."