There were a million stars reflected on the glassy surface of the creek before her. The illusion was incomparable. It was as if the dark mare had been thrust up into the galaxy and was floating amongst the stars, despite standing perfectly still at the edge of the lake watching in dark silence. From where she stood she could barely hear the lapping of the water at the shore of the creek's bed. The stillness of the air kept the trees and the grasses around her from rustling or making a sound. With all the critters around her sleeping now that the moon was full and high in the sky, Lyra had truly been plunged into a dead silent night.

She watches the reflections of the stars on the surface of the water, not bothering to trace her gaze towards where her reflection stood. The woman was too dark to be seen, save for the pale silver eyes staring out from the dark canvas.

One would think that she was reflecting upon her past, or muddling through intricate thoughts, when instead, with a casual backwards flick of a ear, she was straining to hear a hint of any sound amongst the silence. There was no way that she was alone in such a vast land, as she had seen the others milling about during the day- perhaps there were few creatures that wandered during the night like herself. She had long ago learnt to embrace the cover of shadows, knowing that the darkness was the one thing (aside from her shyness) that embraced her without prejudice.

As she strained to listen for anything at all, there was a small snap and a gentle rustling, yet the wind did not pick up.

"Talk."