Here we are

Ping had came back at the tree with Tulio and, after have left him safe, she had gone away: she had simply to take something in the forest, mainly her weapons that she had left in a hidden place. She was starting to walk toward the forest again, feeling a bit uncomfortable to stay again around the tree: she could meet Meg, or Rose, or, even worse, Shan Yu… the last idea made her have a chill, and hurried up toward the entrance...

Jim was on his way back to the tree when he saw Ping. He.. no, she seemed to be in a hurry. Jim still hadn't gotten used to the thought that Ping was actually a girl. "What's with the rush," Jim asked when he got closer.

She didn't notice the boy until he talked, making her litterally jump a few steps behind, opening wide her eyes in surprise: she was so taken from her rush and so sure that nobody was there that she hand't even noticed him
"N-n-nothing... I-I..." she stuttered lowering her glance without being able to say anything

Jim hadn't mean to frighten her and now he felt bad. The girl seemed really nervous, stuttering like that. Jim looked at her for a while before he realised that she wasn't going to continue. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked in a calm tone.

"I-I-I had t-to recover s-some stuffs... i-in the forest..." she replied, still looking down, tense as always: Jim seemed kind and quite, as he had always been, but she knew that he now knew that she wasn't a man, also her hair down gave her easily away. She hadn't realized it, but in that way, even if still with male clothes, she looked really more feminine.

She seemed to different from the time she had helped him find his way in the forrest, so much more fragile. Was it just because he now knew she was a girl? No, there was clearly a difference. She had been much more controlled back then. What could be wrong?
"Did something happen?" he asked worried.

"N-no..." shereplied immediatly: too fast to can be the truth, but after all... it wasn't even that much a lie... things had happened to her, but nothing that could actually interest someone else. "I-I should go n-now..." she stuttered again before toquickly start to move toward the forest

Jim sighed a little, wondering what was going on. "Want me to come with you? I can help you carry some of your stuff," Jim suggested when he saw she was about to walk away.

"I-i-if you w-want t-to come..." she mumbled in reply, actually hoping that he wouldn't have followoed her. But a part of her really wanted some company, and that was the reason she didn't manage to say 'no'