When bid to do so Sparrow lifted her gaze without fully making eye contact, afraid to look directly at the Shade despite the order to. They hadn't even been alone for five minutes and it was the third time he'd pushed her to do something that made her anticipate punishment. Even with all her obedience, following his rules wasn't going to be easy for her. This man was clearly strange.

That was proven further by the gift (was it a gift?) of the coat. For a moment Sparrow was relieved, grateful for the warmth, before a new worry occurred to her. Was he uninterested in her body? It was all she had to offer, hence the hardly-there garment she'd been dressed in. What did he want from her if not her obedience and her body? Why did he want a "damaged slave" anyway?

The "man" at the signpost, her new master's glowing tattoo that let them pass, did nothing to alleviate her worry. He clearly was powerful and this was his domain, one that required markings to move through. She'd struggled enough to get along with her old master, and this one was clearly much more powerful. Would she even survive if she couldn't make him happy?

She shook her head, trying to look at him when she spoke. "He didn't tell me much about anything."