Having finished his secret project, Chakotay began to spend more time inside the house, working on sand paintings to hang on the walls or unpacking and rearranging their boxes of belongings.

So Kathryn began to spend more time outside. She wouldn't have admitted that she was avoiding Chakotay, but she needed time to sort through her feelings. And boy, were there a lot of feelings to sort through.

She was no stranger to romantic attraction, and she could not deny that Chakotay was an attractive person. The moment he had entered her presence she had felt the atmosphere become charged with tension – anxious tension, she had assumed at the time. But in hindsight, she thought her heart might have been lost the moment she heard that damn soft voice of his and looked up into his big brown eyes. She cherished the friendship that had grown between them, but she knew that one wrong step or unfounded assumption about his feelings for her could irreparably damage their relationship. And besides, what would Mark think when she eventually found a cure and they left this planet to catch up with Voyager? Did she really want to have to look him in the eyes and explain she had fallen in love with someone else? With an enemy of the Federation, no less.

She packed up her scientific equipment and several padds into a bag, replicated a wrapped-up sandwich and a carafe of coffee, and set off into the woods to do her research in the great outdoors.

"Have fun!" Chakotay called cheerily after her.

Through the woods and following the river, Kathryn walked along, checking the insect traps she passed. The sun was warm, and the birds were singing, and Kathryn began to hum along. It was a pleasant day, and she was enjoying the fresh air and the scientific challenge. She hummed an aimless tune as she jumped on rocks to get across the river. She trudged through the trees until she found herself in a clearing filled with a carpet of daisies and she looked around with a satisfied smile. She set her bag down on the grass and began to unpack her equipment.

She heard a rustle in the trees behind her. "Chakotay, are you following me?" she called, not looking up.

There was no answer.

Just the wind, she thought.

Sitting cross-legged on the grass, she pulled out a padd and began to study the data she had gathered so far. None of the insects she had caught so far seemed to carry the disease, or any disease that she could tell, but it was only a matter of time before she found the bug that would be their ticket out of this place.

Not that it's a bad place to be stranded, she thought, looking around at the flora surrounding her.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the branches above her and something glided down from the treetop. It was a small, brown bird.

"Well, hello there," Kathryn said.

The bird hopped closer.

"You're not afraid at all, are you?"

The bird chirped and cocked its head.

"Are you hungry, by any chance?" Kathryn fished around in her bag and drew out the sandwich. She broke a piece off the crust and tossed it to the bird.

The bird hopped to it and gobbled up the crumb.

"You like that? You want some more?"

The bird chirped and flapped happily. Kathryn tossed it another crumb and it pounced on it.

Another rustle sounded in the trees above her and the bird looked up sharply.

"Did you bring friends with you?"

Without a sound, the bird turned and flew away.

"Goodbye, I guess. Rude." Kathryn packed up the sandwich and stowed it back in her bag. She heard another rustle behind her.

"Is someone there?"

Not even a bird song answered her. The air was still, as though the forest itself were holding its breath.

Her heartbeat quickened as she developed the distinct impression of eyes boring into her from somewhere close by. She looked around but saw nothing.

Kathryn closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, searching for any unusual presences nearby. She could sense Chakotay, back at the house, working happily on something or other, but nothing near her.

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped her senses and her eyes snapped open. Hands trembling, she shoved all her gear back into the bag and bolted from the clearing. She felt shadows around her, chasing her, nipping at her heels until she reached the river. Slowing only to ensure she didn't slip on the rocks, she jumped across the steppingstone path over the river and landed heavily on the other side.

Then, the shadows receded. She felt safe again.

She rested her hands on her knees and leaned forward heavily, catching her breath.

"What was that?" she whispered.

There was no doubt in her mind that something was lurking in those woods. Something even she couldn't sense properly. Something that was not happy about the intrusion of these two mortals into its world.

Something that was definitely not just the wind.