Back to the forest (closed)

[Kriss]

That was indeed good question but even Kriss did not know the good answer. She did not know what she was doing. She had helped some strange woman and she had just burnt the people she'd killed. She slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes.

"Even if I tell you, you won't understand."

She had enough excitements and troubles for today and she was not going to overact with him.

"I really appreciate that you took care of Anile. I can imagine how much you didn't like it and I know that you would like to kill me now but let's disparage me again. You are quite good on it. And then just bang the door. I don't want to argue with you, right now"

She said with the whole dignity and even with a bit of repentance in her voice. She was keeping the eye contact but then she cast her eyes down a bit. Wet and scantily dressed woman was holding her son and waiting for guard’s reaction.

[Ziad]

Ziad had no bloody idea what she was talking about, let alone what she was thinking or why she reacted to him in such a sharp way. This woman was making him furious with her self righteous attitude of seemingly randomly expecting that he had nothing better to do than to look after her kid on his evening off. But then again there was something that let him guess she was not doing that for nothing. That there was probably a reason why she had snapped at him and that this had nothig to do with him. It hurt his pride a little but there was another aspect to it - he was captain of the city guard and as such he was sword to protect the city and its people. And that forbade him to simply let a woman who was obviously confused and ran into her home in the dead of night, soaked and obviously next to herself to get away with it.

He did not release her arm, his eyes softened a bit but now more moved away from the looks of an annoyed man towards a dutiful and somewhat concerned guard. He sighed inwardly. As it seemed he hardly ever was off duty. "Sit." he said and it came off a little less harsh than he wanted it to sound, but it still sounded rather authoritarian.

[Kriss]

Kriss felt shivers down her body. And it was not caused by the fact that she was all wet. His hand on her arm seemed to be cold like an ice. She froze at his word. Her heart began pounding fast. Suddenly she realized what a mistake it was to leave her son with this man. But it was too late for that now.

Kriss was aware that the quarrel with the captain of the guard did not make sense now. She slowly sat down on an armchair and looked uncertainly into his eyes.

[Kahlan]

Kahlan was turning in circles all around the kitchen. She thought that Kriss would come back quickly, but after a few minutes, she was still not back.
She came closer to the door and pressed her ear against it trying to know what was going on in the main room. She heard a male voice asking the tavern's owner to sit down. So the guard was still here and he didn't seem hurry to leave the tavern.
The presence of this guard did not reassure her, but all she could do was to wait in silence, hoping that Kriss could make him leave quickly.

[Ziad]

Ziad could feel that there was something the young woman was feeling uncomfortable about but he could not quite put his finger on it and therefore got it wrong.

"I know you think that you will say it is none of my business." he stated, the words somewhat sympthetic, but his voice the neutral tone of a captain of the guard. "because apparently you have a manner of snapping at me for reasons that are beyond me and I do not see why this should be any different now. But... I am responsible for the safety of the people of this city and when I see a woman turn up in the dead of night in a state like you look right now, I am somewhat eager to find out how that happened. And why my men were not there to avoid it."

Words like these might have sounded caring, even affectionate, but even though they did not sound rude, they were clearly not uttered in a patronizing or affectionate way. Just matter of fact. Something he would as well have told someone else. Or at least tha was what he was rather certain of for himself.

[Kriss]

She stilll felt the shivers down her wet body. The seriousness of the situation finally started to reach out to her. On one hand, the instinct told her that what's happening around was not normal phenomenon in the city.
He had his point, he should have known about everything.
But on the other hand, she had promised to help this woman and if she told him the true, he would arrest Kahlan and probably her, too.
Suddenly, many thought came to Kriss' mind. Mess in her head made her feel lost. These thought were like voices. Each of them wanted to tell something else. In the one momenet her subconscious called STOP!
She made her decision.

Kriss looked deeply into his eyes and said with the note of relief but still firmly,

"Believe me that what I was doing in the lake has nothing to do with safety of the city."
She swallowed and continued,
"I am a single mother. Everyday, I have to deal with my drunk guests. Sometime I need a break which my intime women's needs are asking for."

Now, the voices in her head were asking in the one tone What are you doing Kriss de Valnor?!
She did not know the answer. But from now she knew that this woman own her more than just her life.

[Ziad]

She was shivering and that was something he couldn´t stand. Not as in that it annoyed him, but in that it went against his dignity and manners. Ziad got up and opened the clasp of his cloak and draped it around her shoulders before she could protest. Again, not a primarily affectionate gesture, but more protective. He would have shown that sort of kindness to any woman in her state.

He crossed his arms across his chest lightly as he leaned against the table, aware of the fact that he must appear somewhat patronizing, but not able to help that for now. "So when you feel like a time out you run out at night, leave your kid with a stranger and jump into a lake fully clothed? I should try that some time."

[Kriss]

She looked at him suspiciously when he came to her. It was a huge surprise when he covered her with his own cloak. She felt how warm fabric collapsed on her shoulders. She did not remeber when a man made something nice for her last. It had been long time since that. The smile spontaneously came on her face.
When he leaned against the table, she realized that she was not going to rid of him so fast.
She needed knew strategy. She turned at him and said with the allure in her voice.

"You know, I'm a single for pretty long time, when needs come, they come and I can't help myslef."
Her inner voice was calling What are you talking?What are you doing, woman?! But Kriss waded further.

"I laft him with the guard's captain. I think, I cannot find better protector for a child. Besides we know each other for a quite moment..."
She felt like a beach who looking for a new client but she bit her lip attractively and continued,
"We just haven't got any opportunity to get closer..."
In the same moment she wiped her leg with his.
"You should try the bath some time..."

[Ziad]

Ziad could feel how his eyes narrowed in suspicion, an eyebrow rising slightly when he noticed the touch of her leg against his. He remained unmoving. There was something up here, he just couldn´t put his finger on it. She was trying to hide something...

He waited a few seconds before he spoke. "Is there something you´re trying to hide from he like that?" he then asked. The strategy was nothing new. He had been approached like this before, mostly by a certain type of woman out on the streets that were more often than not involved in petty little crimes and sook a way to hide their secrets by trying to distract him. It wasn´t new. He just wouldn´t have expected it from a woman like her, in particular since she had been ready enough to rip of his head some times before for equally non apparent reasons.

[Kriss]

Kriss abandoned the idea of her strategy. She knew it was ineffective with this man. She had been interrogated several times previously. She exactly knew that the so simply tricks did not work with this type. She sighed and took her leg back, then straightened up and said with indignant tone,
"No, I'm not trying to hide anything, I'm trying to get rid of you!."
She stood up with the whole her confidence. His cloak fell down behind her.
"Again, I really appreciate you stayed with him! Now, I know it was a mistake to ask you for it but I won't explain to you what I was doing in the lake cause it's my intime stuff!"
Kriss picked up his cloak from the ground and gave it to him.
"Now, if you excuse us, Anile is really tired."

[Ziad]

His eyes remained slightly narrowed, the mistrust back. He usually could tell when something was off, when somebody lied to him and her flickery behaviour and the fact that she seemed to jump from one action to the other only confirmed that. ´I´m trying to get rid of you´ His sarcastic self tried to make him point out that a moment ago it had looked anything but that but he knew that this would only buy him more denyal or probably a fight and he knew that this would lead nowhere, therefore he just leaned on the table, close to her face, not a seductive gesture and neither was it meant as a threat but it probably came across a tiny bit like that. "Good." he said. "go and see to your son. But I tell you, if there is anything illegal going on here, I promise you I´ll be on your tail." And with that he straightened up and turned to leave.

[Kriss]

She felt the relief that he finally was going to leave. What ever that guy was thinking right now, it was not relevant. She knew that there could be some problems with him but she also occasionally been in worse oppressions.
When he turned to leave she called after him,
"Sure. You can start your penetrations tomorrow. Though, I own you a dinner for taking care of my son."
Maybe she was perfidious and cheeky but she did not like staying beholden.

[Ziad]

He had turned towards the door already, but turned once more at her words, scowling. What was going on with that woman that she was changing her mood on a whim like that? It bewildered him and also irritated him slightly. He opened his mouth to say something and was about to cut back the snarky and somewhat impolitely aloof comment that he heard himself say in the next moment.

"Let´s hope you´re better at cooking than parenting."

[Kriss]

She laughed at his words and said,
"I cannot cook." Still laughing she looked at him and added, "But don't worry, my cook is the best one in this city."

[Ziad]

"Good", Ziad gives back, voice dripping with sarcasm a little. "Does that mean I do not have to bring a taster?"