Back to the forest (closed)

[Kahlan]

*Takes place after "The new lodger of tavern's attic "*

Kahlan ate something with Kriss before the archer left her a moment to take care of her tavern. Kahlan took the opportunity to visit the place in more details. When she came back in the main room, she found Kriss behind her bar, wiping some glasses. Kahlan took a rag and helped her. The afternoon passed when Kahlan finally asked.
"The sun will set soon. I think we should go back to the forest before the night."
Kahlan started worrying again, thinking of the corpses of Marek's men, still in the forest.

[Kriss]

The archer had been rather silent for the whole day. She had not say too much during their meal and later she had not been very talkative as well. For whole the time she had been thinking about the recent situation. That what had happened in the forest was not usual stuff. She did not use to kill people everyday. Not that she had never done it before but still that strange feelings always come.
Moreover, she had brought unknow woman to her tavern, had given her a home and still did not know much about her. All these things made Kriss absent. She did her usual job but with her minds she still were somewhere else, in the forest.
Kahlan seemed to be very nice and Kriss did not even suspect her of simulation, not that type. Something deeply told the archer to trust her.

Kriss was about asking her the same. She already came out with some kind of plan.
"I need to chenge my clothes first and I think, you should do the same. We cannot be very conspicuous."
She suggested and added,
"We aslo need some tools and unfortunately, we have to take Aniel with us." She heaved a sigh and turned at her son. That trip for sure was not good for children. She did not want to take him but she had no choice. She planned to leave him somewhere cloes but that he could not see anything.

The best way to hide the bodies would be burn them. That was what the women were going to do. Kriss was afraid that the fire could be visible in the town. That's why they needed to wait for a late night. When Basra would be sleeping, everything could work.

[Kahlan]

Kahlan smiled at Kriss. The tavern's owner must have spent the day finding a plan to hide the bodies. She herself had no idea about what to do. Even if her father teached her things about hunting, he always had kept her far from war. So she didn't have any experience in this kind of situation.
Kriss seemed to know a little more how to act. The young woman started wondering what kind of life Archer had had before becoming a tavern's owner.

Kahlan agreed about changing clothes. They needed to wear something more comfortable for what they were going to do and she planned to go anywhere without her daggers.
However, she didn't like the idea of taking Aniel with them. The young princess already felt guilty for having involved Kriss in all this. She didn't want to put her son
in danger too.
"Your friend could not keep him again?" She asked.

[Kriss]

Caipra? That thought came across Kriss' minds, too but it was not good idea. She did not want bother her friend again and she did not want her become involved. At least not yet. Aniel already used to weird ideas of his mother. He was very experienced little boy. However Kriss still was trying to protect him and wanted a normal childhood for him.
"I don't wanna take him, too but I have no choice. I can't leave him with Caipra. She is going to ask too many questions."
Kriss knew that Kahlan wanted to avoid questions as much as she did.
"He will be fine..."
The archer ensured the woman but subconsciously she was still thinking how not to take him with them. Maybe she could find someone else to take care of Aniel for a while.

[Kahlan]

Kahlan watched Aniel, with a little sadness in her look.
"If we don't have other choice..." She simply said.
Then she faced Kriss and added.
"So I'm going to change clothes. I'll come back to take care of Aniel while you'll do the same. Okay?" She smiled and suddenly thought about something. "Oh, by the way, do you mind if I borrow you some clothes again? I haven't washed mine, yet."

Kahlan thought that she would have to buy some clothes soon, to stop taking Kriss's ones.
She suddenly missed her big wardrobe.

[Kriss]

Kriss who was pensive and did not listen carefully what Kahlan was talking to her, suddenly got back to the conversation.
'What did she say? Oh, yeah, clothes'
"Yeah, sure. Take something from the chest." She said with a smile.

[Kahlan]

A few seconds passed before Kriss answered her, as if she was lost in some thougts.
Kahlan smiled back at the tavern's owner and said.
"I won't be long. Thank you, Kriss."
*again* she doesn't say but thought strongly.
Then she went upstairs.

[Ziad]

It was a few days since he had been there, a few days since this rather strange night that he chose not to dwell on for too long at a time because if he did, it kept reminding him that he had strayed out of his line of duty - and he didn´t like that thought.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why Ziad found himself walking back to the tavern where he had talked to Caipra a few nights before. He wasn´t on duty, not any more for today, but he looked like he very well might be, even though his business was another. After all, Ziad, first guard of Omar, knew his manners. And the apology he was planning or rather the one that his good manners told him to make was more a move to maintain his good reputation than to save it and he told himself that when he approached the tavern.

[Kriss]

Kriss watched how Kahlan was leaving to bedroom. She took her son on her arms and said to him,
"What to do with you? Hym?"
She did not like the idea of taking him to the forest but he could not stay home just on his own, too. Her employee had already left and the chef was going to leave in a moment. She did not want to keep him. He had his own childern who were waiting for their father.
It was middle of the week and tavern was rather empty. There were not also any guests upstairs. Kriss wanted to close it soon for a few hours. People could do without the ale a little.
She looked around to check again if nobody was sitting in the main room. Then opened the drawer in bar to take the keys.

[Ziad]

Ziad hesitated for a moment when he arrived at the tavern, masking his hesitation by pretending that he was on duty after all, taking a stand near the tavern to look around the street. Even though his day was over already, he was still wearing the garb that was typical of the caliph´s guard and that came in handy right now.
Finally he decided that he was not acting in the most civilized nor the bravest manner and turned to walk into the tavern. After all, what should be difficult about a short chat with that stubborn girl, he told himself. He could handle far worse, yet he resented himself for whatever had made him hesitate.

Opening the door, he had a look around, noticing that apart from a man sitting in a corner quietly on his own, the place was almost empty, looking a good deal different from a few days ago when he had been here later at night.

[Kriss]

Kriss heard how the door opened. She raised her head to check who was that and she saw someone who she really did not want to see then. The archer was rather surprised about his visit after the last incident. She glanced at Aniel and make a surprised face to him. She turned back at her favorite guest and told herself to not start any unnecessary argument. It was the last thing they needed now.

[Ziad]

Ziad´s eyes met that of the young archer when he entered and once more, he stopped in his tracks for just an instant before he stepped in. She had the boy with him, the child he had seen with her once earlier. He gave a curt nod, ignoring the glance she gave the boy which had a hint of mockery in it. At least for him.

"In a better mood now, I see?" he asked. He would not come in here on his knees with an immediate apology. He had his honour after all, but the question did not aim to provoke.

[Kriss]

Kriss did not why but this man had something what really irritate her anytime they met. On the other hand he was quite handsome, strong man what made his quite attractive even for her.
Attractive or not, at this concrete moment he was not expected and wanted guest.
She did not need more troubles now and she decided to at least try to avoid the argument.

"It depends on what brings you here?" She said with the stilted simle. Her waspish tongue wanted to say something else but her reason and instinct comled her down a bit.

[Ziad]

There was something about her, something about her attitude that made him very reluctant to tell her the reason for his visit. He had his pride too and had the feeling that this woman would gleefully pick apart every little bit of weakness he could possibly show. Nonsense, an inner voice told him. He knew his manners and these manners were above the wavering moods of a random tavern owner who had probably spent a bit too much time among half drunk guests.

"I think we didn´t have a pleasant meeting a few days back." he therefore just said, just stating, not admitting anything, because that was not what he had come here for anyways.

[Kriss]

Kriss looked deeply into his eyes. She looked in that way how only the archer could look before the precise shot. She wanted to know his intention. Had he come to argue again or maybe he really had peaceful purpose. His eyes were not through honest but her women's intuiton's wanted her to trust him. She did not need any more troubles anyway so she decided to not provoke any unnecessary issues.
The memorial of their last meeting was not anything what she would love to remeber but she could not also forget about it. Even so she gave him another, this time honest smile and agreed with him,
"No, it wasn't really pleasant meeting."