The knight surprised her by letting her finish. There seemed to be relieved. And then he suddenly came closer. Illinfer stiffened as he embraced her. She had to restrain herself from kicking him where it hurt most and draw her sword. The way he smelled was most irritating. There was something so foreign in it, she couldn‘t place the scents. She was surrounded by the scent of pine trees, moos and fresh cut wheat. [i]"Whatever the cost, I will cover it. Thank you."[/i] The whisper so close to her ear sent a shiver down her spine. Her breath caught slightly. The last time she had been so close to a man without being in combat it had been her husband . . . He finally released her and as his warmth made way for cool air she breathed in deeply, appreciating the distance. Illinfer stepped back slightly and even more as took her hand from her throat and let his finger trail over her skin. The brush of his rough fingers made her turn away from him, taking herself from his reach and his gaze. With a feint and sad smile and crossed arms she looked out into the gardens. „I had to entertain myself while you were in that brothel. So I got into a fight at a tavern.“ She shrugged, straightening her shoulders and memories rose from that wonderful man she had married. Why it still hurt this much she couldn‘t understand. The trigger always being something else. 

The northern woman put her hand on her hip and turned back to the night, feeling more comfortable with him a few feet away. „Is that the way you thank people where you‘re from? Because here you could get in real trouble coming so close to a woman without permission.“ She then smiled as not to make her words too rude or cold. It had just been too much for her. In her eyes there was a glint of the hurt she felt - not because he had toucher but because of the memories she was trying so hard to suppress. „I shall set up a meeting then. I‘d suggest bringing the person in charge here so your family will know the face of the man who‘ll come get them if danger arises. Your guards would also get to know him. In my opinion it makes things a lot easier. That way they‘ll know who to trust.“ While talking her voice was calm and composed, almost soothing. The vowels accented and pronounced almost with care, as was the northern way of speech. 

A  breeze carried the scent of roses to them and played with a strand of her hair that tickled her cheek. She looked him directly in the eye, waiting for an answer. How was she supposed to work with him for the next months if he kept acting irrationally? First he was on edge, in a bad mood and twitchy in potentially dangerous situations and now he was just hugging a stranger and showed so much care . . . If she didn‘t know any better she‘d think he was a woman. The thought made her chuckle slightly. Probably it was just the extreme situation he was in. Compassion flared in her eyes as she thought of how worried he had been about his family and how relieved he now was seeing them well and healthy. She respected that and could understand it.