Kijani tried to relax in the silence of the outdoors, somehow soothed by the odd noises of the moving cart. She had a feeling she had said something wrong. Then again, perhaps it was just her own nervousness betraying her. She didn't know Mr. Croil well enough to gauge the silences to find his mood, and with that thought firmly in mind, she simply tried to forget. Meanwhile, she tried to think of what she would do here for a month. Perhaps her parents were scouring the city for her this very minute. A wry smile twitched at her lips at the very thought. Her mother hadn't scoured a thing in her entire life, and Kijani doubted she would start now, even for her own daughter. Her father would probably elict plenty of bustle from the city Watch, who were probably not going to gain much. She truly hoped not. The last thing she wanted was for her freedom to be cut short. This had been her entire plan, and she didn't know what she could do if it failed...

Mr. Croil's murmurings brought her from the edge of a very dark series of thoughts, and she turned her head to ask him to repeat himself. Before she could, he stood up, so suddenly that she was a bit startled. But he was only going for... fruit. They'd passed under a beautifully scented branch with plenty of ready fruit. To her surprise, instead of eating it himself, he offered it out to her. He wasn't looking at her, and she doubted there was a smile, but... the gesture was clear. A gift.

Kijani found a smile of delight suddenly growing on her face. "Oh! For me? Thank you, Mr. Croil." She took it from his hand, and for the briefest of moments, their fingers brushed in the handling of the apple. His hand was warm and rough, she could tell as much even from the few seconds of contact. To try and distract herself from the warmth that she was suddenly dealing with, she rubbed the apple with a clean handkerchief from her skirt pocket, until it was even shinier than it was. The apple was a brilliant ruby, with a scent more inviting than any perfume she'd ever worn. 

"...I beg your pardon for my upcoming lack of manners." With an eagerness in her eyes, she took the apple in both hands. She leaned down and bit right into it, enjoying the way the firm skin split under her teeth, revealing the sweet, juicy flesh beneath. It had a wonderful crispness to it, and she found herself letting out a little noise of pure delight. "Mmm..." Suddenly the city woman was gone, replaced by a young lady who wanted nothing more than the simplicity of being able to bite into a whole fruit. A bead of apple juice ran from the corner of her mouth down to her chin as Kijani chewed cheerfully. She made sure her mouth was clear before she spoke. 

"Mr. Croil, it's absolutely perfect! Just the right ripeness, sweet and yet just a hint of tart. So crispy! Honestly, the apples we have in the city are nothing so delicious as this." There was a warm grin on her face that was altogether different from the polite smiles she'd worn before.