Ardnt thought about whether or not he’d<i>behave</i>when the time came. Likely, it depended on what sort of opportunity presented itself. He’d be stupid not to seize the moment if something fell into place for him, though he couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t take extra precaution with him not exactly pretending innocence. He was large and imposing enough that alone would tip them off. If he was small and sweet looking like Luitwin he’d stand a better chance.<br/><br/>He saw very little of Luitwin the next day, busy in other ways as they neared the shore. Everyone was. It filled Ardnt with unease, his future so uncertain, while the moods of others only seemed to improve. He himself had very little to do except to contemplate his own future, or lack of if Luitwin decided he didn’t wish to or simply couldn’t offer him any sort of sanctuary. Not that he really deserved it though probably not for the crime they would have against him. He wondered what his ex-business partner might do now that he’d be returning, and publicly. He would have known it an unlikely possibility but one nonetheless. His only consolation would be that he had enough dirt on Ardnt to see him hang thirty times over. Ardnt would be stupid to spill his name in any sort of incriminating way.<br/><br/>Ardnt knew had very few choices left to him. Run, but only if he could get away cleanly, or trust Luitwin in that springing him was within his realm of capabilities. If he ran he would have a hard time even finding a place to go and that wasn’t even factoring in the struggle it would take to get there. Luitwin had not returned his knife for obvious reasons and Ardnt hadn’t been able to liberate him of it. Turned over for evidence against him maybe which would be able to be tied back to whom it belonged to. Another thing to factor in.<br/><br/>Luitwin came to him to take him in one last prayer and he probably should have told him more. Asked him how best to proceed. If he was turning over the knife or not, but in the suddenness of all of it coming to a head fast, he realized he’d missed his chance to discuss it on their last easy walk together. There was no reason to believe Luitwin would be anything but honest in his regard. Withholding evidence seemed unlikely. Even more unlikely should Ardnt ask it directly of him<br/><br/>When it came down to it they were simply too careful for Ardnt to take the chance on trying to make an escape. No one approached him with that easy, certain air that Luitwin carried himself with. Ardnt didn’t know why he expected it. Most took one look at him and were wary. For a long list of reasons. Ardnt was quiet, watchful. This made the soldiers more tense because they couldn’t seem to predict him and were waiting for his worst. It didn’t matter that they’d been told he hadn't caused trouble on the ship. They were defensive, and so were the guards when he’d been turned over to that small jailhouse on the coast.<br/><br/>It wouldn’t be difficult to connect him to the scene of the crime given his location and the evidence his old friend might offer against him. Or Luitwin. To make this easier for all of them Ardnt simply confessed to that murder, nothing more and nothing less. When asked if he felt remorse for what he’d done he told them that he did. Probably the answer most criminals might gave, but for Ardnt he was counting on that to help convince them to turn him over to Luitwin should he still be willing to have him.<br/><br/>Some of the guards were the type that felt more secure in their own skin by making criminals, especially criminals like Ardnt, feel beneath them. Despite wishing to have enjoyed his<i>vacation</i>peacefully there was only so much he could tolerate. He was feeling tetchy anyway, and no amount of calisthenics within his holding cell seemed to take the edge off.<br/><br/>One guard in particular enjoyed teasing Ardnt about what other sorts of activities a man like him enjoyed in his free time. For the most part, it received no rise from Ardnt, at least until he accused him of being one of those<i>Alrian child fuckers</i>. There were many things Ardnt would stand to be called. That was not one of them. For all the insults Ardnt hardly even glanced over. The guard had stopped keeping aware of the spacing between them and didn’t see it coming when Ardnt lashed out, much quicker than a man of his size should have been capable of. He pulled the man flush against the bars and found his hands around his throat. He thrashed, something that excited that predatory side of Ardnt that he'd tried to lull into dormancy.<br/><br/>“Not children,” he whispered, leaned in close against the bar separating their cheeks. “But a man like you. Now, that’s more suited to my tastes.” He gave the fellow a proper fright, waited until his chest was constricting violently and panic had enough time to really settle, but then he let him go. Offered false remorse. Claimed that without the proper guidance of the man on that ship he lost himself to it just for that moment.<br/><br/>The story was told to Luitwin when he arrived and how they felt it was by his guidance that Ardnt had let the guard go. He suffered only bruises around his throat, a sight that in truth pleased Ardnt. A decision that might have earned him a few bruises of his own had he remained long enough for an insecure man to exact his revenge.<br/><br/>“Would have only been a matter of time,” he said, smiling upon seeing Luitwin. He hadn’t been so certain he’d come for him though he’d hoped he’d at least come to say a goodbye if he found he couldn’t help. Ardnt walked forward, leaning against the iron casually. The guards were on edge, worried for Luitwin given Ardnt’s volatile behavior. Not everyone was in favor of this arrangement, of course, but who were they to argue in a country where the church seemed to have the final say in all things?