“To most, I don’t think I really care if I seem a brute,” Ardnt said, shrugging. “Even proving them right in some cases.<i>That </i>rumor is probably true. We like a good fight. A little violence. Gets the blood up. I didn’t redeem myself to him. That wasn’t necessary but I did humble him a bit and he needed that. Wouldn’t have said something like that to me if not for thinking he was safe with me contained,<i>gentle</i>so far. It would have been them thinking they could get away with something else next. Better to keep men like that on their toes. Wary. I didn’t know if you were really coming for me or not.” Ardnt paused. “No offense.” It didn’t matter much, Luitwin was right, but it had given Ardnt a small bit of pleasure in a place that provided very little of it. He knew better than to admit it like that considering he had just arrived, meaning to better himself. Ardnt just didn’t see anything wrong with setting someone straight who was willing to step up to him.<br/><br/>Ardnt was led to a room set aside for bathing, empty for the time being.<br/><br/>“No, they didn’t. I’ve never seen people bathe so much since coming here. In Alriah it’s not wise to encourage a chill, especially during the winter. Noble families slip into cozy washbasins beside their fire, buckets carried up by their army of servants. The common people just sponge themselves off when they think they can tolerate it.” It was harder work. Sure, living in Herzland as long as he had he had gotten used to it to some degree.<br/><br/>He made a face at the idea of wearing Herzen robes, preferring trousers. He didn’t protest though, just started to undress before Luitwin had really finished. No reason to keep the abbot waiting for more than was necessary. He was sitting on the edge of the steps when the monk returned.<br/><br/>“You don’t get hot in so many layers?” Ardnt asked seeing the stack of fabric Luitwin had brought in. The weather there still got cold but not nearly as bad as he remembered Alriah. He was pretty sure his blood ran thicker than most because he was always the first to get hot. Luitwin came to him, stepping into the water. Ardnt thought little of it, letting the man look his stitches over, absent him hardly anytime at all before he’d gotten restless and disturbed them.<br/><br/>“It’ll be fine. My body has seen much worse. Though, never jailhouse sickness, soo..” Ardnt was smiling, teasing again. He didn’t think it mattered. Luitwin proceeded to chide him.<br/><br/>“He must not have been trying hard enough then.”<br/><br/>Ardnt sighed as Luitwin brought up their last issue in the bath. He’d been careful to keep his gaze away from the man this time, worried his mind might wander again. Thankful his lower half didn’t need tending because certainly there would be no help for it if it did. A natural reaction. Nothing personal. They’d been over this and Ardnt was making an effort to keep the little man out of his thoughts.<br/><br/>“I’ll be thorough so you don’t have to be, rest assured.” Making the monk uncomfortable again was not high on his list of things he wanted to accomplish that say. He took the sponge and went further into the water, taking Luitwin’s suggestion to wade as he scrubbed the grime from his body and washed his hair.<br/><br/>“Not until it’s dry at the very least. You’ll be sending me back to the bath if you tie it together with it still wet.” Thick hair like his would sour, unable to dry, something he cared for even less than tangles. He left his curls natural anyway. Too much brushing and he looked even more unkempt, which Luitwin would find out if he kept attempting to groom him. Ardnt’s eyes followed Luitwin as he walked away, to add more layers back onto himself. He was thankful Luitwin had found him something that didn’t cling in the way whatever it had been the monk had put on. It would have looked ridiculous on him, though for whatever reason on Luitwin it seemed to suit him.<br/><br/>“I don’t think I’ve known too many folks used to that sort of legwear,” Ardnt said, snorting. Once clean he got out to shake his hands through his hair with his hands, the extent of the brushing he usually underwent. He got out, dried, and started to get dressed. He wasn’t so experienced with their styles of clothing beyond simple trousers and stared when he got to the robe. He figured Luitwin could guess he’d never worn one before.