Ardnt followed Luitwin out in that easy way of his, bound until the monk nodded for the guards to proceed. Officially handed over to Luitwin, he was no longer their responsibility and so he could take whatever risks that he wanted. Ardnt wasn’t stupid though. Running was something he’d considered but he was in no real rush to get away from Luitwin. The promise of death didn’t loom over him and the list of places for him to go was getting mighty short.<br/><br/>“Probably,” Ardnt said, agreeable to a bath if Luitwin felt he was too filthy to be presentable. He wasn’t worried about the abbot either. He knew how to act civil when it suited him and it didn’t make sense to spit in the face of the person that had agreed to allow Luitwin to remove him from his prison cell.<br/><br/>“I don’t think I’ll drop to my hands and knees and ask to kiss his feet but you probably don’t have anything to worry about. I understand when a man has done me a favor.” He meant that for Luitwin was well, acknowledging that he understood, grateful in his own way, just not outwardly showing it. The trip wherever they were going was peaceful. Ardnt was just glad for the fresh air again, and of course finding himself on dry land. He hadn’t had an opportunity to appreciate that from his prison cell. He was a bit surprised to hear that he’d be able to roam. He thought Luitwin would have him on some sort of containment, at least for a little while. Ardnt, as always, was glad to be able to stretch. The conditions in his cell did no good for his mature body and he had aches that would take a few days to shake completely. He’d irritated his stitches as well, something he’d hardly even given thought to.<br/><br/>He listened to Luitwin prattle on about their rules when it came to taking a meal, nodding. Then he informed Ardnt where he’d be staying though perhaps not for much longer. He didn’t really care where he slept. Being alive was a start and being able to move around as he wished was a vast improvement.<br/><br/>“A glimpse of imprisonment has made me appreciate slight freedoms,” Ardnt said with a snort and a laugh. He was not about to start listing complaints. “I’ll avoid the foul-tempered ones. Fighting old or dying men won’t really earn me much in way of merit.”<br/><br/>Luitwin showed him out to the garden with a hand on his arm, giving him options if there was anything he wanted to do before meeting this abbot.<br/><br/>“A bath if I’m to leave any good sort of impression. Herzens already think little of Alrians. Don’t need to feed into it by looking like a filthy brute.” He’d heard enough about it by the new friends he’d made during his detainment. Luitwin then asked what it had been that caused Ardnt to attack one of the guards. Anger passed over his expression as he remembered why he’d done it.<br/><br/>“He accused me of having sexual relations with a child. That’s a crime I’ve never committed. Didn’t want him to think a non-reaction was an admission of guilt so I cleared that up. I let him go. I had him and he knew it.” He turned his hands face up, looked down at them as if he understood exactly what they were capable of. “I didn’t have to, but it was never my intention to choke the life out of him. Just make him understand his mistake. He got too comfortable and was standing too close, choosing his words poorly. No fault but his own for getting into a situation he couldn’t handle.” Ardnt rolled his shoulders as if to expel the irritation. He didn’t think he was guilty for that one, not really. Men fought. It was what they did, and some men needed to be reminded that they weren’t untouchable.<br/><br/>“Alrians don’t, you know. Whatever is said about us.. maybe a lot of it is true but that isn’t.”