“A man can hope, right?” Ardnt said with a grin. “But of course, a joke. I have no desire to try and tempt you into anything.” There was no incentive to do so either as far as Ardnt knew. The man was devout, pure, and likely evolved into a mindset he had no way of ever reaching. That really was his best chance. If Alriah wouldn't do worse he'd try to go back somehow. The only thing he could use, the only reason they'd protest his execution in Herzland was so that they could do it themselves. Maybe something he could use to stall for time if Luitwin couldn't do anything for him.<br/><br/>“Alriah worships the same god. I'm just wondering how we got it all so wrong, apparently.” There was still a great deal Ardnt was hiding and his crass words were used to distract from some of it. He didn't want certain questions asked and part of it was in defense of his real guilt over some of the acts he'd committed. It wasn't doing him any good though and he could tell Luitwin was getting a little irritated by him, even if he was being mostly compliant.<br/><br/>“I don't particularly want to die,” he said, responding to the question of him running. “But no, it's not that I want to go back to any of my previous lives. I don't miss it.” Even if he did the mountains wouldn't have him back.<br/><br/>“My crimes will be public knowledge in Herzland. It will say murder. Other things too, some of which may or may not be true. He might paint me as more of a brute than I really am. I know who they'll believe. You said so yourself. This is why I told you. Should I have lied? He thrust his pretty little knife at me and, oh, how I tried to stop him. Me, a man of my size, my training, unable to do what I was trained to do.” He wouldn't have believed him for a second, and neither would a jury if they ever bothered to try him. He wouldn't get one in Alriah. Mostly, he was admitting what he knew would be public knowledge and only the things he had no hope of defending.<br/><br/>“I don't want a shave,” Ardnt decided. “I don't care about the rest. If it would make you happier to groom me into something more civilized, go ahead. It won't work, I know that for certain. I might be able to change myself in some ways but I'll look no less imposing than I do now.” He paused. “Later though. I think I need more time to.. reflect on my situation, as you call it.” He needed a drink or something to take the edge off. Pain was making him a little more irritable than he intended, that or it was just the way the monk was speaking to him. He couldn't quite tell.<br/><br/>“You'll come find me later, yeah? And we'll see if I'm more committed. Since you don't want me wandering.” He'd stood up, eyeing the man from a standing position, almost as if he was trying to gauge a threat, yet Luitwin wasn't. Not any sort of threat he'd encountered before anyway. Just offering to retract assistance if Ardnt wasn't a little more careful. Was he ready to truly repent? Was there any real choice?<br/><br/>Ardnt returned to the room he was being kept in, happy enough to plop himself back down on the mattress, left to his thoughts once more. When Luitwin returned later he had adjusted his attitude marginally towards the situation.<br/><br/>“I'll quit being an ass. Where do we start?”