She had not accepted his hand in forgiveness, that much was clear. Even on a day where he was not otherwise preoccupied, Conall was not the sort of man to waste time and effort prostrating himself on a stranger’s behalf, whether or not that stranger was a well-to-do lady who expect such things of the world. She had had trouble enough getting back to her feet even with his help, however, and Conall might have gotten around to offering a succinct apology, if she had not already progressed to seething at him.
And he had not seen something that alarmed him. Some six foot scaled something, using her brief contact with the floor to find opportunity to begin twisting itself up around her, and one of its three heads now nosing curiously about her neck.
Do you make a habit of assaulting young ladies in the street!, she was busy exclaiming. “Not me, ma’am,” Conall said sharply, the emphasis a warning - as discreet a warning as he could make it without explaining the bloody great snake to her outright; the Runespoor had been attracted to the colourful pattern on her clothes, no doubt, but if she took it upon herself to screech again, it may well begin to get annoyed by her. And then things would get much worse.
The maid was warning her mistress a little more shrilly, but Conall held up the palm of his hand in an attempt to quiet them both, hoping against hope that they would understand the meaning of it and not merely be offended by the rudeness. “I’d stay still if I were you,” he muttered roughly, hoping she stay frozen and not glance down at what was moving on her in case she made this worse than it had to be. He moved his hand nearer to her neck, not entirely convinced whether the woman or the creature would be the less affronted by the action.
And he had not seen something that alarmed him. Some six foot scaled something, using her brief contact with the floor to find opportunity to begin twisting itself up around her, and one of its three heads now nosing curiously about her neck.
Do you make a habit of assaulting young ladies in the street!, she was busy exclaiming. “Not me, ma’am,” Conall said sharply, the emphasis a warning - as discreet a warning as he could make it without explaining the bloody great snake to her outright; the Runespoor had been attracted to the colourful pattern on her clothes, no doubt, but if she took it upon herself to screech again, it may well begin to get annoyed by her. And then things would get much worse.
The maid was warning her mistress a little more shrilly, but Conall held up the palm of his hand in an attempt to quiet them both, hoping against hope that they would understand the meaning of it and not merely be offended by the rudeness. “I’d stay still if I were you,” he muttered roughly, hoping she stay frozen and not glance down at what was moving on her in case she made this worse than it had to be. He moved his hand nearer to her neck, not entirely convinced whether the woman or the creature would be the less affronted by the action.
