Gone with the fire *Flashback thread (Euric, Mila)

[Euric Qi Britannia]

//Happened some year prior, the fall before present time of the RP//

The sky was blue and bright, the sun was shining through the leaves, small birds were still chirping amongst the tree branches and overall, the air was fresh and moist to be breathed. The fresh odor of a forest already having dressed itself by the colors of an early fall. The mount Fuji shining above the forest and horizon far in the south.
The typical stereotype of a perfect weather, a perfect autumnal day, yes, almost like a dream or some cliché fairy tale - fortunately sans fairies, singing squirrels or such around, heaven forbid. But nonetheless the whole moment was a miracle, a pure, utter miracle, at least for the one who was riding peacefully deep among the trees.

Euric took in a deep breath and a delightful smile spreading across his face, he gave a slight knock with his boots at the sides of his horse as a sign for the mare to move on. Not that he was any of the stereotype of the 'Prince Charming on his white horse', though - his mare was a bay at color, meaning it was chestnut in general, with its mane, tail, legs, and ears being black. Not a single hair of its body was white. Nor was Euric looking like a prince to begin with - well, not that that was unusual in any way when he got the chance to dress up more like he preferred to - this time, of course, it's main point to be comfortable for traveling and warm to keep of the cool fall weather. What he wore was a chestnut high neck sweater and a moss greenish scarf under a warm brown coat. His moss green trouser were tugged into black, knee high boots, which weren't exactly meant for riding but were as good as any riding boots, plus, they were more comfortable for the foot and suitable also for hiking. Regardless of what he wore, though, there was always his sword to give out he probably was something a bit more than just an average by-passer - the long sword which this time was attached safely to the left side of his saddle for it to be easily at hand in case he would need it while also handling the horse. Ah well, the sword was the one thing he never parted without. He snorted.

What was this, the First Prince of the Imperial Family just riding, with (at least seemingly) no worries at all and in all harmony in the middle of once Japanese, but nonetheless fresh and wild woods? It could've been at least described unbelievable, though at that time not yet the thing utmost impossible. But it still wasn't a leisure he got too often.

A week off for him. And Euric would enjoy it to the fullest by taking off on horseback to do a trip in the nature of the Area 11 - which was not yet trusted under his fair rule but if the rumors where to be true, it was to be so - one day, soon enough. Sure he had thought to do a tour through different towns and cities at first to get to know the land better. But on the other hand it sounded like work and would definitely be related to it with at least some colony of body guards accompanying him around the clock, and such wouldn't be that refreshing for the one who liked to wonder all alone in the nature, now would it?
Euric had of course seriously debated between this trip and visiting his family, but then - how often did he get a chance like this? So. He made a compromise with himself. He'd stay on his own for a couple of days, then go home to mainland and pay a visit also to the capital to greet his siblings. But for now, no thought for such. It was just him, the forest and the horse. He rode forward, the mare keeping its pace slow and peaceful enough, and Euric could but adore and admire the landscape spreading around him as the horse continued walking.

No work here. No busy people and those demanding everything, all the time and now. And most of all, no smile and nod. O-ho-ho, it is just too good to be perfect. Yet, what could make it not to be? And such a feeling, having got rid of it all - even for such a short period as a week, didn't matter though - it was as refreshing that the prince practically felt himself like he had born anew. He hadn't had such a sensation of pure relaxation and laxness in a while, so it felt just so good even he found no words to describe it. Such a feeling.
And the freedom. With no single human soul around- He was free to do whatever he wished for. Most likely the First Prince would have reverted into a careless boy from before, who would climb into trees, fall off of some cliff he would have tried to conquer, chase squirrels whether they sang or not, and gaze at the clouds for hours - just because he could. Another deep, deep breath of utmost joy. Euric could've bet his head for it that he had not felt like this since he had tricked the guards with something as simple as marbles and escaped from his first etiquette lesson - so nostalgic (in it's own way, anyway), so perfect, so... No exact words for that feeling either. At least he knew that he felt good from the bottom of his heart. The simple feeling of being free. A free being. And that was what mattered.

And so the day passed. By the afternoon, Euric had found a field in which he had took the opportunity to gallop full ahead. Around the small grassland they went, the mare enjoying the chance to get to just ran all it wanted, and Euric enjoying its speed and the wind, which blew through his hair and messed it completely - like he would have cared. Poor owner of the field, who would find the deep marks of hooves and big lumps of grass all kicked up from the ground. After the outburst of speed the grassland also served a s a perfect place to take a break, as the horse was more than happy to get to eat fresh grass instead of the stable's dry hay.
After the break it was time to continue the trip. And so the first day of his freedom went on and finally began to fade away with dusk. And yes, he had also already climbed to a big, old tree he had found, and had giggled in sensation like a little boy when he had just sad sat up there, surrounded with branches like a bird nestling in its nest.
Now, as the sun was setting and the first stars were making themselves visible from the depths of he darkening blue sky, Euric had settled for the night. The camp was under small cliff and a huge tree - a place hidden enough from anyone or anything to spot him too easily, but also to keep him at least somewhat dry if it would happen to rain during the night. Like he would want to get all wet and waste all his holiday by becoming sick. He had made up a small fire and was now sitting next to it, his back leaning against the warm side of the mare which had settled to lay down behind him. Curling up inside a blanket, a happy smile curved his lips. Only a day away from everything and everyone, and he felt himself like a different person. Like no Prince Euric had never existed, but instead just this man inside the blanket, and his horse and the forest. He sighed. The horse gave out a small voice, but he reached his hand to scratch its snout.

The next morning arose as bright and beautiful as the previous one - though a bit chilly - and after packing up his little belongings it was again time for the First Prince to continue his wandering. The morning he rode peacefully, observing his surroundings, the beautiful nature as there now constantly small hills rising from the earth and offering him quite the views. As Euric paid attention to his surroundings in such a wide scale as he did, things closer to him did not achieve to get his attention that greatly anymore. As Euric was used to wondering in the woods on foot, and was an experienced rider, he had not had a chance to go hike on horseback like this that often - and for that regard, his mind was focused on wrong things for the moment. Too little attention he paid for his surroundings in his vicinity, too much at subjects further away from him. He had rode up a small hill, so now, the scenery around him was even more quite well visible and astounding - and while he was just dazed by the scenery and let his mare to lead the way, the mare was not that used to such hikes - and by a sheer mistake, went a little too close to a low groove at the other side of the hill. Such a s the horse was, it stumbled. And what could have become of a prince riding the horse who just happened to stumbled?

At one point, Euric was enjoying the scene of nature around him. The other, he fell. The horse gave out a loud neigh as it tottered at the bank of the hill but fortunately it did not fall. But as Euric was not paying any attention the the groove, he fell. The nature around there was beatyful - young birches grew around and on the hill - but that nice they were not anymore when the First Prince fell through their branches, hitting his head to on of them and finally landed on the (most fortunately) ground full of flourishing flora at the bottom of the groove. The horse on top of the hill neighed once more, frightened by the sudden disappearance of its rider, its dear master.

For Euric, at first it was bright, green, blue and red for him, all in one in a continuous blur - he really had no time to realize what had happened, except a clinging though that it had been too long since he had rode a horse last - too long indeed, as he wasn't sitting on the horse this time anymore either. But then suddenly, with one knock of a pine branch on the way down the hill, those colors changed. What he now saw - or more likely what his eyes just barely realized - was silvery glimmer, something resembling stars on a gray background. Or that snowstorm effect of old TVs when they broke up. Then everything went dark, all the grey glimmer and possible color still whirling around his field of vision. All of this took like All the colors, all of them, accompanied with a small voice of 'thud', changed into just one color which some do not even regard to be a color.

But for him it sure was - especially when it was the only he saw before passing out.

Black.

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

Mila was on her way to the town with her horse and was enjoying herself. She had no saddle but a blanket between her and her mare's back. It was comfortable and nice. This day had been very quiet and peaceful, no surprises. No wounded animals that would have forced her to go back home with them and nurse them healthy. Then she wouldn't have had to go to the town. Still she needed to go there. But she didn't like it. Mila would have loved the idea of some human company right now, but whole town full of them? No thanks. Besides Siru, her mare, would still have to stay in the woods and go home when she was visiting the town.

It wasn't that much of a surprise when she heard a noise and some bird voices, but the neigh was little surprising. The woman stopped her horse. How on earth would here, in the middle of nowhere, be a horse? And if here was a horse, then it would mean that... here would be a human, too. Well... The neigh didn't stop immediately and after a while, when silence had taken its place, Mila decided to go and look what had happened. Siru made a little fuss. She was excited from the other horse but after Mila had spoken to her few little words she settled down. Ohkay. There was a hill and on the top of that was a horse. And what a fine horse it was. Beautiful. And frightened and nervous. Mila slid to the grown and told her mare to stay there.
"Pysy siinä, odota."(1)
It took a while to go to the horse, who was a mare too, but Mila didn't care about it. This beautiful animal was upset and without a rider. Where was that person? For now Mila concentrated on the horse and didn't think anything else. She started to speak with soft voice, mixing English and Finnish, moved slowly and stayed calm. The horse was still nervous but this female made her feel more comfortable but it seemed that the mare was still worrying.
"Where's your rider, beautiful one? Hus now. Nice girl. Come here. I won't do anything bad for you. Come here and let's see together where your rider went. There there. Fine girl, beautiful girl."
Slowly the mare stopped fussing around and came to the red haired woman. The mare sniffed her and then she neighed and turned her head. That was the moment when Mila noticed something on the ground that wasn't plant or anything that would normally be there. It was a man. For a moment she spaced out and then, without taking the strange mare with her, she started to go down. Okay. It was a strange man with a strange horse yeah. And he didn't move so most likely everything wasn't fine, but... She didn't know him for sure.
"Excuse me? You don't seem to be well, eh?"
There was couple of meters left and when she didn't get any answer she went right to her knees and touched the mans face. He was breathing but had some scratches all over his body.
"Sitä ollaan sitte tajuttomia... hienoa. No ainakaan ei tarvitse mennä kaupunkiin tänään."(2)
Well this gave her a reason not go to the town, but she didn't like the idea of having a stranger at her house. Mila whistled and her mare came to her and when the strange mare saw anothet horse she too almost ran under the hill. They looked at each other and Mila noticed that they would come along very well. Then she turned to the unconscious man and wondered. He looked very familiar... Well she could have seen him in the town, but normally she didn't pay any attention to humans she didn't know. But this one made her feel little disturbed. Oh well.
"Oh well. Up we go." 
Mila grabbed the man and put him on her mares back. Siru was little confused from this odd situation but she didn't mind it for so long when Mila was the one doing this.
"Come beautiful one. Come with us. I don't want to leave you alone here. Voi pientä. Eksyisit varmasti heti jos jäisit tänne. Tulehan kultaseni. Viedään tämä... heppu kotiin."(3)
They walked slowly to the cottage and all the way she couldn't help the feeling that she should have known this man. Maybe he was just one of the shopkeepers in town or maybe some art-dude from galleries or... nah. Never mind. In the end it didn't really matter and Mila let that thought escape from her head.
Luna ran to her and whined, she was really excited because her loving mother-thing had come home earlier than usually. But when the fox saw a man in Siru's back she stoned and stared brown eyes nearly dropping from her head. Luna had known just one human in her short life who wasn't her dear owner and that person was some other red-headed woman who was Mila's friend. She stayed back and finally went back under the cottage whimpering. Mila shook her head and smiled to her little bumper. She took the man and dragged him to her bed. It was possible for someone who was used to do everything and had strong body, but sill she was a woman. Stranger didn't do this easy for her since he was unconscious and heavy.
"No johan nyt on... ja siihen uppistakeikkaa. Nonnih. Nyt pysy siinä nätisti pojuseni niin huollan kauniin hevosesi."(4)
Mila went back to the yard and took everything the beautiful mare had on her. Saddle and all the other stuff found their place from storage and while carrying the saddle, Mila noticed the sword. It was very good and very beautiful sword. It must've been very expensive. Fingers touched it and for some reason to be unknown woman took it and put it somewhere where the stranger couldn't find it. And what did you want to do that sword? Mila kept asking herself while going back to the cottage. Hand rose and for a little while she just kept it on the wooden door. I don't know. I surely don't know. But I do want to know how this man came to these woods. She took a little breath and stepped indoors. Room was little dim and she could only see the figure of the man and hear his breathing almost without a sound. Woman took her brown jacket off and put it on the chair.
"Mistähän sinäkin tupsahdit..."(5)
Mila took man's clothes away and put a clean shirt on him. At least she didn't touch his panties. She had the ability to not see things she didn't want to or things she wasn't supposed to see. She could hear Luna going under the cottage and whining 'cause she didn't dare to come inside and she wanted to. After this operation woman cleaned his wounds and put a blanket on him. He could be unconcious for hours or days so maybe it would be better if she'd stay awake. Leaving the strange man sleeping on her bed the red-haired woman started to do things around but still kepting an eye on man.
"Vaeltelija."(6)

***
Translations:
(1)"Stay there, wait."
(2)"There we are then, unconscious and all... nice. Well, at least I don't have to go to the town today."
(3)" -- You poor little one. You would most certainly be all lost if you'd stay here. Come now, darling. Let's take this... dude home."
(4)"Oh gosh... and there you go. There. Now stay there nice and put, my boy, I'll go take care of your beautiful horse."
(5)"And from where on earth did you came from..."
(6)"Wanderer."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

The blur of colors. The darkness. Everything melting away and the coming back together again. Dreams - good dreams, bad dreams, sweet ones and nightmares. Soft colors. Brown. Orange. Yellow. Light, yet dim - fire crackling somewhere near. Pillows. A blanket. Warmth. Walls. Wood. A... cottage?
Wha..?

Euric tried slowly opening his eyes, but was pretty much forced to close them right away. Even though the room he was in was quite dimly lit, the first experience of the light still felt like someone would have pointed with a flashlight or something similar right to his eyes. Even the dim felt far too bright. His head hurt, he felt a bit nauseous. Not a word about something related to moving. So, he decided to sleep a bit more.

Time passed again, dreams came and went - he didn't know for how long he slept. But the next time he woke up there were bad news and good news waiting for him.
The bad news, in a way, was that when he tried to observe his surroundings anew, the light was even brighter. It had probably been during night time he last woke up, and now - considering the amount of light this time coming from the window he saw at the other end of the room - the time of the day was somewhere in the middle of the day. Or then someone had one heck of a twisted idea of his garden lightened up well.
But, the good news was, the light wasn't all that unbearable to him anymore. Sure he still felt weak and would not consider moving too much even in the bed for the sake of the certain iffy feeling in his stomach, but he could open his eyes and wake up - well, as properly as one can after having slept x amount of days, who knows for how long - and look around the room without his head trying to explode right away. Though he didn't spend too much time looking around for now - something else had caught his attention, though his vision being yet a bit blurry. Something had appeared to the span of light - which was quite big to be just a window. By the time someone stepped in, he did realize it was actually a door.
But who was the one coming? A friend? A foe?

...Now wait a second. A sudden realization hit the young man's awareness. Did he have any friends, or foes? He... didn't know? The realization could have made him to go through the classic 'Where am I, who am I?? blah blah' jazz for the moment he had left before the unknown person came close enough for him to see his - no, seemed like her - face. But he did not - simply because he had just woke up after all, and was least to say dizzy, not to mention the head ache and all the other pain and crap preventing him to feel good or even normal. His voice was still weak and a crackly for his dry throat, and with it he voiced out the first and only question he was able to, with this state of mind and consciousness, this far.
"Do I... Am I... supposed to know you?"

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

She was getting some water for horses from the pond. She had self-made wooden bucket for it and right now there was a little fox cub sitting in it. It was smirking and panting happily for this little ride. Mila didn't usually carry water for Siru, but for the other horse yeah. She didn't know how used to water it was and she didn't want to rescue such a heavy animal from the water. Brh. Siru kept the other one away from there and kept it safe. Mila didn't worry for the stranger's horse, but she did worry a little of the man. When would he wake? He had been asleep many days now. Sometimes he mumbled something in his dreams, but it didn't make any sense to her. He still seemed familiar but she had just ignored that feeling anyway.
”No niin, hyppää pois. Hushus.”(1)
Luna jumped out of the bucket and ran after something which seemed to be butterfly or some kind of other insect. The woman filled the bucket and smiled. It would be nice to just jump in to the water and swim. But not now. She had things to do and she was hoping that the wanderer had awoken.
”Ihme vaeltelijoita täälläkin on. Luna? Minä menen ylös nyt. Tule perässä joskus.”(2)
Luna had something else on her little mind. She was hunting a dragonfly. The woman turned and went up to the little hill. Siru and the other horse came to her and the other was thirsty.
”No niin tyttöseni. Kyllä sinä vettä saat ilman, että tunget pääsi kainalooni ja sitä kautta ämpäriin.”(3)
She held the bucket for some time and let the two mares drink. But as usually, her hands saterted to feel pain and she laid the bucket on the ground. She scratched the horses for some time and looked at the cottage. He could be awaken by now. Wouldn't he? She had felt herself a little uncomfortable at times, but she knew that she couldn't have left the man in the forest alone. Especially with an agitated horse...
”Pitäisi varmaan mennä katsomaan... Katso ystäväsi perään Siru. Kaunis kultaseni.”(4)
Mila started slowly walk towards the cottage. She kinda wanted to go in, and kinda did not. She didn't know him and that was a reason enough not to be involved in this thing. What if he had woke up? And wanted to know her name? Her father had always said, that if you don't know can you trust someone, use another name. Don't give your name to them or it can be turned against you. Well, then she'd just give another name. Mila had never said her other name to anyone, except to one friend, so she could use it until she would know could she could trust this strange man. Before she was at the door, Luna came and ran past her. The fox had the dragonfly in her mouth so she was very proud and excited. Smile rised on the womans face and stayed there, but it became a little smaller since she didn't know what was waiting indoors. She stepped in and saw the man. He hadn't drank in many days so he must have been thursty. She took a glass of water with her and carefully set herself on the bed. Now she saw that man was awake. She kept her face and stayed calm. Funny way of asking this matter, but it was okay.
”Löysin sinut metsästä. Juo nyt, olet varmasti janoinen.”(5)
She saw that he didn't understand her, but it didn't matter now. Carefully she helped the man to drink little sips of the water and held his head. The woman's hands were hardened in some places, but otherwise they were warm and soft. Her fingers were elegant and they had the scent of wood in them.
”There.”
She helped the man to lay his head on the pillow again and put the glass on the chair next to the bed. Warm daylight made her hair glow in many colours of fire and made soft shades on her face. Green shirt just made the red colour stronger and made her brown eyes darker. Her whole being was colours and shadows in the dim cottage. She smiled a little and tried the mans forehead. No fever, good.
”No, I'm afraid not. I found you from the woods and took you and your horse with me. You had fallen.”
She didn't introduce herself yet. She would like to hear something from this man first and especially if he did remember anything or not. She wasn't quite sure what would she like to hear for an aswer on that question. Well, we'll see.

**
(1)”Okay, off you jump. Shoo.”
(2)”Some strange wanderers going around here, too. Luna? I'm going up now. Come along sometime.”
(3)”There there, my girl. You do get water without tugging your head to my armpit and that way to the bucket.”
(4)”I should probably go check... Look after your friend Siru. My beautiful dear.”
(5)”I found you from the woods. Drink now, you must be thirsty.”

[Euric Qi Britannia]

Of her first answer to him he couldn't understand a word of whatever she told him, but judging from her appearance and the way she spoke or moved, at least she did not appear to be a threat of any kind. The man gladly accepted the water she offered to him - though be she a threat or not, that he would have done anyway - and let her help himself in drinking it. Not that he really had much choice anyway, feeble and dizzy as he was. The first sip of water made him cough, but tried not to haste thought how much he longed for the liquid to soothe his throat. Her lifting his head did cause him to grimace slightly as sudden, but not unbearably sharp pain struck his back neck muscles.
But as gently as she did her deed and laid him back down, by the time she lowered the glass and put it away Euric was pretty sure that even a thought of needing to be cautious around her was wrong of him. Though something at the back of his head kept telling him to keep his guard. Maybe it was just his nature, then. To think why he would otherwise think so, would be of no use - while she kept going on with checking his temperature and whatnot, his mind had already began to process the sudden loss of every memory of his this far.
”No, I'm afraid not. I found you from the woods and took you and your horse with me. You had fallen.” She spoke then anew, now giving him an answer with a language he did recognize familiar to his ears, something he actually understood. Now, that should tell him something, shouldn't it?

When he thought of it, he wasn't even sure what his name was, albeit he had a fair feeling it did begin with 'E'. How so, a déja vu or what, didn't occure to him - nor mattered that much either. But it was something for him to hang on to, at least. He would have to have something to answer to her when she would ask for a name - of course she would, wouldn't she? Maybe his mouth would know, what his brains did not, in this case. Or he could hope so.
Apparently now, she had stopped her doing and just stood there, like waiting. Slowly Euric turned to give a new gaze at her direction. She had told him that she, too, didn't know him - so not many leads at that end either.
But all of these thoughts going through his head, Euric didn't know if he should have been surprised or not when all of it just passed his mind so peacefully. The pain and dizziness on the other hand were probably quite efficient in their ways to make him concentrate quite much on other things than panicking, probably so. He had fallen, she had said. Figured.

She didn't say another word. Maybe it was time for him to continue with words.
"Thank you...for the water." He tried his voice. Good. At least his throat did not hurt anymore - 'water, the oldest of medicin' or however went the proverb.
"...and not to forget... for everything. A fallen one from the woods wouldn't probably live right now without your help. Thank you." His thoughts crossing the time still unknown to him spent at her place, his face adopted a bit of an apologizing and embarrassed expression.
"And I do hope... For the time I've been here, I hope by all means that I haven't been too much of a trouble for you, miss."

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

This wasn't the first time for Mila to help someone who was sick or injured. Most of the others had been animals, but she had nursed her mother and father when these had been in fever. She saw that this one was in pain, probably from the falling. well it was quite obviously, wasn't it? Sometimes she didn't think further enough, but hey, you got to have to think many side of things? Or mmaybe she was just little foolish at the moment since this was so weird situation. She did have some painkillers but she wasn't quite sure qould the stranger take them, since they didn't know each others. She felt uncertainty, but still the thought of this man in pain wasn't nice.
He spoked. His voice was low. Mila tryed to look him in the eyes, but she couldn't do it for long so she looked this man all over. But when the stranger spoke more, she realized that she was staring at him, right in to eyes, and couldn't take her eyes of him. He spoked so politely, gracefully, and what was she to him? Merely a stranger who hadn't told her name. Mila had this little voice in her head which said that she should ask his name, but she wasn't quite sure what to do next. This situation was so new, so... weird.
"No worries. This situation is what it is, so don't say 'I'm sorry', okay? You've hurt and telling you the truth, you have been unconscious so you haven't been at trouble."
Womans voice was soft and she spoke like she was speaking to an animal that had been hurt. Trying make other one to believe that she wasn't a threat and this could rest peacefully.
"You can call me Gaila. And what name you give to me doesn't matter. I only want you back in shape. So if you need or want something, just say it."
She didn't ask names. He tells it if he feels like it. Or remembers it. Hopefully he remembers who he is... what would she do if the stranger doesn't know who he is? Well... let's not make any conclusions. And we shall not be hasty. Like usually. Sometimes.
"Does your neck hurt badly? Would you like to have something for it? Or are you hungry?"
Suddenly when she realized how long she had stared the man she got little nervous under the surface and started to ask questions. And then she realized how close to other she was. She was sitting on the bed. Maybe she could try and rise off slowly? She had some soup, maybe stranger would like to have it...

[Euric Qi Britannia]

He accepted her assurance of not having been a bother with a nod. No apologizing, then, if she said so. Though Euric hardly believed that it was possible to be of no trouble to anyone for an unconscious stranger, be the situation whatever, albeit he had no intention to push the matter any further. No, instead he could feel the dizziness slowly taking over him again - hardly being able to keep his eyes open as she finally presented herself to him.
"Gaila..." He repeated, frankly just mumbling, trying his best to make good a mental note of it so that he could remember it also the next time he'd wake up. For her note to just ask if he needed something, he answered with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, miss Gaila - that I shall. Though..." He looked thoughtful for a while.
"...I'm afraid, that I indeed can't give you any name to call me with, not yet, at least..."
He had tried to remember, but besides the letter 'E' spinning in his thoughts, there was no name he couldn't think of. Why so polite all the time? Another thought, though, crossed his mind after he had said the words. Well, his words... just came out like that. Not quite like every Fred and Bob out there would word their sentences. Could he deduce something out of that - was he someone... noble? The thought made a cold chill run up his spine. No. I hope not. He frowned. ...though fortunately, I don't feel like that... Let's say, well educated, eh? Ah well, quite useless to bother his mind at something like that... A play of thoughts it was, nothing more useful to him. Maybe. But then she asked about his neck, which snapped him back to her still being in his presence. Quite distracted he was in his current state, now wasn't he?
"Ahh, I'm alright... or maybe not, but no, thank you, I'll be fine as I am." He put up a simple smile.
"Not really hungry, either, thank you." His head had really started to spin again. Actually, the thought of food made him possibly a bit nauseous rather than hungry. Either way, the dizziness was the winner when it came to him trying to keep his eyes open, and without even realizing it himself, he simply dozed off her still sitting next to him.

***//Some x amount of time (again) later//***

Well, talk about a good sleep. Again he wasn't sure for how long he had slept - or if he had woken up in the middle, he at least had no clue of it. But. His surroundings where yet again bright enough for it to be some not nightly time of the day, and he realized that he got up to sit in his bed as usual, without him having realized himself doing so. Well, the feeling was good - he didn't feel half that bad anymore, unlike the previous time he could remember. Sure, he still felt some bruises aching and whatnot, but overall he felt way better.

It took another while, though, for him to remember where exactly was he and what had happened. He couldn't see his hostess anywhere inside the cottage - but from the looks of it, she hadn't gone out far either. Euric stood there still for a while, just listening and watching his surroundings, but then decided it was time to try and get out of the bed. Pushing the blankets aside, from thought to action. At first try, though, he had to sit back at the bed for he had risen far too fast and it hit his head with a feeling of almost fainting, but after regaining his senses or so he tried anew, as slowly and composedly a he only could. It went better, and soon enough he was standing next to the bed. The wooden floor felt a bit cold, yet comfortably smooth under his bare feet. For he was only wearing something like a cotton tunic-like piece of clothing, he grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped himself inside it. After all, the air, too, felt a bit cool after just having risen from a warm bed. He took some careful steps, feeling a bit weak after such a long rest, but well enough to continue. And so he made his way to the closest window, to see where exactly this cottage could be.

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

"You shall not call me 'miss'. It makes me sound very old. Just Gaila, please."
Like remembering the manners she said her words and smiled a little. This was, and it would be, an awkward situation but still she felt she could be calm and steady. No need to be on her toes and watch over her shoulder. Mila heard yapping and neigh from the yard. Guess her animals were playing with each other. She sat quietly until the stranger fell asleep and stayed there for a while. So polite this man was. And seemed so gentle. Or maybe his weak condition made her let her guard down. Well, she could try one thing. A red-haired head rose and mouth whistled. A fox puppy seemed like it was going to fly. It was so in hurry to come and it panted happily. Yay! was what the little body said.
"Tule rakkaani tule. Tule vain. Noin, hei muru." (1)
She bent down and took Luna on her lap.
"Katsohan mikä tuossa on. Mitä mieltä olet?" (2)
Mila showed the man to Luna. Her little brown eyes were almost as big as plates and its little nose was sniffing. Luna didn't seem to be nervous and yes it was a good thing. Actually Luna just sniffed and hopped on the floor. Like she would have some better things to do on the yard and they had to be done now! Red tail just swung and she was gone. Pretty fast. Brown eyes turned to the sleeping man. She tugged the blanket properly and went to eat herself.
"On tämäkin. Hmh." (3)
There was a little smile on the face, little nervous, but there it was.


***//diu-diu//***


Water was just perfect. Warm yet little chilly. Perfect. She had had couple of thoughts about going to swim now, a stranger in her cottage, but she felt like swimming so no can do. Smoothly the woman with pale skin swam and sometimes floated on water. It was nice. How her whole body felt light. Nothing was heavy. Even her thoughts were somewhere else. This kind of feeling was the one that she had sought for when she started to build her cottage and life here, in the middle of a forest, far way from others... Depending mostly on herself, sometimes this one friend. This was her place.
She wasn't really ready for getting out of the water, but she felt that now would be a good moment. Well, why not? She could always come back if there wasn't anything interesting going on. Mila had built a little platform and there was also her towel waiting for her. She pulled herself with her hands to the platform and sat there. For a while she just looked at the forest in front of her. It was beautiful. So green, so peaceful. So calm. And yet full of life. Eyes closed and Mila let her mind escape this world to there, to peace and calmness. She heard birds, the water, the wind... all her senses were open. Time slid and eyes stayed close for a long time. Then they opened. Pure and bright water and sun made the brown in her eyes look like golden with a brown shade. She started to dry herself but leaving the skin little moist. She had only her green tunic and brown trousers. Her hair was still little wet and water dropped on her shoulders but she didn't mind it. It would dry quickly. She walked slowly to her cottage and opened the door. She wasn't quite ready to the sight and she did froze for few seconds. He was awake. Standing. And that window gave to the lake. Well... maybe he hadn't stood there for long...maybe.
"Huomenta. Oh, I mean, good morning. Okay it's not morning anymore, but still."
She spoke softly and tried not to scare the other. She smiled behind her red hair which was hanging in front of her face little difficulty. Towel was on her shoulders.
"Coffee?"
She had put fire on the fireplace and a coffee pot on the side of the warmest place. There was a nice scent in the air, fresh coffee, and Mila started to take out some cups.
"Are you feeling well enough to come and sit at the table? Food perhaps?"
There she was standing next to the table, a coffee pot in her hand and two cups in the other hand. She was clean and she was feeling fresh and good. Still somewhere in her head there was someone on her toes and and kept her reserved. This man was still a stranger. But she wasn't scared. This man seemed to be kind and clam, so she believed that she should be okay. Weird wanderer.

***
(1) "Come, my dear, come. Now, come here. There, hi you cutiepie."
(2) "Now look at that, there. What do you think?"
(3) "Now this is something. Hmh."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

"Huomenta. Oh, I mean, good morning. Okay it's not morning anymore, but still."
Suddenly hearing another voice, the man snapped out from just staring out of the window. Well, seeing only forest outside and a glimpse of a lake - he hadn't seen the woman swimming, no worries for her about that - nothing much had he gained from it, anyway.
"Oh, g-good morning... I didn't hear you coming, miss." He turned, but a bit more swiftly to his current state - he was still feeling somewhat weak, after all. The move made him to take some support from the wall beside the window, and he stood leaning to it for a while. He watched her to go to the fireplace, and her answered her question about coffee wit a small smile.
"Perhaps I could... try, at least. Coffee - I appreciate the offer, but no, I don't think I could stomach it yet, thank you. I don't know if I can take anything else either, for that matter..." The idea still made him to feel a bit nauseous. After all he had just woken up and risen from the bed first time in days (for all he knew).
"Sitting down, at least, wouldn't probably be too bad an idea." He more muttered to himself than said out loud.

Her taking out the cups and being busy around the stove, he made his way to the table, almost wobbling, and quickly sat down as he reached the first chair he could reach. Well, she had taken out two cups - so, Euric continued:
"I could appreciate a cup of plain water, please, if it's not too much trouble."
His gaze wondering around the small cottage in the meanwhile, he tried to dig up his memory if he could remember something, anything at all. But no - everything remained as blank as it had been this far. The man sighed, deep. Perhaps it would get better in time... If not, he didn't know what he would do. He knew he wouldn't be able to bother this woman longer he would have to... It wouldn't be right if he just were to freeload around. Or at least, he would find a way to somehow make up for everything she had done for him this far - and for what would be on its way still. He would have to - so did he feel. Well, at least probably wasn't just any crude fellow since he had this kind of feeling - but he couldn't prove anything for all he knew. Amnesia, on the other hand, could change everything he could be in reality. Ah well. The most pressing matter on his mind now was the one he mouthed out next in the form of a question.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, miss - respectively - but I'd like to know. How long have I been here, exactly? And where exactly am I?"

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

She had surprised the man. Well, no worries. This was her home so she could come and go just like she wanted. She was still on her toes, carefull for what she should say and not to reveal anything too much.
"Water, yes."
When Mila had her coffee coming she took the other cup and filled it with fresh water which was still little cold. Something to eat. What would her visitor's stomach appreciate... something light? Bread? Porridge? Maybe just water for now. After all she didn't give anything, except water, so that their stomaches wouldn't go nuts. She did some little organization, put milk and fruits on the table, grapes, apples... and finally she took her own cup, filled it with coffee and sat down. Okay. He was sitting opposite me. I should not think anything now. I should... take a sip of coffee every time he asks something so I can think up a clever answer. Or maybe I'm worrying too much. He was talking, formaly, and there comes the questions. This is it now, she had to say something. But first she enjoyed the smell of her coffee and tasted it remembering the milk. She always put little milk in coffee. So little that actually it wouldn't matter if there was any milk or not. But she liked it. And she always took milk after coffee. Just a habit of hers.
"Gaila. Don't say 'miss', it feels... weird. Just Gaila is enough."
She took the milk and put the little drop in her mug. Thinking the clever answer now. But don't think too much. Some people could almost see thoughts. That was a scary thing. Hopefully this man didn't had it as a hobby.
"You've been like two or three days, I'm not so sure. I'm not either sure how long you and your horse had been in the woods. I think not very long, since your wounds were still quite fresh."
The other question was just the question she would like not to answer. It would mean that she had to reveal her location in these woods. And that was the thing she didn't like at all. Mila looked her coffee and took some, rolled it in her mouth and stared at the wooden table.
"I'm not so sure of this exact location, but... in some forest."
Okay this was like she was hiding something. Well doesn't it count that she wanted to keep this place for herself? One friend knew this place but no one else didn't. That was like she wanted it to stay.
"Millähän lailla tämän selittäisi... Eipä mennyt taaskaan mitenkään vaikeaksi. Phuh."(1)
She groped her neck with her left hand and mumbled in her own language without realizing it first.
"Oh sorry, I'm so just to be alone and talk in my own language, so it, well, kinda comes from nowhere."
She drinked some more coffee and tried not to look nervous. This man seemed very kind and gentle person and she felt that she could be in ease. Her brown eyes were dark while exploring the man's face and figure. Healthy, good-looking, quite handsome... wait what? Were did that came from? Erm. Oh well, he _was_ good looking but since when she had checked up men?
"You don't... remember a thing? Your name? Nothing?"
His horse was fine, very fine, wealthy and surely it had been expensive. This matter was something that she didn't know how to react to. Or did not know did she want to know.

***
(1) "How should this be explained... Now isn't this but easy again. Phew."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

Euric accepted the water, thankfully, and taking a sip of it smiled a bit apologetically.
"I'm sorry... Gaila. I'll try to remember that." It felt a bit awkward for him to be calling her with such familiarity as using just her first name right away - but well, if she preferred it that way... Somehow, though, it felt like he'd had this conversation before already. A flashback? Déjà vu? Possibility was, he had woken up before and perhaps changed a few words with her - but he couldn't remember if it was for real or not. Oh well.

As she began to answer to his questions, he waited quiet, the soft scent of coffee almost tending him to ask for a cup too - yet only almost, as his conscious mind reminded him of the still a bit nauseous feeling he had. Ah, his mind was wondering - almost missed what he said. He settled to simply listened, consentrating to her words only - though his mind somewhat observed her all the time even without him actually realizing it. Too bad for her - Euric was one of those to see a bit deeper than people usually preferred to reveal of themselves. Though by no means it was a hobby - more like an instinct, not something he would've always intentionally done.

But, this woman here. Drinking her coffee, deep in her thoughts when she did not speak - it seemed she was considering very carefully what to answer to him. She seemed... evasive. Nervous, even. Could she be hiding something important from him..?
"You've been like two or three days, I'm not so sure. I'm not either sure how long you and your horse had been in the woods. I think not very long, since your wounds were still quite fresh."
Wait, he had a horse?
"I'm not so sure of this exact location, but... in some forest."
With that, she didn't even look at him. Even if Euric had not had the skill of observation, an answer like that was like a canary in a cloud of blackbirds - only too clear to spot out, to see that she was obviously lying, yes, hiding something. What the man did, though, was but to nod for an answer and let it be - if she didn't want to tell him, (yet? he hoped, though) he wouldn't push it, not now at least. Though now, he realized he had perhaps been just staring at her even too intensively without realizing it, let alone doing it already for some while now, so he shifted his eyes away from her and took another sip of the water, frowning upon it.
The only question was - why would she want to hide the location? Would she not know the location of her own cottage? She had to be kidding him. It was all too clear that she was living there. On the other hand, if she really had chosen to live here, 'in some forest' indeed, in the middle of nowhere - she probably had a good reason for it. She couldn't be some sort of a... criminal, now could she? He shook his head, mentally. No. With all he could tell from her, he was pretty sure he would've sensed it already if she was something like that. Perhaps she just liked her life better out there, on her own. Frankly, Euric wouldn't have minded such a small cottage in the middle of nowhere for himself either, rather than living in big cities, always surrounded by all those people and bustle and... Wait what? Where did that come from?
But when he tried to grasp his previous though, it was already gone. Ahh frack.

He noticed she had began to talk again, and let his eyes subtly to return at her. Though she didn't sound like the words were meant for him, he tried to hear her - but soon realized the language was very much something else than what he could speak, let alone understand. Her apologizing for it, though, made a soft smile make its way back to his face.
"Ah, no, it's alright. I suppose it would be only natural for you - and I wouldn't understand it anyway."
So... she wasn't from this country - whatever it was - then? Maybe an immigrant... Illegal, perhaps, so she wishes to stay hidden? Again, the thought had ran through his mind even before he had actually put any effort into pondering it. So, he had a sharp mind? Yet he...
"You don't... remember a thing? Your name? Nothing?"
"E-" He began, without thinking, yet the realization of answering made his speech pause and then, whatever he was going to say was gone, again.
...didn't remember even his own name?
He sighed, deep, layig the cup of water on the table and rest his head against his hands to slightly massage his temples. His voice came out apologetic, yet somewhat frustrated - though the frustration was clearly but because of his capability to not remember.
"I'm sorry. Seems I really can't remember even my name - the moment I think about it, it diasappears. All I can come up with is the 'e'. I'm sorry." His head had began to hurt again. Shifting his pose a bit to support his head now with only one hand, he reached for the water for another sip, only to notice his hand was trembling. It took his all willpower and consentration not to just drop the cup but to put it back down on the table unharmed and not to spill the water. Perhaps it was still a bit early for him to be up - he now stayed still just not to feel any worse he already did.

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

Oh damn. But well. For her point of view it was better this man not to remember a thing. He could not bring any people here. She knew that she seemed suspicious, VERY suspicious. Buuuuuuuuuuuut. No worries. She heard everything this man had to tell and then she made her decision. She could now be at ease and maybe let this man knew something. We'll see. We'll see.
"No worries. Then I shall call you Wanderer. In my language it's "vaelteja" or "vaeltelija". I don't know in what business you were in here, but it doesn't matter."
She smiled a little. Then more and finally her smile brightened her face and she could feel her muscles relaxing. Maybe she could tell this man why she wasn't so eager to tell where they were. Yes she had noticed that stranger didn't seem to feel quite well, but maybe she coulddistract him.
"I apologise for beeing so mysterious. I just... well, I want to live alone and I don't like beeing so much around people. I don't like towns or cities. In my homeland I was living in a quite similar place like this."
Brown eyes looked outside of the window and her mind started to dwell in her head and memories. Her mother, always so kind, pilar of her life. Her appearance became gentle and she wasn't anymore that nervous and evasive person who was in this room just few minutes ago. some time she stared outside, then she looked the man with her again, more friendly than before.
"I think you should rest this day, and tomorrow we'll see again. I'll take care of your horse. Don't say you're sorry or anything like that. You can't take care of her right now and she needs to be taken care of. You can thank me later, if you want."
Which would me nice, of course. Mila was little surprised how easy it was to talk with this man. Or maybe it was just her decision to be relaxed. She wasn't really never paid too much time for settling up her thoughts. She hadn't need to. Mila had avoid all too complicated human relations. Should she tell him what was her homeland? Or le the man say something? She had talked quite a time. She decided just smile a bit and just be herself. Friendly little woman.

[Euric Qi Britannia]

"No worries. Then I shall call you Wanderer. In my language it's "vaelteja" or "vaeltelija". I don't know in what business you were in here, but it doesn't matter."
Wanderer... The man could yet again but smile and nod. Well, not that he minded the way the woman had chosen to call him - not that he remembered his own name anyway. Actually he felt it could rather suit him... You wish.
Then what about the flashback of crowded cities? Never mind. Her last remark about his business made a tiny laugh escape his lips.
"Well, not that I would know that either, mi-"
Whoops, almost did it again.
"...Gaila."

Aside his feeling ill, he still managed to keep smiling at her when she apologized.
"Oh no, it's no problem at all - I understand you have your reasons. I believe-", he made a glance towards the direction the woman gazed for a moment, into the deep and peaceful forest outside, "-that if I were you, I would want to protect this place from people as much you do. It's only natural." He sighed.
"Who would want to ruin a place like this with letting the crowds in, nor the cities to invade and destroy the landscape..."
He turned his look back at the cup of water, but not taking a move to try and gulp it down anymore. Only then her words broke the suddenly born moment of thoughtful silence.
"I think you should rest this day, and tomorrow we'll see again. I'll take care of your horse. Don't say you're sorry or anything like that. You can't take care of her right now and she needs to be taken care of. You can thank me later, if you want."
Euric agreed with a nod - seemed like it was his part to just smile and nod today. (If he just knew.) Yet, how she suddenly sounded so friendly, much more kind...
"I think you're right, then... Thank you for the water."
He made a move to rise, a bit wobbling, but slowly and steadily concentrating made his way back to the bed. He had noticed that there was only one bed in the room, which made him think - where did the woman sleep while he was invading her bed? On the floor, the poor thing? ...Well, she had told him to rest, and by her kind yet firm voice, Euric had a feeling that there would be nothing good in not obeying her.
Settling comfortably over the pillows, a bunch of thoughts still rotated in his mind before he would fall asleep. So, she was a foreigner indeed... She had spoken of her homeland elsewhere, so it obviously wasn't the one whose soil they currently were located on. Well.
The man closed had subconsciously kept watching the woman while the thoughts ran through his mind. Yet now, he but sighed and closed his eyes. Perhaps slow an steady was now the best - not too many presumptions, perhaps all void or vain, but just the 'wait and see' and what he could get out of it. With this conclusion in mind, he finally began to fall asleep, drifting back into the world of blurry dreams.

**the next day**

The sun was already high when Euric woke up again. Not laying down for too long, he tried almost immediately to get up - carefully, of course - which seemed to go much better today than the day before. The woman was yet not to be found inside, which led him automatically to search for her from the outside. Well, not that she really had seemed to be any kind of an indoors person anyway.

The weather outside was bright, and the day seemed serene. Euric had managed to find himself a pair of boots and pants that were most likely his own - neatly folded on a bench near the door out. Also the rest of his clothing had been in the same pile, but he had chosen to keep the comfortable linen tunic he had had on him. Not that the rest of the clothes had seemed any less comfortable, yet it didn't seem so cold outside now that he wouldn't manage with just the shirt.
Now for the first time Euric had a chance to actually observe his surroundings a bit better - though like seen from the window, there wasn't really much more to be seen but even more forest with the lake still in the distance. Well, so much for the deducing your whereabouts from the surroundings - it was indeed 'just some forest'. Instead he listened to possible sounds of the woman possibly being nearby, for at least he still could yet not see her.

[Mila Gaila Lavushkiva]

"You're welcome."
Stranger was right about the crowds and all the fuss which included everything people and cities had to do with it. This was her place. She wouldn't call it a 'paradise', but... haven. Yes. Woman stayed relax while man stood up and went to bed. He needed to rest, but maybe he could move a little bit soon. Maybe tomorrow, maybe day after that. It depended on his condition. Brown eyes viewed sleeping figure in her bed. He seemed stable. Better than days before.
"Sweet dreams, Wanderer."

**the next day**

Air was good, yet there was timely little blowing wind which made flies and horseflies to stay away. Horses were near by the lake pasturing in the shadows of the woods and little fox wasn't nowhere to be seen. Red haired one sitted on the platform and enjoyed herself. Not too hot. She thinked. She had no clothes covering her bare skin. Hair was little damp for the water. Mila had swimmed and now taking a brake to relax and let the sun wrap its arms around him with warm embrace. Green towel was under her body.
Yet anything specific to do her mind settled on the guest she was having. He seemed very considarate and calm person.And nice.
"Saa nähdä kauanko vieraamme viipyy täällä. Ei hän kyllä ole ollut haitaksi, eikä sinällään häiritse."(1)
Mumbling with her mother language she glanced around like cheking that everything was on it's place. Horses seemed to be fine and happy. She draw a conclusion that the two mares were busy eating everything green. Well, theyr stomaches had gained little weight, but they both knew how to be careful and not to have bloat. Soft lips turned up and her mouth started to spell words.

"I want to live where soul meets body ,
And let the sun wrap its arms around me,
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing,
And feel, feel what it's like to be new.
Cuz in my head there's a Greyhound station,
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations;
So they may have a chance of finding a place,
Where they're far more suited than here.
Ba-da-ba-da-ba-ba..."

It was Soul Meets Body from Death Cab for Cutie. Old song, but she liked it. Tone in her voice was soft and relaxed. It felt like the sun was shining in her and glowing to the outside world. Mila had never needed much to be happy or content, but this moment. IT was absolute and perfect.

"I cannot guess,
What we'll discover,
When we turn the dirt,
With our palms cupped like shovels.
But I know our filthy hands,
Can wash one another's,
And not one speck will remain.

I do believe it's true,
That there are roads left in both of our shoes.
But if the silence takes you,
Then I hope it takes me too.
So brown eyes I'll hold you near,
Cuz you're the only song I want to hear,
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.
Where soul meets body..."

So she singed. Forgetting everything and not remembering anything. It was catchy and lovely song and without a second thought she had stood up and her bit pale body started to move on its own. It wasn't much, just some movements and hands stretching towards the sun. But she felt good. Red in her hair glowed and her eyes were shut and bright smile was upon her face. Yes. This is good. And then she dived in to the water. Water was cool and refreshing, but she had few things to do so she couldn't stay long in the water. After few minutes she came up and put the towel over herself. Food would be nice now. She was starving.

***
(1)="Let's see for how long our guest is going to stay around. Not that he's done any harm, nor been a bother per se."

[Euric Qi Britannia]

Then he heard it - someone was singing out there. Well, it wasn't hard to guess who it was - as he listened more carefully, he could definitely recognize it to be the woman's voice. Yet who else it could've been.

All the same he got closer to the voice, which came from the direction of the lake. Why he heard it so well - the slight wind from the water's direction probably helped with that, although he couldn't make anything of the actual lyrics. Only that it sounded like English at least - not that he could have been quite sure about that either from this distance. Such words sounding like mumble could've been anything for all he knew, most likely that strange language she had spoken before. The man could only wonder what it was - though he tried his best, as it could have helped him to determine where she was coming from. What he would do with that piece of knowledge, though, was another thing. Nothing, perhaps. But at this point it was clear that whether actually a useful piece of information or not, anything would be better than nothing. Euric only hoped it would ring some bells in his mind to perhaps remember something else, and that way, sooner or later, hopefully regain his memory.

He had almost reached the lake as the singing suddenly stopped. Probably end of the song. For a moment it was silent, but soon he heard a splash. Which of course, for he couldn't yet to see the shore and the platform, alarmed him. He didn't know about the lake, and a splash could always mean someone slipping and falling into the water and perhaps hurting themselves. The reflex made his feet begin to run even before he actually thought about it.

But what he found on the shore wasn't anybody drowning, but instead the woman sitting on the platform, covered in a towel, obviously just risen from the lake after a nice dip into the clear water. Euric stopped like he would've hit an invisible wall - of course, how stupid of him. Of course she would know her lake - god knows for how long she had lived around here anyway - and it was somewhat stupid to expect her drown the moment he only heard a lone splash. The obviousness of a plain bathe instead of the worst outcome was so clear that Euric could only feel embarrassed. if he had reached the lake any faster than now... Euric would have never wanted to abuse or violate her, and now that it had been (in his eyes) so close he could feel his ears burning. How could he be so rash. Usually he would've definitely thought first before jumping into the more unlikely than possible conclusions. Usually...
The feeling again, that he remembered something - even if it was only that he used to think more before acting than vice versa. But the moment was only brief, and like before, escaped his grasp before he got to think any further. A deep sigh escaped once more his mouth.

But she was right there, in front of him - and the least he could do would be him not being any more (possibly) rude, and so he coughed slightly to catch her attention.
"Good morning, there." He held a small pause, glancing at the direction of the lake, then eyes returning to her.
"You weren't at the cottage, so I thought of looking around for a bit. I hope I'm not interrupting..." For some reason, though quite clearly, he seemed bit apologetic.