Reincarnated - A Solitary Love

Chapther 12 - Brushed Seasons

{Ser Galen, Shield Captain of the West Gate's garrison} 

"Hey Miss! Come out of the woods! I need to ask you a few questions!”

…

As anyone might have guessed, I scared the shit out of her.
The girl jolted out of her skin and quickly took a few steps backwards.
Calling me a dumbass idiot was an understatement.

Oh no no no…please don’t run away...please don’t run away…

I didn’t want to waste time in a meaningless chase.
As fast as I could, I unsheated the sword and threw it far away from me. In the action I lost eye contact and, when I regained it, the lady was already giving me her profile, ready to sprint away.
Raising my hands in her eyesight, I tried to calm her.

“I mean no harm! I just want to talk to you! Nothing more!”

The woman didn’t respond and kept her position. It was obvious what she was thinking.

A few seconds passed without anyone moving. The breeze kept lazily swaying the leaves all around us.

In those seconds my mind was racing. My father teached me dozens of actions to calm a feral beast but none for feral intelligent humans. 

Wait...

“Do you understand what I am saying?” I asked.

Maybe that was the problem.

Again, no response.

“I need your answer, lady! Things will go for the worse if you won’t! A nod is enough!”
Although I could clearly see the danger bar in her head skyrocket  at the 'worse', I got the nod I needed.

Good, no language barriers….

"I would like us to talk face to face! Can we get a little closer?”

Again, the lady stayed still and didn’t let out a sound.

One,
Two,
Three seconds passed.

To my huge surprise, she was the one who took a step forward. 
It was a short, cautious and calculated step, yes, but it showed good will...or less distrust.

I took a more relaxed pose.
Another step, then another and then one last one.
Lindhart did not dare to move, remaining out of sight. 
When she decided it was close enough, Fifteen long feet separated me and her.

Trying to passively pull her out of the forest, I took the risk of sitting down, but this time she remained there, with a hand on a tree and ready to flee.
Nevertheless, she was way more visible now than before, confirming and, at the same time, denying my initial assumptions.

She was indeed a half-blood.

Those were full fledged horns, no doubt. What took me by surprise were her features. I thought I was facing a a woman, possibly a  young maiden but she looked more like a child.
A skinny, wary child.

A sudden gust of wind revealed what I thought was a cloak for what it really was: hair. 
Long and pinkish, a bit dirty, hair.

“What do you want?” Her voice came out hoarse, as if she didn’t talk for days, or more.
Her tone did not hide suspicion, nor her fear.

Still sitting down, I placed my right hand on my chest and slightly bowed.

“My name is Galen Cledrir. I’m part of the guard stationed at the gate.”

Waiting for her to present herself as well, I let a few seconds pass, but she didn’t speak.

“One of my men saw you watching us and thought the worse, so I came to check. It’s my duty to ask you why you were watching us while trying to stay unseen and if you’re affiliated to someone or something.”