She had immediately started to put up her ponytail at the mention of teaching him techniques. He took a slow bite of his last pancake not ready for what she had planned, thinking to himself...'now.' He finished the bite and pushed the rest in his mouth.
He brushed his hands off on his pants and was ready, but it seemed she was just getting comfortable and talked about her eye instead. He swallowed the food relaxing his body from the idea of training and leaned back into his seat. She had already talked about so much and he didn't intend to bring up the painful memory of what happened to her eye as well.
She suddenly hugged him. He didn't immediately know what to do. The last hug he got was from...her. He lifted his arms but let them hover a foot from her back unsure about completing the hug or not, his eyes wide with surprise and his shoulders tense. With an exhaled breath his shoulders released their tension and he put one arm around her. It was a small moment but meaningful to him.
Her words hit his heart as she talked about his fiance and he put his hand on her head still in the hug. It was easier to talk about without making eye contact. "I won't forget," His response was short but had the weight of a speech when he said he would not forget his time with her. "Thank LeeAnn. Your kindness means a lot."
When she stuck out her tongue he grinned back, "Cheating...who makes these rules?" he asked playfully.
"Ohh, A challenge huh. Standing in rivers is not the only thing I did in the forest," Saying as he stood to his feet, finally understanding why she put her in a ponytail. She meant to challenge him in skill with a bow.