"Hello Lanna," he said in his usual cool tone.
It was that tone that kicked her back into her old habits, into her old mentality to steel herself off towards men, especially men like Ryk Handelaar. Her eyes narrowed as she set her jaw.
"Hello, Mr. Handelaar," she replied stiffly. But as his inquiry to help, her lips parted open, eyes widening a bit as she stammered. "That isn't necessary. I can find him on my-" ANd as she turned to walk away from him to scout out the crowd for her child, Samuel came running back and clung to her leg.
"Oh!" her eyes widened. "Oh, Samuel! Thank goodness." she siad with a sigh, and quickly bent down to be at his level as she looked her son squarely in the eyes. "Now now, what did I tell you about running off on these streets alone? There's too many people here, Sam. What would your mommy do if something would have happened to you?"
The child seemed to ignore his mother's scolded as he thrust out his hand.
"Look, Mama! I got a stone!"
Blinking, Dylanna looked down at the polished pebble.
"That's er.. nice dear."
"The lady over there gave it to me. She said it would bring me good luck in my future!"
Dylanna turned to observed a woman swathed in a dark cloak, who promptly disappeared into the crowd. She had been gritting her teeth, but pressed her lips together as she sighed through her nose.
"Look, Samuel. If you want to keep that streamer I bought for you, you'll have to listen to me. I have no qualms of taking it away if you-"
"But Mooooom," the little child pouted. "I got the stone for you!"
Blinking, Dylanna sighed and put out her hand. "Alright, hand it over to me. But you're still not off the hook. You're too young to be wandering off on your own." And she took the stone, the her son's hand and rose off the ground and turned, only to then realize Ryk Handelaar was still there.
"Oh.. err.." she blushed and looked away, squeezing Samuel's hands as the child looked up at Ryk with his bright blue eyes.
"Mama, who's the man in puwple?" Sam worked at brushing his dark brown hair out of his eyes.
"Well you see- he's er," she began to explain but then Sam interrupted.
"I like his clothes."
Dylanna's face fell as she let out a breathy laugh, lookig back over at Mr. Handelaar while adjusting the leather pouch purse she carried over her shoulder.
"Yes, he has very nice clothes." She looked Ryk over before sighing. "Samuel, this is one of mommy's.. er.. friends." Telling him he was a merchant to a three year old would go over his head. And 'it's complicated and i hate his stinking guts' would also be a tough one to explain. And she wasn't about to admit to ANYONE he was Sam's father.
"Sam, this is Mr. Handelaar.. Mr. Handelaar, this is Samuel."
And she tucked her lower lip into her mouth as she looked down at her son, then over at Ryk. "He's my son," though the way she said it, somethign in her voice sounded almost sad at the announcement, though it that awkward moment she then realized..
"Say, Sam... why don't you and I go see what sort of other activities they've got going on in the square. I'm sure Mr. Handelaar is very busy right now. He's a merchant like mommy is, after all."
And at that, Sam's eyes went wide.
"You sail on ships too?"
"Er, not quite like that, Sam.."
"Have you ever been on mama's ship? IT's real big and rocks over the waves, like this!" and he put his arms out like a airplane, and proceeded to teeter them back and forth and was making ocean waves through pursed lips.
Dylanna couldn't help herself but snort out a laugh, a hand cupping over her lips as she shook her head.
"Really, Sam, we should get going. It's a busy day for all of us." And she gave Ryk a stern glare, warning him not to goad on her son, or rather, try any funny business. Though part of her lost that rigid authority she once had, it was difficult to remain as piercing when she had a child clinging to her wrist an twirling around his pretty purple streamer.
"Well.. it's been nice."
But not really, and she attempted to turn in a hasty retreat.