Shouldn't we go, now?

Jane was still giggling and swam around. She looked at Ping, who seemed to have problems while breathing. "Are you alright?", Jane asked, as she swam near to him. "You didn't hurt yourself as I pushed you into the water, right?"

Ping was still really, really surprised: he realized that jane was coming next to him only when he listened her voice "Y-yes... i'm fine... i... just... i think that i should go out now..." he stuttered in reply, swimming away from her whil she was swimming in his direction

Jane stopped swimming to Ping and frowned. "Why go out yet? It's nice here.", she tilted her head. Then she dove into the water. Jane swam to Ping. Behind him, she broke through the surface and hugged him.

Ping was already going out when suddenly she appeared on his back and hugged him. He tensed blushing: *please, please, please... let me go!* he couldn't help but think. Human contacts already embarassed him: he wasn't used nor interested, but in the context... she couldn't see anything since the material of his dress was pretty dense, but she could easily feel the bandages under his coat...

Jane let go of Ping and swam a few meters away. "I'm sorry.", she mumbled and looked away. "I didn't wanted to...", Jane swam away more to the middle of the lake. That was... weird. She stared to the sky. What was it? Jane shrugged and swam and dove in the lake. She ignored Ping for a while.

As soon as Jane let him go, he ran fastly out of the water: in that moment he seemed more a wet kitty than a glorious warrior.
It had been unpolite from him not say anything to Jane and just escape, but he was feeling too uncomfortable!
Only after a while, still with the wet dresses on even if he had tried to dry them as he could, he approached Jane, still being on the bank.
He coughed to reclaim her attention
"Jane? I... i'm sorry..."

Jane heard Ping's voice. Slowly she was swimming back to him. "I think I should say sorry...", she mumbled. Jane climbed out of the water and wronged out her hair. she looked down at her chemise and thought about taking it off. But then she shook her head and walked into the sunlight. Jane lifted her head to the light.

Ping sighed at her reaction, mortified: it wasn't his intention to make her react in this way... he liked her attitude, she was a weird girl but she was honest and kind, it was just...
"N-no... really" he replied approching her again "I shouldn't have... reacted... in that way... i..." he started clumsy, but then in a sigh he just closed his mouth. What was he supposed to say?
Sorry, i'm not used to human contacts?
I like you but i prefer have people away from me?
I don't like swim?
Or jokes?
Nobody has ever done something like that to me?
Is not that i didn't appreciate that you've hugged me, i'm just scared?
In this moment his father would have laughed at him, or more likely would have shouted at him... or maybe both...
With a new sigh he sitted on the grass, a bit away from Jane

Jane looked at Ping and smiled. "Now we are both ashamed of the situation, right?", she sighed. Jane sat down near Ping, but still a few meters away from Ping. "What do you like to do now?", she didn't really care. If Ping hadn't got any idea, she would just walk farther.

"No it's... please, don't be ashamed, it's ok, really!" he managed to stutter. It wasn't her, it was only... him, he had to admit... "Really, Jane, please... just... don't feel ashamed just because of... me..."

Jane nodded slowly. "It's alright. Just the wrong moment.", she wrapped her arms around her body. "So what do you want to do?"

He smiled back to her, then, when she asked again, he replied gently, hoping to not upset her "I guess we should come back, now...Meg would probably be worried"

Jane shook her head. "I'm not going back.", she stroke through her wet hair. "I know that Meg might be worried. But I'm not going back."

Ping sighed: he didn't like that situation... he was also worried for Meg, what Eris said was still in his mind... but he didn't feel like leaving Jane... oh, he was so torn that his worry was probably visible on his face...

"If you are that worried about Meg, you might go back to her.", Jane said a bit more colder than she wanted. "Or bring her in here. I'm not going back. You can stay with me or leave me. I want to stay alone for a time."

He listened to her biting the inside of his cheeck: why he sucked so much in human relationships? He didn't even reply: he didn't know what to do and after all his words had never helped. For a second he wished to be again in the army, in a war, fighting for his life! That was simpler than... this! He sighed again: if he would have been allowed to do something similar, he would have put his head on his legs and would have curled up on himself, but... he was a man, a soldier, a captain, he couldn't look weak...

Jane smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to be rude...", she sighed and stood up. Jane walked to Ping and touched his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm going and you can go back.", she smiled one last time softly at him and then walked back into the jungle. There were some interesting plants that caught her interest and she wanted to look at.

When Jane started to walk away he raised his head following her with the glance
"No! Wait!" he shouted as soon as he realized that she was going: he jumped on his feet and followed her. Gosh, why that girl couldn't come back with him? He could even don't call her 'friend', but he had started to like that girl and to care for her, and also... she reminded him too much his sisters! He couldn't let her go alone in that dangerous jungle, just... couldn't...

Jane stopped and turned around. "What do you want? Can't you decide?", she asked. Now she was going to be annoyed. SHe liked Ping. She cared for him, but his undecided mind was slowly driving her crazy. "Go back or come with me. Just even go back and take Meg and come with me. But decide what you want! Or is there something I should know, why you're following me like a lost puppy?", Jane tipped with her foot on the ground and waited for an answer.

Jane reaction's surprised him: he opened his eyes wider, the swallowed. What should he do? Should he tell the truth? He didn't know if it was a good idea but... it was worth make a try... "I... i've met someone... in the forest... the two times that i left you and Meg in the cave..." he started, unsure about how to put the problem: he was so tense and uncomfortable...

Jane raised her eyebrow. "You met someone? Someone from another group?", she waited for an answer.

"No... i actually think that she's the someone that has decided to put us in groups..." he replied, still careful about what to say

Jane nodded in understanding. "So it's not the blond woman who was at the beach.", she guessed. "Who is it then?"

"She said that her name is Eris..." then, finally looking her into her eyes, he continued in one breath "i thought she was a witch, she said to be a goddes, i don't know what she is, but she's dangerous"

"Eris? The goddess of discord?", Jane asked surprised. "What had she done to you? You didn't made mad, do you?"