[color=ed1c24]Balon frowned as the girl remained quiet whilst he demanded his questions. All except the last one, that is, where she retorted with an angry remark. He realized she had a point. [i]"I would remove the blade if I trusted you to not pounce me and try to take my sword again. Alas, you already eliminated that trust."[/i] he looked at the stack of clothes and the second sword on the rocks in front of them. They were all messy now, un-neatly stacked. He grimaced, but shook it off. [i]"Blades do not speak."[/i] he said grimly and at first thought she deserved a little knock on the head but seeing as she clenched her muscles, bracing for impact, his hold of her softened. [i]"I would put away my blade, miss, if I had any clothes on to hold the scabbard."[/i] he said, relaxing somewhat but still holding the blade close to her throat. [i]"Relax. I'm not going to hit you. I don't hit women, but don't try to escape or I will hurt you."[/i]
Hopefully, that threat would work for now. He really had no intention of hurting her, he just wanted answers. He would never allow the dictator's ilk to stalk them to this island, but it seemed this girl wasn't.
[i]"You have heart, girl."[/i] he said at last, commenting her "I'm not afraid of you" line. [i]"I know what you are. You're a mermaid, aren't you?"[/i] he sighed, shoving the girl away from the swords and released her. He still held his blade pointed at her, and his second sword was now safely behind him, with the girl (hopefully) in the pool in front of him. [i]"I know what you think. You think that we're here to hurt you."[/i] his eyes showed compassion, for he sympathized with her. If she was a mermaid, that is. I mean, come on, how likely is it really? [i]"Do you truly believe that, though? If I wanted to hurt you, wouldn't I have done so already? Wouldn't I have taken advantage of this entire situation if I was so vile?"[/i]
He paused for a moment, but then suddenly grinned.
[i]"And I'm not a scumbag. I'm just a scoundrel."[/i][/color]