The silence was even more chilling than the cold Leafchange night as Jigano sat upon the frigid stone that held a promise of the Deepfrost to come and hid his face in his hands, afraid of seeing the hurt and condemnation in his friend's gentle eyes. The only sounds were his own: the beating of his heart, the faint sound of his breath leaving his lungs, the lightest rustle of his tunic and cloak as his chest rose and fell. No such sounds came from Sam, and so long as he kept his eyes closed, the bard could almost believe that he was alone in the night. That the words that had slipped from his venomed tongue had been a hallucination, nothing more.
Almost.
He heard the bookmaker move - not away, but towards him, and though Jigano had been told of the violence that Sam had done to his mentor's ghost in the tower before, still he felt no fear that the young Ascended man would do the same to him. He looked up in weary resignation, waiting for the angry words of a wounded man who had every right to blame him for his lack of control over the illness that stole more and more of his soul each day.
No words in anger, but a hand in friendship, and an offer he had no right to hope for. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, nodding slowly as he reached up to accept Sam's help with a shaking hand and pull himself to his feet. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You... are a better friend than I deserve." More than a friend, in many ways, but this was not the night for that conversation, not with how easily the blight could slip into his thoughts and twist his tongue.
After that he kept his word, holding his silence and occasionally reaching out for Sam's arm when he stumbled on uneven ground as they made their slow way back to Rory's farm. Before they parted he squeezed Sam's shoulder, pulling the bookmaker into a sudden, rough hug, brief but strong, before he turned away and fled into the farmhouse, leaving the Ascended alone beneath the autumn moon.
Almost.
He heard the bookmaker move - not away, but towards him, and though Jigano had been told of the violence that Sam had done to his mentor's ghost in the tower before, still he felt no fear that the young Ascended man would do the same to him. He looked up in weary resignation, waiting for the angry words of a wounded man who had every right to blame him for his lack of control over the illness that stole more and more of his soul each day.
No words in anger, but a hand in friendship, and an offer he had no right to hope for. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, nodding slowly as he reached up to accept Sam's help with a shaking hand and pull himself to his feet. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You... are a better friend than I deserve." More than a friend, in many ways, but this was not the night for that conversation, not with how easily the blight could slip into his thoughts and twist his tongue.
After that he kept his word, holding his silence and occasionally reaching out for Sam's arm when he stumbled on uneven ground as they made their slow way back to Rory's farm. Before they parted he squeezed Sam's shoulder, pulling the bookmaker into a sudden, rough hug, brief but strong, before he turned away and fled into the farmhouse, leaving the Ascended alone beneath the autumn moon.
