Life and people were often filled with contradictions, and in Hadama's experience rulership was no different. The test lay in learning to balance the contradictions to find a path that one could live with, and that allowed him to sleep at night. Confidence, but not overconfidence. The strength to stand by decisions once made and not waver in the face of disapproval, but the willingness to reconsider them under new information. The humility to admit when he was wrong, and the strength to take steps to mitigate any damage that came of it, while staying sure enough in himself and his intentions to not give up in the face of such setbacks.
When Maea tilted her hand against his hand his gaze softened and he nodded in acceptance of her decision even before she explained it to him. He let his hand remain a little longer, offering his support in silence while she worked through what she needed and finally releasing her shoulder with a gentle squeeze of understanding. As she caught her tail in her hands he returned to his previous pose of relaxed dignity, gaze returning to the crystals and content to sit in comfortable silence until a question came his way and he drew in a slow breath.
"Mmh. I have been to Starfall," he said slowly. "With Deimos and Sunjata. We planted a second flower. One in the first level of its depths." He hesitated then, considering his reflection with grim solemnity. "It was... a difficult battle. And though we succeeded in our task, we did not defeat the guardian of the tunnels. In the end it was the flower that chased it to a lower section of the island." He flexed his right hand closed into a fist, slowly and deliberately, and then forced it to relax once more. "It remains. Recovering. And the next battle will be more difficult because of it." He turned his head to meet Maea's reflected gaze with tension in the line of his jaw and shoulders. "But I will not ask others to face what we could not finish. So I will be returning there soon. To end the fight that we began a few weeks ago." And there was a quiet rivulet of fear in his gaze, recognizing the danger of that next undertaking now multiplied by the Wyrm that got away to brood and seek revenge at the next incursion to the Void's stronghold.
When Maea tilted her hand against his hand his gaze softened and he nodded in acceptance of her decision even before she explained it to him. He let his hand remain a little longer, offering his support in silence while she worked through what she needed and finally releasing her shoulder with a gentle squeeze of understanding. As she caught her tail in her hands he returned to his previous pose of relaxed dignity, gaze returning to the crystals and content to sit in comfortable silence until a question came his way and he drew in a slow breath.
"Mmh. I have been to Starfall," he said slowly. "With Deimos and Sunjata. We planted a second flower. One in the first level of its depths." He hesitated then, considering his reflection with grim solemnity. "It was... a difficult battle. And though we succeeded in our task, we did not defeat the guardian of the tunnels. In the end it was the flower that chased it to a lower section of the island." He flexed his right hand closed into a fist, slowly and deliberately, and then forced it to relax once more. "It remains. Recovering. And the next battle will be more difficult because of it." He turned his head to meet Maea's reflected gaze with tension in the line of his jaw and shoulders. "But I will not ask others to face what we could not finish. So I will be returning there soon. To end the fight that we began a few weeks ago." And there was a quiet rivulet of fear in his gaze, recognizing the danger of that next undertaking now multiplied by the Wyrm that got away to brood and seek revenge at the next incursion to the Void's stronghold.
