LOREN
Grinning faintly at Sam's words, Loren nodded. "Fair enough." A faint tone of amusement crept into his voice. "And here I was thinking my breaking and entering days were over." He let out a huff of laughter.Pausing in his explorations, he gave the redhead a concerned look. "I can imagine. I hope you, and everyone else, are well." The words came out softly, and for a moment the healer's expression grew distant and sad.
Then he shook his head, as if trying to banish the shadows and cobwebs from his mind. Looking away from the other man, the Firebrand kept his eyes carefully trained on the shelves. "I see." He swallowed hard. "And you're happy there?" The question came out in a carefully controlled tone.
Nodding at Sam's words, Loren resumed walking through the former bookstore. He was careful not to look at the Ascended as he did. "There was. The Eirachi was upset that Neron had thwarted her plans by Ascending, so she sent her cultists and her power against us. She destroyed the Palace. But we managed to fight off her attack, with minimal losses." He took a deep breath, grief twisting his features for a moment.
"Weaver Hale was elected the new Warden. But she went to check out a threat and...she was killed." Closing his eyes against his tears, he bowed his head. "We were together."
Forcing himself to resume speaking and moving both, he went on. "I put myself forward for Warden, but they chose Morgan Aristomache instead. After that I just...went away for a bit. Mourned. Put myself back together as best I could and moved on." Losing two loves in one year had almost broken him, but here he was, standing in his ex's former shop. Caido was a strange and cruel world and Loren was struck by a sudden and unexpected bout of homesickness.
Too bad he'd never really had a place to call home.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
