Jigano turned from the Notice Board shortly after sunrise with a heavy heart as he finished placing the parchment. There was a weariness about his eyes, and a grim tightness to a mouth that was more usually tilted in wry humor. His long hair was tied severely back in a tight braid and the rapier on his hip seemed far less a dashing decoration than usual. Sharp eyes might note the loving care shown to it, and the marks of hard use on the handle and quillons, carefully sanded and buffed down.
For a moment the Loreseeker seemed lost as he looked around the Temple, his eyes drifting to the Shrine as if expecting to see a familiar form bent in worship there. She'd been missing for less than a day and he had spent hours searching desperately for her and Caiside, fighting the forest's magic on weary wings until darkness and exhaustion had forced him back to the barrier's edge and he had nearly dropped from the sky on Rory's doorstep. His body had demanded that he sleep until dawn, but as soon as he was awake he had forced himself to eat and then slipped away, stopping only long enough at the Guildhall to pen a terse message for Sam and Maea, and writing the notice he had just posted to the public board.
Guilt twisted, harsh and nauseating in his gut as he considered his own sensible advice - don't go alone. Don't go unprepared. They had been a group and still two of their number had vanished without being able to so much as call for help or leave signs of a struggle. Going back alone was worse than foolish.
And he had no right to do that to the ones who were still here, who didn't want to lose him in addition to Amalia and Caiside.
Deimos
For a moment the Loreseeker seemed lost as he looked around the Temple, his eyes drifting to the Shrine as if expecting to see a familiar form bent in worship there. She'd been missing for less than a day and he had spent hours searching desperately for her and Caiside, fighting the forest's magic on weary wings until darkness and exhaustion had forced him back to the barrier's edge and he had nearly dropped from the sky on Rory's doorstep. His body had demanded that he sleep until dawn, but as soon as he was awake he had forced himself to eat and then slipped away, stopping only long enough at the Guildhall to pen a terse message for Sam and Maea, and writing the notice he had just posted to the public board.
Guilt twisted, harsh and nauseating in his gut as he considered his own sensible advice - don't go alone. Don't go unprepared. They had been a group and still two of their number had vanished without being able to so much as call for help or leave signs of a struggle. Going back alone was worse than foolish.
And he had no right to do that to the ones who were still here, who didn't want to lose him in addition to Amalia and Caiside.
