As had been made clear on this venture, he had no idea what to expect of Deimos, or how he would respond to the bard's tentative offer of shared mischief. Though perhaps 'pettiness' was the more honest term for it, something he admitted to himself without much in the way of shame. The Fae were unwilling hosts, but Jigano and his people were unwilling guests, when it came down to it. They had explored in innocent curiosity, seeking to alleviate their ignorance of the world and learn what the native-born people had been denied for three hundred years, even their gods-given knowledge of the world outside centuries out of date. If Delah or one of her people had simply confronted them and told them to leave...
Well. Jigano and Amalia both would have tried to beg and cajole, coax and plead around it, but in the end the bard liked to think that they would have tried to find a way to respect the wishes of the Fae, if only to prevent hostilities with a powerful northern neighbor from spilling over into the rest of the Hollowed Grounds. But the sneaking, secretive ambushes and haughty disdain for the outsiders had backfired on the warchief, resulting in not only her captives but now the rescuers as well cluttering up her village. And maybe a nobler heart would have felt bad for that... but after the way she had behaved, 'mischievous and petty' fitted the fox-souled bard perfectly well.
And, it would seem, Deimos was not above such actions either as he smirked his agreement and rose to lead the way back to the market. Jigano followed in his wake, lifting his basket to examine the workmanship again in subtle display to those they passed, tracing a crescent moon with a fingertip as he once more considered the way Amalia had greeted Deimos the day before. Nor had the big man been oblivious to her dark-eyed fascination, utterly distracted by the graceful baker, and fonder memories of their time making Fiat Lux bread laid gently over the newer memories of discord and friction, softening their edges. "Perhaps..." he murmured thoughtfully, innocently, "perhaps Amalia would like a basket, as well? A gift for putting warm bread in once it's out of the oven. A design of stars and hearts might suit her, do you think?" Kiada, he thought, would definitely approve, but he watched Deimos with sly blue eyes to see what he would think of such a suggestion, without being so gauche as to outright ask if the big man had more than friendly interest in the young woman who had claimed her place in the bard's heart as family.
Well. Jigano and Amalia both would have tried to beg and cajole, coax and plead around it, but in the end the bard liked to think that they would have tried to find a way to respect the wishes of the Fae, if only to prevent hostilities with a powerful northern neighbor from spilling over into the rest of the Hollowed Grounds. But the sneaking, secretive ambushes and haughty disdain for the outsiders had backfired on the warchief, resulting in not only her captives but now the rescuers as well cluttering up her village. And maybe a nobler heart would have felt bad for that... but after the way she had behaved, 'mischievous and petty' fitted the fox-souled bard perfectly well.
And, it would seem, Deimos was not above such actions either as he smirked his agreement and rose to lead the way back to the market. Jigano followed in his wake, lifting his basket to examine the workmanship again in subtle display to those they passed, tracing a crescent moon with a fingertip as he once more considered the way Amalia had greeted Deimos the day before. Nor had the big man been oblivious to her dark-eyed fascination, utterly distracted by the graceful baker, and fonder memories of their time making Fiat Lux bread laid gently over the newer memories of discord and friction, softening their edges. "Perhaps..." he murmured thoughtfully, innocently, "perhaps Amalia would like a basket, as well? A gift for putting warm bread in once it's out of the oven. A design of stars and hearts might suit her, do you think?" Kiada, he thought, would definitely approve, but he watched Deimos with sly blue eyes to see what he would think of such a suggestion, without being so gauche as to outright ask if the big man had more than friendly interest in the young woman who had claimed her place in the bard's heart as family.
