He waited for a silence to descend on the little gathering, letting others have their say before he drew breath to speak, weighing each word carefully. ”The situation is not black and white,” he began. ”The Fae are not one entity, ruled by Delah’s singular desires, any more than all humans hold the same opinions. Delah does not want us in the Woods, but that does not mean others of the Fae do not. I have made either friends or… at least friendly contact with several of the Fae,” he allowed, not wanting to overstate the power of a few interactions, but respecting the trust that Eliza and Jiao had shown him… and Weaver, as well. ”Who did not seem to mind my presence there, though I agree that we should not attempt to approach he village uninvited.” He started to nod at Remi, then realized the alchemist couldn’t see him and shot Ronin an apologetic look instead, hoping the Guildmaster could convey some of his acknowledgment of the young man’s point.
”And I, too, thinkAmalia ’s suggestion of inviting them here is a good one,” he nodded to his heartsister with an encouraging smile. ”As we all seem to agree. As for the disease…” He hesitated, then tilted his head gravely to Phoebe . ”Asking Frey would be wise, and appreciated,” he said to her, seconding Deimos ‘s words with a smile for the big man before turning to meet the eyes of those gathered. It was the first time he had seen Roana since she had leapt through the portal like a would-be martyr – or perhaps a coward, seeking to escape the battle and leaving the rest of them to die beneath the Spire? He hadn’t realized she’d known it was a portal, as he and Amalia did, but from how she spoke she apparently had, and it made her actions even more frustrating. Still, this wasn’t the time for personal grievances, and he simply shook his head at her suggestion. ”The disease is not natural,” he said flatly. ”Arduinna showed me a patch of forest that had been drained of life, the plants and soil leeched and dead, withered and with all vitality gone. She cannot heal it with her own considerable powers, and the blight continues to spread. It began soon after the barrier fell, and has been getting worse since.” He paused, looking around grimly. ”The Fae are searching their own archives for a cure, or any mention of it happening before in their history. I was tasked with doing the same in the human archives. But since it seems to be both supernatural and linked to the fall of the barrier, I think it is worth asking: is it related to the Voice? Or was something else trapped in this barrier besides her for all those years, that we unleashed without realizing it?”
”And I, too, think
