Melita's reaction to his disguise was a bit underwhelming, and Jigano feared his friend thought him a coward... which wasn't necessarily wrong, he had to admit. Not that he was afraid of fighting or wouldn't join a militia for their home if he had been asked to do so by someone competent, like Ronin, but nothing he had seen of Zariah had given him any confidence that she knew anything about commanding large forces, or any real grasp of military strategy beyond ordering a few mages around with an iron fist. He had probably commanded more with his Hundred than she had, and his men and women had been a varied adnd integrated force, racially, magically, and technologically.
Her quest quickly distracted him from his worries about Zariah, however, focusing his attention on gods - a tricky subject these days, with the heart-wounded bard. But Ludo was the best of them, in his admittedly biased opinion, and he was glad enough to help the summer-smiling girl with her task if he could. "It wasn't easy," he acknowledged with a wry smile. "I traveled with Ronin, guided by ravens, to find one. They are carnivorous plants, and their branches move to wrap around animals - or people - that come close enough. Ronin used his strength to hold on to a stick that we tricked a small branch into wrapping around, and while it pulled taut trying to pull his stick towards its trunk, I hacked away at it with an axe. It still almost got me," he admitted, holding up a cautionary finger. "But the raven dived at the second branch it had sent after me and distracted it long enough for me to avoid being grabbed. So if you go to find a tree, go with at least one other person in case they need to try and free you, or go for help."
Warning delivered, he relaxed back as he shook out his damp, freshly-darkened tangles and began to comb them smooth. "But hopefully you can avoid all that trouble," he said chuckling slightly as her mood palpably brightened and stole a smile to his lips. "It was a while back when I last spoke to Remi about it, but he had a jar of Wicker Woman sap. Now I wish I had accepted it when he tried to give it to me," he acknowledged, a pang of regret in his chest. "But perhaps you can go see him and ask if he still has it? He didn't have a use for it anymore, so he might be willing to give it to you."
Her quest quickly distracted him from his worries about Zariah, however, focusing his attention on gods - a tricky subject these days, with the heart-wounded bard. But Ludo was the best of them, in his admittedly biased opinion, and he was glad enough to help the summer-smiling girl with her task if he could. "It wasn't easy," he acknowledged with a wry smile. "I traveled with Ronin, guided by ravens, to find one. They are carnivorous plants, and their branches move to wrap around animals - or people - that come close enough. Ronin used his strength to hold on to a stick that we tricked a small branch into wrapping around, and while it pulled taut trying to pull his stick towards its trunk, I hacked away at it with an axe. It still almost got me," he admitted, holding up a cautionary finger. "But the raven dived at the second branch it had sent after me and distracted it long enough for me to avoid being grabbed. So if you go to find a tree, go with at least one other person in case they need to try and free you, or go for help."
Warning delivered, he relaxed back as he shook out his damp, freshly-darkened tangles and began to comb them smooth. "But hopefully you can avoid all that trouble," he said chuckling slightly as her mood palpably brightened and stole a smile to his lips. "It was a while back when I last spoke to Remi about it, but he had a jar of Wicker Woman sap. Now I wish I had accepted it when he tried to give it to me," he acknowledged, a pang of regret in his chest. "But perhaps you can go see him and ask if he still has it? He didn't have a use for it anymore, so he might be willing to give it to you."
