"You solved them well enough," Jigano retorted, but gently and with a smile for his friend. He knew that Sam lacked confidence in himself, and he tried to bolster it when he could. Sometimes that meant compliments, and other times - like this one - it was simply reminders of the bookmaker's own actions and decisions that were particularly courageous, or clever, or otherwise noteworthy. He knew there were more that he hadn't witnessed, but he had seen several with his own eyes and did not intend to let Sam forget those finer moments.
But he knew that he could not defend his friend one moment and then tear him down the next. Even if the bard disagreed with the bookmaker about the rightness of his opinions of the Voice, he could not press it further without risking undoing the seeds of what good he hoped he had managed to plant by reminding Sam that he was so much more than just a child of the young goddess. "Alright," he said quietly, hiding the sadness of his smile as he waved across the lantern-lit field at a passing friend. "I know that you are stronger than you think, and it is good to see you so confident about something. If you'll excuse me, I would like to study the cakes and treats on the refreshment table. Perhaps there is something new I can learn there." He offered Sam a conspiratorial wink, tucking his worries away beneath his smiling facade as he set the problem of the Voice to percolate in the back of his thoughts while he tried to get back to enjoying the fleeting happiness of the party while it lasted.
But he knew that he could not defend his friend one moment and then tear him down the next. Even if the bard disagreed with the bookmaker about the rightness of his opinions of the Voice, he could not press it further without risking undoing the seeds of what good he hoped he had managed to plant by reminding Sam that he was so much more than just a child of the young goddess. "Alright," he said quietly, hiding the sadness of his smile as he waved across the lantern-lit field at a passing friend. "I know that you are stronger than you think, and it is good to see you so confident about something. If you'll excuse me, I would like to study the cakes and treats on the refreshment table. Perhaps there is something new I can learn there." He offered Sam a conspiratorial wink, tucking his worries away beneath his smiling facade as he set the problem of the Voice to percolate in the back of his thoughts while he tried to get back to enjoying the fleeting happiness of the party while it lasted.
