The stranger moved so fast that Jigano revised his estimate that the other man was injured, even as he stepped back and brought the walking stick up between them defensively until he was certain that the unfamiliar human wasn't going to attack. He might have been gaunt from skipping meals, but he was far from helpless, even in his illness. He relaxed slowly, sizing up the other man even as he had his own measure taken. Younger than he had guessed at first glance, slender to the point of concern, but nearly as tall as he was, the man was no one that the loreseeker recognized, though he had walked the Settlement often and knew many outlanders and naturals both. A new arrival, perhaps? Or simply one of the many who lived on the outskirts who had never found their way to the Atheneum or Rathskeller where the bard had once spent much of his time?
Then again, he had been exceedingly scarce from both since Zariah had taken over, and even with her gone he had been... distracted.
"At the risk of stating the obvious," Jigano spoke with a hint of amusement underlying the concern in his voice, "you didn't sound fine a moment ago. I don't mean to intrude, but these woods are far from safe, even with the Fae's tolerance. I'd hate to leave you only to find out later that you'd been snagged by a Wicker Woman or pounced by a cat sith." He leaned on his staff, blue eyes glinting with curiosity as he continued to look the man over, trying to guess if he was outlander or natural. The clothing said Natural, but the wandering about the Fae woods was usually an Outlander hobby. "I'm not the guide Ianto is, but I might be able to help you get where you're going, if you had a destination in mind." Always the problem, in these Woods, those pesky destinations. "The name is Jigano. I..." he caught himself as the old title refused to roll off his tongue, no longer his to claim. "I'm looking for areas that have been struck by the blight, if you've passed any," he finished a bit roughly, looking up for a moment as a flash of white and blue flitted through the branches high above.
Then again, he had been exceedingly scarce from both since Zariah had taken over, and even with her gone he had been... distracted.
"At the risk of stating the obvious," Jigano spoke with a hint of amusement underlying the concern in his voice, "you didn't sound fine a moment ago. I don't mean to intrude, but these woods are far from safe, even with the Fae's tolerance. I'd hate to leave you only to find out later that you'd been snagged by a Wicker Woman or pounced by a cat sith." He leaned on his staff, blue eyes glinting with curiosity as he continued to look the man over, trying to guess if he was outlander or natural. The clothing said Natural, but the wandering about the Fae woods was usually an Outlander hobby. "I'm not the guide Ianto is, but I might be able to help you get where you're going, if you had a destination in mind." Always the problem, in these Woods, those pesky destinations. "The name is Jigano. I..." he caught himself as the old title refused to roll off his tongue, no longer his to claim. "I'm looking for areas that have been struck by the blight, if you've passed any," he finished a bit roughly, looking up for a moment as a flash of white and blue flitted through the branches high above.
