Maybe less than that now, the bard admitted uncomfortably, his mind going back to a visit to the Glade and the beginning of his downward spiral. I spoke to Safrin about it towards the end of Longheat and she told me the Greatwood had a year left then... that was a full season ago. A quarter of the time lost already, unless they could find a way to slow the progression of the... disease? Parasite? Corruption? All of the above? But I don't know how we could expect anyone to be trying harder than they already are to cure it. There were already enough lives at risk to make the stakes too high to brush aside by anyone with a shred of compassion.
Not that talking about having his emotions twisted by Long Night monsters was any easier of a topic. Yes. A pulse of appreciation flickered erratically through the Attuned link. When it came to comparing whether having emotions or memories manipulated was worse, there was no such thing as a 'winner.' There was only heartache and regret in the wake of what had been lost or damaged beyond their control. Given how much he loved Rory, even through the rage that caused him to lash out with sharp words and violence against blameless crockery, he had no doubt that Ronin felt the same for Remi.
Felt the same shame and guilt afterwards, too, when the rage subsided and left them shaking and horrified at what they had done to someone they cared so much for.
Rising anger turned to fear, however, at the possibility of where the Long Night monsters might have come from. There is, Jigano admitted slowly, giving the manticore's questions careful thought. He fell silent then, ruffling his feathers as he settled back down between the alchemist's shoulder blades and found a bit more equilibrium before he spoke again. Ronin and I had talked a little, once, about working together during Long Night, but that was back in Longheat, before... before things changed. Many, many things. Mostly for the worse... but not all, as evidenced by a raven peacefully riding around on a manticore's back beneath the Leafchange stars. I offered to help Ludo collect lost souls, those that wouldn't come to the gods on their own. Those that might be dangerous to the living. They had already given me a song to draw innocent spirits, those that were merely lost after Long Night. It should also work on more dangerous ones. And I have a lantern that they made for me, one that should hold souls until I can deliver them to a shrine for Ludo and Mort to reclaim... if they can be reclaimed. The masked god had not seemed optimistic that those souls turned monstrous would have any place in the afterlife.
Whether or not I will be able to do that now, though... His infection was not as far along as Ronin's was, but that was no guarantee that he would be in any shape of mind to protect anyone from the monsters in the dark by Deepfrost's end.
Or from the monster he might become.
Not that talking about having his emotions twisted by Long Night monsters was any easier of a topic. Yes. A pulse of appreciation flickered erratically through the Attuned link. When it came to comparing whether having emotions or memories manipulated was worse, there was no such thing as a 'winner.' There was only heartache and regret in the wake of what had been lost or damaged beyond their control. Given how much he loved Rory, even through the rage that caused him to lash out with sharp words and violence against blameless crockery, he had no doubt that Ronin felt the same for Remi.
Felt the same shame and guilt afterwards, too, when the rage subsided and left them shaking and horrified at what they had done to someone they cared so much for.
Rising anger turned to fear, however, at the possibility of where the Long Night monsters might have come from. There is, Jigano admitted slowly, giving the manticore's questions careful thought. He fell silent then, ruffling his feathers as he settled back down between the alchemist's shoulder blades and found a bit more equilibrium before he spoke again. Ronin and I had talked a little, once, about working together during Long Night, but that was back in Longheat, before... before things changed. Many, many things. Mostly for the worse... but not all, as evidenced by a raven peacefully riding around on a manticore's back beneath the Leafchange stars. I offered to help Ludo collect lost souls, those that wouldn't come to the gods on their own. Those that might be dangerous to the living. They had already given me a song to draw innocent spirits, those that were merely lost after Long Night. It should also work on more dangerous ones. And I have a lantern that they made for me, one that should hold souls until I can deliver them to a shrine for Ludo and Mort to reclaim... if they can be reclaimed. The masked god had not seemed optimistic that those souls turned monstrous would have any place in the afterlife.
Whether or not I will be able to do that now, though... His infection was not as far along as Ronin's was, but that was no guarantee that he would be in any shape of mind to protect anyone from the monsters in the dark by Deepfrost's end.
Or from the monster he might become.
