Arguments could be made about how suited for leadership he really was, but the Loreseekers, at least, were his in a way that he could never fully walk away from. He would gladly take the responsibility for them back, the weight settling comfortably even on his weakened and still-shaky shoulders. He would have hugged her tighter, but he let her turn away instead, turning from him with downcast eyes as their momentary happiness already began to fade and melt away, like memory snow in the springtime.
Or blood into the earth. In such lovely little mental images did the blight remind him how close it still was to the surface of his thoughts.
"You kept the Guild intact when I chose to run and hide," he said gently, moving up beside her. "You showed strength and courage in the face of Zariah's tyranny. We each protested her seizing of power in different ways. But the important thing is, because of you the Guild survived. And then when I became... like this..." The broken cadence returned to his voice and he stopped to take a steadying breath. "Well. Well indeed. It would not have survived either trial without you. You held the hope of the Guild in your hands, Amalia, and you protected it in spite of the challenges you faced. Of course I am proud of you," he finished, voice gentling again. "Especially considering that Caiside and I have both been Blight-stricken, and Sam..." he trailed off on the name, uncertain what to say about the moody bookmaker who could be loyal to a fault. Sometimes that was a good thing! But sometimes, like when it came to his goddess...
It very much was not.
Or blood into the earth. In such lovely little mental images did the blight remind him how close it still was to the surface of his thoughts.
"You kept the Guild intact when I chose to run and hide," he said gently, moving up beside her. "You showed strength and courage in the face of Zariah's tyranny. We each protested her seizing of power in different ways. But the important thing is, because of you the Guild survived. And then when I became... like this..." The broken cadence returned to his voice and he stopped to take a steadying breath. "Well. Well indeed. It would not have survived either trial without you. You held the hope of the Guild in your hands, Amalia, and you protected it in spite of the challenges you faced. Of course I am proud of you," he finished, voice gentling again. "Especially considering that Caiside and I have both been Blight-stricken, and Sam..." he trailed off on the name, uncertain what to say about the moody bookmaker who could be loyal to a fault. Sometimes that was a good thing! But sometimes, like when it came to his goddess...
It very much was not.
