Love mends even the broken parts
He didn’t quite know what to make of this woman with the eyes of two colors. Though she was much shorter than him, she held herself with the bearing of someone much taller. Or maybe it was just her almost regal posture. Whoever she was, she was certainly self-possessed.
What she was not, however, was knowledgeable about this world. Or at least not about the Roses. ”Vi and Rae. The gods of life.” His response was automatic, funny though it was that he, of all people, was instructing someone on the gods of Caido. ”Well I don’t think they’ll have too much more work to do, considering how well you planted it.” He wasn’t just saying that to be kind; as a former farmer, he knew a little bit about plants, and the woman’s efforts would be more than sufficient. It helped that the flowers were surprisingly hardy. Well, maybe not that surprisingly, given their ability to bloom in the snow.
Still, her ignorance surprised him. "Forgive me for asking, but are you new to Caido?" She didn't have the confused look of a recent arrival, but there were other, more subtler signs, and given how often he'd met the newcomers, he was getting good at spotting them.
Although she placed her hand delicately in his, he gave her a firm shake, letting go of the ducal grace just a little bit. It had been a long time since he needed it and he definitely wasn’t a noble anymore. Besides, it was freezing, and he wanted to put his glove back on. Just because he could probably heal frostbite—not that he’d ever tried—didn’t mean he wanted to. ”Well, I only met him recently, though I hope you won’t mind me saying that I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.” Most of their conversation in the woods (if the gruff and short sentences the general had been using even constituted a conversation) had been spent sizing each other up. And even then, the summoner didn’t know pretty much anything about Deimos.
Well here was a chance to find out more. ”Was he always so taciturn?” Amalia had indicated the general used his words sparingly, but Loren wanted to know if that was a recent development or not. It didn’t really matter, but maybe if the other man had been chatty in the past he might be willing to open up to the summoner if the two ever actually got to know one another. Granted, the summoner’s track record on getting close to people was pretty crappy, so that was incredibly unlikely to happen.
There’d been nothing more than curiosity in her voice, so he figured he could give her a straight answer, if not the full truth. Given that he didn’t really want to admit he’d been wallowing, he gave her the more socially acceptable response instead. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Hotaru. And I came to check on the Roses.” Though the blight was cured, the blighted were not all completely better. And sometimes they still got worse.
What she was not, however, was knowledgeable about this world. Or at least not about the Roses. ”Vi and Rae. The gods of life.” His response was automatic, funny though it was that he, of all people, was instructing someone on the gods of Caido. ”Well I don’t think they’ll have too much more work to do, considering how well you planted it.” He wasn’t just saying that to be kind; as a former farmer, he knew a little bit about plants, and the woman’s efforts would be more than sufficient. It helped that the flowers were surprisingly hardy. Well, maybe not that surprisingly, given their ability to bloom in the snow.
Still, her ignorance surprised him. "Forgive me for asking, but are you new to Caido?" She didn't have the confused look of a recent arrival, but there were other, more subtler signs, and given how often he'd met the newcomers, he was getting good at spotting them.
Although she placed her hand delicately in his, he gave her a firm shake, letting go of the ducal grace just a little bit. It had been a long time since he needed it and he definitely wasn’t a noble anymore. Besides, it was freezing, and he wanted to put his glove back on. Just because he could probably heal frostbite—not that he’d ever tried—didn’t mean he wanted to. ”Well, I only met him recently, though I hope you won’t mind me saying that I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.” Most of their conversation in the woods (if the gruff and short sentences the general had been using even constituted a conversation) had been spent sizing each other up. And even then, the summoner didn’t know pretty much anything about Deimos.
Well here was a chance to find out more. ”Was he always so taciturn?” Amalia had indicated the general used his words sparingly, but Loren wanted to know if that was a recent development or not. It didn’t really matter, but maybe if the other man had been chatty in the past he might be willing to open up to the summoner if the two ever actually got to know one another. Granted, the summoner’s track record on getting close to people was pretty crappy, so that was incredibly unlikely to happen.
There’d been nothing more than curiosity in her voice, so he figured he could give her a straight answer, if not the full truth. Given that he didn’t really want to admit he’d been wallowing, he gave her the more socially acceptable response instead. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Hotaru. And I came to check on the Roses.” Though the blight was cured, the blighted were not all completely better. And sometimes they still got worse.
loren
