LOREN
When Wessex arrived behind them Loren just turned and saluted her as well. Just because the general and the queen were acting casually didn’t mean the summoner could afford to; he was well aware that he was on thin ice and was going to be a good little soldier. As she offered to take his cloak, he shook his head. One day, he’d impress upon her the importance of acting more like a ruler, but that was a battle for another day. He’d have enough fights today, he imagined.
Trailing behind both of them into the backroom, the Launceleyn shook his head to Wessex’s next offer as well. ”No thank you.” Unlike Deimos, Loren didn’t smile at the offer. He wasn’t much up to smiling today. Or any day. Thankfully, he didn’t need to smile to get his job done. Settling at the corner of the long table nearest the door, he pulled a journal and a quill and ink from the pockets sewn into the cloak and flipped open to a blank page as Deimos started speaking.
The summoner was planning to take shorthand transcript notes of everything they said tonight, then post their final decision after the fact like a good little underling. Dutifully he took down the general’s comments, though when the other man paused, Loren looked up and realized Deimos was staring at the Launceleyn. Apparently the general wanted the summoner to voice his opinion. Hesitating for just a moment as his eyes strayed towards the queen, Loren sighed then bent his head to both write and speak at the same time. ”I’m withdrawing the Manor from consideration. Too few people are willing to stay there. I will defer to your judgment about the rest.” Pausing, he glanced up very briefly, wondering whether he should say more. He had a lot on his mind, but wasn’t sure if he should voice it.
Better to ask forgiveness and permission, even if he was pushing it and that type of thinking had gotten him in trouble in the past. ”However, if you want my opinion, I have a luxere companion, as does Kiada. I recommend we pick two locations, and have one of us at each. My top choices are the Temple and the Monster Hunter’s Guild. They are the most popular among everyone I’ve spoken to, and if we start work now we can make them defensible.” While he’d obviously prefer to be at the Temple—both because it was more centrally located and because he wanted to be far, far away from Remi and Ronin—that wasn’t really Loren’s call to make. He could set aside his discomfort with the two men for the greater good.
He was good at that.
Though he’d only been in the Monster Hunter’s Guild once, it had fortifications and presumably supplies to take care of people who’d been hurt by, well, monsters. The Temple had the Infirmary, the shrine, and access to the Caido Medical College. And while there were many entrances and exits, they could barricade those to the best of their ability and hope that would be enough.
Trailing behind both of them into the backroom, the Launceleyn shook his head to Wessex’s next offer as well. ”No thank you.” Unlike Deimos, Loren didn’t smile at the offer. He wasn’t much up to smiling today. Or any day. Thankfully, he didn’t need to smile to get his job done. Settling at the corner of the long table nearest the door, he pulled a journal and a quill and ink from the pockets sewn into the cloak and flipped open to a blank page as Deimos started speaking.
The summoner was planning to take shorthand transcript notes of everything they said tonight, then post their final decision after the fact like a good little underling. Dutifully he took down the general’s comments, though when the other man paused, Loren looked up and realized Deimos was staring at the Launceleyn. Apparently the general wanted the summoner to voice his opinion. Hesitating for just a moment as his eyes strayed towards the queen, Loren sighed then bent his head to both write and speak at the same time. ”I’m withdrawing the Manor from consideration. Too few people are willing to stay there. I will defer to your judgment about the rest.” Pausing, he glanced up very briefly, wondering whether he should say more. He had a lot on his mind, but wasn’t sure if he should voice it.
Better to ask forgiveness and permission, even if he was pushing it and that type of thinking had gotten him in trouble in the past. ”However, if you want my opinion, I have a luxere companion, as does Kiada. I recommend we pick two locations, and have one of us at each. My top choices are the Temple and the Monster Hunter’s Guild. They are the most popular among everyone I’ve spoken to, and if we start work now we can make them defensible.” While he’d obviously prefer to be at the Temple—both because it was more centrally located and because he wanted to be far, far away from Remi and Ronin—that wasn’t really Loren’s call to make. He could set aside his discomfort with the two men for the greater good.
He was good at that.
Though he’d only been in the Monster Hunter’s Guild once, it had fortifications and presumably supplies to take care of people who’d been hurt by, well, monsters. The Temple had the Infirmary, the shrine, and access to the Caido Medical College. And while there were many entrances and exits, they could barricade those to the best of their ability and hope that would be enough.
But don’t be weary if it’s broken
Families are like that—
they’re split up and always torn.
