He didn't exactly sag with relief, but some of the weight seemed to lift from his shoulders and he gave Sam the first real smile he'd felt since they had ventured out to bring the lost and broken back into the temporary safety of the Guild hall. Even if Sam was just letting him try and help to make him feel better, he appreciated the gesture. And if Sam was serious...
"I promise," he said gratefully. "It's a very Loreseeker thing to do, if nothing else. Try to get all the information you can before making a big decision. I'll see if I can argue on the behalf of yourself... or anyone who wants to change their minds in the future," he added quietly. "And... Sam? If you do decide to remain with the Voice... I'll try and respect that decision, too." He held up a cautionary hand. "I won't pretend that I agree with it or like it, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you, or that you aren't my friend. We can disagree on things and still love and respect each other." Tempers could flare and cool again, disagreements could turn to arguments and piqued feelings, but in the end they had been through too much together to let mere gods pull them apart so easily.
"I promise," he said gratefully. "It's a very Loreseeker thing to do, if nothing else. Try to get all the information you can before making a big decision. I'll see if I can argue on the behalf of yourself... or anyone who wants to change their minds in the future," he added quietly. "And... Sam? If you do decide to remain with the Voice... I'll try and respect that decision, too." He held up a cautionary hand. "I won't pretend that I agree with it or like it, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you, or that you aren't my friend. We can disagree on things and still love and respect each other." Tempers could flare and cool again, disagreements could turn to arguments and piqued feelings, but in the end they had been through too much together to let mere gods pull them apart so easily.
