With widening eyes she listened to the tally. Shocked to hear that Jigano had been made outcast for even a moment, she wanted nothing so much as to ask about the ordeal. What blight? What curse, from whom? And King!? Questions crowded on her tongue, urging to be let out, but... already, she could see the weight of these things on her friend. From the burdens and sorrows of the recent carnage, to her own terrifying news, she did not want to open any more wounds, old and healing or not. If that was even the case. Perhaps it would be a topic best saved for another time. Safely indoors, over a cup of tea - or something stronger - and without nothing but the night bewteen them and the grime of failure on the ground.
"I'm so happy for both of you," she said instead, choosing to respond only to the happy tidings with a deeply felt honesty. "I'm sorry to hear about Rory, but try not to worry about him too much. He does that when things get too much. You should have seen him after his mother passed... I'm sure with time, he will be able to bounce back." She didn't know when, how long it might take, but she was certain her brother's childhood friend would come around. Between Jigano and Isuma, and the opening of the barrier there was no reason for him not to. The cage he'd so loathed was gone, and time would hopefully see the bars around his mind whittled down as well. He had things to live for - it would be alright.
Tucking a strand of hair between her ear, she considered the question he offered in return, curiously eying the flower he'd produced. Where had that come from? There were no others like it in the grazed grass of the field, nor did she recall seeing any along the side of the road.
"Not much, I'm afraid," she responded, while pondering the puzzle. "I went straight to home from the portal. Adam gave me company for a while, and told me a little, and I saw Peter at the farm. None of them were very clear about details, though. I know it's been roughly a year since I... since then. The portals have been opened, between here, Halo and the Greatwoods. For some reason the gods have started to allow Abandoned to attune, despite their spark... or perhaps because of it. And my farm..." She trailed off, looking down at her hands, "It's beyond repair, at this point. The house, the animals... it's too much for me to handle on my own."
It was the first time she admitted this out loud, and gods, how it stung. She'd let down all the kin who'd ever worked or lived there, every Valaire of generations past. A monumental failure on her part, beyond doubt.
"I'm so happy for both of you," she said instead, choosing to respond only to the happy tidings with a deeply felt honesty. "I'm sorry to hear about Rory, but try not to worry about him too much. He does that when things get too much. You should have seen him after his mother passed... I'm sure with time, he will be able to bounce back." She didn't know when, how long it might take, but she was certain her brother's childhood friend would come around. Between Jigano and Isuma, and the opening of the barrier there was no reason for him not to. The cage he'd so loathed was gone, and time would hopefully see the bars around his mind whittled down as well. He had things to live for - it would be alright.
Tucking a strand of hair between her ear, she considered the question he offered in return, curiously eying the flower he'd produced. Where had that come from? There were no others like it in the grazed grass of the field, nor did she recall seeing any along the side of the road.
"Not much, I'm afraid," she responded, while pondering the puzzle. "I went straight to home from the portal. Adam gave me company for a while, and told me a little, and I saw Peter at the farm. None of them were very clear about details, though. I know it's been roughly a year since I... since then. The portals have been opened, between here, Halo and the Greatwoods. For some reason the gods have started to allow Abandoned to attune, despite their spark... or perhaps because of it. And my farm..." She trailed off, looking down at her hands, "It's beyond repair, at this point. The house, the animals... it's too much for me to handle on my own."
It was the first time she admitted this out loud, and gods, how it stung. She'd let down all the kin who'd ever worked or lived there, every Valaire of generations past. A monumental failure on her part, beyond doubt.
