He shouldn't sneak into the settlement in fox-form. At first it had been fine, but too many people knew a white-haired, blue-eyed bard by now and might make connections he was desperate to avoid. He had paced the edge of the woods restlessly, bounding a little ways in but finding himself drawn back to watch the lights starting to come on across the buildings, both broken and restored.
On the other hand it was growing darker, and he blended in to the snow like a ghost. No one could see his eyes like this, and the blond man still hadn't returned. Maybe he was just staying in town for the night? But... maybe not. What if he left from a different place? Who would protect him on his ride home in the dark, distracted by his grief as he was?
When fat white flakes began to fall in earnest Jigano sighed and gathered himself, moving low and fast across the open area between trees and buildings. At first there were fresh horse tracks to follow, but he had the black mare's scent now and there hadn't been so much traffic in the past hour that he couldn't follow it roundabout through the little town, staying to shadows and alleys until the circling trail led him to the center of everything - the Temple, and outside it, the pony he had been tracking.
The Temple was mostly intact. Mostly. Enough to keep a tall human man, perhaps, from wriggling through a crack in the foundations hidden by a trio of skeletal bushes, now covered in snow. A slender fox left a bit of fur on the stonework as he wriggled and crawled inside, finding that it opened up a bit - and then closed, abruptly, the interior plaster still mostly intact. It had crumbled enough to provide a little light, and he could hear what was said - two voices, one belonging to his friend, the other to a stranger - but he couldn't see more than candlelight shadows flickering on the back of a pillar from his vantage. Maybe he was being foolish. Probably he was being foolish. His friend hadn't asked for his help... but he had been hurt. And Jigano wanted to know who Wessex had been...
And as much about the Spire Demon that had killed her as he could gather.
On the other hand it was growing darker, and he blended in to the snow like a ghost. No one could see his eyes like this, and the blond man still hadn't returned. Maybe he was just staying in town for the night? But... maybe not. What if he left from a different place? Who would protect him on his ride home in the dark, distracted by his grief as he was?
When fat white flakes began to fall in earnest Jigano sighed and gathered himself, moving low and fast across the open area between trees and buildings. At first there were fresh horse tracks to follow, but he had the black mare's scent now and there hadn't been so much traffic in the past hour that he couldn't follow it roundabout through the little town, staying to shadows and alleys until the circling trail led him to the center of everything - the Temple, and outside it, the pony he had been tracking.
The Temple was mostly intact. Mostly. Enough to keep a tall human man, perhaps, from wriggling through a crack in the foundations hidden by a trio of skeletal bushes, now covered in snow. A slender fox left a bit of fur on the stonework as he wriggled and crawled inside, finding that it opened up a bit - and then closed, abruptly, the interior plaster still mostly intact. It had crumbled enough to provide a little light, and he could hear what was said - two voices, one belonging to his friend, the other to a stranger - but he couldn't see more than candlelight shadows flickering on the back of a pillar from his vantage. Maybe he was being foolish. Probably he was being foolish. His friend hadn't asked for his help... but he had been hurt. And Jigano wanted to know who Wessex had been...
And as much about the Spire Demon that had killed her as he could gather.
