Amalia's piety was humbling, even as her painful flinch away from him was wounding, but she was his friend and guildmate and he would not abandon her so easily without at least knowing the reason why. Nor would he leave her to face the dreameater, the god of death, alone. Ludo's nod was, perhaps, all the acknowledgement he would receive during this visitation, but even if the god did not seem to mind the tall bard's advantage in height he had no desire to loom over his friend.
He settled to his knees at Amalia's side, watching in concern as she clutched the antler like a talisman. Considering what had happened out in the starless night, it was, but her words had him shaking his head in sharp negation. "Ama--" He began, but cut her name short as Ludo answered her, and he nearly bit his tongue in his hurry to avoid interrupting the god. He was glad he had - almost surprisingly so - when Ludo spoke with a simple eloquence, saying all the bard might have but with far more authority. Jigano ducked his head, exhaling softly in relief, at least until the offer to take the gentle baker came again.
"Amalia," he pleaded, tightening his fingers into fists in his lap to stop himself from reaching out to her, afraid she would only flinch away again. "Please. I know it's selfish but I don't want you to go yet. I don't want to lose any more friends." He hesitated, slanting a glance to the waiting god, but it was Isuma who distracted him from saying anything foolish by hopping down to his lap and then over to Amalia, little snow leopard tail twitching as the pale furred-and-feathered gryphlet put her foreclaws gently on the woman's leg and leaned up to get a better look at her expression, Reep?ing softly in concern as she investigated this human her bonded was tying himself in internal knots over.
He settled to his knees at Amalia's side, watching in concern as she clutched the antler like a talisman. Considering what had happened out in the starless night, it was, but her words had him shaking his head in sharp negation. "Ama--" He began, but cut her name short as Ludo answered her, and he nearly bit his tongue in his hurry to avoid interrupting the god. He was glad he had - almost surprisingly so - when Ludo spoke with a simple eloquence, saying all the bard might have but with far more authority. Jigano ducked his head, exhaling softly in relief, at least until the offer to take the gentle baker came again.
"Amalia," he pleaded, tightening his fingers into fists in his lap to stop himself from reaching out to her, afraid she would only flinch away again. "Please. I know it's selfish but I don't want you to go yet. I don't want to lose any more friends." He hesitated, slanting a glance to the waiting god, but it was Isuma who distracted him from saying anything foolish by hopping down to his lap and then over to Amalia, little snow leopard tail twitching as the pale furred-and-feathered gryphlet put her foreclaws gently on the woman's leg and leaned up to get a better look at her expression, Reep?ing softly in concern as she investigated this human her bonded was tying himself in internal knots over.
