He wasn't looking at Deimos, but he could feel the weight of the other man's displeasure and he hunched his shoulders against it, flinching at the expected retort but jutting his jaw out regardless and not backing down.
"No, you're not Neron. An' you are Halovian, where it counts. At least you've lived here a few years. Been through it with us, through Deepfrost an' dragons an' LongNights. Earned people's trust. Y'didn't just blow in an' out an' in again on the wind when it was convenient an' decide you were gonna lead us like y'led the Ascended before." His scowl deepened and this time he did look up and meet the General's eyes. "No one's forgotten that she led them, too. That she was the Grounders' Warden before she was ours. An' when her people come knockin' on the doors next season, she's sittin' pretty to let 'em in, now. Cuz she lived with them a lot longer than she's been here."
He drew a deep, shuddering breath and squeezed his fingers around the shaft of the glaive. "You're my hero, Deimos. But you're my friend, too. An' y'can make mistakes, just like anyone else. I'm scared t'death that she's one of 'em, with how fast she seduced you. How fast things changed. Y'know damn well that I would follow you into the fuckin' lava pools if you asked. But I'm sayin' I won't follow her. Not on anyone's word alone." He swallowed hard, stubbornly holding his ground and trying not to let the scared shaking in his hands become too obvious.
"No, you're not Neron. An' you are Halovian, where it counts. At least you've lived here a few years. Been through it with us, through Deepfrost an' dragons an' LongNights. Earned people's trust. Y'didn't just blow in an' out an' in again on the wind when it was convenient an' decide you were gonna lead us like y'led the Ascended before." His scowl deepened and this time he did look up and meet the General's eyes. "No one's forgotten that she led them, too. That she was the Grounders' Warden before she was ours. An' when her people come knockin' on the doors next season, she's sittin' pretty to let 'em in, now. Cuz she lived with them a lot longer than she's been here."
He drew a deep, shuddering breath and squeezed his fingers around the shaft of the glaive. "You're my hero, Deimos. But you're my friend, too. An' y'can make mistakes, just like anyone else. I'm scared t'death that she's one of 'em, with how fast she seduced you. How fast things changed. Y'know damn well that I would follow you into the fuckin' lava pools if you asked. But I'm sayin' I won't follow her. Not on anyone's word alone." He swallowed hard, stubbornly holding his ground and trying not to let the scared shaking in his hands become too obvious.
