Isuma didn't understand why her playmate suddenly abandoned her, but a quiet tickle of thought from Jigano had her leaping into his lap and resting her chin on the table, the little owlet head watching Ronin and Sugar curiously across the expanse of wood.
In truth Jigano had been curious indeed as to what thoughts had driven the lost Captain to make the decisions he had, and the timing of them. Of course, he had thought those answers forever lost, but Caido had a funny way of providing answers when he least expected them, and now was one such time. He wasn't sure what he expected - justifications? Excuses? Righteous resistance to those who had disagreed with him? - but Ronin pleasantly surprised him with his calm litany of motivations and his apparently sincere desire to fix what he had inadvertently broken.
The bard sighed, sipping his tea as he considered what advice he might give - and whether it would be any good. "Roana..." he began, and then hesitated, looking across the table at his guest. "I understand that she is a friend of yours. But she compounded the problem and made things significantly worse by attempting to repeat it when she tried to force entry to the Spire shortly after your... ah. Initial attack." 'Demise' didn't seem to be quite appropriate at this point, even if it was technically correct. "Rory and a large group of naturals went to camp outside the Spire and guard it, and when Roana came at the head of yet more Outlanders, the threats leveled against him by Edrei and the assassin woman..." The skin at the corners of his eyes tightened with an anger he did his best to keep out of his voice. "There are rifts there not of your making, but which will not heal easily, I'm afraid, no matter how well-intentioned you are. But... no one was actually hurt. And once the barrier was taken down and the Old Gods didn't promptly punish us, well... things are beginning to mend, I think. I hope," he added more softly. "But you should still find time to talk to Rory, at least. And he can tell you better how he and Amalia and the rest felt. Aside from scared as hell, watching you risk yourself like that," he added wryly, humor finally able to surface now that the event was in the past and Ronin was - somehow, inexplicably - back with them again, safe and sound.
In truth Jigano had been curious indeed as to what thoughts had driven the lost Captain to make the decisions he had, and the timing of them. Of course, he had thought those answers forever lost, but Caido had a funny way of providing answers when he least expected them, and now was one such time. He wasn't sure what he expected - justifications? Excuses? Righteous resistance to those who had disagreed with him? - but Ronin pleasantly surprised him with his calm litany of motivations and his apparently sincere desire to fix what he had inadvertently broken.
The bard sighed, sipping his tea as he considered what advice he might give - and whether it would be any good. "Roana..." he began, and then hesitated, looking across the table at his guest. "I understand that she is a friend of yours. But she compounded the problem and made things significantly worse by attempting to repeat it when she tried to force entry to the Spire shortly after your... ah. Initial attack." 'Demise' didn't seem to be quite appropriate at this point, even if it was technically correct. "Rory and a large group of naturals went to camp outside the Spire and guard it, and when Roana came at the head of yet more Outlanders, the threats leveled against him by Edrei and the assassin woman..." The skin at the corners of his eyes tightened with an anger he did his best to keep out of his voice. "There are rifts there not of your making, but which will not heal easily, I'm afraid, no matter how well-intentioned you are. But... no one was actually hurt. And once the barrier was taken down and the Old Gods didn't promptly punish us, well... things are beginning to mend, I think. I hope," he added more softly. "But you should still find time to talk to Rory, at least. And he can tell you better how he and Amalia and the rest felt. Aside from scared as hell, watching you risk yourself like that," he added wryly, humor finally able to surface now that the event was in the past and Ronin was - somehow, inexplicably - back with them again, safe and sound.
