The answer was not what he wanted to hear, but it was reassuring nonetheless – assuming she wasn’t lying to them, which he still wasn’t sure he dared trust. Still, there was something to be said for having her protection from the hostile forest, and Jigano bowed solemnly in gratitude before they arrayed themselves for… confrontation.
Not battle, he hoped. They were too few, and too ill-prepared for a fight.
Arduinna’s voice, ringing out to ‘troops’ and ‘ambushes’ had Jigano’s hackles raising, his hand settling on the hilt of his rapier without thought. The creatures – people? – that emerged from hiding a moment later had him drawing in a sharp breath, then another as they disappeared again just as quickly. Earth elementals? Not oreads, but something more primal, perhaps… But before he could try and speak to them in Terran, the next to appear arrived.
Small, fierce, wild and fearless, the woman gave a name to the one who led them. Arduinna. Glad as Jigano was to know it, his attention was mostly for the petite warrior who stood so much shorter than their guide. Was this the war chief Eliza had mentioned? And there was that word again. Tulmhainar. And ‘sacrifice.’
The bard tensed, one word leaping from his throat, but before it could pass his lips Deimos asked it, and Jigano braced himself for the answer. He glanced briefly to Sam and Killian, reassuring himself of their close presence before he turned his eyes back to Delah, forming his expression so neither frown nor scowl could mar his smooth skin. No matter who it had been, he had lost a friend… and most likely a member of his guild who had looked up to him, trusted him to keep them safe. He drew in a careful breath, making sure his voice wouldn’t shake when he spoke. ”Is there… anything left? That we might return to their friends and family for burial, and Ludo’s attention?”
Not battle, he hoped. They were too few, and too ill-prepared for a fight.
Arduinna’s voice, ringing out to ‘troops’ and ‘ambushes’ had Jigano’s hackles raising, his hand settling on the hilt of his rapier without thought. The creatures – people? – that emerged from hiding a moment later had him drawing in a sharp breath, then another as they disappeared again just as quickly. Earth elementals? Not oreads, but something more primal, perhaps… But before he could try and speak to them in Terran, the next to appear arrived.
Small, fierce, wild and fearless, the woman gave a name to the one who led them. Arduinna. Glad as Jigano was to know it, his attention was mostly for the petite warrior who stood so much shorter than their guide. Was this the war chief Eliza had mentioned? And there was that word again. Tulmhainar. And ‘sacrifice.’
The bard tensed, one word leaping from his throat, but before it could pass his lips Deimos asked it, and Jigano braced himself for the answer. He glanced briefly to Sam and Killian, reassuring himself of their close presence before he turned his eyes back to Delah, forming his expression so neither frown nor scowl could mar his smooth skin. No matter who it had been, he had lost a friend… and most likely a member of his guild who had looked up to him, trusted him to keep them safe. He drew in a careful breath, making sure his voice wouldn’t shake when he spoke. ”Is there… anything left? That we might return to their friends and family for burial, and Ludo’s attention?”
