Jigano raised a brow at Ronin’s curt defensiveness of the alchemist, letting a speculative gaze travel between the two men. ”Well, if all he did was make a little ink, then it’s a simple enough mistake…” The bard shrugged lightly, but his eyes narrowed. ”But you don’t need eyes to see motivations – or to question them. On my world we had a saying: There is no such thing as ‘blindly’ following orders. But… this is not that world, so perhaps things are different here.” He subsided, nodding to Amalia as she stepped to Remi’s side as well, and he tilted his head curiously at her choice. Was the hapless alchemist playing for sympathy again…?
No. No, Remi didn’t do it consciously, he decided with an inward sigh. He just did it, as naturally as breathing. No wonder they had to work so hard to find neutral ground to meet on. The bard flexed the fingers of his broken arm with a rueful smile that vanished as Amalia stepped forward to rip the paper down with a carnivore’s claws. She had grown bold, his heartsister, but it was a timely reminder that the proud and honest baker had never needed to learn subterfuge in the ways of fomenting rebellion and overthrowing corrupt rulers. He flashed Deimos a wry grin, but before he could comment a honeyed voice was prowling through the growing crowd, and Jigano’s smile sharpened like a raptor flexing its talons asLucas joined them.
”Perhaps because this ‘shit show’ doesn’t need ‘running’?” he tossed back. ”Keeping in mind that she hasn’t erased anything. Saying words doesn’t make a thing true – trust a bard to know that better than anyone.” He glanced atEdrei, suppressing a wince at seeing his friend reduced to the role of a mere enforcer. ”Or did I miss the part where the mighty Zariah also hid during Long Night?” Unlike her braver cousin, the bard didn’t have to say, a flicker of warmth in his gaze for Edy even though she stood on the opposite side of the gathered malcontents.
And Lucas… wherever he fit in to all this.
”The bugs and fires are worked around,” he pointed out mildly. ”Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And with such a small group of people, limited government and legality seems to have worked just fine. You do seem to be forgetting that the barrier was raised to keep a goddess confined, which Zariah helped release… How did the Voice express her gratitude for that service, by the way?” He arched his silvered brow, looking around at those gathered. ”And last I checked, everyone got themselves unkidnapped just fine, and inroads were just starting to be made towards finding a more peaceable path forward with the Fae... something else Zariah didn't bother to participate in.”
No. No, Remi didn’t do it consciously, he decided with an inward sigh. He just did it, as naturally as breathing. No wonder they had to work so hard to find neutral ground to meet on. The bard flexed the fingers of his broken arm with a rueful smile that vanished as Amalia stepped forward to rip the paper down with a carnivore’s claws. She had grown bold, his heartsister, but it was a timely reminder that the proud and honest baker had never needed to learn subterfuge in the ways of fomenting rebellion and overthrowing corrupt rulers. He flashed Deimos a wry grin, but before he could comment a honeyed voice was prowling through the growing crowd, and Jigano’s smile sharpened like a raptor flexing its talons as
”Perhaps because this ‘shit show’ doesn’t need ‘running’?” he tossed back. ”Keeping in mind that she hasn’t erased anything. Saying words doesn’t make a thing true – trust a bard to know that better than anyone.” He glanced at
And Lucas… wherever he fit in to all this.
”The bugs and fires are worked around,” he pointed out mildly. ”Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And with such a small group of people, limited government and legality seems to have worked just fine. You do seem to be forgetting that the barrier was raised to keep a goddess confined, which Zariah helped release… How did the Voice express her gratitude for that service, by the way?” He arched his silvered brow, looking around at those gathered. ”And last I checked, everyone got themselves unkidnapped just fine, and inroads were just starting to be made towards finding a more peaceable path forward with the Fae... something else Zariah didn't bother to participate in.”
