She stood there as he'd so often seen her, floured to her elbows and working the dough of her latest loaf, bringing life and comfort to so many of the Hollowed Grounds with the skill of her hands and the warmth of her soul. But he saw, too, the tension that turned her shoulders stiff and the way she froze in place, still as stone and refusing to meet his eyes at first. The gaze that she turned up to him eventually was distant, giving back less than the Spire, and he swallowed the pain in his chest at the sight of it. He had expected cold welcome, but it still hurt to receive it, and he tucked his hands more firmly against his sides to try and warm them against the chill inside the bakery even more than the leafchange air outside.
"Bread, for the farm. And... to talk to you, if you have some time," he found himself saying, the words he had planned to begin with shriveling like blighted blossoms on his tongue. Her lack of expression kept him from entering further, lingering near the door in case she asked him to leave again. Isuma looked back at him worriedly, circling to land on his shoulder and then crawl down into the arm he reflexively lifted to hold her as she peeped quietly at him, encouraging her companion to be strong. He smiled tiredly down at the gryphlet. "It's alright," he reassured her softly. "Go play with Jyoti, if you can find her."
"Bread, for the farm. And... to talk to you, if you have some time," he found himself saying, the words he had planned to begin with shriveling like blighted blossoms on his tongue. Her lack of expression kept him from entering further, lingering near the door in case she asked him to leave again. Isuma looked back at him worriedly, circling to land on his shoulder and then crawl down into the arm he reflexively lifted to hold her as she peeped quietly at him, encouraging her companion to be strong. He smiled tiredly down at the gryphlet. "It's alright," he reassured her softly. "Go play with Jyoti, if you can find her."
