The bard could only smile sadly at the sharp retort, giving a slow shake of his head. "Perhaps," he said, though the word was far from convincing. He was glad that Caiside, at least, had come. It showed who his friends were, though he wished he had learned it in a less publicly humiliating way.
His eyes narrowed at how quickly Caiside changed his tone and tune, the bard recognizing the shift and hating that he didn't dare trust it, but his own burden of blight made mistrust so seductively easy that he couldn't help himself. "What kind of illness?" Jigano asked politely, though the smith's shaking hands and sharp tone was a hint that he hoped he was misreading. "And how does your work go?" The question might have been made out of courtesy, but the interest behind it was genuine, even if he was no longer technically guildmaster. Anything that Caiside could learn and share with the guild was welcome, and not even the blight could change that.
His eyes narrowed at how quickly Caiside changed his tone and tune, the bard recognizing the shift and hating that he didn't dare trust it, but his own burden of blight made mistrust so seductively easy that he couldn't help himself. "What kind of illness?" Jigano asked politely, though the smith's shaking hands and sharp tone was a hint that he hoped he was misreading. "And how does your work go?" The question might have been made out of courtesy, but the interest behind it was genuine, even if he was no longer technically guildmaster. Anything that Caiside could learn and share with the guild was welcome, and not even the blight could change that.
