"Oh, in the Woods, same as any other moss," Jigano replied absently, his attention on the little luxere. He glanced over at the not-quite-invitation, a more sardonic smile giving his mouth a little harder curve, though he bit back the blight-born sarcasm that wanted to snap and verbally tear at the Launceleyn man's offer. He bit his tongue hard enough to bring moisture to the corners of his eyes, though he hid it be crouching down to offer Astra a tentative hand, unsure of whether the luxere would approach a blighted human. She was a creature of light, after all, and he was still corrupted, tainted by the darkness that whispered dark urgings in his ears and filled his eyes with shadows.
The moisture in his eyes might have been gratitude rather than pain as she stepped close enough to touch, and he offered her a rub right where he knew Auni was always itchiest. "Hello, Astra," he said softly, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat - and realizing only then that the wicked whispers had receded again. He drew in a shaky breath and rose, continuing to pat the luxere's head as he gave Loren his attention again, gesturing to the bag of snow moss as he sought to find the thread of the conversation they had only just begun. "Sorry... the moss is fairly common in the Woods, though harder to find in Deepfrost. It's an excellent insulator, though, both for temperature and sound. Especially sound," he added with a faint grimace, reluctantly abandoning Astra's head to go back to his task.
He talked while he worked, nodding for Loren to join him if the other man was so inclined. "One of the local Long Night traditions is to tuck snow moss around your windows and doors, and under any creaking boards your home might have so that no sound escapes during Long Night and the monsters won't be drawn by the noise of your footsteps to your house. I haven't heard any decisions about where people will be staying for Long Night this year... but if I can get Rory to agree to it, I'll likely stay here even if no one else does. Everyone in the barrierlands knows where the Infirmary is, and if anyone is running scared or injured and on instinct, they'll probably end up here before they try for refuge in any of the newer places that have cropped up." As delicate a way as he could manage of saying that he wouldn't be going anywhere near Zariah's Manor, even on Royal edict.
The moisture in his eyes might have been gratitude rather than pain as she stepped close enough to touch, and he offered her a rub right where he knew Auni was always itchiest. "Hello, Astra," he said softly, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat - and realizing only then that the wicked whispers had receded again. He drew in a shaky breath and rose, continuing to pat the luxere's head as he gave Loren his attention again, gesturing to the bag of snow moss as he sought to find the thread of the conversation they had only just begun. "Sorry... the moss is fairly common in the Woods, though harder to find in Deepfrost. It's an excellent insulator, though, both for temperature and sound. Especially sound," he added with a faint grimace, reluctantly abandoning Astra's head to go back to his task.
He talked while he worked, nodding for Loren to join him if the other man was so inclined. "One of the local Long Night traditions is to tuck snow moss around your windows and doors, and under any creaking boards your home might have so that no sound escapes during Long Night and the monsters won't be drawn by the noise of your footsteps to your house. I haven't heard any decisions about where people will be staying for Long Night this year... but if I can get Rory to agree to it, I'll likely stay here even if no one else does. Everyone in the barrierlands knows where the Infirmary is, and if anyone is running scared or injured and on instinct, they'll probably end up here before they try for refuge in any of the newer places that have cropped up." As delicate a way as he could manage of saying that he wouldn't be going anywhere near Zariah's Manor, even on Royal edict.
