Was Samuel telling the truth? Jigano hoped so. He didn't think that Sam would lie to him. Or at least... not without being told to by the Voice. Then again, his desire to protect her was strong enough that he just might, and the bard hated that he would even have to consider that option.
That the Voice would lie to Sam was a given in Jigano's mind, after what her blight had done to him. She had lost all chances with him - not that she would ever care about such thing, not with him being both mortal and Attuned - but he would no longer champion her or try to stand neutral between her and the Old Gods. "Did she," was all he said, not quite a question, but too weary to be a statement with any energy behind it. Instead he worked steadily - or as steadily as his hands allowed - pushing the moss into the cracks he found while Isuma kept a golden eye on Sam.
The bookmaker... had a point. It wasn't one that Jigano wanted to admit to, but Samuel had changed since they had met. So had the bard. "Once," he said quietly, "you were Ascended without following the Voice. Your abilities, your strengths, your weaknesses... what you were didn't matter so much as who you were. But choosing to follow the Voice when she's hurt your friends... that is who you are, regardless of what your body is." He pushed away from the reading room, coming out to look Sam in the eyes. His own blue gaze was shadowed with the blight. "If that is who you are, then say it plainly. If you will follow her no matter what she asks of you, no matter how you hurt the people around you... at least be honest with us. And yourself."
He shook his head at Sam's fear in wonder, slumping back against a bookshelf, shaking his head slowly. "So you don't trust her after all?" he asked, bewildered at this change in tactics. "If she truly loves you, Sam, if she's as kind and forgiving as you say, why would she begrudge you the right - the choice - to follow your heart, even if it leads you away from her? Fear isn't the same as love or trust or loyalty. Fear is what Zariah used. Think on that, old friend. If you take nothing else from this conversation... think on that."
That the Voice would lie to Sam was a given in Jigano's mind, after what her blight had done to him. She had lost all chances with him - not that she would ever care about such thing, not with him being both mortal and Attuned - but he would no longer champion her or try to stand neutral between her and the Old Gods. "Did she," was all he said, not quite a question, but too weary to be a statement with any energy behind it. Instead he worked steadily - or as steadily as his hands allowed - pushing the moss into the cracks he found while Isuma kept a golden eye on Sam.
The bookmaker... had a point. It wasn't one that Jigano wanted to admit to, but Samuel had changed since they had met. So had the bard. "Once," he said quietly, "you were Ascended without following the Voice. Your abilities, your strengths, your weaknesses... what you were didn't matter so much as who you were. But choosing to follow the Voice when she's hurt your friends... that is who you are, regardless of what your body is." He pushed away from the reading room, coming out to look Sam in the eyes. His own blue gaze was shadowed with the blight. "If that is who you are, then say it plainly. If you will follow her no matter what she asks of you, no matter how you hurt the people around you... at least be honest with us. And yourself."
He shook his head at Sam's fear in wonder, slumping back against a bookshelf, shaking his head slowly. "So you don't trust her after all?" he asked, bewildered at this change in tactics. "If she truly loves you, Sam, if she's as kind and forgiving as you say, why would she begrudge you the right - the choice - to follow your heart, even if it leads you away from her? Fear isn't the same as love or trust or loyalty. Fear is what Zariah used. Think on that, old friend. If you take nothing else from this conversation... think on that."
