Caiside had died in terror; the smile was only in Jigano's memories, though at least his friend's expression had relaxed somewhat in death. The bard simply nodded at hearing that Adam had never met the smith. It made sense, really, since the rogue had insisted on private lessons and Jigano had chosen times when the other Loreseekers wouldn't be around to meet with the man. Caiside tended to be found at the forge they had been building together (who would use it now? Some other outlander, yet to arrive? ...no, no that didn't feel right for Caiside's hard work to be taken over by a stranger), or in the woods or at a shrine. He was a man of many talents, but it was hard to think of how his path might have crossed with Adam's.
"...Thank you," he said quietly, still sitting where he had been when Adam entered, still covered in the dried and drying blood of his friend - of the body he had carried inside. "I... not yet." It hurt far too much still, the edges of his grief still raw and seeping, jagged teeth that tore into his soul with every beat of his heart. "We weren't fast enough to open the door. A few seconds sooner and maybe... maybe..." There was no maybe about it. A few seconds sooner and Caiside definitely would have been saved. Now? Now he was a corpse in a cold room and Jigano was to blame for messing about with passwords and peekholes and other such foolishness that had cost a good man his life.
"...Thank you," he said quietly, still sitting where he had been when Adam entered, still covered in the dried and drying blood of his friend - of the body he had carried inside. "I... not yet." It hurt far too much still, the edges of his grief still raw and seeping, jagged teeth that tore into his soul with every beat of his heart. "We weren't fast enough to open the door. A few seconds sooner and maybe... maybe..." There was no maybe about it. A few seconds sooner and Caiside definitely would have been saved. Now? Now he was a corpse in a cold room and Jigano was to blame for messing about with passwords and peekholes and other such foolishness that had cost a good man his life.
