"You never stopped being my friend," Jigano chided the bookmaker with weary affection. He was about to say more when the glass shattered next to them and Jigano twisted to put himself between Sam and whatever was attacking, reaching for the sword at his side on pure adrenaline-fueled instinct. There was nothing there, of course, just a broken glass lying menacingly on the floor with no indication of how it had fallen.
"Sam," he said, very slowly and clearly now that the bookmaker's tears had stopped. "Can you stand up? I want you to follow me... and while we walk I want you to tell me exactly what happened, as best you can remember it, alright?" The exhaustion that had colored his voice before was gone, momentarily hidden by the urge to fight or flee. It was an urge the bard had long practice harnessing, and he reached back to try and take his friend's unwounded hand while he unhooked the lantern from his belt and began to walk further into the Guildhall, heading towards the back of the building with a light and silent step.
"Start from the beginning, and work your way to the end, like you were writing a chapter in the chronicle book." What did he mean, 'marked'? But the luxere had guarded the door, their light keeping the monsters at bay once Remi had flown the Ascended safely back to their circle, and Lily had shut the door tightly behind them. If something was in the Hall with them it had come in earlier.
Step by slow step, Jigano led the way back to the room where they were keeping the dead.
"Sam," he said, very slowly and clearly now that the bookmaker's tears had stopped. "Can you stand up? I want you to follow me... and while we walk I want you to tell me exactly what happened, as best you can remember it, alright?" The exhaustion that had colored his voice before was gone, momentarily hidden by the urge to fight or flee. It was an urge the bard had long practice harnessing, and he reached back to try and take his friend's unwounded hand while he unhooked the lantern from his belt and began to walk further into the Guildhall, heading towards the back of the building with a light and silent step.
"Start from the beginning, and work your way to the end, like you were writing a chapter in the chronicle book." What did he mean, 'marked'? But the luxere had guarded the door, their light keeping the monsters at bay once Remi had flown the Ascended safely back to their circle, and Lily had shut the door tightly behind them. If something was in the Hall with them it had come in earlier.
Step by slow step, Jigano led the way back to the room where they were keeping the dead.
