He hadn't meant to sneak, but it was his habit to walk softly, and he hid a wince as the stranger jumped a little, clearly surprised by his approach. As the other man looked him over, so Jigano studied the blond, taking in his relative youth and the brown roots of his hair along with the pierced ears. A small smile tugged at his mouth as he recognized a fellow Outlander; dyed hair and piercings were uncommon among the Naturals, who tended to focus more on survival than appearance. Not that there weren't a few dandies among those who lived in the Settlement! But he'd met most of them in the past year, and this young man was new to him.
At the mention of the Loreseekers his smile broadened, though there was an odd hint of sadness behind it. What would Caiside think of this potential new recruit? But he could no longer ask the smith's opinion, and the bard tilted his head in acknowledgment of the young man's words. "You've found them," he said quietly, a flicker of his old humor in his eyes. He shifted the boards to get a better grip and used his chin to point to the next row over. "And you would have found our Hall soon, too. Follow me and I'll be glad to answer your questions. I'm Jigano, Provost of the Loreseekers. It's nice to meet you mister..?" He trailed off invitingly for an introduction as he led the way to Guildhall door, setting the boards beside it for the moment for later storage. The portal was already open wide to accommodate his comings and goings of the day. It was sheathed in metal, thick and sturdy, with signs of recent repair upon it. Beyond it was a stone staircase that spiralled down once, twice, to open up into a long hall with four doors. The walls were lined with more bookcases and a large table stood near the stairs, capable of seating a dozen easily. Above it hung a clever chandelier that caught and reflected the light coming from mirrors that angled sunlight from the sunken window wells in the southern rooms into the main hall. On the other side of the long room was a cunningly wrought fireplace, carefully designed to keep sparks contained and partially blocked from view by comfortable old armchairs arranged around it.
At the mention of the Loreseekers his smile broadened, though there was an odd hint of sadness behind it. What would Caiside think of this potential new recruit? But he could no longer ask the smith's opinion, and the bard tilted his head in acknowledgment of the young man's words. "You've found them," he said quietly, a flicker of his old humor in his eyes. He shifted the boards to get a better grip and used his chin to point to the next row over. "And you would have found our Hall soon, too. Follow me and I'll be glad to answer your questions. I'm Jigano, Provost of the Loreseekers. It's nice to meet you mister..?" He trailed off invitingly for an introduction as he led the way to Guildhall door, setting the boards beside it for the moment for later storage. The portal was already open wide to accommodate his comings and goings of the day. It was sheathed in metal, thick and sturdy, with signs of recent repair upon it. Beyond it was a stone staircase that spiralled down once, twice, to open up into a long hall with four doors. The walls were lined with more bookcases and a large table stood near the stairs, capable of seating a dozen easily. Above it hung a clever chandelier that caught and reflected the light coming from mirrors that angled sunlight from the sunken window wells in the southern rooms into the main hall. On the other side of the long room was a cunningly wrought fireplace, carefully designed to keep sparks contained and partially blocked from view by comfortable old armchairs arranged around it.
