House of Mirrors

Oh? It seemed Maea had been busy indeed of late, getting around far faster than he had. Jigano simply nodded gratefully at Loren's news, outwardly glad. Inwardly? Well, that was more complicated, but this was neither the time nor the place for it, and the summoner seemed as though he wanted the bard gone sooner rather than later.

Or at least, he'd expected to be asked to leave, now that he'd asked his questions three. A brow did rise in surprise at the return query from his friend, however, and he paused, studying Loren's face in turn even as the summoner studied him. "I did," he affirmed neutrally, remembering the ambush she had orchestrated in the Guildhall. "As for why... I don't trust Zariah." He said the words bluntly, meeting Loren's eyes squarely. "She tried to build her own private army in the Hollowed Grounds before, and she seemed to be trying to create a new social hierarchy with mages at the top and all others below. From what I've heard of Northwind it sounded like she was trying to recreate it, with herself at the helm." He paused for a breath, memories of hiding and being hunted by her lackeys swirling darkly through his mind. "It sounds like she's doing it again, here, and the 'magic school' is a tool of that ambition, with the 'Tyrant' moniker hidden a little more subtly behind Neron's throne this time. Perhaps I'm wrong. But even if I'm not, it doesn't change that she once tried to use the Loreseekers as a weapon, threatening to take apart the Guild in a personal feud with me, when I refused to accede to her demands to join her little army. Or that she then proceeded to threaten Amalia to try and get to me." His gaze had darkened at that, flickers of an anger that had been banked and recently stirred once more to life sizzling in the bond. "Perhaps she has moved on. Perhaps not. The problem is that if I guess wrong, it's once again my friends and guildmates who will pay the price. I won't let Maea be used as a pawn like that. If she isn't a Loreseeker when she joins Zariah's school, then Zariah will have no reason to threaten her as she did Amalia. If Maea can learn from a friend, though, then there's no reason to worry about her guild affiliation endangering her."

loren

Loren stayed silent as Jigano relayed his concerns. Although the healer kept his own feelings walled up, his fingers began tapping against the cover of his journal not too long into the bard's speech. "You're asking the wrong questions, Jigano." Although the rebuke came out without much inflection, it was indeed a rebuke.

Switching to telepathy so that no one could overhear them, the healer nevertheless quirked an eyebrow, looking almost disappointed. You're asking if you can trust Zariah. The answer to that is no, though I imagine if she tries to remake her army here she'll face similar resistance as she did in the Hollowed Ground. There was a bit of icy anger in his mind, though not much. But what you should be asking yourself is whether or not you can trust Maea to take care of herself. The Launceleyn stood there, silent and still, as he waited for the white-haired man's reply.

Never judge a book by its cover.

A silver brow arched at the rebuke, but he was too glad to see Loren caring about something - anything, at this point - to feel any real sting in it. The question, when it came, was starting to fill in pieces of a puzzle that Jigano hadn't even realized had been scattered and he tilted his head at Loren as he thought, trying to see where things had started to come together...

And where they had fallen apart.

I don't know, he said bluntly at last. I knew her for barely a season before she disappeared, and in that time she was... mercurial. I didn't know her long enough to really get to know her. Or at least... I thought I did, but by the end of the season she proved me wrong. Now, more than a year later, she's back with new powers she can't control and no memories of the time she was gone. He shook his head to clear the frustration and uncertainty from his eyes. And at the moment I don't know what to think. I don't know who she is right now. But even if I did trust her, I still don't trust Zariah, as you say.

He searched Loren's icy gaze, still surprised to find the summoner championing newly-returned Valair. "How long have you known her?" He asked curiously. "How well do you know her? Other than... than Abasi," he said the name softly, gently, "she's the first person I've seen you take such an interest in since... since Fiat Lux."

loren

Regarding Jigano cooly, Loren raised his eyebrows. Fair enough. Mercurial how? And has she given you any reason to distrust you since she returned? She's scared of her powers, and driving her away by forcing her to make a choice isn't helping. Again, he was keeping his temper under wraps, though it was hard.

You told her it was immoral to be a Loreseeker and to join Zariah's school in order to keep tabs on my cousin. Why? The healer was really just trying to understand the bard's perspective.

At the white-haired man's comment, however, the Launceleyn narrowed his eyes. "Since last season. But it's less to do with how well I know her and more to do with you forcing people to choose." He crossed his arms. "You will never win the wars you seem to find yourself in by sowing division." Then he turned away. "And don't mistake my distance and grief for lack of caring." The words came out softly, spoken more to himself than the Sage.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Jigano mirrored Loren's eyebrow raise as the interrogation continued, and he bit back the twinge of hurt, a petty pain that he had no time nor patience to feed. She has been uncertain and afraid before... and between one week and the next went from that to ambitiously grasping for power. From tentative and hesitant to as righteously rigid as I ever am in keeping that power, unwilling to consider giving it up. But then she became sick and vanished... and so we ended up with Zariah. He sighed at last and shook his head. And I'm trying to find her other options. That's one reason why I'm here with you now. Why I'll try and talk to Deimos later. She ambushed me with Sunjata and gave me a single demand: that she come here, to study with Zariah. I was mistaken to give her a binary in return, but I'm trying to put it right and find others who can teach her as well, if not better.

Loren's further questioning came out as pointed as Sunjata's had been, and the bard shook his head but met the summoner's gaze squarely. "There is a place for spies," he said with quiet dignity. "But the Loreseekers are not that guild. We seek knowledge, yes, but not through 'any means necessary.' I sacrificed my soul once in the name of ends justifying means, and I will not do so again, Loren, nor do I want the guild that I built to be associated with that. I am well aware that it will not win me many allies, and it has already made me enemies, but I find the other price too high to pay a second time." He studied his friend's back as Loren turned away, then drew in a slow breath and headed for the door, swallowing against the hollow feeling in his gut.

"I will leave you to your grieving, then. I'm glad you still have people you care for in this world. I hope we'll see each other again soon, if you have time." It was far from a graceful exit, but his tongue felt heavy as he cast his mind back to the chaos Maea had sowed before her disappearance, and wondered if it was already happening again in the few weeks since she had returned after the Fiat Lux disaster.

loren

As Jigano explained further what had happened, Loren actually weirdly relaxed. Indeed, all traces of anger had bled out, leaving him practically devoid of emotion once more. Yes, well, power can do weird things to people. Sighing, he tapped the surface of his notebook. I'm not really the one you need to explain all this to. It sounds like the two of you had a miscommunication, and you should at least try to sit down with her and explain your point of view, and listen to hers.

Then he took a deep breath. Would you consider letting her remain as a Loreseeker, so long as she's aware any of her less clandestine activities are not sanctioned by you or the guild? His back was to the bard, but the healer hoped the reasonable cast of his thoughts would get through to the white-haired man.

Still not facing Jigano, Loren bit his lip. Then he glanced over his shoulder. "You're welcome to ask me to visit any time, though I recognize you'd rather not visit me. We're still friends, I hope, even if you're as stubborn as I am about your ideals and your morals." The words were genuine, even if his voice still came out as a monotone.

Never judge a book by its cover.

"We certainly did," Jigano agreed quietly. "And yes... I should. I told her to take time and think about it, to not rush an answer. Hopefully if we sit down, just the two of us, it'll be easier to take things slower." He exhaled wondering if it really would go differently... or not. The question that followed was only to be expected, and yet he wasn't prepared for it when it came. He leaned against the closed door, trying to gather his roiling thoughts to find an answer for his friend.

I... don't know, he admitted at last. This is something I feel strongly about, and while I fully agree that she needs a teacher, if she insists on Zariah when there are other alternatives... I just don't know, he said again, uncertainty making his thoughts less clear than they usually were. He did give a silent shake of his head at the mention of clandestine activities, though. That is just as complicated. It's... well, it's never really come up before. It's something I need to think about before I see her again.

He sighed softly. "And hope this situation doesn't destroy the guild or change it beyond what I ever meant for it to be." For it was beginning to feel that way, this confrontation Maea had forced placing him in the position of seeing his Guild compromised or torn down from within by those who hadn't been there the previous summer when only he and Amalia had stood between the Guild and Zariah.

The bard heard the change in acoustics as Loren spoke to him, and he glanced back with a wry smile. "Thank you. We are certainly still friends and... thank you, Loren, for calling me on this and giving me things to think about before I see her again. Luckily..." he pulled his hat back on, tucking his signature hair safely out of sight and wrapping the scarf around his face so his voice came out muffled, but disguised. "I don't have to work nearly as hard to disguise myself here as I do back home. You're welcome, too, to visit whenever you feel up to it again. In the meantime, I'll send you that note soon." Torchline was sounding better and better, really. He just had to get there.

Another day.

With a final nod Jigano pushed open the door and headed back down the hall, striding like he belonged and had things to do, half of which was actually true.

{Fin Jigano}