This was, Jigano realized with surprise, the first time he’d heard Samuel speak so confidently and without the nervous stutter, and it was for such an excellent reason that he couldn’t help but smile. “I can’t argue with that,” he acceded quietly, happy to surrender the field to such fervent defense of good authorship.
He didn’t call the ginger bookmaker ‘friend’ lightly, but the word had slipped out more easily than he would have expected given their short acquaintance. He knew so little about the other man, but his mannerisms and sincere hospitality inclined Jigano to proceed with cautious optimism. The flush of pleasure at the appellation certainly made him glad he’d used it, and he felt a pang of concern for his new friend who, perhaps, did not normally make such bonds easily.
“I’ll have to explore the markets more, too,” he admitted cheerfully, fingers dancing through the air as if to pluck together all the threads of things that needed doing. “I sniffed around the edges a bit yesterday but this is the first time I’ve really come properly into the settlement. I was trying to get a feel for the place – and the people – before I made myself known. I wasn’t sure if it was safe to be an ‘outlander’ here.” He gave a little shrug. ”In other places, especially ones that seem more… isolated… strangers aren’t always given a warm welcome.” Even a bard could find himself run out of town for being the ‘wrong kind’ of foreigner.
”But I’d be glad indeed to visit the home of anyone with such an honored name!” He gave the little half-bow again, grin sparkling with approval of the surname ‘Wordsworth.’ ”A far better name than my own. My father took ‘Silversmith’ as our last name when he and my mother migrated to the Northlands, though he preferred working with the starmetals found there.” Another shrug, this one deprecatory. ”Of course, those were hard to come by, and the starforge that gave our town, Torch, its name had a waiting list months long for use, so silverwork formed the backbone of our income when I was a child.” Again that wry grin, the shadows that lurked behind it kept hidden with long practice from his eyes and face.
”I prefer to make my way with silver words and tongue, however, rather than metal and fire. Admittedly, a ruined house sounds less inviting than a mostly-intact library, but the privacy would be better in a less-public building. Perhaps once we’re done here we can take a walk and see what is left? And you can tell me where you own name comes from? I admit, I’m as eager for your stories as you are for mine! So much that you take for granted is new to me, here.”
He didn’t call the ginger bookmaker ‘friend’ lightly, but the word had slipped out more easily than he would have expected given their short acquaintance. He knew so little about the other man, but his mannerisms and sincere hospitality inclined Jigano to proceed with cautious optimism. The flush of pleasure at the appellation certainly made him glad he’d used it, and he felt a pang of concern for his new friend who, perhaps, did not normally make such bonds easily.
“I’ll have to explore the markets more, too,” he admitted cheerfully, fingers dancing through the air as if to pluck together all the threads of things that needed doing. “I sniffed around the edges a bit yesterday but this is the first time I’ve really come properly into the settlement. I was trying to get a feel for the place – and the people – before I made myself known. I wasn’t sure if it was safe to be an ‘outlander’ here.” He gave a little shrug. ”In other places, especially ones that seem more… isolated… strangers aren’t always given a warm welcome.” Even a bard could find himself run out of town for being the ‘wrong kind’ of foreigner.
”But I’d be glad indeed to visit the home of anyone with such an honored name!” He gave the little half-bow again, grin sparkling with approval of the surname ‘Wordsworth.’ ”A far better name than my own. My father took ‘Silversmith’ as our last name when he and my mother migrated to the Northlands, though he preferred working with the starmetals found there.” Another shrug, this one deprecatory. ”Of course, those were hard to come by, and the starforge that gave our town, Torch, its name had a waiting list months long for use, so silverwork formed the backbone of our income when I was a child.” Again that wry grin, the shadows that lurked behind it kept hidden with long practice from his eyes and face.
”I prefer to make my way with silver words and tongue, however, rather than metal and fire. Admittedly, a ruined house sounds less inviting than a mostly-intact library, but the privacy would be better in a less-public building. Perhaps once we’re done here we can take a walk and see what is left? And you can tell me where you own name comes from? I admit, I’m as eager for your stories as you are for mine! So much that you take for granted is new to me, here.”
