He hadn't meant Loren - gods least fortunate, the man was too gaunt by far already, even if he was looking better today - but he nodded with a wry smile for the tone. "Ah well. Good to know, at least." It was always interesting to learn about the other schools of magic, and what their limits were, not least because it made planning for things like LongNight easier.
Isuma purred at the pets, scrambling back up Astra's antlers to steal a few scritches for herself while the men talked. Stay safe with her, he sent to his friend softly, only partly reassured by Loren's assurance that he would have protected himself. The last time he'd seen the summoner it hadn't seemed as if Loren would have tried all that hard to save himself, too intent on punishing himself for Abasi's death to worry about his own survival. If her magic is suffering the same instability as ours, she might not be as strong as she thinks she is. Or swift enough to react in time. The deaths of Fiat Lux had hammered that home to the mages in attendance rather thoroughly.
He didn't want to argue with Loren, not even that the bard tended to view Zariah and Loren as two very different branches of that family name, so he simply bowed his head in acknowledgment. Adam and Peter had not been the only two lost in recent seasons, however, and he finally broached the topic they had been dancing around for the last few weeks. "Thank you for letting me know," he said gently. "I'd like to bring some flowers for it. When I first met him I helped him with the landscaping of his mortuary." The conversation had ended a little tense on discussions of slavery and entitlement of divine attention, but Loren didn't need to know that.
He set the well-cooked bit of meat aside, turning his attention back to the glass jars he had started making for Loren's infirmary. "Will you be here for LongNight this year?" he asked, not exactly brightening the conversation, but hopefully steering it gently away from Loren's lost love.
Isuma purred at the pets, scrambling back up Astra's antlers to steal a few scritches for herself while the men talked. Stay safe with her, he sent to his friend softly, only partly reassured by Loren's assurance that he would have protected himself. The last time he'd seen the summoner it hadn't seemed as if Loren would have tried all that hard to save himself, too intent on punishing himself for Abasi's death to worry about his own survival. If her magic is suffering the same instability as ours, she might not be as strong as she thinks she is. Or swift enough to react in time. The deaths of Fiat Lux had hammered that home to the mages in attendance rather thoroughly.
He didn't want to argue with Loren, not even that the bard tended to view Zariah and Loren as two very different branches of that family name, so he simply bowed his head in acknowledgment. Adam and Peter had not been the only two lost in recent seasons, however, and he finally broached the topic they had been dancing around for the last few weeks. "Thank you for letting me know," he said gently. "I'd like to bring some flowers for it. When I first met him I helped him with the landscaping of his mortuary." The conversation had ended a little tense on discussions of slavery and entitlement of divine attention, but Loren didn't need to know that.
He set the well-cooked bit of meat aside, turning his attention back to the glass jars he had started making for Loren's infirmary. "Will you be here for LongNight this year?" he asked, not exactly brightening the conversation, but hopefully steering it gently away from Loren's lost love.
