The conversation caught Arialla's interest more strongly now that Raza seemed invested in the topic. As long as she'd been in Caido, Arialla had never really thought much about the dynamics of Caido's development as the barrier came down and the portals allowed the Grounders to spread.
"So you think the gods neglected the rest of Caido, because the heralds -- the responsive gods -- weren't here?" Arialla spoke without accusation; she was genuinely interested in Raza's opinion.
Hoa drew Arialla's attention for a moment, and her eyes widened to see the snake at first, but Raza's clear familiarity with him set her at ease, and she returned her focus to the conversation -- and to her drink, which she sipped as Raza spoke.
"Do you think the Outlanders have ... " Arialla trailed off, not sure what she meant exactly. She got the feeling that Raza didn't totally like or trust Outlanders, and though she might be an Outlander herself, that didn't really bother her. Raza's skepticism seemed more addressed to the Outlanders as a whole, their overall influence, than individuals. And besides, Arialla could understand being a bit suspicious of foreigners. "I mean, how would you say things have changed? I wasn't here before, of course."
please don't take my sunshine away
