Sah
Only in the dark
of night
Sah was a little surprised when Seren sat down right in front of him, but he didn't mind. He listened along as she explained the concept of last names. He was familiar with it, but it was nice to have it laid out. "I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. I still need to get used to it." He gave a half-hearted shrug. Worrying about his new last name had been on the bottom of his list so far. of night
Sah swallowed the lump in his throat, gripping Seren's hands with his tightly. Not enough to hurt but enough to ground himself. His eyes, slightly watering, locked on hers as he let out a deep breath. "Do you get where I'm going with this? Favorite colors, jobs...just because someone doesn't know them doesn't make them a secret. Secrets are things that if in the wrong hands could harm you or your loved ones." Sah had to stead his breathing before he continued. Grief still clouding his mind. "If an enemy knew what I just told you, they would use it against me. Taunt me, goad me. Make me lose my cool and get sloppy in a fight. That could cost me my life. And it could cost the lives of whoever was trusting me to watch their back." Sah's voice, although still shaky, was deadly serious. His hand in Seren's trembled slightly .
Sah brought the impromptu lesson full circle, trying to get Seren to understand. "It's the same for abilities and tactics. And that includes your blessings. If your enemy knows them, they can plan ahead on how to counter them. It gives you a disadvantage before you ever step onto the battlefield. A disadvantage that could cost you your life or the lives of the people you love." Still not sure if he'd said enough, Sah's other hand came up to gently hold Seren's chin. Tilting her head so that her eyes met his, so that she could see how serious he was. So that she could learn from his experience without having to make the same mistakes herself.
"You can be friendly with strangers, make friends, tell them about your likes and dislikes and all that. But secrets? True secrets, must be kept until you can trust that person with your life and the lives of your loved ones. Seren, do you understand? Please. Please, be more careful." The last bit was said quieter, almost desperately. Sah needed her to get this. As Safrin's daughter she would have to fight in the war. And Sah didn't want to watch her die.
do the stars
shine bright
shine bright
