Isla.
Died.
The words fell like stones from a great height, echoing strangely in Jigano's ears as he tried to make sense of them. Isla, laughing, pragmatic, strong, smart, stubborn, bright, shining Isla, Isuma's godmother and his dear friend... dead? No, no, it couldn't be but--
Oh. Sam had continued, but that didn't mean his words made sense. Ludo brought her back? Well... alright. Jigano could deal with that. Ludo was a tricky god and there was no guessing what whim would catch his fancy, to help or to trick - or both at once.
Or to harm, floated like a warning in the back of his head. Remi had almost died at least twice due to the Masked God's games, after all. There was always a price...
Ah. A unicorn. Of course. Jigano nodded calm acceptance of the information, wondering if he was, in fact, still curled up in his foxform beside Rory and dreaming at least, a gift from Ludo. What a strange story for his mind to conjure up! Or was it Sam who had cracked from the stress of Long Night? "Sam," the bard said, voice almost conversational. "How did Isla... why did she... where did she die?" The word fought him, which was foolishness. He had seen many people die, friends and family alike. Friends dying... was nothing new. But Isla had been special to him, as Sam, and Rory, and Edy were special. As Amalia was becoming. But Isla... she, more than most, who had been partner and mentor and guildmate and friend, his equal in many ways - his better, in others - she was someone whose loss he could not accept so easily.
108 would call it foolish sentimentality, perhaps.
But... would her soul have been one of those he was being sent to recover, when Long Night ended?
A shudder ran through him and he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, sucking in a slow, deep breath. After he exhaled he looked atSamuel again, this time with eyes that were sharper and more focused. "Start at the beginning, please," he requested quietly, though he remained standing, too tense to sit. "As though you were writing in the chronicle book. Slowly. Take breaks if you need them."
Died.
The words fell like stones from a great height, echoing strangely in Jigano's ears as he tried to make sense of them. Isla, laughing, pragmatic, strong, smart, stubborn, bright, shining Isla, Isuma's godmother and his dear friend... dead? No, no, it couldn't be but--
Oh. Sam had continued, but that didn't mean his words made sense. Ludo brought her back? Well... alright. Jigano could deal with that. Ludo was a tricky god and there was no guessing what whim would catch his fancy, to help or to trick - or both at once.
Or to harm, floated like a warning in the back of his head. Remi had almost died at least twice due to the Masked God's games, after all. There was always a price...
Ah. A unicorn. Of course. Jigano nodded calm acceptance of the information, wondering if he was, in fact, still curled up in his foxform beside Rory and dreaming at least, a gift from Ludo. What a strange story for his mind to conjure up! Or was it Sam who had cracked from the stress of Long Night? "Sam," the bard said, voice almost conversational. "How did Isla... why did she... where did she die?" The word fought him, which was foolishness. He had seen many people die, friends and family alike. Friends dying... was nothing new. But Isla had been special to him, as Sam, and Rory, and Edy were special. As Amalia was becoming. But Isla... she, more than most, who had been partner and mentor and guildmate and friend, his equal in many ways - his better, in others - she was someone whose loss he could not accept so easily.
108 would call it foolish sentimentality, perhaps.
But... would her soul have been one of those he was being sent to recover, when Long Night ended?
A shudder ran through him and he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, sucking in a slow, deep breath. After he exhaled he looked at
