It was the second time he had heard Amalia's chorus of "we did it" and it was no less sweet this time than the last, when the Spark Bird had appeared and smoothed away so many of the wounds their hearts had taken over Long Night. This time there was no Rory to join them - an absence that sent a brief pang of regret through the lorekeeper - but before he quite knew what to do with it, Amalia's arms were around him and he found himself laughing along with her joy, infectious as it was. Isuma was delighted, reep!ing happily at her kiss and Jigano found himself almost relaxing, beginning to tentatively curve his arms back around his friend in turn-
She spun away, light as thistledown and leaving the tall bard bemused but smiling in the wake of her spontaneous affection. He still wasn't quite sure how to deal with that either, Yohgel's ghost a shadow in his memories. While Amalia danced into the vault, Jigano hesitated outside, wrapping his arms carefully around himself as if to hug close something - someone - that no longer had substance.
He could not have forgiveness he could never earn, but was he truly so irredeemable that he was allowed no joy in the touch of a friend for the rest of his life?
It was a question he didn't have an easy answer for, and it was one he had no time to ponder over at the moment. Carefully wrapping his guilt back into its accustomed place, deep in his heart, he found a brilliant smile for Amalia and stepped forward into the small library as Isuma peeped worriedly from his shoulder. "You found it," he congratulated her, reaching to brush the spine of another tome with curious fingers. "Safrin's library, lost for who knows how many centuries...thanks to your piety, and your trust in her guide," he added, turning to bow graciously to the hovering starmote as Isuma scampered across his back for balance. He rose and, hesitantly, reached to cup his hands under the glittering messenger of the goddess.
"And thank you," he told it warmly, but a wry smile quirked his lips. "Though, next time, try to remember that not all mere mortals can fly like you can!"
She spun away, light as thistledown and leaving the tall bard bemused but smiling in the wake of her spontaneous affection. He still wasn't quite sure how to deal with that either, Yohgel's ghost a shadow in his memories. While Amalia danced into the vault, Jigano hesitated outside, wrapping his arms carefully around himself as if to hug close something - someone - that no longer had substance.
He could not have forgiveness he could never earn, but was he truly so irredeemable that he was allowed no joy in the touch of a friend for the rest of his life?
It was a question he didn't have an easy answer for, and it was one he had no time to ponder over at the moment. Carefully wrapping his guilt back into its accustomed place, deep in his heart, he found a brilliant smile for Amalia and stepped forward into the small library as Isuma peeped worriedly from his shoulder. "You found it," he congratulated her, reaching to brush the spine of another tome with curious fingers. "Safrin's library, lost for who knows how many centuries...thanks to your piety, and your trust in her guide," he added, turning to bow graciously to the hovering starmote as Isuma scampered across his back for balance. He rose and, hesitantly, reached to cup his hands under the glittering messenger of the goddess.
"And thank you," he told it warmly, but a wry smile quirked his lips. "Though, next time, try to remember that not all mere mortals can fly like you can!"
