stars in her eyes

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving Ronin had mulled over the idea for hours - days, maybe - before he plucked up the courage to walk to the shrine within the Glade. The place where he'd first seen Safrin, where he had introduced Vanya to her... except this time it was his daughter who accompanied him. The afternoon was quietly sunny, the Glade dappled with light and alive with gentle birdsong. Ronin stepped carefully into the shrine, Aoife cradled in the sling against his chest (he was getting the hang of it, he thought). His daughter was awake, for now at least, and he was speaking softly to her as he headed further into the shrine. That, too, had taken some time indeed for him to get used to, Ronin stunned to silence in the wake of Vanya's death. Today, however, he was telling the story of the luxere and how he and Vanya had seen them here, only for someone very special indeed to join them. Carefully leaning down before the offerings, Ronin produced a few bright flowers gathered from the woodlands, and a downy, familiar looking feather from an osprey. He had others, but this he could spare to give to Safrin.

"You didn't need to bring me anything sugar." Safrin said, appearing behind the guildmaster as silently as nightfall. Pain and sorrow was etched into her radiant features as she gazed solemnly down at both father and child. "I could not be there, during LongNight.." She said, her voice almost apologetic, as her gaze turned towards the young life nestled gently amidst her blankets. "May I hold her?" Safrin

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving As always, Ronin had not expected an answer, and whenever he received one he felt humbled by it. Safrin's voice drifted over him like a balm, the guildmaster smiling softly and brushing his fingertips over Vanya's feather. "I wanted to," he murmured. "And it's the polite thing to do." Checking Aoife was alright, Ronin rose to his feet once more to regard the goddess with equal parts reverence and sadness. "You... you don't need to explain yourself to me. No one is to blame for what happened at LongNight." Except me. "And for all the things that did happen, Aoife was one of them. I can't be sad about that." He glanced down at his daughter, unable not to smile as he found her utterly transfixed by Safrin, her starry eyes wide. "Of course, I'd be honoured." Ronin carefully held her out for the goddess.

"You are a sweet, sweet man." Safrin said fondly as Ronin rose. Taking the child, Safrin nestled her snugly in her arms, gazing down into the star-spangled eyes. "Hello sweet one." She whispered, her words drawing a smile from Aoife. With a warm sigh, Ronin would feel himself restored, as much as a broken man could be anyways. The aches of his body and the weariness of his mind would be relieved. Even if Safrin could fix a broken heart, she would not. The love of two souls such as Ronin and Vanya had was precious, even when broken. "You will want for nothing." The goddess continued, running a finger along the baby's cheek and smiling fondly down at her. "I have heard you plan to attack the Spire..." Safrin said without lifting her gaze from Aoife, her tone as casual as anything. "Is that true?" Safrin

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "Come, now. You will make me blush," Ronin said quietly with a touch of his old charm. As Aoife smiled up at the goddess the guildmaster was filled with utter delight - it was the first time he'd ever seen her show an expression that wasn't curiosity or tears. That combined with Safrin's soothing effect on his body and mind both and he was practically putty in her hands, should she want to shape him. "People are saying she is blessed by Safrin already," he murmured. "At least... I assume that was you?" He nodded at Aoife and the cosmos which danced in her eyes. Unfortunately they could not speak about his baby forever. Ronin's eyes dropped to the ground at the mention of the Spire, and he nodded. "I do. Well. I plan to take out the monster that guards it. I cannot risk any others wandering into the path of that creature." He shook his head. "After that, though... rumours and myth and riddles aside, a lot of those I have spoken with seem to believe that the Spire is responsible for our entrapment here. And I would not like my daughter to grow old in a cage."

"Mmmm." Safrin mused with a gentle nod. "Is that what they are saying..." Trailing off, the goddess glanced up at Ronin with a nod. "Yes. Blessed and watched ... It was all that I could do to keep her safe...She was meant to die as well.." Safrin added with a solemn smile, her cosmic gaze etched with pain. "Yes. The Spire Demon. I trust you will not go alone? As powerful as your arsenal now is, a few allies would not be a bad thing. " As Ronin mentioned that the Spire was the cause of their entrapment, Safrin pursed her lips, remaining ambiguously silent for a moment. Nodding, Safrin continued to coo over Aoife for a moment before answering. "No ... a cage is no place for any of us." She said finally, a spark of conviction hidden in her tone. Safrin

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving Ronin nodded quietly, watching with awe as the goddess cradled his firstborn. He didn't know, at first, whether or not she had perhaps taken offence to the rumours, only for to her confirm that they were indeed true. Ronin smiled to himself, though his face fell as Safrin revealed the truth of what had happened with Vanya and Aoife. So she had known. For a second fury boiled in his belly, fueled by grief, but it fizzled out soon enough and melted into a desperate appreciation for what she had done. "I can never repay you, for saving my daughter," he murmured sincerely. Aoife was the only part of his lady that he would ever be able to keep, and that was precious in a way that Ronin still didn't understand. "But I'll spend the rest of my life trying," he vowed. Nodding in understanding about the Spire Demon, he conjured a smile from somewhere. "Not alone," he confirmed. "I've gathered as much information as I can on its weaknesses and biology, and those who go with me will be well informed and well prepared. We will not lose again."

"I couldn't have told you." Safrin said softly, reading his thoughts. "It ... it isn't how things work." She added after a moment with a sad but sweet smile down at Aoife. "Giving you the vial as I did was...very far beyond what I am allowed to do." The guildmaster seemed confident, and Safrin nodded approvingly. "High noon would be the best time of day." She murmured casually. "And if you can keep it out of the shadow of the Spire, as far away as you can lure it, that would be in your best interest." Safrin

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "I... I understand. I'm glad, that you chose to do what you were able to, even if it was taboo. I know my daughter will feel the same way when she is old enough to tell you so." Ronin watched Aoife with the goddess, feeling something clench tightly in his chest at thinking what he would be like if he had lost them both during LongNight. Blessed and watched by Safrin, indeed. Ronin listened keenly as she spoke about the Spire and the monster guarding it, taking the extra information on board. "At high noon. Yes, that... it does make sense. I was going to have the group meet at dawn, but I'll change that. Thank you, Safrin. Is there anything... well. What would you have of me? I'll do whatever I can."

Safrin laughed gently. "Just because you cannot understand her now does not mean that I can't." She corrected affectionately, smiling down at Aoife and winking. Looking almost sadly towards the guildmaster, Safrin hugged the young child to her all the tighter as she sighed. "I have done all that I can for you Ronin. I would ask that you try to keep yourself safe, but of course that is beyond both of us. Look to the sun and speak my name on the day you will attack and I will be with you and yours in anyway that I can. As for you..." Again Safrin looked down at Aoife, whispering words over her that made the galaxies in both of their eyes dance and brighten. "Do your best Ronin. That is all I can ask of you." Safrin

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving Ronin really didn't have anything to say to that, but he looked on with quiet awe and a small smile on his face as he watched the goddess with his baby. Something tugged at his heartstrings, wondering if this was what Vanya would have been like with their daughter, but he swallowed that down hard. Crying in front of Safrin? Not cool. He listened closely to her advice, bowing his head in a respectful nod. "I will. And while there are never any guarantees in this world, I plan to return in one piece. I plan to win." As for doing his best, he brightened somewhat and conjured up a grin that just about passed for charming these days, utterly bewitched by the stars that danced in both of their eyes. "Always," he promised. "My best is the least I can offer you, after everything you've done for me."

"I will never ask more than that." Safrin said. Leaning down, she placed a gentle kiss on Aoife's forehead, looking fondly down at the baby with a wistful sigh, before handing her back to her father. "I would wish you luck Ronin, but we both know you have more than enough of that..." She said with a starlit laugh. "But I suppose a little more couldn't hurt." Winking, a burst of starshimmer cascaded down around Ronin, seemingly dissolving against him. "I will be watching you. If you do die at the claws of this creature, know that you will not be alone at the end." Stretching out a hand, she gave the ex-captain a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before nodding a goodbye and departing back to whatever secretive place she would watchi this battle unfold from. Safrin has given Ronin +2 luck! Safrin