A smile returned to his face at her gracious reassurance, and he tilted his head in acknowledgment of her sincerity - and her bravery that night, and in the future. "I hope you and he can find peace," he said earnestly. "Truly, I think it was just bad timing. He might even have yelled at me, had I arrived earlier and been the one to speak up," he added with a touch of wry humor. "But yes, I have hope for the festival to be a time of healing." Or one of further schisms... but there were enough people on both sides, he thought, who would be more willing to reach across the lines that divided them, once the heat of the moment had passed and rational thought returned.
Isuma purred louder as the petting resumed, arching her little back up into Rexanna's hand. Her tail twitched happily, long and soft as it brushed against the woman's arm and than switched to bat against her thigh. She let out a sigh that might have been a pout as the gryphon banner was set aside, but she was too pleased by the attention to mind too much, and her golden eyes soon drifted closed again as her rumbling contentment continued.
Jigano's expression had sobered at the mention of the Sparkbird, and he nodded slowly. "It was..." He hesitated, and then shrugged. "Terrifying," he finished succinctly. "We heard something in town break. I thought it might have been a house or building, but Amalia recognized it was the perch so many had worked so hard to build together. So she and Rory ran to get the horses and I... well. I couldn't let them go alone." He offered Rexanna a wry, sad smile, knowing that she would understand that impulse. "I still don't know what did the actual damage. We never saw anything, there in the darkness. Rather, the monsters in the dark worked their way into our minds, sparked our darkest thoughts and emotions..." he hesitated, shadows falling over his eyes as he looked away, his fingers tightening in his lap. It was the first time he had tried to speak of it, and still the memories were sharp-edged and burned at him. "If anything, I think, that drove us harder. It might have been a trap to lure out the foolish but... why would they try so hard to ruin the perch and stop us from fixing it, except that it was a weapon that could be used against them?" He sighed and shook his head, tucking the painful memories away to look back up at his friend with a well-practiced smile. "It's kind of you to suggest a banner for Rory. He and Amalia were so badly hurt that night... I think it's a lovely idea. He has three ponies, two dogs, and more goats than I can keep straight." He chuckled, glad to have a path back towards the sunlight, and a topic that warmed the chill from his heart. "He might not know what to do with it, but I hope that he would appreciate the gesture for the kindness it's meant as."
He began sorting through the colored scraps in his hands thoughtfully, picking out colors with deft hands. A royal purple, for the body, with hooves of pale blue... "A dark mare at gallop with streaming rainbow mane and tail," he murmured, glancing up to Rexanna with a twinkle in his eyes. "Think you're up for the challenge, o Sultana of Stitching?"
Isuma purred louder as the petting resumed, arching her little back up into Rexanna's hand. Her tail twitched happily, long and soft as it brushed against the woman's arm and than switched to bat against her thigh. She let out a sigh that might have been a pout as the gryphon banner was set aside, but she was too pleased by the attention to mind too much, and her golden eyes soon drifted closed again as her rumbling contentment continued.
Jigano's expression had sobered at the mention of the Sparkbird, and he nodded slowly. "It was..." He hesitated, and then shrugged. "Terrifying," he finished succinctly. "We heard something in town break. I thought it might have been a house or building, but Amalia recognized it was the perch so many had worked so hard to build together. So she and Rory ran to get the horses and I... well. I couldn't let them go alone." He offered Rexanna a wry, sad smile, knowing that she would understand that impulse. "I still don't know what did the actual damage. We never saw anything, there in the darkness. Rather, the monsters in the dark worked their way into our minds, sparked our darkest thoughts and emotions..." he hesitated, shadows falling over his eyes as he looked away, his fingers tightening in his lap. It was the first time he had tried to speak of it, and still the memories were sharp-edged and burned at him. "If anything, I think, that drove us harder. It might have been a trap to lure out the foolish but... why would they try so hard to ruin the perch and stop us from fixing it, except that it was a weapon that could be used against them?" He sighed and shook his head, tucking the painful memories away to look back up at his friend with a well-practiced smile. "It's kind of you to suggest a banner for Rory. He and Amalia were so badly hurt that night... I think it's a lovely idea. He has three ponies, two dogs, and more goats than I can keep straight." He chuckled, glad to have a path back towards the sunlight, and a topic that warmed the chill from his heart. "He might not know what to do with it, but I hope that he would appreciate the gesture for the kindness it's meant as."
He began sorting through the colored scraps in his hands thoughtfully, picking out colors with deft hands. A royal purple, for the body, with hooves of pale blue... "A dark mare at gallop with streaming rainbow mane and tail," he murmured, glancing up to Rexanna with a twinkle in his eyes. "Think you're up for the challenge, o Sultana of Stitching?"
