"I will definitely have some books waiting the next time you can visit the Atheneum, then," he assured her, wondering what had caused the once-bright girl such melancholy. Before he could pursue it they were interrupted by a young gryphon on the hunt, but Isuma was always a worthy distraction, and Jigano knew how resilient she was, as well. It didn't hurt that Phoebe's profession was centered around mothers and young things, so even though he didn't know her well he was willing to trust her with the gryphon cub's safety.
Isuma wriggled, reep!ing happily at the forehead kisses before she dropped down to curl up on Phoebe's lap, soaking up the ear scritches for all she was worth. Jigano chuckled at her shameless antics, but that brought them no closer to resolving the root of the young woman's sadness. He listened, and as Phoebe sighed Isuma began to purr, offering comfort in her own way. The gryphlet shifted, getting a shoulder down and then rolling in the midwife's lap to expose her soft tummy, keeping her wings tucked tight to her side as she streeeeetched and put herself into the perfect position for tummy rubs, if only the clever human could figure it out.
"I'm sorry, if you lost anyone," he said softly. He had lost one dear friend into a form no longer human, and nearly lost two more, both brought to the very edge of death. He was lucky, he knew, that he had not lost more, but his heart went out to those who had. "But the Spire..." he hesitated, then shook his head at her insistence that her problems didn't merit attention. "Of course they matter," he said gently. "Something like what happened that day... it wasn't a single large issue. It was too many small issues that went overlooked for too long that made things boil over. If we had caught and tended to the individual, the personal problems sooner, maybe Ronin would have allowed others to join his Northhavener-only attack... and maybe the naturals wouldn't have had such resentment for it." He sighed, looking out over the explosion of new growth that carpeted the forest floor in bright green interspersed with dollops of colorful blossoms. His brow furrowed as he thought back to that day, and where Phoebe had been amidst the chaos atop the hill. "You were there with... a young man?" he questioned, speaking slowly as he sifted his memory for details. "One I haven't met before... but he was nearly as angry as Rory, I think. Is he the one who's stolen your sunlight?"
Isuma wriggled, reep!ing happily at the forehead kisses before she dropped down to curl up on Phoebe's lap, soaking up the ear scritches for all she was worth. Jigano chuckled at her shameless antics, but that brought them no closer to resolving the root of the young woman's sadness. He listened, and as Phoebe sighed Isuma began to purr, offering comfort in her own way. The gryphlet shifted, getting a shoulder down and then rolling in the midwife's lap to expose her soft tummy, keeping her wings tucked tight to her side as she streeeeetched and put herself into the perfect position for tummy rubs, if only the clever human could figure it out.
"I'm sorry, if you lost anyone," he said softly. He had lost one dear friend into a form no longer human, and nearly lost two more, both brought to the very edge of death. He was lucky, he knew, that he had not lost more, but his heart went out to those who had. "But the Spire..." he hesitated, then shook his head at her insistence that her problems didn't merit attention. "Of course they matter," he said gently. "Something like what happened that day... it wasn't a single large issue. It was too many small issues that went overlooked for too long that made things boil over. If we had caught and tended to the individual, the personal problems sooner, maybe Ronin would have allowed others to join his Northhavener-only attack... and maybe the naturals wouldn't have had such resentment for it." He sighed, looking out over the explosion of new growth that carpeted the forest floor in bright green interspersed with dollops of colorful blossoms. His brow furrowed as he thought back to that day, and where Phoebe had been amidst the chaos atop the hill. "You were there with... a young man?" he questioned, speaking slowly as he sifted his memory for details. "One I haven't met before... but he was nearly as angry as Rory, I think. Is he the one who's stolen your sunlight?"
