Out of My Reach
for Eliza
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#15
The young woman listened with admirable focus as he told an abbreviated story of the past year within the barrier. True, he left out a great many details, but to go into all of it would likely last a week of nights around a campfire or in a comfortable tavern. He rarely lied if he could help it; the truth was far more effective, and easier to keep straight. But he had also learned that he had a habit of extending too much information at once and overwhelming his less scholastically-minded listeners, so he tried to keep his story to the point of her rhetorical question - which had turned out to be less rhetorical than she expected, if he was to judge from the thoughtful look on her face.

He watched as she shifted position, curious at first and then wary as she fluttered towards him, but her movements were careful and slow, and he relaxed when she settled onto his branch simply to continue their conversation from a more comfortable distance. He settled his back against the trunk and bent a knee to rest on the branch so he could face her fully, and at her first words his attention became intent.

"A thirty foot pit," he repeated softly, heart clenching, but then easing as he remembered that Kiada and Amalia both had wings with which to glide down, even if some sort of netting or grill prevented them from flying away.

Then again, the Fae had wings, too. It might just be a matter of being chased down and tossed back in again. As long as their wings hadn't been bound when they were thrown in... And as far as he knew, Caiside was wingless. Best not to dwell on that. There was a chance they were still alive, at least, and he bowed his head graciously to Eliza in gratitude for the information. "Two of them are Loreseekers, members of my Guild. They... will ask questions," he admitted, voice quiet as he tilted his head back to study the canopy above. "Amalia especially... we have a love for learning new things, studying new plants and creatures, meeting new people. This chance to explore... it was a complicated thing, the fall of the barrier, but once it was done it seemed foolish to waste the opportunity to learn about the world beyond. She will ask and ask and ask, trying to learn what we did wrong and why we weren't simply told to turn around and stop bothering the Fae." He winced, slanting a worried glance at Eliza. "I hope your warchief is patient, even if she is not understanding."

Her question earned a brief smile before Jigano closed his eyes, trying to find an answer that would satisfy them both. "I am... still learning that," he said finally, his voice soft enough to nearly be lost in the gentle breeze. "I was taken from my world against my will and deposited... here. Within the Barrier, in a miniature slice of a world that was slowly dying in its isolation. It was a good match for me, at the time. I was born an Oracle on my world, one who walked between the mortal and divine, but I had too much wanderer in my blood. I became a bard, a scholar of the past and a gatherer of stories and legends. But I survived the end of my own story, and I lost... I lost a great deal, including losing sight of myself and my future." He tilted his head down again, opening his eyes fully to watch Eliza, wondering if she could understand. "But coming here was almost like being reborn, in a way. My body was reshaped and my story was given a new beginning. I have not forgotten what I have lost but I am no longer as chained to it as I once was." He tilted his head at her. "I have a family again, for the first time in six years. And a member of that family is in a pit somewhere in the Greatwood."

He took a deep breath, trying to relax his shoulders as he studied Eliza and considered his next question. "Is there any bargain or trade this warchief would accept, to free my people and let them come home alive?"
Eliza Kross
Hunter

Age: 60 | Height: 4’6” | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship:
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#16
Eliza let her lips pull into a small frown, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. They will ask questions… Questions are not to be asked of the Fae if anyone knew what was good for them. What was happening between herself and Jigano was different, as their questions were for an exchange of information. However, if Delah wasn’t going to be asking them any questions, the likelihood of their questions being well received plummeted significantly.

“Patience is not what you must be cautious of when it comes to her,” she said, shaking her head. “She is not open-minded, and she is stuck in the ways of the Fae, where outsiders are not welcome. I’ve not much experience around her, but she is not one to be trifled with.”

As he closed his eyes and searched for an answer to his question, Eliza watched Jigano with a curious gaze. When he finally spoke, she pulled a knee into her chest and rested her chin on it with a small grin. He had an interesting history, one that she could probably get a few entertaining stories from - at another time of course - but she couldn’t really identify with his experiences. She had lived in the Sidhe Village her entire life. There were adventures within the Greatwood that she had embarked on, but nothing compared to what he spoke of.

Her listening became more intent, as he began telling her of his current self. After all, that was what her question was centered on. Though she absolutely enjoyed his little biography, what she wanted to know was who he was at that moment, while they were sitting in the trees talking to each other.

Jigano commented on having a family, having a member of that family lost to her people… Her eyes moved away from him when he spoke about his family member being lost, perhaps simply because she felt unable to hide the slight guilt that she felt. It was unjustified guilt, she believed, as she certainly wasn’t the one responsible for kidnapping anyone, but she couldn’t help feeling the pain within him.

His question was one that she had expected, and unfortunately, she didn’t have an answer that he would like. “No,” she said. “Certainly nothing I’m aware of, at least.” Eliza fell quiet then, as though she was arguing with herself over what information to give him.

It had begun frustrating her, but something made her want to trust the white-haired male. She didn’t believe he posed a threat to her people’s way of life, and while she was raised to think outsiders weren’t able to be trusted, this one didn’t seem dishonest. Careful and wary of strangers and new people, but she couldn’t blame him for that. She wondered if the reason for all of the caution with outsiders was because they were simply thought of as one entity. Like the Fae, each person was different, which she was learning from actually being willing to interact with them. Delah wasn’t open to that. She and most of the others in the Sidhe Village were sheltered and told for their entire lives not to trust outsiders. What if they were wrong?

“The odds of survival for them are very low, Jigano,” she said. “If I’m right, they are to be given to the tulmhainar as a sacrifice. It would be their punishment for entering the Greatwood.”

She took a moment to consider her next question, her throat tightening and heart racing at the thought. For Rae’s sake, she never would’ve thought herself willing to remotely even offer it… “If… If I was to give you access to my people’s undercroft…” It took her a moment to think of the right way to describe it. “It’s the home of the everything written for the Fae; tomes, tales and stories, grimoires… If I allowed you to see it, what would you do with the information you learn?” Her heart was in her throat, voice even wavering slightly at the end of the question.
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#17
The warchief didn’t sound like someone to cross, which made sense, but only made Jigano more worried for his friends. He held on to the hope that they were, at least, still alive, and so long as they were alive there would be a way to help them.

But to do that, he needed allies, not enemies, and so he answered Eliza’s question as best he could. It was so very broad that he struggled to find a definition that would suffice. Who he was now was inextricably linked with who had been, his present and future shaped by his past. Another time he might have spun a more coherent story, emphasized the lighter elements and peppered the telling with sly anecdotes, but his worry over his friends had him speaking more emotionally and with less control, plucking out the parts he thought most important or that struck the strongest chords and offering them to her that was part answer to her question, and part plea for her understanding.

And perhaps both were successful, in their own way. He could tell from the way she looked away from him that he had touched something she knew, and he felt a bubble of relief to know that the Fae, however harsh their warchief, still had families that they cared for, no less than humans did. All was not lost, if he could appeal to their leaders for leniency then—

Her answer was abrupt, but it felt more forthright than cruel. She did not seem to take any pleasure from taking that hope from him, but she did not let him cling to it uselessly either. He bowed his head, exhaling a sigh of pain at hearing it, and he did not immediately expect her to continue. He was lost in his own thoughts, even as she focused on her own. He was trying to find a way to move forward, find some hint of what he could ask that would help his friends, his sister, and when she spoke again it took a moment for him to focus himself back on their conversation.

”The… tulm—?“ He bit his tongue before the out-of-turn question could slip entirely free. She had said the odds were low… but not impossible. He clung to that as she formed her next question, and once again she took him by surprise. His eyes widened at what she offered – well, hypothetically. If they had met under better circumstances his eyes would have been sparkling at the chance to delve into a new library. A tired smile was all he could manage, though he did shift to sit up a little straighter, his lorekeeper’s soul strengthened at the thought of such a place.

”That is not an easy question to answer without knowing what I would learn,” he admitted slowly. ”Though it would be a great gift. On my world I was an Oracle of Lore, a seeker of it… and a keeper of it. Part of that is knowing when certain knowledge should not or must not be shared, and keeping the secrets of those that ask it of me.” As Ludo had entrusted him with a secret, once, and he bore the sacred trust of that with dignity. ”If you were to share that with me, I would pass along only what you were willing to have known to those outside the Greatwood. If there were things that would improve the lives of those who reside here, for instance, I would ask to bring that information back to help those who live within here. Medical knowledge and medicines, knowledge of dangerous plants or animals that might now cross into this weakened world, improvements in ways of building or farming… learning what has happened on greater Caido since the people here were shut away from it three hundred years ago,” he explained with a slight shrug, lips quirking wryly. ”Proper ways of worshipping the Old Gods we have been shut away from for so long. Laws and traditions of the Fae that should not be broken, and hopefully will not be, if the people here are no longer ignorant of them.” The last, in particular, he wished desperately that they had known of before their ill-fated excursion into the Greatwood.

Tilting his head at Eliza he studied her tension, her anxiety over the possibility of taking him someplace he was doubtless forbidden. It was a courageous thing to even consider, and he promised himself that if she did so, he would show her the Atheneum in return and offer her whatever help she wanted in learning about his own adopted people.

But that assumed he would survive to do so.

”Eliza… what does it mean, ‘to be given to the tulmhainar?’” he asked quietly. ”That is a word I haven’t come across within the barrier before.”
Eliza Kross
Hunter

Age: 60 | Height: 4’6” | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship:
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 5 - Int:
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#18
She chewed on the inside of her lip, looking at him with wide - dare she think, even hopeful - eyes, as he answered her question.

Admittedly, she didn’t very much like the beginning of his answer. It didn’t depend on what could be learned there… That was not the right answer, and in her mind, there was a clear right and wrong way to answer her question. And yet, the tension that she hadn’t realized her body had taken on started to bleed away as he continued. Perhaps there was an answer between right and wrong worth considering, and she was truly starting to wonder if that concept could realistically be applied to her society.

After listening to him, Eliza decided that she liked the answer. The Fae were very secretive, and for good reason, so the idea of letting someone, bringing someone, into her village was unbelievable. But it didn’t scare her as much as it should’ve…

“If you can give me your word the knowledge you gain from us will not be given to anyone else without our permission, I may find a way to let you see the undercroft.” No, it wouldn’t exactly be in accordance to Fae rules, but she clearly rather enjoyed pushing limits.

As Jigano asked his next question, his voice quiet and tone almost cautious, she simply shrugged her shoulders, her expression strangely close to indifference. “Everything must eat,” she spoke plainly. At least, it would appear to be plain. Fae and their tricky words… The girl lifted her brow and tilted her head slightly. “I would be shocked if you had heard of it before. It is a word known only to my people.” And it was information that would stay with her people. The tulmhainar was a secret for the Fae, and that was something she wouldn’t budge on.

She looked at him inquisitively then. “How do you ever know when you’re being lied to?” Eliza tucked her hair behind her ears. “I have very little experience in that.”
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#19
What she offered was more than he had ever dared to hope for, and it seemed as though it wasn't so hypothetical after all. From what he was coming to understand, her people were secretive, isolated by choice, and some among them were hostile indeed towards outsiders - something his group had learned to their regret the day before. But as she was also proving, the Fae were not a monolith. Eliza was curious, outgoing, and brave enough to explore alone. Perhaps there were others of her people who held similar flexibility in their outlook on the world?

She was offering him a deal that rested on trust, and he bowed his head in gratitude for that, solemn and respectful of the weight of the burden she was willing to rest on his honor. "I promise to ask you for permission, and to abide by your decision, before I share any information that I learn from your Undercroft," he pledged, meeting her gaze with blue eyes that held sober earnestness. It was no different than other promises he'd made in the past, ones he had kept close and hidden in his heart even after being flung between worlds.

He bit back his impatient first response - not everything had to eat people! - forcing himself to breathe calmly. Eliza was speaking with him honestly (he hoped) and offering him information and the promise of more. She was not, apparently, one who had been involved in the ambush, and she was helping him as much as she could, given their situations. Snapping at her would help no one, and might do very real harm, and so Jigano controlled himself before her question caused him to furrow his brow in surprise at her question. She didn't have experience with being lied to? Well, if her people were close-knit and their settlement was even smaller than what lay within the Barrier, it was possible...

"I don't always know," he admitted, shifting position slightly to ease the tension in his back from holding his balance so high up in the tree. "Some people have obvious little signs, a nervous motion that they make when they lie. If you know someone well enough you can learn that 'tell' and many people have similar ones, so you know what to start looking for. Sometimes you have to gather information and compare what they have said in the past to what they are saying now, seeing if any details have changed that might be more than innocent mis-remembering." He hesitated, than grimaced a little. "On my world I had a good sense for it. Something instinctive, a sort of extra sense for sniffing out lies... but I've found it blinded since coming here. It made it very hard to trust people, at first. I am becoming less... guarded, I suppose, as I've found most people I've met here to be fairly trustworthy, though." He gave a slight shrug, and the ghost of a wry smile as he contemplated his fairy-winged companion. As much as he wanted to ask more about the tulmhainar, he saw the stubborn set of her jaw that warned him it wouldn't be wise to press further on that issue, at least not right now.

"What would happen to us, if we were caught sneaking into the Undercroft?" he asked instead, wondering how much risk Eliza was putting herself at with her seemingly-impulsive offer.
Eliza Kross
Hunter

Age: 60 | Height: 4’6” | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship:
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 5 - Int:
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#20
As he moved slightly and started answering her question, her brows drew together in confusion. So... What? These people were capable of lying, but not always capable of spotting lies? If they had one, she figured that they would automatically have the other. The concept really didn't make sense to her. She understood why the ability to lie would be beneficial - to a point - but it wasn't exactly fair if others weren't able to catch them.

The Fae's wordplay was for the same purpose as the others' lying was, but...it was just better. Dishonesty was foul, but craftiness and cleverness could absolutely be admired.

When Jigano said that he found most of the people to be trustworthy, the girl wrinkled her nose with almost disbelief. Eliza wasn't about to place any trust in the judgement of someone who just said he couldn't always spot lies! That would just be foolish! She would decide for herself, refusing to group anyone. Assumptions about the whole of a new people could very well get her and her people in trouble, and she sure as hells wasn't going to risk that.

Placing her trust in a single person... That could be done.

His question surprised her a little bit, turning so suddenly from the topic he had been focused on. Perhaps he was a better judge of character than she perceived him to be, as she didn't outright say she would no longer answer questions about the tulmhainar. Part of her wanted him to ask just so he would waste a question!

Eliza pursed her lips for a moment, thinking on the answer. "I'm not really sure," she said. "I would prefer not to find out, though, so...let's not get caught." To her knowledge, no one had intentionally brought a non-Fae directly into the Sidhe Village. At least not in her lifetime. The rule just kind of stood that no outsiders were allowed in. She was breaking all of her former beliefs by even thinking about bringing someone into her world, but wasn't that the point of growth? She prided herself on being open-minded, so by principle, that should extend to this also.

"What god do you align yourself with?" She asked him. Eliza had found that there was a decent amount to find out about someone simply by who they worshipped, so she was curious to know just where Jigano's loyalties laid.
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#21
He didn't understand her confusion as he spoke. It was almost as if she couldn't understand why he wasn't able to better identify lies... or was it the lies themselves that confused her? That he found many of the people he had met on Caido to be trustworthy caused her obvious disbelief lightened his expression to a hint of a smile, understanding how she felt. Two seasons ago he would have reacted the same! But Eliza made no move to follow up on her question, and allowed him to ask one in return.

Her answer wasn't exactly reassuring, but he tilted his head to the side with a wry grin of acknowledgment. "Agreed! Especially since it will probably be a lot worse for me!" Given that the warchief had probably taken his friends in punishment for trespassing unknowingly, he suspected it would be much worse for someone to be caught sneaking around their village purposefully.

Eliza's next question was a bit of a surprise, but less strange than her previous one. Jigano frowned thoughtfully, wondering how much was common knowledge outside the barrier. Three hundred years was a long time...

"The barrier kept the Old gods out," he began, trying to gauge by her reaction if this was known - and if so, if it was really understood. "Mort, Vi, and Rae... they were names in old books, or stories passed down, but not really an active part of the lives of the people inside. But they left their... herald gods? For lack of a better term, Ludo, Safrin, and Frey did Their work for those trapped within, as best they could, separated from those who had made them." He thought back on his prayers at various shrines around the Hollowed Grounds, and his lips curved in a wry smile in spite of the seriousness of the day. "I have met Safrin once, and found her a wise and beautiful being, but it is the soul guide Ludo who I send my prayers to." He considered adding that he had helped the masked god before, gathering wandering spirits after Long Night with his heartsister Amalia, but it felt too much like bragging, and he did not think Eliza would be impressed by that.

"What of you? Which god do you pray to most often?" Less innovative than his previous questions, perhaps, but given what Safrin had told him of the Old Gods it was a useful one indeed. That Eliza had asked it first made it no less important.
Eliza Kross
Hunter

Age: 60 | Height: 4’6” | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship:
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 5 - Int:
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#22
Eliza let a laugh escape her at Jigano’s response to her answer. It was definitely fair. While she certainly would be punished somehow for it, his punishment would likely be much more severe.

As he began his answer, she listened quietly. He would notice nothing strange from her in response to the knowledge of the Old Gods not being within the barrier. She was well aware what the barrier did, and she was also well aware of the lives the people within led. It was like watching a story unfold before her eyes, and she often enjoyed going up to the barrier and looking just for the hells of it.

What she didn’t know, however, was that apparently they didn’t really worship the Old Gods within the barrier. Was that simply because of their absence? Or was it that they just no longer appreciated the significance of the deities. Either way, she simply listened to him before commenting on his words. It was rude to interrupt, after all.

She smiled when Jigano finished speaking. “Safrin is beautiful, indeed. Vi’s herald and a lovely one, at that.” Her lips pressed together tightly, and her eyes shone just a touch at the mention of Ludo. “Mort’s herald… Ludo is a special being. Mort is wise and peaceful and wraps the soul in warmth when he is present. Devoting yourself to his herald is a noble thing.”

Clearly, his answer was satisfactory - even a little impressive - to the Fae. Her legs swung on either side of the branch, hands in front of her, bracing herself easily on the limb. “Rae is my god,” she told him. “They are wonderful. They don’t seem to care much for the nonsense of people, devoting themselves to the natural world, which is something I try to do as well. My reverence is saved mostly for them, and I do everything I can to keep the land happy.” She spoke as though the world itself was alive and had feelings, and it very well might have. The woods were alive, and she loved them dearly, so why would she do anything less than her best to ensure they are safe? Especially since they do the same for her.

Her next question might strike a little strangely, but it was well-meaning and simply to satisfy her curiosity about what kind of person he was. “Have you ever been in love?” She asked with inquisitive eyes.
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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MP: 10170
#23
It was curious - fascinating, even - to hear someone speak of the Old Gods so casually. Within the barrier he had known only Safrin and Ludo (and Amalia) to refer to them with such reverent ease. He was pleased to hear of her approval of both Mort and Safrin, and Ludo by extension. It was something of a relief to find that all of the Old Gods were viewed favorably by the Fae. If Mort and Ludo had been shunned he wasn't sure what he would have done. Vi and Safrin made sense for a woodland people to revere - gods of life and nature, working each in their own way to nurture the forest. He was glad - very glad - that Ludo wasn't met with fear or resentment for shepherding souls at the end of their mortal journey onto the next stage of existence.

Jigano couldn't help but tilt his head on curiosity as Rae's name was invoked. "We just celebrated a festival in Rae and Frey's honor. Fiat Lux, it was called, and it was a, ah... a very joyful time," he explained, a bittersweet smile quirking his lips at the memories of those colorful days and... warm nights. Amalia's laughter rang in his ears, her mischief given free rein as she danced and teased them mercilessly, exercising a little sister's prerogatives to the limits...

The question came out of nowhere, on the heels of his own memories of falling into Rory's arms, and his honey-toned cheeks flushed warm as he ducked his head, scrambling to recover his poise.

"Ah... well. I... there is someone, yes..." Blue eyes and golden hair and hands rough from tending the farm and lips like fire on his skin... Jigano glanced up from behind the veil of his silver hair, and in spite of the anxiety he felt for his missing friends, there was a softness and a warmth in his own blue eyes. "I have loved my family before, and cared deeply for friends... even loved them. But if you mean romantically... yes. I am." It felt dangerous to say the words aloud, as if he was pushing too far, too fast, but what other word so perfectly fit the way he felt for Rory? The way the hunter made him feel, as though he deserved to be loved, because Rory found him worthy of it?

Thrown off his guard and his confidence, he cleared his throat, his smile turning rueful and a little wry. "Is there a way for me to earn your people's and your Wildwood's respect, or at least acceptance?"
Eliza Kross
Hunter

Age: 60 | Height: 4’6” | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship:
Level: 0 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 10 - Luck: 5 - Int:
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#24
She nodded with a smile, recalling visiting the festival held for the nature god. In fact, she had even accepted a clown of flowers from a girl there. It was a lively time, and she definitely enjoyed getting a look inside the way the barrier dwellers lived during celebrations. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

And now, his reaction to her question didn’t disappoint!

Jigano ducked his head down, and the girl’s wings lifted with a slight vibration. It seemed she struck home then, and she was eager to see what came of it. His answer was more than she hoped for, though. Not only did he confirm that he had been in love, but that he was currently in love.

Eliza’s eyes lit up excitedly when she met his own, full of a different kind of softness than had been there when he spoke of his friends and family. She couldn’t help but return the smile he gave, but she didn’t comment on his confession. There was a level of trust that came with that kind of revelation, and she wouldn’t press it further, regardless of her want to know more. She had never been in love before. Not romantically, anyway. It was lovely to see what the feeling could do to someone.

As he regained his composure, she took her bottom lip in her teeth with a grin, listening to his question. “Well, there are some whose respect will likely never be received.” Delah flashed through her mind again. “But others may be more open-minded to receiving you. Just as any people, we do not think as a whole.” As for the Wildwood… “The Wildwood accepts the Fae and protects us. I have not known it to accept any other people, but perhaps you will surprise me! I may not be able to give you the secret to appeasing the forests, but I may be able to show you how to work within them, to understand them a little better than you do.”

Even then, that wasn’t a huge help for him. The Wildwood would still try to spit him out, but perhaps, she could give him enough knowledge to navigate the woods as Ianto did, to at least keep from getting lost or trapped or constantly spat back out.

Eliza narrowed her eyes then at the man. She had put together that he probably didn’t know about the Fae’s inability to lie, but she wanted to confirm that she was right, so the girl pressed her lips together curiously. “How do you know that I haven’t been lying to you this whole time?”
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#25
Her smile in return was reassuring, an answering mirror of gentler emotions that softened her mischief and made her more familiar to him, a brief bond forming at the shared moment. They might not know each other well, but he had shared a glimpse of his greatest treasure with her, and she had responded with joy for him. It was humbling and inspiring, and he realized that while he was trying to find answers to what had happened – and was currently happening – to his friends, she was getting to know him. Perhaps she was mostly concerned about whether or not he was a threat, but she was also getting a sense for him as a person, and his own courtesy was badly lacking in return.

One more question about the wood… and it was one that had been well worth asking, as it turned out. Eliza made an excellent point about not treating all Fae the same – not all would be as curious and courageous as she was. She had warned him about their warchief, after all, and that was an important distinction to make. He would never have considered treating any of the races of his home world as a monolith, and he had to keep that mindset now that Caido’s borders had expanded exponentially for those who had been within the barrier.

Or at least, it had seemed to, before the Wildwood had turned out to be a barrier no less effective than that which the gods had erected before. Jigano nodded sober acknowledgment that only the Fae could navigate the forest with ease, but at the sideways suggestion that she might be willing to help him walk it with a bit more surefootedness, even if it wasn’t as masterful as her own passage, he raised a brow. ”Thank you, that would be very kind… I would be happy to show you the ways around the land within the barrier in exchange but… well.” He smiled wryly. ”It’s a lot easier to navigate in here. Still, the offer stands.”

He was, admittedly, more than a little relieved when Eliza didn’t use another question to pursue his feelings for Rory, or ask to know about him. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to go into that much detail about his personal life with someone he’d just met! Even her strange suspicion didn’t bother him, not with the remnants of Rory’s memory lingering in his thoughts. ”You might be,” he agreed with a flicker of a wry smile. ”But I don’t think so. Most of what you’ve told me has been vague and cautionary, or matches what I already know. Clearly you are able to walk the Wildwood, and we’ve been rejected by it. AndI see no purpose in lying about what god you follow.” He gave a slight shrug of one shoulder. ”At the moment, believing your words costs me nothing, and gives me something to hope for.” He itched to ask why she was so focused on lies and seeing through them, a suspicion beginning to form in the back of his thoughts but…

He would worry about it later. For now, he had amends to make, and lost ground to recover. ”What is your favorite place in the Wildwood?”  he asked instead, growing curious about Eliza in her own right, as more than just a representative of the Fae.


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