Closing the door behind her, Maea sank down into the offered seat with a sigh, agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment. Time had become a precious commodity, to be stolen or bought with sleepless nights, and there was never enough of it to do what she wanted. Ever since the Long Night passed there had been one thing after the other, and between running the farm and her new projects...
"I would have come sooner, but Vai kept me at the infirmary until I stopped coughing, and then I had to look after the farm..." She shrugged and averted her gaze, knowing it was only half true. Peter had done a good job of keeping things afloat while she recovered. In all honesty, she had avoided the Guild. Avoided Jigano and this conversation, because... she wasn't sure where it would lead.
" And... I was scared. Didn't know what to say, why things turned out this way" she admitted. "I don't really want things to change. Never did... but as you say things keep happening and I couldn't just stand on the sidelines anymore, and watch without doing anything."
"The thing with the Spire, the mob... It felt like everything was spiralling out of control and all I could think of was how the conflict between Outlanders and Naturals would escalate, spread throughout the Hollow and destroy everything."
She held her hands tightly, gaze downcast as she spoke; looking at Jigano was difficult so she didnt. Just focused on speaking, on lancing the boil and bring them straight to the heart of the issue.
"I wanted to try and offer another solution... and I hoped that you would help."
Finally, Maea looked up at him. Pale lavender eyes seeking out the blue of his gaze, full of worry and questions. He had agreed to her proposal of forming a council at the meeting he called, had seemed ready to discuss it further back then... so why had he backed out when she tried to set things in motion? Because she had left? Because she hadn't discussed it properly with him first?
She didn't understand.
"Why didn't you come?"
"I would have come sooner, but Vai kept me at the infirmary until I stopped coughing, and then I had to look after the farm..." She shrugged and averted her gaze, knowing it was only half true. Peter had done a good job of keeping things afloat while she recovered. In all honesty, she had avoided the Guild. Avoided Jigano and this conversation, because... she wasn't sure where it would lead.
" And... I was scared. Didn't know what to say, why things turned out this way" she admitted. "I don't really want things to change. Never did... but as you say things keep happening and I couldn't just stand on the sidelines anymore, and watch without doing anything."
"The thing with the Spire, the mob... It felt like everything was spiralling out of control and all I could think of was how the conflict between Outlanders and Naturals would escalate, spread throughout the Hollow and destroy everything."
She held her hands tightly, gaze downcast as she spoke; looking at Jigano was difficult so she didnt. Just focused on speaking, on lancing the boil and bring them straight to the heart of the issue.
"I wanted to try and offer another solution... and I hoped that you would help."
Finally, Maea looked up at him. Pale lavender eyes seeking out the blue of his gaze, full of worry and questions. He had agreed to her proposal of forming a council at the meeting he called, had seemed ready to discuss it further back then... so why had he backed out when she tried to set things in motion? Because she had left? Because she hadn't discussed it properly with him first?
She didn't understand.
"Why didn't you come?"
