"That's been the sentiment of most of the Ascended I've spoken to," said Juniper. Her lips twisted in a wry smile. "No one agrees with what happens, everyone regrets it, but it still happened. Families still grieve, and we still have to reckon with the consequences."
She wasn't blaming Nate personally, but she still couldn't absolve the Ascended.
Then she turned solemn. "I know." She could have said more: I don't see why the Old Gods hate her so much. My gods are wrong. We've become the aggressor here, and I hate it. But she couldn't admit as much out loud, not to Nate.
But she had to answer his question. "I know," she repeated softly, sadly. She wanted to say that she hoped it wouldn't come to that, that she would stop it if she could. But those seemed like lame excuses in the face of the actual conflict. How could Juniper hope to stand against her own people, her own gods?
"What else would you have me do?" she asked quietly: not a defensive demand, but a genuine question. "I could disappear into the Wilds, I suppose, and refuse to participate, but that means giving up any chance to make things better."
She wasn't blaming Nate personally, but she still couldn't absolve the Ascended.
Then she turned solemn. "I know." She could have said more: I don't see why the Old Gods hate her so much. My gods are wrong. We've become the aggressor here, and I hate it. But she couldn't admit as much out loud, not to Nate.
But she had to answer his question. "I know," she repeated softly, sadly. She wanted to say that she hoped it wouldn't come to that, that she would stop it if she could. But those seemed like lame excuses in the face of the actual conflict. How could Juniper hope to stand against her own people, her own gods?
"What else would you have me do?" she asked quietly: not a defensive demand, but a genuine question. "I could disappear into the Wilds, I suppose, and refuse to participate, but that means giving up any chance to make things better."
Juniper
"art nouveau winged fairy" by e³°°° is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit here
