"Ah. I ... I see." Arialla's jaw clenched as she tried to hide the depths of her disappointment. She definitely wasn't going to cry in front of Jigano again. Instead, she took a couple deep, ragged breaths to settle herself, then turned politely to Kalynd, though she didn't really expect him to have any news.
If he had found something as important as a way home, surely he would have led with it -- or considered it too secret to speak in front of a stranger, and asked for a private consultation with Jigano. No, she knew Jigano was just trying to humor her, to keep her from despair. Part of her almost wanted to resent that kindness, but she pushed that down, forcing herself instead to appreciate it. He cared about her feelings; that was better than disregarding them.
If he had found something as important as a way home, surely he would have led with it -- or considered it too secret to speak in front of a stranger, and asked for a private consultation with Jigano. No, she knew Jigano was just trying to humor her, to keep her from despair. Part of her almost wanted to resent that kindness, but she pushed that down, forcing herself instead to appreciate it. He cared about her feelings; that was better than disregarding them.
