i am the mace, the map, the fall and the high
He isn’t aware of her watching him, lost as he is in the endless paths of the future. But when he returns to himself, it is to find her regarding him with something curious wrapped around her like a shroud. His question brings her back, but he is left to wonder what it is that had caused such introspection. With only visions and memories at his disposal, it is nearly impossible to know her present thoughts.
She weighs what answer to give, and it is Reave’s turn to watch her. He is silent as she considers, watching her curiously. Watching the subtle play of emotions her thoughts of the various kingdoms cause as they drift through her mind.
Her question brings his attention back into sharp focus. Shifting with unconscious agitation, Reave considers her question as carefully as she had considered his. After a moment, he replies slowly, “Roots and branches are all the same. Turn the tree upside down, and branches become roots.”
A small, wry smile tugs at the corners of his lips then as he shakes his head. “There is no one action that will cause it to topple. This place was built too strongly for that.” He watches her close, tracking how she might respond to the proclamation. Reave has never been terribly good at the hypothetical. The metaphor they now explored tests the very edges of his wisdom. He could not tell her much more than he had already. Lips quirking with amusement, he adds almost as an afterthought, “Unless your goal is to annoy them in a hundred small ways instead.”
As he considers her, his own mind curls around the problem. Quite abruptly, his eyes go vacant for several long heartbeats. When his attention has returned to her, a devilish smile is blooming across his mouth. “How do you feel about Hyaline?”
reave
@Aela