Roen stared at her hands that lay still upon her lap, the rest of the contents of the basket untouched. Daegsatz’s prodding was gentle, as if to coax a wary animal out of hiding. In the few suns that she had known the Roegadyn, she had come to feel relaxed around him, voicing her thoughts easily without apprehension. There was also no one else who would understand her predicament with his captain better than his First Mate.
But it was more than that. Daegsatz had lived the life of a sailor, a pirate, much as Nero had. That afforded him a certain different perspective in life, and perhaps that was what she was seeking. She knew nothing of the smuggler, but this Roegadyn had shared Nero’s way of life and had raised him from boy to man; in knowing what Daegsatz thought, perhaps Roen would glean something about the mystery of the pirate captain himself. Roen also found that Daegsatz’s honest but simple viewpoint was something she needed. It was in such contrast to his captain, who continuously challenged her at every turn.
“Do you know how I met your captain?†The paladin asked thoughtfully, her pensive gaze drifting to the stony floor of the gaol. “I was following him because I thought him a business associate with a Monetarist noble I was investigating.†She furrowed her brows at the memory. “But he did not turn out at all to be who I thought him to be.â€
Roen flicked Daegsatz a sidelong glance. “Here I was investigating one man, and your captain opens my eyes to the needs of so many more.†She sighed, her shoulders sinking again. “I knew of the plight of the poor and the refugees, but I never truly saw it. Your captain has though. I can see that now. And…while I want to help him, I have no idea how.â€
She leaned back against the wall with a helpless shrug. “Yesterday, it was made clear to me that his plans, his ways, are far more violent than I would have ever imagined.†She looked up at the ceiling, her head leaning back against the wall. “And I realized, I have no plan of my own to fix Ul’dah. I just never…thought of it. But now, my mind is awhirl trying to think up solutions less violent than his. There must be a way. Despite how naive or foolish he thinks me.â€
The paladin looked to the Roegadyn seated on the cot with a swivel of her head. Daegsatz was listening to her intently, and she could tell by the pensive wrinkling of his forehead that perhaps he was conflicted again, not wanting to break his captain’s confidence.
Roen just smiled weakly, shaking her head. She did not expect him to share secrets of Nero’s past. She offered instead, one of her own. “I used serve the Brass Blades, for a short time at least. My time there was…trying.†She frowned but kept her voice even. “After I left, I did not want to come back. But now…now I see that I can work with the contacts I made, to try and change it from within.†She inhaled, pushing herself off the wall. “You see? Your captain did this. He opened my eyes to the possibilities that I did not want to consider before.â€
What small hope that rose with that statement was quickly extinguished by doubt. “But he knows only of brutal means to achieve his goals. I see glimpses of the good man that he is inside; he must be, for him to want to help those who cannot help themselves. But with what he has seen, the anger and pain that resides within him, can I hope to change him from his violent course?†Roen looked to the Roegadyn imploringly. She hoped he would have the answers that she did not.
But it was more than that. Daegsatz had lived the life of a sailor, a pirate, much as Nero had. That afforded him a certain different perspective in life, and perhaps that was what she was seeking. She knew nothing of the smuggler, but this Roegadyn had shared Nero’s way of life and had raised him from boy to man; in knowing what Daegsatz thought, perhaps Roen would glean something about the mystery of the pirate captain himself. Roen also found that Daegsatz’s honest but simple viewpoint was something she needed. It was in such contrast to his captain, who continuously challenged her at every turn.
“Do you know how I met your captain?†The paladin asked thoughtfully, her pensive gaze drifting to the stony floor of the gaol. “I was following him because I thought him a business associate with a Monetarist noble I was investigating.†She furrowed her brows at the memory. “But he did not turn out at all to be who I thought him to be.â€
Roen flicked Daegsatz a sidelong glance. “Here I was investigating one man, and your captain opens my eyes to the needs of so many more.†She sighed, her shoulders sinking again. “I knew of the plight of the poor and the refugees, but I never truly saw it. Your captain has though. I can see that now. And…while I want to help him, I have no idea how.â€
She leaned back against the wall with a helpless shrug. “Yesterday, it was made clear to me that his plans, his ways, are far more violent than I would have ever imagined.†She looked up at the ceiling, her head leaning back against the wall. “And I realized, I have no plan of my own to fix Ul’dah. I just never…thought of it. But now, my mind is awhirl trying to think up solutions less violent than his. There must be a way. Despite how naive or foolish he thinks me.â€
The paladin looked to the Roegadyn seated on the cot with a swivel of her head. Daegsatz was listening to her intently, and she could tell by the pensive wrinkling of his forehead that perhaps he was conflicted again, not wanting to break his captain’s confidence.
Roen just smiled weakly, shaking her head. She did not expect him to share secrets of Nero’s past. She offered instead, one of her own. “I used serve the Brass Blades, for a short time at least. My time there was…trying.†She frowned but kept her voice even. “After I left, I did not want to come back. But now…now I see that I can work with the contacts I made, to try and change it from within.†She inhaled, pushing herself off the wall. “You see? Your captain did this. He opened my eyes to the possibilities that I did not want to consider before.â€
What small hope that rose with that statement was quickly extinguished by doubt. “But he knows only of brutal means to achieve his goals. I see glimpses of the good man that he is inside; he must be, for him to want to help those who cannot help themselves. But with what he has seen, the anger and pain that resides within him, can I hope to change him from his violent course?†Roen looked to the Roegadyn imploringly. She hoped he would have the answers that she did not.
