Roen furrowed her brow, trying to clear the fog that clouded her memories. “It was over a year ago. The Ishgardian unit I was with was dispatched to deal with dragonkin, but instead we came upon heretics.†Her expression twisted into a deeper frown. “They were slated for execution… when an Inquisitor arrived and took them away. It was upon their departure that I heard that phrase.
“Where there is fear, we carry light,†she read the words carved into the wood. “I only remembered it because… at the time, I thought it gave a sense of hope to those that were saved. A new beginning. In a time where I thought there was none.†She shook her head.
The paladin glanced back up at Khadai as she rose. “Those phrases seem to carry religious connotations. But now I can link them to an Inquisitor that uttered them. I have been to the Cathedral. I have heard the prayers recited there. This is not a common saying. I have not heard it as part of any official sermon. And yet twice words like these have been present as a part of these gruesome executions. I think it may be a private litany of some sort.†She exhaled. “Perhaps if I can track down that Inquisitor from a year ago or anyone else that may know these words, it would lead to something.â€
Roen paused, peering intently up at the Au Ra. “You say that your friend was more than a match in combat. I hold you in the same regard.†She stepped up to him, narrowing her eyes sternly. “Do not meet with the same fate as he did. Assume that he was just as careful as you are and still they overtook him somehow. You could be targeted as same as he.â€
The paladin exhaled. She already knew that he had been exercising plenty of caution, and that he was likely fully aware of the danger upon his life ever since their first discovery. He had proved again and again that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Still, she had to give voice to the sudden sense of apprehension that gripped her heart. “Be careful,†she said softly.
Khadai said nothing in return, only giving her a succinct nod.
Roen clucked her tongue, bringing Goldwind to her side. Mounting her bird, she regarded the dead Au Ra one last time from her higher vantage point. A thin veil of snow was already starting to collect over the corpse, but it did little to diminish the cruel evidence of his death. It did not feel right leaving him just laying there, but she would respect Khadai’s wishes. He had known the man, after all.
With another cluck of her tongue and slight tug of the reins, Goldenwind started into a canter towards Falcon’s Nest. This would be the last Au Ra body she would come across, Roen told herself, if she had anything to say about it.
“Where there is fear, we carry light,†she read the words carved into the wood. “I only remembered it because… at the time, I thought it gave a sense of hope to those that were saved. A new beginning. In a time where I thought there was none.†She shook her head.
The paladin glanced back up at Khadai as she rose. “Those phrases seem to carry religious connotations. But now I can link them to an Inquisitor that uttered them. I have been to the Cathedral. I have heard the prayers recited there. This is not a common saying. I have not heard it as part of any official sermon. And yet twice words like these have been present as a part of these gruesome executions. I think it may be a private litany of some sort.†She exhaled. “Perhaps if I can track down that Inquisitor from a year ago or anyone else that may know these words, it would lead to something.â€
Roen paused, peering intently up at the Au Ra. “You say that your friend was more than a match in combat. I hold you in the same regard.†She stepped up to him, narrowing her eyes sternly. “Do not meet with the same fate as he did. Assume that he was just as careful as you are and still they overtook him somehow. You could be targeted as same as he.â€
The paladin exhaled. She already knew that he had been exercising plenty of caution, and that he was likely fully aware of the danger upon his life ever since their first discovery. He had proved again and again that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Still, she had to give voice to the sudden sense of apprehension that gripped her heart. “Be careful,†she said softly.
Khadai said nothing in return, only giving her a succinct nod.
Roen clucked her tongue, bringing Goldwind to her side. Mounting her bird, she regarded the dead Au Ra one last time from her higher vantage point. A thin veil of snow was already starting to collect over the corpse, but it did little to diminish the cruel evidence of his death. It did not feel right leaving him just laying there, but she would respect Khadai’s wishes. He had known the man, after all.
With another cluck of her tongue and slight tug of the reins, Goldenwind started into a canter towards Falcon’s Nest. This would be the last Au Ra body she would come across, Roen told herself, if she had anything to say about it.
