[CLOSED] wheres the light that was promised me

[katabasis]

WHO: Herian Amsel, John Silver, James Flint
WHAT: Extending an olive branch.
WHEN: Now-ish; after the return from Tevinter.
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: Politicking, proably

At the end of everything, the Archon does indeed pass quietly from custody aboard into what seems like just as silent captivity within the Gallows. Where he goes exactly and how he's being kept, Flint can't say. That should suit him. By every reasonable measure, the secrecy of it ought to satisfy the low, unpleasant suspicion in Flint that says somehow, some way, Radonis will find some way to leverage the situation to his benefit for as long as he's left alive. But of course it doesn't. That's not how any of this works.

Which is why only a few days after they make their landfall, he informs John he's going to see Herian Amsel. "Come if you like," he'd said while securing his sword onto his belt. He'd purposefully tightened the strap and checks the buckle.

During the journey back across the Amaranthine, along the coast and hacking up into the Waking Sea, Flint had occupied himself with the task of beating against the weather back to Kirkwall. The division of their company across two ships had been reason enough to avoid protracted conversation, the guarantee that the Archon wouldn't be paraded through the streets of Kirkwall upon their return enough to keep him checked. Which: fine. He'd pushed as far on that tack as was safe, but now that they're all so settled and comfortable again, it's time to come at the problem from a different angle.

He doesn't send a message ahead to Amsel's office to let her know they're coming, but he is patient enough about being shown in. Once inside, the the first thing Flint does is express some mild sound of remorse over the thoughtlessness of the sword at his side. He removes it from his belt and hooks it magnanimously on the back of one of the available chairs before taking a seat.

Otherwise, the first thing out of Flint's mouth to her is: "I wanted to make my apology. The discussion"—a gentle word for it—"we had was more heated than the situation required."

Comments

a dignified pace, i'd say.

[hornswoggle]

"Only in as much as he and the rest of Tevinter desperately want it to be."

And it's a blessing that they can be the ones to say this first. Better that it be the pair of them stating very clearly that the island existed as it's own separate, sovereign entity rather than let the reverse be uttered.

"Tevinter has never had as firm a grip on the island as they'd wanted, and their current attempts have taken a high toll on the populace." John pauses. He looks away, gaze falling to the dog as it laps at Flint's hand. He thinks of Randall's cat, then Randall himself, and feels a brief pang of...something. Remorse? Among the many casualties John had always expected to weather, he hadn't thought Randall would stick in his head.

"And the suffering of their attempts has been very keenly felt by men like us, and our loved ones."

Which is again, making space for Flint to speak into. John certainly hadn't had any roots sunk into Nascere to mourn when Woodes Rogers arrived to set fire to it.