He looked Pride over for a moment as the stag explained, and considered for a beat why Mother had not been destroyed before. Is it because--? No, no. Don't get overconfident. I'm sure Master Vargas was just busy. He let Pride say his piece as a frown set over his features before finally saying, "I'm sorry, I think that I have also been misunderstood -- Master Vargas did not tell me specific Gembound to seek out. I sought you of my own accord, because you have stood by me in the past." He dipped his head.

I could make him, Tahi-shei thought as his mouth struggled to catch up to the whirling mess that was his mind. I could ask Vargas's help. He would force Pride to help us. "But in any case, I respect your answer." It felt like failure, very nearly -- a stinging sort of pain. But he didn't want to make an enemy of the Seven, because Pride was every bit as dangerous as an enemy as he was useful to have as an ally.

The stag raised his head again. "I welcome you to the training in Orion, regardless of if you choose to fight or not -- and I extend that same invitation to any member of the Seven who wishes to aid us independently. I would like to avoid leaving these Caves helpless in the event of an outbreak." He cleared his throat. "I will let Master Vargas know of your tentative involvement when I report back to him; I am unsure of how he will react, but I have a strange feeling it will be more or less with indifference."

@pride

Pride shook his head lightly, unaware of Tahi-shei's darker inner thoughts. "No, no, you did not misrepresent, do not worry. I refer to you mentioning that you would bring your volunteers to Vargas--how did you put it? For assessment, training, instruction? I am explaining that I have no desire to be a soldier beneath his command. I do not trust him enough to follow his leadership," the stag stated bluntly. "But it seems that either way we are in relative agreement. Let me know when you plan this training--you mean for it to be in a group, then?"

He paused, thinking this over--it might be more efficient, but he wasn't sure how simple it would be to meet the needs of more than one student present. It would be an interesting experiment, anyway. "I will sound out the Seven; let me know when you plan it, yes. I will bring those who are interested."

A bow of his head, and he left it at that: a plan was in place, then.

exit Pride?
@Tahi-shei

Despite himself, Tahi-shei laughed at Pride's assertion, his eyes sparkling good-naturedly. "That is a sentiment I can empathize with. Master Vargas is... something else," he said, recalling how the Valkhound had given Tahi-shei genuine reason to believe he was going to die just to make a point. Tahi was a lamb in the lion's den, and there was no dragon to protect him (although James might have been willing to try). "We're just lucky he's on our side."

"The meeting will be in about three weeks' time," he told Pride, doing a quick mental tally of the day and time. "But I'll remind you in more certain terms about a week before, assuming I can find you." He dipped his head to Pride, and then also took his leave.

/exit tahi-shei
@pride (visibility)