[center][h3][color=C0392B]Rudolf Sagramore[/color][/h3][/center]

[color=c0392b]"Congratulations to both of you."[/color] Rudolf had said quietly, chewing around one of Elly's many gifted brownies as the Kirins sat at assembly a week after their climactic showdown with Reisa. He had arrived alongside Neve, the both of them having come from the same direction, but taken his seat a little afterward on account of the new luggage he had in tow— a spare harness of the plate armor used by Brightlam's Justiciars, roughly congruent with his frame and safely stowed on Goug's cart until it could be properly fitted.

They had exchanged small talk on the way there, mainly dominated by her inquiring as to his injuries. On that front, he was visibly on the mend, walking and talking without much issue if any, thanks to Miina and the White Mages' concerted efforts. His burns were beginning to scar over properly, at this point— but it seemed that the lingering, primordial flame that had done the damage in the first place left them more stubborn than normal. His face had escaped the worst of it, with just a little discoloration and rougher texture around his left eye and the brow above... but all over his arms and torso, he had made sure to keep his skin relatively wrapped up. It would still be an angry red, and he could feel the slow-going recovery still sapping some of his strength. The tremoring he'd noticed on the river still faintly buzzed at his fingertips, too. But in holistic terms, his body's toughness was back to taking its share of workload.

Throughout her questions, there was a sense of nervous anticipation— when her announcement was made, Rudolf found himself relatively unsurprised. Ever since she had first been recalled by the Grovemasters upon their first forays into the jungle nation, Rudolf had been of the understanding that her ascension had been in the works for a long time already. This, mainly, was just confirmation of what they'd suspected.

A small smile passed her way. He [i]was[/i] happy for her, in spite of that. For the brief time they'd known eachother, he had witnessed the gentle heart the White Mage had— she would make a good caretaker for the still-healing garden she'd inherited. Eve, on the other hand, couldn't help but shock him— he was sure that she would feel the progression of his dark passenger's influence and entanglement within his aether. [i]And[/i] that it would lead to another round of very pointed, tense questioning... But her time under Cid's gaze had clearly mellowed her a great deal. 

He almost didn't want to leave, despite how harsh their time here had been, on that topic. A few days of having his thoughts to himself for a change was one thing, but nearly a full week of outright radio silence was almost more restful than sleep itself.

He swallowed the cube of chocolatey flavor. [color=c0392b][i]If only.[/i]

"No prizes for guessing who put it forward,"[/color] he began, leaning inward. [color=c0392b]"I think it's our best bet for making tracks to the southlands relatively unaccosted. We can follow the western coastline by land or by sea both— in either instance, once we cross the border into Edren we'll be fairly well insulated from potential saboteurs. We'd have the bulk of the continent between us and all of Valheim's known footholds, there'll be ample places to camp between river deltas, coves, sandbars, bluffs, so on and so forth. As we hit the lowlands, we won't have trouble sourcing supplies— plenty of wild game in the forests, plenty of farming towns once we decide to push inland..."[/color]

Here, he glanced, quite pointedly, at Chisato and Izayoi in particular. It didn't take a genius to deduce that they'd skip touching Edreni soil altogether if they could help it.

[color=c0392b]"... Along with a population that's relatively untouched by the war. I don't think the people of the western marches are very likely to recognize we've the Limbtaker in tow, or even really give Ospreyan refugees overmuch grief. As well, the Earl Demet will know we're passing through, and likely arrange escort through the southerly portions of his territory until we hit the border. He'll no doubt want to host us for a few days, as well."[/color]

He folded his arms, studying the wood grain of the table, not quite finding it within himself to look forward to any of this now that it was in the immediate future.

[color=c0392b]"For those that didn't put two and two together when Valon yelled my full birth name every chance he got: I warded and squired under Earl Cadmon during the war. Our families have been friendly for generations now— so he's going to want to give me a hiding or three for the contents of the missives I've been sending back. He's likely heard whatever word of the Siege has proliferated south, and regarding us he's been in the loop as recently as Cascona Landing."[/color] the young man gave a sigh, [color=c0392b]"But the [i]rest[/i] of you ought to be treated quite graciously as guests, and I'm sure the Archives he curates will be useful to a few of us. For the rest, he's a shrewd, wise man. I consider comparing notes with him as much a resource as any of his holdings or the ruins they lie atop."[/color]

He met the group's gazes one by one.

[color=c0392b]"That's my vote in brief."[/color]