The chasm that has opened between them is not unfamiliar. John recalls the shape of the distance between them, recalls grappling with it through the pain of his leg, the enormity of the role of quartermaster forcing him forward to toe the very edge of it as he tried to tempt Flint forward to close it. It had felt beyond his capability then, but compared to now, John would take that instance over this one. How does he repair this? How does he give counsel when he can sense something withheld but can't bring himself to ask and be denied?
"Alright," John says finally, cautiously. He has no appetite for the drink in his cup, but he lifts it anyway. "We're agreed."
What a bleak state of affairs. He considers Flint's shadowed face before he drinks, draining his cup.
"Will you come down to sit with the men, or will you need to go now?"
He doesn't need to go; he doesn't want to stay. The thin line of his mouth says as much, though it's smoothed away by the time Flint finishes his own portion of the wine.
"I'll make an appearance. Someone should raise the possibility of work to be had prowling the channel past Brandel's Reach."
He'll slip away in the buzz which comes after, leaving the men to their crowing and fussing and Silver both with another half bottle of wine to find some way of finishing and the persistent examination Emlyn has spent the last hour casting out in their direction from across the public house. The night has closed in fully by then, black enough that even notable men might disappear into it.
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"Alright," John says finally, cautiously. He has no appetite for the drink in his cup, but he lifts it anyway. "We're agreed."
What a bleak state of affairs. He considers Flint's shadowed face before he drinks, draining his cup.
"Will you come down to sit with the men, or will you need to go now?"
no subject
"I'll make an appearance. Someone should raise the possibility of work to be had prowling the channel past Brandel's Reach."
He'll slip away in the buzz which comes after, leaving the men to their crowing and fussing and Silver both with another half bottle of wine to find some way of finishing and the persistent examination Emlyn has spent the last hour casting out in their direction from across the public house. The night has closed in fully by then, black enough that even notable men might disappear into it.