rekindledtitan | (Reply)

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When he sees Blaze and Ghost, Kinner salutes them. Blaze had been his general, if for a short time, and he's relieved to see that she's back in business.They don't know each other well, but she has the little cook's respect. He has questions, but first he wants to make it clear he's glad they're back.

"Hello, Blaze. You too, Ghost. I'm relieved to see you're back all right. Hope those brutes weren't too rough on you." Kinner sighs, sitting down. He has to bring this up, since Blaze is the only one who knows about what the Fallen are and how to deal with them. First, apologies and thanks are due. "Sorry I wasn't there to try and stop you from bein' taken - I was too busy trying not to get shot. Those bastards are good fighters. Barely got outta there alive. But when I heard you were back, I had to try and find you. Thank you for everything."

"Truce aside, there's too many of 'em to kick out." He looks in the direction of the Wilds. "The Baroness doesn't strike me as someone who'd pack her bags and leave if we asked politely, either. Guess we have to learn to live with each other, if she's willing." Kinner's not really happy with the truce. It was made under a threat to murder hostages, and the Fallen still refused to communicate properly. It's better than a war, but that doesn't make it a good option. "I'm surprised after everything she's pulled, that's all it took for her to back off. Do you think the land's what she wanted all along?" Kinner shrugs. In the winter, at the height of Pelsor's strength, he doubts she would have stopped at that. "I still think she'd have killed all of us without a lick of guilt back in Reynard's winter if it wasn't for those torches, but better late than never. You and the other Guardians around might help encourage 'em to keep playing nice for now."

Kinner doesn't like not knowing what the Fallen plan to do in the Nexus, especially since he has a feeling the aliens are keeping everyone out for a reason. They're pirates, Blaze had said. Somehow he doubts the Fallen intend to sit quietly in the Wilds and mind their own business. The way they strongarmed the Nexus into going along with their deal through taking hostages still rankles, and the fact they can go where they please while the Nexusers can't keep an eye on them feels unfair.

"As an idea, I was thinking we could do an inventory of what we know they took. Won't be perfect, but it might give us some clues and we wouldn't have to risk Pelsor's truce. There's just too many unanswered questions for me to feel completely good about this. How they got here, why they attacked us, what their plans are now..." The cook shakes his head. "We should be ready. There'll be another winter, and I'm not sure we can trust Pelsor to keep her truce if conditions change to suit her again. Someone who attacks children and the sick is hardly someone I'm willing to put faith in, and I doubt her attitude's really changed. Ghost, uh, did you see anything or get any sense of what they were up to while you were a prisoner?"