She watched him go, her brows furrowed before her gaze flickered to Rory. "Are you alright?" she asked, not unkindly.
She looked up in surprise, looking a bit nervous and as if she was about to cry. She said nothing, of course, and went away without a second gesture.
Aisling sighed and turned to Ellis, who had a worried look on his face. "I don't know whether to go talk to them or to stay away," he admitted. "Give them space, El. They need time."
The word had spread quickly about what happened. A couple hours later, Dion and Blaise had managed to gather everyone in the main room. When Dion spoke, his voice was shaky. Blaise remained quiet, her arms folded as she watched the ground. "So.." he said, continuing his previous sentence. "That means someone else has to be in charge from here on out."
Emerson was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed distrustfully as he considered the two speakers. After a moment, he spoke up. "We have remained two separate clans throughout all of this," he said, tilting his head. "Ours would be happy to absorb yours if you so desired."
Blaise looked up, her expression quickly turning from stagnance to uncertainty. "Your clan? It would still have us as majority. That, and no one would be willing to relocate if it came to that."
He sighed, sounding a little irritable. However, to his credit, it appeared that he was trying to soften his normally abrupt tone. "This isn't going to be a power struggle, at least not from us," he said, eyeing the two of them. "We have no need to seize control of your clan. It is nothing more than an invitation. I have led our clan for over a decade now and I have more experience in leading large clans than the two of you combined." He paused before extending a hand, again attempting at diplomacy. "That was not a passing of judgment, but merely a statement of fact. I am sure either one of you could do so if you desired. I am only offering an alternate solution."
She nodded slowly. Dion said nothing, only observed. She spoke again. "And what of relocation? As far as I know you're not used to living in the city."
He paused, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You don't need to worry about that, Ms. Ville," he said, tilting his head slightly. "My clan and I are well equipped to handling situations outside of our comfort zone. The forest has been our most recent habitat, that's true, but I'm sure you've noticed that we maintain the ability to adapt to drastic changes in situations while displaying caution and wits. I might even argue that some of my clanmates have managed better in your city than some of your own veterans." He paused, perhaps sensing his words growing inappropriate for the given situation. He sighed slightly, dropping his hands. "As I say, my clan and I could go either way. Whatever your decision, you have earned our loyalty."
Her eyes narrowed at his words, and she frowned. Dion, sighed, looking tired. "Fine. You have temporary control, since no one else seems as fit to take over."
Dion sighed, heading out. Blaise pinched the bridge of her nose before standing up and going to her room.
