[The question, in combination with the preceding statement, gives Carlisle visible pause, his brow tightening.
They had been glad that the heir of the Longinmouth line, the proud lineage that devoted their lives to the welfare of Bear Den, was a healer. His father had hoped his son would be an adventurer or a hunter like he was, but as for his uncles and the rest of the town, they were thrilled to know the heir of a powerful, gifted family would be able to look after their lands as well as their wounds. Healers of his caliber were rare; the ones who had pieced him back together after his failed Hunt had come from far away, traversed the mountains and the woods just for the prestige of having helped save a Longinmouth. To suddenly have a healer so close was a true blessing.
Yes, they were so glad. He would help keep them safe, just as his family had done for generations.
He knew everyone in that town by name, save for the occasional traveler who passed through. It wasn't a large city, but a sizable stop for the mountains, and having lived there his whole life, he knew them as well as they knew him. Arguably, they knew him even better, given his position. They knew his family, his father and his uncles, and even his mother before she died -- before they all did. They knew his work with the church, how he was allowed a position despite his affliction because of who he was and what he could do in her service. They knew of his curse, were some of the few to see it had not suddenly turned him into a monster, as the superstitions would have one believe. He was still Carlisle Longinmouth, as he had always been. He would still do his best to protect them, even if he was cursed.
And he had... when he was alive. They had been so glad to have him, and looked what had happened to them. Bear Den wasn't perfect, but it was home -- his home, his family's home. They trusted him, and look what he'd done to them all.
His hands tighten against his lap, the fabric curling beneath his gloves. His eyes water; he closes them to hide his shame. He musters a response, his voice soft, shaking.]
no subject
They had been glad that the heir of the Longinmouth line, the proud lineage that devoted their lives to the welfare of Bear Den, was a healer. His father had hoped his son would be an adventurer or a hunter like he was, but as for his uncles and the rest of the town, they were thrilled to know the heir of a powerful, gifted family would be able to look after their lands as well as their wounds. Healers of his caliber were rare; the ones who had pieced him back together after his failed Hunt had come from far away, traversed the mountains and the woods just for the prestige of having helped save a Longinmouth. To suddenly have a healer so close was a true blessing.
Yes, they were so glad. He would help keep them safe, just as his family had done for generations.
He knew everyone in that town by name, save for the occasional traveler who passed through. It wasn't a large city, but a sizable stop for the mountains, and having lived there his whole life, he knew them as well as they knew him. Arguably, they knew him even better, given his position. They knew his family, his father and his uncles, and even his mother before she died -- before they all did. They knew his work with the church, how he was allowed a position despite his affliction because of who he was and what he could do in her service. They knew of his curse, were some of the few to see it had not suddenly turned him into a monster, as the superstitions would have one believe. He was still Carlisle Longinmouth, as he had always been. He would still do his best to protect them, even if he was cursed.
And he had... when he was alive. They had been so glad to have him, and looked what had happened to them. Bear Den wasn't perfect, but it was home -- his home, his family's home. They trusted him, and look what he'd done to them all.
His hands tighten against his lap, the fabric curling beneath his gloves. His eyes water; he closes them to hide his shame. He musters a response, his voice soft, shaking.]
Terribly.