"Outside it, but not unaffected by it." Roland seemed almost to be thinking out loud, looking rather distant as he wrapped his arm around Nariko's shoulders. "Something wanted them alive, that's for sure. And I can't say I'm less than grateful for it." He looked at Cuthbert, who, having finished his report, was to all appearances busying himself entirely with eating. For a moment, something in Roland's eyes was sadder than before, a strange kind of darkening. Then it passed, as soon as it had come. "It's more than we'd ever hoped to salvage. I don't suppose there's any chance that enough survived to go on fighting?"
"If they..." Bert started, around a mouthful of ice cream, then stopped to swallow, cleared his throat, and tried again. "If they did, they won't be easy to gather up. It's going to be like trying to gather up pieces of wood broken on an anvil. The civilians won't be brought to fight, nor should they be. The gunslingers came out there to die." He said it with a brittle equanimity, even a slight smile, which only made it more obvious how hollow the look in his eyes was. "The war's over. We lost."
"We knew it was coming." Roland nodded, just a little, and reached out his free hand. To his immense relief, Cuthbert took it, and held tight for a moment before letting go. It was something, at least, bridging the gap between them. "We're still alive. We still have work to do." Sitting back on his heels, he looked at Nariko. "Starting, I'd guess, with figuring out what Alain's gotten himself into."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2015-03-18 10:09 pm (UTC)"If they..." Bert started, around a mouthful of ice cream, then stopped to swallow, cleared his throat, and tried again. "If they did, they won't be easy to gather up. It's going to be like trying to gather up pieces of wood broken on an anvil. The civilians won't be brought to fight, nor should they be. The gunslingers came out there to die." He said it with a brittle equanimity, even a slight smile, which only made it more obvious how hollow the look in his eyes was. "The war's over. We lost."
"We knew it was coming." Roland nodded, just a little, and reached out his free hand. To his immense relief, Cuthbert took it, and held tight for a moment before letting go. It was something, at least, bridging the gap between them. "We're still alive. We still have work to do." Sitting back on his heels, he looked at Nariko. "Starting, I'd guess, with figuring out what Alain's gotten himself into."