She could never hurt him. How true. Even now she knew she was incapable, not just because he was warmth, comfort, and sunshine in darkness, but because she was just Cloud-hair’s friend for shared thoughts, memories, and easing nightmares. Nothing like the great and terrifying things she had seen the madman do.
It is a whisper of a kiss that he graces her with, but still, her lips find a smile in the promise of their friendship and the mutual calm they share. From Catch she turned, slowly, carefully, as if too sudden a motion or the slightest sharp movement might set her head to spinning again. And sit straight she did. With a single deep breath her chest rose, uncurling her spine and setting her much taller, just shy of eye-level to Gloria even as she sat.
“Demand of my letter,” her voice finally came, small at first, cracking as she peacefully repeated the words, her eyes still so dull and sick found a sharpness upon the stout girl.
“Do you still have this letter, Gloria?” Just Gloria so she might listen carefully instead of focusing on the trifling, cordial addresses.
She is quick to follow up as the question is rhetorical. “As a good Inquisitor you always keep your letters, as careful where you leave them as what you put within.” There is deep and calm breath, she wasn’t chastising or angry in the least. It was more resigned, like a lesson from a headmaster who knew no one listened.
“Now, that we can dispel any misrepresentation that I demanded anything of you, let us address your questions,” her head bobbed slightly as if agreeing with herself that all the right words had in fact come out.
“First, Ser Catch did not come here for me, he is here at your behest. While true, he is my friend, I sent no letter to him nor to your friend, whom I can only assume you told to come because you truly do have doubts, fears, and discomfort in my presence,” there is a deeper sigh at this, but no more than a span of breath. “Let them stay, for your safety but I ask that you do not so readily dictate sides, or call me your enemy. He is your friend too.” The small smiling gesture Gloria offered the madman was noticed and welcome, as she said nothing of it directly.
“Our goals, at least in part, are the same.” Gloria begged Noura’s patience and this too was noted, appreciated even, though her eyes remained calmly locked on her fellow Inquisitor.
“Second, I believe to the contrary, the ‘why,’ and ‘how,’ matter quite a lot. If Catch is correct, then the purpose is far beyond my comprehension and most assuredly more detrimental to Myrken. While I cannot, with all of my experience and history with Glenn as my friend, make sense of the accusations, without specific knowledge otherwise, it is unwise that I disregard a viable explanation.”
After a small pause, so small it must have been learned from Glenn himself, she spoke again. “Finally, I am deeply sorry for what ever happened to you, truly. I see that you are struggling and I know, I know… I know that it hurts.” It hurts, the pain was blinding and unyielding, while she couldn’t know the pain Gloria owned, she surely sympathized. “You, above most know my distaste for such action,” there was a small pause as she referred to some half remembered conversation many months ago now, when Rhaena had been their common enemy. “I will do whatever I can for you, personally, as I will for,” she paused, trying to remember the petulant wildling’s name, she had read it, there was a file, surely. Everyone had a file. “For anyone else affected.” Her eyes finally broke away from Gloria and offered earnest apology and sympathy to the wild, rune covered girl; offering kindness as incessantly as she exuded stubborn anger. This of course, assumed, wrongly or otherwise that when Gloria said Noura understood, Genny took it to mean she was also swained.
“Please, make no mistake, I am… glad that you are here, all of you,” her eyes flicked to Catch and then back to Gloria where they settled, ready for her to argue. “I wish to set matters right. To find the truth of things, regardless of how I feel. To, as I have, ask your truth of it.” It was a slight departure from the emotion filled desperation that implored Catch only moments ago, but her words were steady, rational, and sound. In fact, far more sound than they had been in a very, very long time.
“As an Inquisitor, I propose to ask questions until you know everyone’s truth. And once you know it, resolve it by doing what will benefit Myrken most,” there is a small shrug, as if to say that is what she would have done. Because sometimes it wasn't a matter of right, or wrong.