Nostalgia

Caedes continued his inspection with focused intent, his stoic demeanor unwavering as he meticulously examined the object of interest. What had initially caught his eye was a disturbed bit of soil, and as he pushed aside a bit of foliage he found something quite rewarding growing there, with big white flowers. Sephiran's voice cut through the silence, drawing his attention momentarily as he addressed him directly, emeralds meeting the mismatched ones of his cousin.

"Your father was as expected," Caedes answered in his characteristic low rumble, his tone neutral yet with a hint of curiosity at the abrupt inquiry. He paused briefly, considering his response before replying with measured inflection. He shrugged his satchel off of his shoulders in the meantime as he spoke.

"Good health. Strong. His proclivities remain the same." Caedes replied, his voice devoid of emotion as he recalled his interactions with the former leader of Saffron. "That was seasons ago, however. When I left." He chose his words carefully, revealing little of his own sentiments towards the man whilst also giving a time frame of how removed his knowledge of Sephiran’s father was currently. Sephiran's directness did not surprise Caedes; he had grown accustomed to the blunt nature of his cousin's inquiries.