Eltrys listened attentively, flicking his ear and nodding his head at opportune times to assure her.
She had gone through terrible terrible things and blamed herself for it. For not being strong enough. Surely she had gone through more life than that, but already it was more than enough for one to carry on their shoulders alone.
He had sat comfortably and even tucked his front paws under his chest as he listened, it was there that he remained silent for a moment, watching the water.
"Is there a weakness in survival? Truly?" He started gathering his breath from thinking deeply, "What was a child doing on the forefront of a raid? Why would it be your fault if the child's parents were the ones to put them in harm's way?" The ex-priest looked skeptically at Bellamy. He understood the idea of reacting in the heat of battle, of the past forcing itself forward into the mind's eye. She was also defending her home.
"If you had died so honorably before, then you would not have seen your daughter take her first breath in this world. You would not be here to see her rise above the transgressions against you and your bloodline."
He had more to say but he held his tongue until Bellamy thought that through for a moment, maybe she would offer him more context. He didn't want to give her some age-old platitudes that meant as much as dust anyway.
Knight
Professor
