Arrow Lake rivers and roads

she turned, and the sunlight cast a glow over her harrowed expression. mahler frowned, putting thoughts of himself away to ponder what had beset ruenna so, but she began to speak, her anguished gaze meeting his only for a handful of seconds.
liri, the woman he had met in the vale. it was embittering to know she had closer ties in the sunspire than he had realized, but mahler was relieved that he had not antagonized the aspiring leader that day, not if ruenna was to be leaving diaspora for liri’s side. as the optio spoke, mahler looked down to hide the flare of his nostrils, the tightness that had entered his jawline.
the soft step of the counselor brought up his head; he allowed her touch as long as he was able, gingerly returning the gesture and telling himself it was only one of goodwill, refusing to allow indulgence in the soft brush of her muzzle. 
”i vould ... i am not able to fault you for your loyalty, ruenna,” the gargoyle rumbled when they had parted, gaze narrowing and falling into a blink, the only other sign of his own turmoil. ”diaspora has been blessed by your time here.”
”i met liri not long ago. she is kind, vise. i do not know if stigmata vill take kindly to her settling, nor your departure, but i vill speak vith him.” 
on your behalf, mahler added silently to himself, for now he knew he could never raise violence against the vale, not while ruenna lived and throve in its embrace. nor did he wish to tell her of the little flickering ember, for he would not seek to keep her here on a whim.