"Eh, if we are, then so be it, yes? Hard work is its own reward--and the temple, it does not have legs, it is not going anywhere." He took Atilla and fixed it back onto his belt, then flashed her a grin. "I do not need thanks, my friend. You show me much, yes? Teach me many things. Many forms." His hand twisted and he conjured a flame in his palm, which he let linger for a moment before closing his fist around the light, extinguishing it. "But yes, hasten, hasten. I do not wish to keep our friends waiting!"<br/><br/>He got moving with her, but they had barely reached the docks before he was glancing at her sideways, his mind turning. "Amal," he asked, his tone quiet, "what is trouble you have with Harris? Why do you two... combat each other?" Thanks to the language barrier, he never saw her comments as antagonistic. He could see how they might be, sometimes, but by and large she just seemed to enjoy making off-color comments in the warrior's mind. The two of them got along well enough, and he didn't know that Ethan had any issues with her. The whole situation was simply... strange.<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr"/><br/>Ethan was still fuming hours later. He had thought going out into the jungle and slaying fiends would alleviate his frustration with Harris and her selfish nonsense, but he had been wrong. Even after he'd collected the bounty of gil from the local Crusaders and sat to meditate he couldn't shake his frustration with his so-called Guardian. He was no fool; her irritation with Chiron and Amal going off alone had been obvious enough, but her method of coping by acting out like this was unacceptable. She had been less and less reliable since he'd started to actually pay attention, in fact. Prone to plenty of negative feelings.<br/><br/>He wasn't sure that she would remain as his Guardian for long if he couldn't find a way to break through to her.<br/><br/>When he heard footsteps on the dock he opened his eyes and looked up to see Amal and Chiron approaching. He stood and tugged his robes straight, a scowl on his face that he likely wasn't completely aware of. "Well, at least you have a sense of time," he muttered. "Let's go. I want to be done with the temple here before nightfall. Amal, you don't have to come if you don't want to." They would have to leave her in the temple proper, anyway, while he went on with Chiron to the Fayth. Somehow he doubted Harris would be there.<br/><br/>He turned without another word to start into the treeline, through the gate and down the ill-kept path toward the temple. He had gone as far as the steps that led up to it before turning away, though the temptation had been there. The Cloister in Besaid had been easy enough to navigate on his own. Who said he needed his Guardians to face them here? But then he had recalled the profound exhaustion that had followed his reception of Valefor, and knew he would need at least one of them with him when he emerged.<br/><br/>"E'tan, where is Harris?" Chiron asked, and he glanced back over his shoulder, his scowl deepening.<br/><br/>"Halfway through a cask of island ale, probably. Don't worry about her. I'll deal with it when we get back." He yanked his staff straighter across his back. Oh, yes. He would deal with it, indeed.