Lillie's hands played up along his back, stroking lightly. The gesture was soothing to her even though it was intended to soothe the man. They slipped up over his shoulders, fingers tracing the line of his neck and twining into his hair, where they stilled for a moment.
His fingers brushed her sleeve, grazing back and forth against the skin as they worried the fabric. The name he spoke was familiar to her, though only because he'd mentioned the man before. A particular bully in the guard who seemed to enjoy committing acts of violence while on the job. Lillie could only imagine what it was the man would have done when ruling over helpless lesser beings such as elves. Not that Lillie thought of them as lesser, but that was certainly the opinion of most humans. Ordhan wasn't looking at her when he spoke, but she turned her head anyway, lest her face show that she found anything he said to be distasteful.
She swallowed slightly, the tale leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. After all, it was so reminiscent of what had happened to her own mother. How likely was it that the poor elven man was still alive? Would his wife have to wake up in the morning without him? Did she have children? If her husband had been killed by the guard would she have anyone to rely on? Would she be able to survive without his income? There were so many realities to life in the Alienage; things which most humans were not aware of, but that she uniquely was. Perhaps she could go to visit her grandfather tomorrow, inquire about the family... give the woman some money.
Her voice was soft and steady when she spoke, without any trace that his words had upset her, and Lillie was proud of this fact. "It seems strange that he'd be assigned to the Alienage in the first place. What happened to the elf...?" She needed to ask, though she was almost afraid to find out.