Jonnovan
It was good that he finally got a rise out of the mage, but the reaction was confusing. Jonnovan was not sure whether he was being laughed at or with. Although Valence laughed and smiled, his words spoke differently. Jonnovan huffed indignantly and scowled at Valence. A few years ago, Valence would have been knocked flat on his ass and missing several teeth for so brazenly insulting a Cerali, magic or no. It was good thing--for both of them, Jo suspected--that time had tempered the ranger. In any case, he figured that Valence was not the sort to shrugging off a punch to the face and forgiving and forgetting. Of course, that was just a hunch.
Taking note of the casual air of disdain that Valence fronted, he wondered what this man had against holy people. As a merchant, Jo would not have had any love for the clerics. As an adventurer, he valued their skills as medics and providers. As a human, Jo found the faith and spiritual fortitude they granted the common folks was a boon unto itself. After a moment of thought, Jo gave the question voice.
"Why do you not like clerics? Or is it just Everen?" he quickly glanced back, coloring slightly and nodding a silent apology to Everen. Tilting his head in thought, Jonnovan remembered the second party he had adventured with. There was a warlock therein, and though he recalled her being present only briefly, he remembered how the woman spoke of other arcanists with contempt. How she sneered at the years of study it took to achieve what she could wield in a day, with a simple contract. Was this the same, he wondered.
"Oh...and I can grab some beeswax once we get out into the wilds...the shop did not have any that was not crumbling to dust." not wanting a pregnant silence to manifest, he quickly resumed chatting. "So what do you know of the murderer? I fear I may have missed some bits of the conversation on my run for supplies...have you picked up the trail already?