He might not know the rhyme or reason behind it, but when Sohalia appeared with tears in her eyes the courier automatically nudged Boreal towards her and lifted his arm. The dragon obligingly shifted away from her companion's side, crooning a subdued greeting to her human friend and leaning into the scratches. As the Heart leaned into his side, the Messenger unlinked their arms so he could wrap his around her shoulders instead, pulling her close against his side while Boreal settled on her other side and leaned against her, sandwiching the young woman between two warm, supportive friends.
"Hey," the courier said softly. Nothing more, not tonight. The Festival asked no painful questions and demanded no answers that the celebrants weren't ready to give. Besides, he knew enough about his friend to guess at who her lanterns were for, just as she knew who he had hung one in honor of. Instead he simply offered comfort, expecting nothing of the god and needing nothing more than the assurance that at least one person on Caido wanted to be with him on this night of shared grief and celebration of the ones who had gone to Mort's halls ahead of them.
"Hey," the courier said softly. Nothing more, not tonight. The Festival asked no painful questions and demanded no answers that the celebrants weren't ready to give. Besides, he knew enough about his friend to guess at who her lanterns were for, just as she knew who he had hung one in honor of. Instead he simply offered comfort, expecting nothing of the god and needing nothing more than the assurance that at least one person on Caido wanted to be with him on this night of shared grief and celebration of the ones who had gone to Mort's halls ahead of them.
