Tal stuck his tongue out at Maea when she called Hak Etme 'warm and cozy,' then wrinkled his nose in distaste for the region. "Y'mean dry an' sandy an' dusty an' infested with landsharks," he grumped back, though he was fighting not to grin at her teasing. "An' yeah, sometimes. Not many people live there, but a few do, so I make deliveries there sometimes. Th'landsharks are no joke though," he reiterated more seriously. He could practically see the curiosity oozing off her and the last thing that he wanted was for her to go missing in the desert.
The road was just part of the Archon's plan, but Tal was doing a bad job of explaining it, and he was blithely oblivious to the history that his friend had with his region's leader. Before he could realize all the important bits he was leaving out, Maea had latched on to something else he'd said. If he wasn't blushing before, he was by the time she wriggled around to finagle him into some good old fashioned girl talk. "Oh. Um. Well, she's... she's a Seer," he fumbled, too pleased to talk about Alys to mind the question. A true smile spread over his face as he looked down bashfully at Boreal, scritching her horns. It made him look years younger, almost boyish in his delight. "She uses special cards t'help people out with their problems an'... an' she's also my partner." Which, even seasons later, he could hardly believe his luck. "I hope you'd like her. She's smart an' stubborn an' she's got enough common sense for both o' us." Which was a very good thing, considering how little Tal had most days.
The road was just part of the Archon's plan, but Tal was doing a bad job of explaining it, and he was blithely oblivious to the history that his friend had with his region's leader. Before he could realize all the important bits he was leaving out, Maea had latched on to something else he'd said. If he wasn't blushing before, he was by the time she wriggled around to finagle him into some good old fashioned girl talk. "Oh. Um. Well, she's... she's a Seer," he fumbled, too pleased to talk about Alys to mind the question. A true smile spread over his face as he looked down bashfully at Boreal, scritching her horns. It made him look years younger, almost boyish in his delight. "She uses special cards t'help people out with their problems an'... an' she's also my partner." Which, even seasons later, he could hardly believe his luck. "I hope you'd like her. She's smart an' stubborn an' she's got enough common sense for both o' us." Which was a very good thing, considering how little Tal had most days.
