He'd been so busy traveling since they finished the Skyport that he hadn't had much time to spend with his closest friend - well, the closest one who he wasn't already living with, at least. And though he'd been thinking about her, and he and Alys had talked about going to visit her more often, there always seemed to be one thing or another that came up. There was work, of course, and traveling around the regions on various errands to deliver packages, but maybe in Deepfrost...
And then the buzzsaw static had cut through his thoughts, with the horrible news of Flora 'and friend.' Not knowing who the 'friend' was didn't make things easier, but hearing that Flora had been killed would have been bad enough even without knowing just how deeply Ru would be wounded by the news.
Tal had turned the Peregrine from her course and headed straight back to King's End, and to hell with his reputation. It had made sense at the time... but by the time he'd gotten to her home Ru was gone, and he had no idea where. He fretted and paced, only barely reassured by others who had seen her alive, if not well, headed straight to Torchline. Afraid that he'd miss her in transit if he took off to the tropical lands he opted to remain in King's End until he had word that she'd been seen returning.
And then he'd raced so quickly to her door that he might as well have teleported there as he knocked on the heavy wood. He managed not to sound panicked, but Boreal leaned heavily against his thigh as he called out in a voice breathless from running: "Ru? Y'home? Can we come in?" Because this wasn't just her home anymore, and not even Tal was oblivious enough to burst in when she shared it with her own partner.
And then the buzzsaw static had cut through his thoughts, with the horrible news of Flora 'and friend.' Not knowing who the 'friend' was didn't make things easier, but hearing that Flora had been killed would have been bad enough even without knowing just how deeply Ru would be wounded by the news.
Tal had turned the Peregrine from her course and headed straight back to King's End, and to hell with his reputation. It had made sense at the time... but by the time he'd gotten to her home Ru was gone, and he had no idea where. He fretted and paced, only barely reassured by others who had seen her alive, if not well, headed straight to Torchline. Afraid that he'd miss her in transit if he took off to the tropical lands he opted to remain in King's End until he had word that she'd been seen returning.
And then he'd raced so quickly to her door that he might as well have teleported there as he knocked on the heavy wood. He managed not to sound panicked, but Boreal leaned heavily against his thigh as he called out in a voice breathless from running: "Ru? Y'home? Can we come in?" Because this wasn't just her home anymore, and not even Tal was oblivious enough to burst in when she shared it with her own partner.
