Alys hadn't been able to explain why she wanted to head outside the Citadel's protective dome in the deadliest of Halo's seasons, and Tal had only asked once. They'd both grown up with Caido's weird shit and sometimes you just had to go somewhere and hope that whatever you found when you got there wasn't a rampaging monster.
Even if it ended up being a rampaging monster a lot.
Which made him all the more willing to accompany his friend out into the eyeball-freezing temperatures, not wanting her to end up facing some giant ice-breathing snow crocodile on her own.
Boreal, of course, was just happy to be out hunting, and she padded silently through the snow a little ways parallel to their course, nose in the snow and pushing up a hump of it ahead of her as she shouldered her way forward, looking for the scent of snowshoe hares or ningo to chase.
Tal was wrapped up in a heavy coat, scarf, and hat, with his Goggles pulled down to protect his eyes. His Frostbite Cuff was hidden beneath his layers but he was too cautious not to take precautions - just in case. It was why he kept one hand on the hilt of his Dagger as they walked, and scowled out at the landscape expecting trouble at any moment. Alys's warm voice - so out of place in the frigid white, icy black, and lifeless grey of the forest - drew his attention back to her and his scowl lightened behind his scarf as he lengthened his stride to catch up to her so they could walk side-by-side. "Nah, it's nothin'," he assured her, gruff but sincere. "Least it's now an' not durin' LongNight. Goin' outside the dome on LongNight never ends well," he added darkly before making an effort to lighten the mood again. "Got any plans for it?"
Even if it ended up being a rampaging monster a lot.
Which made him all the more willing to accompany his friend out into the eyeball-freezing temperatures, not wanting her to end up facing some giant ice-breathing snow crocodile on her own.
Boreal, of course, was just happy to be out hunting, and she padded silently through the snow a little ways parallel to their course, nose in the snow and pushing up a hump of it ahead of her as she shouldered her way forward, looking for the scent of snowshoe hares or ningo to chase.
Tal was wrapped up in a heavy coat, scarf, and hat, with his Goggles pulled down to protect his eyes. His Frostbite Cuff was hidden beneath his layers but he was too cautious not to take precautions - just in case. It was why he kept one hand on the hilt of his Dagger as they walked, and scowled out at the landscape expecting trouble at any moment. Alys's warm voice - so out of place in the frigid white, icy black, and lifeless grey of the forest - drew his attention back to her and his scowl lightened behind his scarf as he lengthened his stride to catch up to her so they could walk side-by-side. "Nah, it's nothin'," he assured her, gruff but sincere. "Least it's now an' not durin' LongNight. Goin' outside the dome on LongNight never ends well," he added darkly before making an effort to lighten the mood again. "Got any plans for it?"
