She’d had worse things thrown at her? Hearing that didn’t make Tal any less wary, though Boreal certainly didn’t seem to care. The dragon made a happy grumbling noise as she was petted, accepting the cheese rind with surprising daintiness for such a big, blocky reptile. She might not understand the nuances of the pale Ancient’s speech, but she certainly knew what the tone meant and she leaned into the attention with a proud arch to her neck as if to say I am beautiful, aren’t I? Tal just snorted at his companion’s antics, but he didn’t relax enough to get back to work just yet.
The weirdly pale woman didn’t seem to be a ghost, at least, if Boreal’s contented rumbles were anything to go by (and the cheese rind seemed reassuringly real), but she was still a stranger. He met her eyes with the caution of a courier who had survived more than one attempted waylaying in the Wilds, but the question had him blinking in surprise. It sure wasn’t what he’d expected her to ask!
”Uh… I mean, technically, yeah? Just not one o’ mine,” he admitted. ”Took a job deliverin’ this,” he gestured at the rose bush with his shovel, ”t’someone’s grandma. Only they didn’t mention she was kinda, y’know… dead.” He scowled at the rose bush and then at the little unicorn statue. ”But I already took payment, so…” He trailed off, scowl lightening a little at the memory of the fine panes of glass he’d gotten in trade. Those were going to go nicely in the windows of the new house he was building…
”Is that what you’re out here doin’? Visitin’ someone’s, uh…” His throat closed suddenly as he looked over the woman’s shoulder, seeing another person approaching. Boreal shouldered her way past Maea, a growl suddenly rumbling up from her chest as she spread her wings and crouched, tense and watchful. Tal didn’t notice his companion’s reaction; his pale eyes went wide in shock and his breath seized in his chest as he croaked out a single, trembling: ”Dad?” before the body burst apart in a swirl of dark vapor.
The courier’s silence lasted roughly three heartbeats before the word exploded out of him: ”Fuck!” as he slammed the shovel angrily into the ground at his feet, shoulders shaking as he glared after the vanishing wisps of smoke.
The weirdly pale woman didn’t seem to be a ghost, at least, if Boreal’s contented rumbles were anything to go by (and the cheese rind seemed reassuringly real), but she was still a stranger. He met her eyes with the caution of a courier who had survived more than one attempted waylaying in the Wilds, but the question had him blinking in surprise. It sure wasn’t what he’d expected her to ask!
”Uh… I mean, technically, yeah? Just not one o’ mine,” he admitted. ”Took a job deliverin’ this,” he gestured at the rose bush with his shovel, ”t’someone’s grandma. Only they didn’t mention she was kinda, y’know… dead.” He scowled at the rose bush and then at the little unicorn statue. ”But I already took payment, so…” He trailed off, scowl lightening a little at the memory of the fine panes of glass he’d gotten in trade. Those were going to go nicely in the windows of the new house he was building…
”Is that what you’re out here doin’? Visitin’ someone’s, uh…” His throat closed suddenly as he looked over the woman’s shoulder, seeing another person approaching. Boreal shouldered her way past Maea, a growl suddenly rumbling up from her chest as she spread her wings and crouched, tense and watchful. Tal didn’t notice his companion’s reaction; his pale eyes went wide in shock and his breath seized in his chest as he croaked out a single, trembling: ”Dad?” before the body burst apart in a swirl of dark vapor.
The courier’s silence lasted roughly three heartbeats before the word exploded out of him: ”Fuck!” as he slammed the shovel angrily into the ground at his feet, shoulders shaking as he glared after the vanishing wisps of smoke.
