The smile was an improvement, but Tal didn't feel good about how timid it was. The Wild Thunder was getting stuck in his own head; something the courier knew the signs of all too well. He had a bad habit of losing himself in his own regrets and self-recriminations at the best of times, and he'd never killed anyone on accident before.
His punch slipped his arm around strong shoulders to give the hunter a rough half-hug. "Might as well stay th'night if you're comin' for dinner," he decided gruffly. "Alys won't mind. An' I've got some whiskey that hasn't been drinkin' itself. Could do with some help with it, if y'want t'lend a hand." Least he could do was offer an ear, he figured.
Which was about the time that he felt Boreal's smoky chortle in his thoughts.
It was pure instinct to dive sideways, abandoning Sah just before the first part of the assault began. The load of snow that had been awkwardly packed and carried in Boreal's front talons fell from above as she swooped by overhead to divebomb the boys, while Lily handled the one who'd gotten away on the ground...
His punch slipped his arm around strong shoulders to give the hunter a rough half-hug. "Might as well stay th'night if you're comin' for dinner," he decided gruffly. "Alys won't mind. An' I've got some whiskey that hasn't been drinkin' itself. Could do with some help with it, if y'want t'lend a hand." Least he could do was offer an ear, he figured.
Which was about the time that he felt Boreal's smoky chortle in his thoughts.
It was pure instinct to dive sideways, abandoning Sah just before the first part of the assault began. The load of snow that had been awkwardly packed and carried in Boreal's front talons fell from above as she swooped by overhead to divebomb the boys, while Lily handled the one who'd gotten away on the ground...
