He had prayed to Mort many times since his last encounter with the god of the dead. Small prayers of gratitude and desperate prayers for luck in dangerous situations, but none had been as heartfelt as this one was. Tal was still surprised when his cry was answered, but the light that warmed the Woods soothed the fear that choked him. For the first time since he'd heard the news he took a clear breath, and then a second as he raised his face to gaze upon his deity.
In spite of his best intentions hope blossomed in his chest at the sight of the god. Mort's initial admission caused it to wither and the courier's face dropped in distress as he felt the clench of loss delayed squeezing the breath from his ribs once more.
It took long seconds for the last words to sink in through the shock, and even longer for their meaning to penetrate. "Wait, so... if she's not there... then where...?" He blinked and then shuddered as if waking up from a nightmare, hope dawning bright in his pale eyes. "So someone got t'her in time!" He couldn't grin; the memory of loss was still too sharp and recent for that, but he did relax like a puppet whose strings had been cut and it was a good thing he was already on the ground. "Thank you, Mort! Thank you." He reached up to rub his eyes with the back of the hand holding the earring - not that he was crying! - and only then realized how tightly he'd been gripping it. He had to force his fingers to uncurl from around it, wincing at how deeply it was embedded in his palm. "She, uh... she wasn't th'only one who's been gettin' on th'Family's bad side," he admitted with a grimace. "An'... I dunno that I've got anyone who'd be willin' t'come get me from your Halls like she does. Would... would y'help me out again, please? I think I'm gonna need all th'luck I can get soon." He offered the earring back to its creator, his hand only trembling a little now from relief rather than anxiety.
In spite of his best intentions hope blossomed in his chest at the sight of the god. Mort's initial admission caused it to wither and the courier's face dropped in distress as he felt the clench of loss delayed squeezing the breath from his ribs once more.
It took long seconds for the last words to sink in through the shock, and even longer for their meaning to penetrate. "Wait, so... if she's not there... then where...?" He blinked and then shuddered as if waking up from a nightmare, hope dawning bright in his pale eyes. "So someone got t'her in time!" He couldn't grin; the memory of loss was still too sharp and recent for that, but he did relax like a puppet whose strings had been cut and it was a good thing he was already on the ground. "Thank you, Mort! Thank you." He reached up to rub his eyes with the back of the hand holding the earring - not that he was crying! - and only then realized how tightly he'd been gripping it. He had to force his fingers to uncurl from around it, wincing at how deeply it was embedded in his palm. "She, uh... she wasn't th'only one who's been gettin' on th'Family's bad side," he admitted with a grimace. "An'... I dunno that I've got anyone who'd be willin' t'come get me from your Halls like she does. Would... would y'help me out again, please? I think I'm gonna need all th'luck I can get soon." He offered the earring back to its creator, his hand only trembling a little now from relief rather than anxiety.
