"No," he admittedly honestly. "But I dunno that I'll ever be. But if it means gettin' her back even an hour sooner... then, yeah, I'm ready for that." The courier stood beside his partner, dressed in clothes he didn't mind getting muddy, and squeezed her hand to give and take what comfort there was to be found in the day. The clouds, for all their threat, felt weirdly appropriate for the task ahead of them. A bright and sunny day just wouldn't have felt right for such a somber undertaking...
Tal winced at his unintentional word choice and stepped forward with his shovel. Boreal sat nearby, a quiet sentinel to the proceedings who, for once, seemed to understand the gravity of the moment. Instead of giving her human a hard time, she crooned reassuringly to both Tal and Alys. He had explained to her as best he could in images and emotions what they were doing and why, and though she couldn't follow all of the details she was at least clear on the cause and hoped-for effect.
"Are you...?" He shook his head, stopping himself from completing the stupid question. Instead he exhaled and tried again. "How many tasks are left?" He released her hand reluctantly and wrapped his around the wooden haft of the shovel. He hesitated with the blade a few inches above the too-small grave and then steeled himself and sank it into the earth, lifting the first pile of soil out and tipping it to the side gently.
Tal winced at his unintentional word choice and stepped forward with his shovel. Boreal sat nearby, a quiet sentinel to the proceedings who, for once, seemed to understand the gravity of the moment. Instead of giving her human a hard time, she crooned reassuringly to both Tal and Alys. He had explained to her as best he could in images and emotions what they were doing and why, and though she couldn't follow all of the details she was at least clear on the cause and hoped-for effect.
"Are you...?" He shook his head, stopping himself from completing the stupid question. Instead he exhaled and tried again. "How many tasks are left?" He released her hand reluctantly and wrapped his around the wooden haft of the shovel. He hesitated with the blade a few inches above the too-small grave and then steeled himself and sank it into the earth, lifting the first pile of soil out and tipping it to the side gently.
