Hate, he could understand, and he nodded in silent support. But then, hearing that Pierce had come to her and not him--
He pushed back against the sudden surge of envy in his gut, harsh and sharp and cutting open wounds that still bled sluggishly with the Family's exodus. Of course he knew he was the 'youngest' of the Family's Friends, the one with the most to prove, to show that he'd seen the violet light and come to listen to reason at long last, but--
But it still stung, knowing that Thal had gotten a personal goodbye and he'd been left to hear about it with the rest of Stormbreak's Friendly citizens.
He swallowed it back, forcing the lump deep down, far enough that he could speak past it, at least. The rain that started slanting down upon them was oddly perfect in that moment and he joined the Captain in raising his face to it, letting it hit his face like the tears he'd been too proud to shed in the days since they'd been left...
Alone.
"That's... that's it 'zactly. Didn't know y'were such a poet, Thal." He tried a wan smile against the rain but it didn't seem to fit and he let it fall away beneath the rumble of thunder that crawled across the black sky above them. As the deck began to pitch he set his feet more firmly, one hand gripping the rail tight. "Maybe... maybe we c'n find a way t'bring 'em back? If we can convince th'leaders an' demigods that they don't mean any harm?"
He pushed back against the sudden surge of envy in his gut, harsh and sharp and cutting open wounds that still bled sluggishly with the Family's exodus. Of course he knew he was the 'youngest' of the Family's Friends, the one with the most to prove, to show that he'd seen the violet light and come to listen to reason at long last, but--
But it still stung, knowing that Thal had gotten a personal goodbye and he'd been left to hear about it with the rest of Stormbreak's Friendly citizens.
He swallowed it back, forcing the lump deep down, far enough that he could speak past it, at least. The rain that started slanting down upon them was oddly perfect in that moment and he joined the Captain in raising his face to it, letting it hit his face like the tears he'd been too proud to shed in the days since they'd been left...
Alone.
"That's... that's it 'zactly. Didn't know y'were such a poet, Thal." He tried a wan smile against the rain but it didn't seem to fit and he let it fall away beneath the rumble of thunder that crawled across the black sky above them. As the deck began to pitch he set his feet more firmly, one hand gripping the rail tight. "Maybe... maybe we c'n find a way t'bring 'em back? If we can convince th'leaders an' demigods that they don't mean any harm?"
