The ursur was already dying; a punctured lung, something nicked in the heart the spear had lodged next to combining to overcome its rage and feral fury at its unexpected demise. Even so it refused to go down quickly, leaving Tal to dangle until the General's final barrage cut its last moments mercifully short. With a low, pitiable moan it collapsed, the last breath rushing out of it in a red froth.
And lay still.
Tal waited several more seconds before he forced his hands free from their death grip on the spear shaft and dropped the last few inches to the snow, landing in a crouch as his shaking legs refused to fully support him. He staggered, reaching out instinctively to steady himself-- against the mountain of white fur next to him. The courier jerked his hand back as if from a hot stove, but the ursur didn't move and slowly, slowly the courier's shaky breaths began to slow and steady again.
"Th-thanks," he stuttered, reaction still jittering through him as he nodded gratefully to Deimos. "My grip was starting to slip."
He still needed to skin the beast, but... that could wait until the trembling had passed.
And lay still.
Tal waited several more seconds before he forced his hands free from their death grip on the spear shaft and dropped the last few inches to the snow, landing in a crouch as his shaking legs refused to fully support him. He staggered, reaching out instinctively to steady himself-- against the mountain of white fur next to him. The courier jerked his hand back as if from a hot stove, but the ursur didn't move and slowly, slowly the courier's shaky breaths began to slow and steady again.
"Th-thanks," he stuttered, reaction still jittering through him as he nodded gratefully to Deimos. "My grip was starting to slip."
He still needed to skin the beast, but... that could wait until the trembling had passed.
