The scars beneath his shirt ached in memory as the bear drew closer, but when it began to shrink and shift and take on the familiar, dark-haired features of Vi's demigod Tal finally relaxed and leaned surreptitiously on the handle of the sled. The dogs were far more honest; their growls shifting to whines of confusion and then tentative wags as the bear went away.
Most people would have put the young man's hackles up with such an admission; Tal was still getting used to the idea of someone other than his sisters worrying about him, and there were few he could accept it from still.
But Noah was one of his heroes. Hunter. Demi-god. Former Warden. It was no blow to the courier's pride for him to be worried about one of his people, and Tal only reached up to rub the back of his neck a little uncomfortably as he nodded.
"I heard it was proper fucked out here, uh, sir," he agreed bluntly with a grimace behind his scarf. Just because he had magic to protect him from the cold didn't stop him from bundling up properly. One never knew when magic would fail, as it had during the War. "Figured I could do some scouting an' maybe bring back some meat. Two ningos, one stone, yeah?" Three ningos, if he was being honest about his desire for solitude. But even in the numbness of the War's aftermath he wasn't foolish away to turn down Noah's well-meant and practical help.
"I'm not much good at trackin', yet," he admitted after a moment's hesitation. "Delia was tryin' t'teach me before... everythin'... but..." He shrugged a little helplessly, unsure how to explain the emotional turmoil that had preceded the War and certain that he didn't want to waste a demigod's valuable time with it. "If you've got tips, I'm all ears."
Most people would have put the young man's hackles up with such an admission; Tal was still getting used to the idea of someone other than his sisters worrying about him, and there were few he could accept it from still.
But Noah was one of his heroes. Hunter. Demi-god. Former Warden. It was no blow to the courier's pride for him to be worried about one of his people, and Tal only reached up to rub the back of his neck a little uncomfortably as he nodded.
"I heard it was proper fucked out here, uh, sir," he agreed bluntly with a grimace behind his scarf. Just because he had magic to protect him from the cold didn't stop him from bundling up properly. One never knew when magic would fail, as it had during the War. "Figured I could do some scouting an' maybe bring back some meat. Two ningos, one stone, yeah?" Three ningos, if he was being honest about his desire for solitude. But even in the numbness of the War's aftermath he wasn't foolish away to turn down Noah's well-meant and practical help.
"I'm not much good at trackin', yet," he admitted after a moment's hesitation. "Delia was tryin' t'teach me before... everythin'... but..." He shrugged a little helplessly, unsure how to explain the emotional turmoil that had preceded the War and certain that he didn't want to waste a demigod's valuable time with it. "If you've got tips, I'm all ears."
