Maybe it wasn't quite fair, treating Soh like an injured animal, but Tal wasn't nearly so good with humans as he was with dogs. As the youngest he had always been the one to be taken care of by others, and though he knew how his sisters had treated him, he'd had little practice passing it on to others who weren't four-legged and covered in fur.
He nodded at her thanks and hesitantly gave her knee a gentle pat before he headed back to the kitchen to answer the whistle of the kettle. He returned with the mugs, setting one on the side table beside Soh and keeping the other for himself as he settled down at her feet again and leaned against the side of the chair.
Now his eyes caught the speckles of rust-red on the pommel and hilt of her knife and his breath caught for a moment, but he forced himself to exhale slowly. Only then did he look up at her face again searchingly, but all he asked was: "Have you eaten anythin' today?"
He nodded at her thanks and hesitantly gave her knee a gentle pat before he headed back to the kitchen to answer the whistle of the kettle. He returned with the mugs, setting one on the side table beside Soh and keeping the other for himself as he settled down at her feet again and leaned against the side of the chair.
Now his eyes caught the speckles of rust-red on the pommel and hilt of her knife and his breath caught for a moment, but he forced himself to exhale slowly. Only then did he look up at her face again searchingly, but all he asked was: "Have you eaten anythin' today?"
