"More or less," he agreed with her assessment wryly. The outer bits were all accounted for, at least, though he had lost more than one piece of his heart in that week of darkness. Too many others couldn't say the same, and he would mourn lost Caiside and Cera for seasons yet to come, as he still mourned Isla and Edrei. None of them, however, would be happy to see him sunk in his grief any longer than he had been, and Edrei and Caiside both wouldn't hesitate to tell him he was being an idiot for not enjoying the spring weather, lovely company, and imminent hunt.
He noted his companion's eagerness at the mention of that hunt, and his grin widened a bit at her enthusiasm as she joined him. "It only takes one look to know that you are a lady of classic tastes," he demurred, teasing back with far more energy than the blight had permitted him before.
Interestingly, she didn't ask what they were hunting, though perhaps she'd already guessed, given their location. "Oh, the water won't be a problem in a moment," he replied cheerfully, crouching beside her to sink his hand into the loose soil of the forest floor and send his senses out through it, feeling for the green and brown threads of his magic. "But you might want to have that lightening ready to go. It'll work better than a blade against them. Ready?"
And when she was he flexed his power, opening cracks in the earth beneath the puddle to drain the water away, revealing not one but three of the great worms burrowed into the mud. Magna Vermis that bucked and squirmed angrily as their precious puddle disappeared beneath them. The largest rolled in the mud as if to try and dig after the disappearing water, but the two smaller ones - still almost two feet around in their middles - lunged for the last place they had sensed vibrations in the nearby earth, aiming to ram Hotaru and Jigano with their considerable (and considerably muddy!) mass.
He noted his companion's eagerness at the mention of that hunt, and his grin widened a bit at her enthusiasm as she joined him. "It only takes one look to know that you are a lady of classic tastes," he demurred, teasing back with far more energy than the blight had permitted him before.
Interestingly, she didn't ask what they were hunting, though perhaps she'd already guessed, given their location. "Oh, the water won't be a problem in a moment," he replied cheerfully, crouching beside her to sink his hand into the loose soil of the forest floor and send his senses out through it, feeling for the green and brown threads of his magic. "But you might want to have that lightening ready to go. It'll work better than a blade against them. Ready?"
And when she was he flexed his power, opening cracks in the earth beneath the puddle to drain the water away, revealing not one but three of the great worms burrowed into the mud. Magna Vermis that bucked and squirmed angrily as their precious puddle disappeared beneath them. The largest rolled in the mud as if to try and dig after the disappearing water, but the two smaller ones - still almost two feet around in their middles - lunged for the last place they had sensed vibrations in the nearby earth, aiming to ram Hotaru and Jigano with their considerable (and considerably muddy!) mass.
