Sah was counting on him? Shit, what was he supposed to say to that? Thankfully in the lanternlight and shadows no one could see him blush, but Tal's scowl deepened in confusion as he spun back to his wall to hit it again - more for the sake of hitting something than searching for a diamond anymore. That stupid brat--!
He thought that was the end of it, but when the hunter spoke again, Tal paused his attack on the cave once more. Fingers tightened around the haft of the pickaxe at the threat leveled against his-- his countryman and he had to fight the urge to throw it like one of his axes. The thing he wanted to hit wasn't in range anyways, but it was really tempting.
"It was a demonstration, not a fuckin' threat," he growled. "Not like she was makin'. An' last I heard, Stormbreak'll be standin' with Halo in the War. Least, as much as Ronin has anything to say about it." Which, being the Commander of Stormbreak, was rather a lot. He slammed the pickaxe into the stone again, sending chips flying. "So she can go jump off the fuckin' Falling an' cool her head in the sea. We've got a real War on our hands without her tryin' t'puff herself up an' pretend like she's important." He turned to jab his pickaxe towards Sah in emphasis. "Which she isn't. She's just a damn stupid kid who doesn't know what a re--what?"
Sah's words brought Tal's tirade to a sudden halt. The courier kept scowling, but after a moment of shifting gears he trotted over with the lantern.
And bumped his shoulder into the hunter's with deliberate carelessness, warm and maybe a little reassuring down in the dark beneath the mountain. "Huh. It's pretty big," he whistled, impressed in spite of himself.
He thought that was the end of it, but when the hunter spoke again, Tal paused his attack on the cave once more. Fingers tightened around the haft of the pickaxe at the threat leveled against his-- his countryman and he had to fight the urge to throw it like one of his axes. The thing he wanted to hit wasn't in range anyways, but it was really tempting.
"It was a demonstration, not a fuckin' threat," he growled. "Not like she was makin'. An' last I heard, Stormbreak'll be standin' with Halo in the War. Least, as much as Ronin has anything to say about it." Which, being the Commander of Stormbreak, was rather a lot. He slammed the pickaxe into the stone again, sending chips flying. "So she can go jump off the fuckin' Falling an' cool her head in the sea. We've got a real War on our hands without her tryin' t'puff herself up an' pretend like she's important." He turned to jab his pickaxe towards Sah in emphasis. "Which she isn't. She's just a damn stupid kid who doesn't know what a re--what?"
Sah's words brought Tal's tirade to a sudden halt. The courier kept scowling, but after a moment of shifting gears he trotted over with the lantern.
And bumped his shoulder into the hunter's with deliberate carelessness, warm and maybe a little reassuring down in the dark beneath the mountain. "Huh. It's pretty big," he whistled, impressed in spite of himself.
