[se] run for the shallows

Noah

With all that was happening, Noah needed to check on the lodge. While it wasn’t where his family was currently residing, he wanted to make sure it was up and running in good repair to be a respite place for hunters and other Halo citizens alike. It was a beacon out on the tundra to keep people safe, warm, and fed when they were working or traveling. He wasn’t sure how the waters of the bay extended, so he was worried that it could be underwater.

He was both relieved and surprised when, through his transportation magic, he appeared on loamy soil rather than in ankle-or-higher waters. He sighed and let the tension fall from his muscles for a moment. Then, he started walking the perimeter of the building and his inspection.

are you out there on the front lines
or at home keeping score?

Alys

Alys was on a mission.

She traipsed through what remained of the wilds of Halo, a bow strapped to her back, daggers placed strategically at her hips, thighs, and boots, searching for healing herbs that might be of use. She'd heard rumors that they weren't as badly off as Torchline, but that didn't mean that Halovians weren't suffering. She'd seen more injuries since the start of the season than she'd seen in her lifetime. And even if she possessed healing magic now, she knew that it would eventually give out. She only had so much power, after all. Healing herbs weren't ideal, but they were a good back up source of relief until she could do more.

Not that she'd ever be able to do enough. If the past few days had taught her anything, it had been that she was small and insignificant in the face of the world, and that nothing she ever did would be enough to save them all. Still, she would do what she could.

She hadn't realized how far she'd wandered from the Citadel until she came upon Noah's hunting lodge - and, much to her surprise, Noah himself. She hadn't seen him in what felt like eons, and to see him well - it was a relief. One less person's fate for her to obsess over. The seer tucked her basket of herbs along one arm and began the trek up the path to the lodge. "Noah!" she called, lifting a hand in a tired wave. "You're okay!"

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Noah

Noah's heart swelled with relief as he surveyed his lodge—untouched by the recent turmoil. The familiar structure stood resilient amidst the echoes of chaos. The demigod’s glacier eyes softened. It was more than a physical structure; it held the echoes of memories and moments of solace. In the unbroken lodge, Noah found a sanctuary, a testament to the enduring strength amid life's unpredictable storms. While it still was not as safe as being within the Citadel walls, Noah knew its structure could offer a solace like no other for years and years to come, if given the chance.

The sound of footsteps approaching, quickly followed by the sound of his name, made Noah’s head snap around. He straightened for a moment before his eyes fell on her. ”Alys!” He called out, closing the distance between them in only a few of his long strides. ”I haven’t seen you since I got back from the Grounds.” He said, wrapping his arms around her in a brief hug. He truly hadn’t seen her since she was helping him with the hospital in the Temple, and he was glad to see that she had made a full recovery from her encounter with the tangleweed. ”I wasn’t sure if you and Talyson were going to be here.”

are you out there on the front lines
or at home keeping score?

Alys

The thought of a place beyond the walls of the Citadel in which to be comfortable and confident in one's safety was indeed a blessing in such troubled times - even more so, to see that it still stood despite the damage that Halo had taken. Alys wondered if the lodge was for family only, or if it might be a place of refuge for others who might be stranded now, left without a home, or if perhaps it could serve as a base of operations from which to hunt or gather other plants and ingredients. But, truly, that was none of her business, and she let her wandering thoughts go as Noah turned to see her.

Alys accepted the hug before releasing Noah with a smile. "I'm glad to see you back here," she said warmly. Somehow, the tundra hadn't been quite the same without Noah around - even if she'd been gone for most of the prior season. At the thought, she blushed faintly. She still hadn't told anyone of her upcoming move, and she wasn't sure that now was the appropriate time, but she couldn't help the warmth that blossomed anyway when she thought of spending the last season traveling the world with her partner.

"Tal brought me back right before the season changed," she explained, hesitating to add that she'd originally only been here to pack up her things. Indeed, anyone who visited her home would find dozens of half-full boxes, abandoned in recent days as Alys had tried her best to help with everything that had befallen Halo. "He's still traveling, but I thought I'd be most of use here for now."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Noah

Noah's eyes held a mixture of gratitude and camaraderie as Alys accepted the hug. "I'm glad you're here too." Noah replied, his voice a reassuring echo amid the uncertainties.  Her blush didn't go unnoticed, but as she explained Tal's continued travels and her return just before the season changed, Noah nodded appreciatively.

”What brings you out of the Citadel?” Noah asked, voice suddenly shifting as his mind turned towards protection mode. ”It’s safer there.” There wasn’t really telling how many dangers now lay outside the Citadel walls. The starfall, the void creatures, the inherit dangers of the tundra itself — they were all a pulsing and pressing danger in Noah’s mind. That was why he had come out to see if the lodge still stood — because at least then it could offer some safety to someone.

are you out there on the front lines
or at home keeping score?

Alys

"Is it really safe anywhere, these days?" Alys countered drily, then shook her head. "I was looking for healing herbs. I can heal with magic now, but... relying on just one method of healing seems shortsighted." She shrugged. Besides, she'd come prepared... although she was painfully aware that her preparations would have been nothing next to, say, a voidshade ursur. Still, she couldn't help but gesture to the bow and daggers. "I did at least bring weapons, and I have my magic."

But she couldn't blame Noah for worrying about her - about them all - and she wondered who was watching his back. Not, of course, that he really needed it. He was just as capable as Deimos, in that regard. Maybe even more so, as a demigod. Did it ever get lonely, being so powerful? Surely not - Noah had his family, and Deimos had Evie, and they both had friends who would rally around them as needed, herself included. Would they hate her, she wondered, when she left?

"What about you? Just checking on the lodge?"

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Noah

”That’s a really good idea. Did you need something in particular? I know Evie keeps a good stash growing in the Greenhouse, but there’s always stuff that grows wild out here…” He trailed off, stepping sideways mentally as he realized he was trying to explain something to someone who knew way more than he did on the subject. Noah was only a healer by Vi’s blessing, and he only knew basic things that could be made in to a poultice and put on wounds sustained from hunting or working. Anything deeper than that, Noah needed a trained healer. He had relied on them his entire life.

Looking back to the lodge, he nodded. ”Yeah. We built this after the war as a safe space for hunters to prep for hunts, sleep between them, or anything really. It’s open to everyone to use.” He smiled. ”Seems to still be standing and in perfect order. So I can help gather whatever you’re looking for?” He turned back to her, eyebrow raised.

are you out there on the front lines
or at home keeping score?