[Training] [SE] Fake it till You Make it

Sah

Although his talk with Hotaru had helped, Sah was still struggling to come to terms with everything that had transpired at the Tournament. He'd come to King's End to visit Safrin's shrine. He needed the comfort of being near his Goddess and had no desire to stay in Torchline longer than he had to.

The quiet was welcome, and he found comfort in the crunch of snow beneath his feet. Lilly and Pad walked beside him until Lilly paused and sniffed the air. Wagging slowly, she glanced at Sah, letting him know that Boreal and, thus, Tal were nearby. The Wild Thunder 'tsked' not in the mood for company but not wanting to deny his wolf her best friend. Letting out a heavy sigh, he waved his hand, and Lilly eagerly sprinted over a hill to find and greet Boreal.

Sharing a look with Pad, Sah trailed after the silver she-wolf.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

Tal had his own offerings to make to the gods in this season of gratitude, and he was trekking up to the altar at the top of the Barrows with his arms full of a bouquet of paper flowers that were bright and cheerful in spite of the chilly snow all around them. Boreal was bounding through the snow ahead of him - and then behind him - and then ahead of him again - as she chased hapless small rodents beneath the blanket of white and pounced through snowdrifts for the sheer joy of it.

Tal was giving her a rueful look when her head came up sharply, a pile of snow atop it like a hat until she shook it sharply. Her nostrils flared twice and then the bass rumble that was her happy greeting noise rolled out of her chest and she plowed through the snow towards the crest of the barrow, greeting Lily with a joyful awoooorrooarghhnnn.

Hail. Where Lily was, Sah was bound to be... and Tal had meant to hunt the Wild Thunder down after the tournament, but by the time he'd finished getting trounced by the King of Torchline his best frenemy was nowhere to be seen.

So maybe this was fate or just really good luck on his part because Sah probably needed a hug and a good punch to the face in... some order. They'd figure it out as they went.

"Hey, been lookin' for you," he called out as the man himself came into view. "You're at least comin' over for dinner, aren't you?" Alys would be surprised, but between the two of them they'd manage enough for a third stomach at the table. And feeding the wolves was even easier since at least their food didn't need to be cooked!

Sah

Sah grimaced, "I see." Gods, there would be a lot of that in the near future, wouldn't there? Even if Melita was alive now, the consequences of murdering a Demi-god had to be dire, even in the case of an accident. He wasn't sure which side of it all the courier fell. Even if they weren't always on fantastic terms and drove each other near mad with annoyance, Sah didn't' want to lose him.

Lilly let out a harrumph and spun from where she was happily returning Boreal's greeting to shoulder check he bonded. The Wild Thunder sighed, "But...if you want me to stay for dinner, I'd like that. Thank you." Socializing sounded like hell, but a bit of normalcy was probably good for him.

Satisfied with her work, the silver she-wolf engaged her dragon bestie in a game of tag, dropping down into a play bow before taking off into the snow, sending up a white spray as she went. Pad watched her antics with a level of exasperation clear on his face that was honestly impressive for a wolf.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

Sah was grimacing? That was stealing Tal's iconic look, and the courier gave a small huff of exasperation. As if Sah had to worry about what the courier thought about the events of the tournament! At least, not since they'd managed to avoid fighting each other somehow. Getting knocked out by the same person - a King and a Demigod, at that - was more pertinent than what had happened in the previous matches and been fixed practically before the body had hit the ground.

"Good," he said decisively to the acceptance of his very gracious invitation. Boreal snorted her disbelief at the direction of his thoughts, but quickly put him out of her mind as Lily invited her to play. The dragon took off after her wolf friend, gallumphing merrily in her wake as Tal rolled his eyes fondly at the antics and headed to the altar to deposit his offering.

He bowed his head, saying a silent prayer to Safrin and Vi. He was grateful for Vi's gift of life, and even more for Safrin's willingness to help him out with items and quests. He owed them both a great deal, and today had seemed like a good time to show his thanks.

But he didn't linger overlong as he stood to brush the snow off his knees and headed back towards the Wild Thunder, aiming a light punch at his shoulder. "Stop it," he growled, but there wasn't much heat behind the words. "Beatin' you up's my job. An' I bet you're tryin' t'put me outta work, aren't you?" Knowing Sah as well as he did, it wasn't hard to guess that the other man blamed himself for the accident in the tournament.

Sah

Sah's eyes narrowed as Tal approached, half convinced that the coming punch was going to be solid. He was about to shift and dodge when he recognized it for the light-hearted tap that it was and let the courier's fist connect. The accompanying words helped knock him out of his melancholy, and the Wild Thunder blinked a few times before a timid smile stretched across his face, "Maybe." He still felt out of his depth, restless in his own skin. Should he explain himself? Tal didn't seem to want an explanation.

The guilt was resurfacing, and the Wild should have known that Lilly was up to something when he felt a sudden surge of glee through the bond.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

The smile was an improvement, but Tal didn't feel good about how timid it was. The Wild Thunder was getting stuck in his own head; something the courier knew the signs of all too well. He had a bad habit of losing himself in his own regrets and self-recriminations at the best of times, and he'd never killed anyone on accident before.

His punch slipped his arm around strong shoulders to give the hunter a rough half-hug. "Might as well stay th'night if you're comin' for dinner," he decided gruffly. "Alys won't mind. An' I've got some whiskey that hasn't been drinkin' itself. Could do with some help with it, if y'want t'lend a hand." Least he could do was offer an ear, he figured.

Which was about the time that he felt Boreal's smoky chortle in his thoughts.

It was pure instinct to dive sideways, abandoning Sah just before the first part of the assault began. The load of snow that had been awkwardly packed and carried in Boreal's front talons fell from above as she swooped by overhead to divebomb the boys, while Lily handled the one who'd gotten away on the ground...

Sah

Sah was surprised at the hug but looped his arm around Tal's waist to return it.
"I'd love that." He had fond memories of their LongNight drink sessions and could certainly use the comfort of it.

Knocked off balance by the sudden betrayal, the Wild Thunder easily fell victim to his companion. Paws slammed into his back, and although he tried to twist and regain his balance, it was to no avail. He slammed into the ground, barely catching himself on his hands as Lilly crooned from above him. The Abandoned laughed even as he grimaced at the sensation of snow beneath his armor. He didn't feel the cold, but the moisture was uncomfortable.

From where he was lying splat on the ground, Sah quickly made a snowball and threw it at Tal.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

"Hey! ...Hey!" His first exclamation of betrayal was aimed at the companions who had taken a beautiful, peaceful Deepfrost day and chosen violence fun. The second exclamation came as a snowball smacked into his shoulder, far better aimed than the dragon's airdrop. "That's how it's gonna be, huh?" He tried to scowl but there was a grin already on his face that was making it hard to manage.

He scooped up his own pair of snowballs and then had to dodge again as Boreal swung low in an attempt to knock him face-first into the snow. She clipped his shoulder but he managed to keep his feet and then let fly with his wet, fluffy, cold ammunition. One snowball headed for Sah where had had gone splat and the other was aimed at his dragon.

Who had the temerity to dodge and then chortle at him as she gained height for another pass.

Sah

Sah cackled, "Of course!" It felt strange to laugh but the feeling didn't last as he grabbed another handful of snow. From where he was pinned, Sah was unable to dodge the incoming snowball and his face scrunched when it slammed into his nose. Gently knocking Lilly off of his back, he stood and wiped his face and armor. With fresh snow, he sent his own shot at Talyson.

Meanwhile, how could Lilly leave her dear little brother out of the fun? She raced over to Pad and headbutted him in the side. The dark wolf was caught off guard and was sent sprawling into the snow with a yelp of betrayal.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

”Ha!” Tal might have been gloating over his perfect strike, or he might have been celebrating the laugh he’d startled out of his best frenemy. It was hard to tell, but when the retaliation came the courier was ready for it. He dived to the side, tucking into a roll which was less effective than he’d hoped in the fresh, soft powder. He came up with another ball in his hands but the snow he’d rolled through clung to his armor and shirt, far more of a mess than Sah’s ammo could ever have done. Gleefully oblivious, Tal crunched the powder into a fluffy ball and threw it towards the Wild Thunder with a bright and wicked grin.

Not one to be left out - or to leave anyone else out, for that matter - Boreal bounded after Lily and romped around Pad, gleefully kicking up snow by the talonful on the black wolf as she danced around him. Her smoky chortle teased him to join the game while making clear that he was going to get dragged in one way or another.

Sah

Back on his feet, Sah was able to twist out of the way of Tal’s attack. The motion sent up a spray of snow that hopefully covered him as the Wild Thunder ducked down to get a handful. Molding the snow tightly, he threw it at the courier. Sah couldn’t help his snort of laughter took in the man’s appearance. Snow-coated certainly wasn’t doing him any favors. At the moment, Tal reminded Sah of a powdery hedgehog.

Pad grumbled and jumped out of the snow, shaking excess snow out of his fur. It was for naught as a certain dragon arrived. Lilly let out a howl of delight as Boreal joined her. The dark wolf was quickly coated once more, much to his disdain. With ears folded back, he plotted his revenge while attempting to dodge Boreal’s next wave.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

When he realized that Sah was laughing at him Tal finally looked down and saw how white his black Vest had become. He quickly tried to brush it off but his distraction proved costly. He caught the incoming snowball out of the corner of his eye but his attempt to duck it only meant that it hit him in the side of the head rather than the chest as he turned away from it. "Hey!" Just what he was protesting - all was fair in snow and war, after all - even Tal wasn't sure, but he didn't waste any time in trying to figure it out. "If that's how it's gonna be..." He started to jog to the side, scooping up a fresh handful and then threw it side-arm at Sah's hip with a laugh. "Take that!"

Boreal ended her circle beside Lilly, a happy grumble revealing her pleasure at the results of their teamwork. She dropped her forelimbs to the ground while her butt stayed in the air, wiggling enthusiastically. With her wings pulled in tight against her sides she looked a little smaller than usual as she tried to entice Pad into pouncing into play.