Bitter homecoming|Skyheort, Talen'sul

[Kender Bard]

Talon shifted the pot containing dinner aside and nodded to himself slightly, heading into his own room. The room was very messy with Spice sharing the space with him, and he hadn't had time or heart to clean it. "Acqua," he called out softly, peeking in.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua was hard to spot at first glance. She was sitting on the floor on the other side of the bed, so only the top of her head could be seen. Quiet, muffled sniffling could be heard - Acqua trying to keep herself quiet so no one would know she was crying.

She was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, almost hugging herself in her distress, and looked very much like she had when she was a little girl, trying not to let on how much a thunderstorm at night terrified her.

[Kender Bard]

Talon walked over and squatted down near Acqua, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder gently. "You know, if you want to cry, and I mean really cry, I can take you somewhere quiet and you can let it all out without waking the kids."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua looked up at Talon and gave him a weak and shaky attempt at a greatful smile. "That would be good," she murmured softly. Swallowing hard, she added in a whisper, "I didn't even say goodbye before leaving Maelstrom..." She sniffled some more, fighting back another flood of tears.

[Kender Bard]

"Come on," Talon told her softly, offering her his hand. "I'll take you out of Skyheort. Not far, just a little ways up the mountain, and you can cry all you want."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua nodded, standing up and taking her brother's hand.

[Kender Bard]

Talon led Acqua out of the city, as he promised, and when he found a secure place on the mountain, out of the way, he sat down and invited Acqua to do the same, holding out his arm for her.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua sat down next to her brother. By the time Talon had his arm around her the flood gates had opened and she was crying openly, weeping for the 'twin' she'd lost so abruptly. She cried until she'd worn herself to near exhustion before she was even able to speak.

"It's not fair," she whispered. "It's not fair, Talon." She shivered, partly with cold, mostly with misery. "He never did anything. Why did someone have to hurt him?"

[Kender Bard]

Talon hugged her tightly, his chin rest on top of her head lightly as he held her close. "I know it's not fair, Acqua," he murmured. "It's not fair at all. I hope they catch the bastards who did this..."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua nodded quietly and snuggled into Talon for comfort. She was skeptical they'd ever know who murdered their brother, but she whispered, "If they do, I'll make them pay." She meant that. If she ever got her hands on her brother's killers...

"Talon?" she asked after a moment. "Don't ever get hurt? Promise me, you'll always be careful?" It was a childish, impossible request, Acqua knew, but loosing Vortai so soon after losing Alethia had shaken her to the core. There was a note of real fear in her voice while making the request.

[Kender Bard]

"I won't," Talon told her with calm, firm assurance. He'd made similar promises to his children. "I have too much to live for to let anyone or anything take that away from me. And besides, someone has to look out for you." He softly wiped away the tears on her face as he said that.

[Northen Light36]

"Good," Acqua replied, closing her eyes and resting her head on Talon's shoulder as he fussed over her. Normally she'd have made a joke about that being Amaro's job, but she didn't feel like it now. Particularly given how much Amaro was hurting. "I love you, big brother. You know that right?"

She desperately felt the need to remind him of that, now that she'd never be able to say as much to her little brother. "Is Amaro going to be all right?" she added softly.

[Kender Bard]

"Of course I know that, and I love you too," Talon murmured.

He let out a sigh at her question. "He'll be about as all right as you, I suppose," he murmured. But he wasn't entirely certain of that. Vortai had been his only living blood brother and he'd already had to live through the guilt of one familial death. But Talon had his hands full with Acqua and her children. He just didn't have enough of himself to go around; so he had to trust in Cass to be the balm to Amaro's aching soul.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua wasn't sure Talon was right, or even believed what he was saying, but she didn't disagree. Right now she prefered the comforting lie to the truth. She was tired and hurting and right now her own grief was so deep that she didn't have the energy to support Amaro yet.

She rested her head on Talon's shoulder again and said softly, "It hurts so much... and still it doesn't seem real. I can't believe he and I aren't going to tease the guards in the market or get a drink together or anything again. It just feels like a really bad dream."

[Kender Bard]

Talon stroked her hair. "Yeah, I know." He didn't bother to explain how the hurt would just keep coming back again and again when that realization struck over and over. Likely, she'd lived through that when Alethia died, just as he had. "I know."