She took his hand. Talon pulled Senara into his arms. He wrapped them snugly around her and allowed her to bury her face in his chest. He did not shush her. These were the aching sobs of a soul that had suffered in silence for too long. He just held her. His wings curved, forming a soft cloak of silver feathers. The light emanating from Talon softened until it was merely a feint aura that surrounded his body. He felt relief wash through Senara. He felt the pain that had embedded itself into her soul at the injustice she had suffered. He felt the bone deep longing to be heard, to be seen, to be shown that something, somewhere was truly safe.
So this is faith…
That thought came to him unbidden but it held a note of truth to it that was undeniable. Faith. Talon had always wondered whether the gods, in their almighty power, felt anything when mortals offered them their heartfelt prayer. Did they feel anything from the worship? Did they regard the trust that mortals placed in them with anything more than cursory acknowledgement? Talon could not speak for other gods but he knew what he thought about this feeling. He had felt a version of it when he had gifted Pahoran and his family with his emblem. That had been a different kind of faith however. That trust had been born from generations of belief in ideals that, even though Talon was not familiar with their strict philosophy, were principles he understood. The life of an honorable and benevolent soldier who served their people was something he could relate to. It was a life of conduct devoted to a code of ethics and morals that shaped who one was. It was how he had been raised as the First Son of House Novalys. It was what was expected of him as Shinsei to the people of Kalzasi.
That was the faith of men and women who had been raised to believe in what Talon represented as an ideal. This however? The way Senara clung to him, desperate for a shred of hope that there was more to life than pain and cruelty, this was faith in him as an individual. Both were things he vowed to honor. Both were a gift that he would strive to be worthy of. Gently, ever so gently, Talon scooped Senara up into his arms. He cradled her against his chest then turned to begin making his way back to Brianne’s cabin. The light of Talon’s nimbus never faded but remained a soft illumination in the darkness of the night. As he neared Rickter, he leaned in to kiss the black wolf tenderly, sending gratitude across their bond. The black wolf’s steady presence had given him the confidence he needed to see this through.
Senara was a complicated woman. A Rathari that had abandoned civilization, for the cruelty she had suffered at its hands. She believed there was little good in the world and that everyone’s kindness was a weapon being forged to pierce one’s heart. Was she wrong? Talon could not say. There was truth in that belief. A terrible truth, but truth all the same. Talon did not think for a moment that a lifetime of abuse was suddenly healed in Senara’s heart. But maybe, just maybe, this was a step toward helping her find closure. And that thought?
It gave him hope.
