Sauntering forth! ...Sallying? Sashaying, maybe?

The sentiment would have let fly more tears, but the blackette was determined to stem the tide. His humour and mannerisms got a watery chuckle out of her, hand fishing out a damp handkerchief from her jerkin pouch. She blew her nose furiously before scrubbing her eyes with a clean corner.

“The offer of your company, and tea? How could I ever say no?!”

She straightened, hands coming to untie her sodden furs and cloak. Deekin’s shop was wonderfully cosy, and she was starting to get awfully uncomfortable. With the prospect of catching up on the cards, she decided to be lazy and allow the natural heat of the shop to dry her belongs.

“Mind if I hang these up? I’ve got half the heavens filling my pockets.”

“Huzzah!” cheered the kobold. “Deekin somehow knows you is going to say yes! Makes yourself at home while Deekin runs and makes tea.” The kobold’s hurry was played out with the sounds of excitement as he fetched a kettle and filled it from a pitcher of water. He then hopped up on a stool and placed that kettle on a gnomish invention on the counter - a circular spiral-designed piece of metal to provide heat in place of a fire. With the kettle slowly heating, he found his way back to the sorceress.

Why did he have to be so darn eloquent? Her burning irises grew too intense, and Dhana could do little to stem the flow. Instead, the blackette abandoned decorum and pride, pulling the reptilian towards her. She pressed her temple against Deekin’s smiling snout. He was too kind, more than she deserved. Still his hero. Dhana attempted to chuckled, hiccuping instead. She shook with the weight of his words. Tell him, tell him how much this means, damn it! But the woman merely sniffled lamely to herself. Was this some cruel dream? Maybe she had fallen asleep after too many drafts. She snuffled again.

No. Definitely real, there was too much snot for it not to be. Minutes passed, the sorceress far too comfortable in this nostalgic hold. They had often bundled together like this to sleep, much to Elithrar’s embarrassment. She smiled at the memory. But alas she feared she had strangled the poor kobold.

“S-sorry Deeks-” she released him, lifting her cloak to wipe the aforementioned mucus off his attire, “-I’ve made a right mess of your lovely clothing.”

It looked like Dhana was about to cry, and that fact seemed alarming in of itself. Just as he was about to ask his boss what was wrong, the world jerked momentarily as he found the warmth and happy comfort of a very old friend. Strong joy swelled in the kobold’s chest, finding closure in a reunion at last, and he had so much to catch up on and so much to ask...!

Deekin’s arms encircled the sorceress, welcoming Dhana - snot bubbles and all - back into his life. Maybe when he would jot this moment down, he could conveniently leave the mucus out for her sake. Dhana let him go at last and began to dab at Deekin’s shirt, but the kobold giggled. “Deekin’s clothes be fine, can always get new shirt. Intrepid kobold companion can’t replace boss though. Even if you gets boogers on a hundred shirts! ...Maybe not a hundred, Deekin not sure if he gots patience for that. Fifty shirts.”

Last Fun in the Leaves for the Year

The lurch in his tone, the honest bewilderment. It caused her to step towards him, fingers clenching and un-clenching against her reddening palm.  ‘…you no want to see him anymore.’ Fuck sake Dhana, look what you’ve done. That niggling, gritty voice belittled her ruthlessly in her moment of vulnerability. Part of her - the masochistic part - let it; let it dig and dig and tear. Yet-

“That couldn’t be further from the truth.” She hadn’t come here to wallow in self-loathing. This wasn’t just about her. With a husky tone indicative of her emotions, Dhana forcibly stilled her hands and uncurled them. Knuckles popped in protest. “I…I was scared.”

Running from the portal, trying to escape Waterdeep before the insurgence worsened. It had been a flight reaction, primal and desperate. If Kymiel hadn’t intercepted her…well, only the Lady truly knows where she would have ended up.

“After Undrentide, I couldn’t go down there Deekin. It was still too raw. As soon as the drow came…not even Undermountain, I…I was a coward.” She chuckled bitterly, and scathingly added, “Still am where places like that are concerned.”

Booted feet moved tentatively, having found her voice, coming to pause before the kobold. Furs whispered over creaking leathers, the mage kneeling. She held his gaze, a watery sheen glazing those dark eyes.

“You do not have to say anything, Deeks. But I do.” Clearing the frog out of her throat, the sorceress spoke slow and steady. “I’m eternally sorry for abandoning you. I am no hero, I’m imperfect and self preserving, but I will always care for you. Even…even if sometimes I am too flaky to always show it.”

A hand reached out. Familiar calloused fingers cupped the kobold’s cheekbone, soothing the warm scales there.

“I’ve missed you.”

With the next words Dhana had spoken, Deekin leaned his head upwards to peer up at her searchingly, one hand raised to anxiously chew gently on his claws. His body language was cautious, but there still remained the same devotion he’d had back in their adventuring days in the glimmer of his intelligent eyes.

“Boss,” he croaked, shaking his head. “Boss, you is still Deekin’s hero. Heroes be scared sometimes too.” The lizard took a moment to lean into the sorceress’s cupped hand, shoulders falling as he revisited a familiar time in his mind. A time where it was the sorceress and the brave kobold bard against the world. The little kobold blinked at her mistily, his nostrils flexing with controlled breath.

Than I was like holy shit I am Deekin!