Unfortunate News

Sylric didn't move right away. He just stood there, staring across the gap like he was trying to figure out if Lindarion was real or just a hallucination brought on by blood loss and sleep deprivation.

Then he swallowed whatever was in his mouth and said, "Well. You're taller."

Lindarion exhaled once through his nose. Not quite a laugh. Not quite a sigh.

"Four years," Sylric added, walking closer now. "No letter. No update. Not even a sarcastic dream message. I thought you were dead."

"You yelled it loud enough when I wasn't."

Sylric gave a short, bitter grin. "Yeah, well, you looked dead."

Lindarion's hand twitched toward another cot, but the patient there was already being treated by a healer. So he let it fall.

Ashwing sniffed the air and muttered, "This is going to be one of those emotional reunion things, isn't it?"

'Keep talking and I'll let him hug me just to spite you.'