Hush

Twenty-Nine

Hush woke up to his name being shouted, his skin burning, and his body being shook. He groaned and his eyes started to crack open. It was dark, but not as dark as it was before. It was a natural darkness, not a dead one or a violent one.

He turned his head to glance towards a window. Some light was streaming through and he could just make out a tree outside. He had done it. The darkness was gone.

Rune was clutching him against his chest, his words a steady stream of "You scared the crap out of me," and "Thank Ronad you're okay," and "Why would do that you could have died," and just general things around those terms.

"Rune, Rune, calm down," Hush says, brushing his fingers against Rune's face. Instantly it was flushed. "Like you said, I'm okay," he breathes, smiling a bit.

"Are you sure? You were practically death pale, and that's saying something. Oh Ronad, Hush, you have to stop doing things like that. You're actually gonna end up dying one day. You aren't immortal," Rune says and then pauses momentarily before crushing Hush against him, arms wrapped around him.

Hush smiles slightly and returns the hug, closing his eyes. Rune certainly had the right to be worried. After all they had been through, and Hush seeming to almost die yet again; if Hush was in Rune's place, he'd be scared too, no doubt about it.

"I'm taking you back home," Rune stated, not leaving any room for argument. He swiftly picked Hush up and started walking in the direction of Hush's house. "Your mother is probably worried sick."

Hush rested his head against Rune's chest, picking up his pendant. The only reason he hadn't died was because there was still magic in it. Maybe it was a blessing that he had fallen into that pit of despair, wandered around those bleak tunnels.

Maybe almost dying again would save his town's Magi. He hoped so. Prayed to Ronad that it would. That his effort would contribute to something.

His sister would've done the same.