Moonspear for the realm

His skin prickled at the words she passed onto him, what she was suggesting. No, not suggesting—offering. A lesser creature with more basal instincts may have smiled cheshire for certain at such a proposition and how the temptation was there! But for his own soul and sake the stoicism held fast when the pins and needles scattered across him. He was humored more than minutely, but who else would she have asked? Revui had disappeared mysteriously, bear tracks and blood aside, and Arcturus was not the first that Dirge would have thought to saddle with such responsibility. The boy grieved no doubt, and he had his troubles as well, but to aid them... he would be most helpful at best in that regard. The rest Dirge believed he could shoulder well.

”Of course,” he assured her, ”we cannot expect you to do it all. Not with the children to come, not when you deserve your time to grieve as well. I take no issue with Arcturus joining us either. He's insightful enough, and listens well.” Though no doubt he was a better listener to Hydra, Dirge had found that her brother possessed their mother's sensibility. It was Amekaze that he would miss and did so there briefly as his gaze swept out over the descent beyond them. Losing her certainly seemed the tragedy when he hadn't the opportunity to know her better. At least she had approved of him.

”I know this will seem crass, but this was our goal wasn't it? To rule together. A shame it comes so untimely, but I know we will do the mountain proud.” His gaze returned to her confident and keen—this was what they had wanted, what they had hoped for some time ago and once upon a time in jest. Of course making the mountain proud seemed out of place to him, but he knew it would bolster her spirits all the same. She was a proud creature, less a snake now than he.