He closes his eyes and lowers his head so that I can brush my maw over his eyes, to confirm that I had gained my sight. But, when he continued to stare at me I felt as though there was something wrong. Like I was being judged for my lack of voice, just as when I had been judged for the lack of sight. I'm stumbling backwards a few steps, closing my eyes and shaking my head, not even seeing him as he furrows his brow and pins his ears.

What did he say? Nothing. You said nothing. That look... I thought to myself. He didn't mean to upset her, I understand. I'm not something one would want to be around. I'm like the plague - only get near if its your job... He took a step forward only to stop, and when I opened my eyes I saw him looking as if he were in thought, as if he were hurt as well. No. I didn't mean. Dammit. I grumbled to myself, broken eyes peering up toward his mismatched ones as he seemed to try and work through what I was saying. Shaking and nodding my head. I wasn't looking for a hawk. No. I was chasing one. But there's no way to explain that. I nodded again.

I thought I would be able to continue on in the conversation. But, instead the tears came back. And he brushed them away with his muzzle, gently, carefully, as if if it were too strong I might break. He tried to shh me, as if it would calm, and instead I simply pressed my head up against his shoulder, unable to work through all the emotions that were spinning through my skull.

He seemed to freeze there, as I pressed up against him, but then he allowed his maw to rest against my shoulder. Still, he was careful, acting as if I were made of some kind of porcelain. Don't cry. Rasta. It trailed off of his deep voice gently, sweetly, like a form of comfort. And, then the one thing I hadn't expected. He said he would help, whatever it was that was going on. More tears filled my eyes, choking me up as I pressed my skull even harder into his shoulder, as if it would stem the falling tears. And, at that same moment, his neck wrapped around mine and pulled me in closer. My body was pulled up against his chest, and I allowed it to be moved. My chest heaving against his hold as I fought to make the tears stop, if only for him, if only so that he didn't have to feel awkward as I continued to cry for a reason that wasn't really known to anyone except I.

He didn't move, he allowed me to break down right there. A stag I'd only met once could actually show affection to someone he didn't truly know... He's one of the good ones. Like Taj... I connected the two in my mind, and suddenly the comfort was just enough to stop the crying.

It took me a few minutes, still, but it was much sooner than it would have been in the beginning. For, Taj would have wanted me to be strong - he would have wanted me to be happy, and maybe now was when I would start to find it again. After I was through with the grief, maybe I had gained someone I could be happy around.

I tried once more, face soaked from the tears, to explain the real meaning behind my hawk and what I had been doing. He was lost, obviously, and I didn't know how to explain it. I touched my maw to the marking again, and then to his chest. I held my maw there, feeling the beating of his heart, continuing to peer up at the confused stag. And then, suddenly, he seemed to light up. Companion. He repeated words I forgot I had even told him when we had met upon the beach. Instantly my head is nodding. Yes. Yes. Companion. That hawk. I thought to myself, stopping the head movement the second I saw his jaw move. Alive?

I shook my head. No. Dead. Don't know how... I thought to myself, closing my eyes and lowering my cranium as I forced myself to keep from crying. He didn't need tears falling every few minutes. He didn't need that. And so I would try and not cry that often.

An explanation, as to why I was mute. I had to find a way to explain this. I stamped my feet against the dirt, placed my maw on the earth below us, trying to say that it was the Earth God. And then, back up to the sky, where I had been told the Gods lived in my old lands. I repeated this a couple more times, and then waited.

Two stomps, just two. Chance. How do I portray chance? I wondered to myself, body freezing a little bit as I contemplated it all. It'll be my second companion... I bobbed my head before resting my maw against the hawk marking. Companion.

Would he understand? Or would it be in vain again? It was so hard, to find new ways to explain. But... at least I knew I had a shoulder to cry on, someone else who would be strong for me when I just didn't have the strength to...