"Right then." Snake pushed himself to his feet, the arm around Rhyske pulling him up as well, but once the boy was standing he drew his arm back again. Grief could affect people in strange ways, make them prickly where they'd been soft or open them up to contact they wouldn't normally welcome. Though the affection hadn't seemed to bother Rhyske initially, he didn't want to extend the contact without the boy's permission, now that they both seemed to be calming somewhat.
"I'll walk you back," he rumbled, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his leather breeches, and gave a little jerk of his head to indicate that Rhyske should follow as he started back through the trees.
He walked in silence, at least until they reached the edge of the trees--when he suddenly drew up short, his head jerking up almost like a started woodland creature, eyes squinting against the sudden invasion of sunlight unfiltered by forest canopy.
"Nev."
Never pushed themselves away from the slender trunk they'd been leaning against, tilting their head slightly at both Snake and Rhyske. "...Saw you head this way," they murmured eventually. "Wasn't sure if..."
Snake nodded, a small, tight smile twitching at his lips, or at least an approximation of one. His eyes skated over Never's lithe form, lingering a moment on the dark, tousled hair. Had it always been that dark to him? "We're...doing alright," he muttered, glancing sidelong at Rhyske as though waiting for the kid to confirm or deny the assertion.
