Falls

He was not overly skilled in flattery or charm, it was never his forte though in his younger days he had perhaps put more effort into his attempts, but to make the edges of her lips pull up ever so slightly was worth the endeavor. His heavy head nodded genially in agreement with her statement. “Like does tend to call to like.” The reply is more somber than his early remarks, both in recognition of his own burdens and the fact that she must carry them as well. It was not something he would wish on anyone; the sigh which elicited from her was confirmation enough of that and he found it struck him like a kick to the side. The dull ache was a shadow of her own pain no doubt, but felt none the less. Perhaps she felt it as well as she titled her head towards him before going so far as to close the small distance between them.

For only a moment he paused before meeting her, the soft velvet of her nose against his causing his eyes to flutter closed for just a moment. Her words, as soft as her smile, break the silence and cause his emerald gaze to focus on her once more. His own smile reflects hers as she offers him the same hope he has begun to feel blossoming in his white-splotched chest. Inclining his head slightly he acknowledges her wish. “I hope so too.” There, he had finally voiced what had been at work within him since the moment he returned to the islands it seemed. “And I hope you find the same peace someday soon.” He murmured his response so only her ears would catch it as he shifted his weight slightly, the long feathers across his feet dragging in the snow.

The Falls seem to draw her gaze, they are a constant and recognizable fixture in this place and always seemed to draw the attention of so many as both landmark and escape. Water did seem to wash away all sins, at least for a time. He allowed her that moment of reverie, the silence which enveloped them calm if not quiet with the constant roar of the falls for ambiance. When finally she looks back to him there is quiet understanding written across his spotted face. He gives her a genuine smile this time in the wake of her introduction and the amusement in her voice. “I’m Bondurant.” Only fair that he returns her admission with his own. “And if it helps you at all I am content to share the weight of them with you, however many they may be.” It is true, it is his place in the world to take things onto his own broad shoulders t help lighten their load. “What draws you to this place tonight?’