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The road out of Dol-Makjar is surprisingly quiet. Even so Halandil sticks to the edges of the road, where he can try to keep to the treeline to keep out of the direct eyeline of the few people that traveled this late at night with the moon high in the sky.
Thimble sits upon his shoulder, her small frame leaning against his chin, trying to fight the sleep that washes over both of them. Hal was tired too, but they had to do this now, if they didn't- If they didn't then Hal would most likely never see Thjazi again, and Thimble wouldn't be able to get out of Dol-Makjar before the houses went insane over his escape. It didn't matter that he hadn't slept in nearly forty-eight hours, he was not missing this moment to say goodbye for anything.
As the two of them travel at the edge of the wood, Hal scans the treeline trying to find the specific downed tree that he's been told to watch for. The one with gnarled roots still holding onto the earth despite the top being long dead. Its harder than he thought, with the way sleep blurs his eyes making seeing specific shapes in the darkness of night difficult. He hopes if anything that Thimble is awake enough to spot it if he doesn't.
Clouds churn overhead, blotting out the stars past the branches overhead. Rain was coming as it so often seemed to this late at night. Internally Hal groaned at the thought of slogging through the woods while entirely soaked through with rainwater. Just before the first drops fall, he spots the downed tree. Its just where he's been told, just off the road, the bark sloughing off of it, half of the trunk cut away to clear a path, but the roots digging deeply into the soil despite its death.
"Almost there." He whispers to Thimble who shakes herself slightly more awake on his shoulder. She makes a small noise in agreeance and acknowledgement.
The pair of them turn off from the road to Dol-Makjar, making their way deeper into the woods. Hal counts under his breath, trying to keep track of how far they've traveled, counting strides forward and estimating distance.
Fifty yards he was told, to turn at the downed tree and go into the woods fifty yards. He could do that- The rain is coming down at a drizzle now, the occasional drop pattering on the forest floor around them. Hal wipes the rain and exhaustion from his eyes as he continues onward. After fifty yards there was supposed to be a boulder, from there he would turn left and continue onward until he found the overhang.
He runs the instructions over again and again in his head. Finally, the boulder appears nestled into the trees. Halandil hangs a left and tries to do his best to keep moving.
He could keep moving, for Thimble, for Thjazi.
After another fifteen minutes of walking, there's a flicker of light visible in the distance. Slowly it grows closer, occluded by the now constant shower of rain.
A singular lantern, hanging off of a cart. Two figures moving around it. Thimble shifts on his shoulder, straining her eyes to look for him. One of them is far to big, clearly beastfolk, but the other-
Hal catches a flash of green skin and the sound comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. "Thjazi-!"
His brother turns, a cloak over his hair, wearing plain clothes that don't suit him, but alive. Thjazi alive and breathing, not dead and hanging at those gallows. Thimble stumbles off of his shoulder, flying shakily toward him, her flight unsteady from her injured wings.
The two of them collide into each other, the fairy slamming face first into Thjazi's chest, and he carefully hugs her back, so gently to not crush her small frame. Its almost a perfect image, his brother and his partner in crime, the two of them meant to be together in every way imaginable.
After a long moment, of letting them have their reunion, Hal steps forward. He opens his mouth to speak, to say something, before his brother rushes forward and wraps him too in a big hug. Halandil was always aware that Thjazi was stronger than him, but now he was so acutely aware of this fact as Thjazi has him wrapped in such a tight bear hug that it almost hurts.
Hal can feel his brother's heartbeat deep within his chest, he's so very alive, just like how he was always meant to be.
Thjazi Fang was to strong, too smart to die. Of course he would never let that happen, of course this was how it was always supposed to go.
"Hal-" He starts, his voice sounding just how it always did, except hollow- and so far away. "Hal, I'm so sorry-"
"You have nothing to apologize for." Hal reassures him, because what was there for him to be sorry about? He had made it, Hal was getting to say goodbye. If they were lucky then he could come back when everything had calmed down.
This was not the end.
"Halandil-" Thjazi's voice is firm but sounds so very distant despite standing right in front of him. "I'm so sorry-"
And then Hal woke up, his breath catching, heart pounding against his rib cage, like some desperate attempt for it to get out. Tears stream down his cheeks, tears that he hasn't full let himself cry since he's seen Thjazi's body drop on the Gallows. But once they start he can't stop them, he can't stop feeling the loss so deep in his chest.
He stumbles out of bed, opening the window and taking deep sucking breaths in an attempt to make the hurting, the mourning, the grief to go away. The night air is cool outside, the breeze blows into the house, helping steady him a bit. Tears still flow but the pain lessens some, as much as its capable of.
Hal wants to go to the study, to curl up in bed next to Thaisha and for her to make everything feel safe. But the thought of Occtis sleeping in that room as well stops him. He ends up wandering the house listlessly, checking on Shadia before slipping downstairs and stopping in the dining room at the sight of his brother's body lying motionless on the dining table.
On top of his chest is Thimble, asleep and tucked into his neck. The candles on the table having long since burned out. Hal moves forward as quiet as possible, he kisses his fingers before brushing them against Thjazi's hairline.
"Sleep well my brother." He whispers, before making his way back upstairs to his bedroom.
The breeze still blows in from the open window. The house feels so still, so very quiet when it had been so full of people only a few hours prior. The tears have stopped, leaving Hal feeling just- hollow. He can't grasp at whatever, if any emotions live within him at this moment.
Exhausted, he slips back into bed and falls into a fast, dreamless sleep.