Kaelis saw the heartbreak in Ezra's eyes, clear as day, and for once, he didn't make a joke out of it.
So, as unorthodox as it was, he carried Lior in his arms.
Almost immediately, Lior clung to him, his small hands gripping tightly onto his clothes, burying his face against him like he didn't want to see anything else.
'Poor kid. He's really shaken.'
Kaelis adjusted his hold slightly, careful not to jostle him too much.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Ezra move. Not toward them, but away.
Ezra forced himself to walk past, disappearing deeper into the trees, likely to hide behind one of the larger trunks.
Kaelis didn't call out to him.
He understood.
"He's gone," Kaelis whispered softly, one hand coming up to rest gently against Lior's back. "Do you want to go look at the lake for a bit before we head back?"
Lior didn't answer out loud.
But Kaelis felt the small nod against him.
