Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 20)

Tomhas stared at her, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I really don't understand. Like, at all."

That doesn’t surprise me. She managed to keep that to herself. She hesitated for a moment, actually thinking before she spoke for one of the first times in her life. “… That’s okay. I… don’t think you really have to understand it, honestly. Just evacuate people and your family and Ky and Ash and I can sort out the gods then let you know when it’s safe to come back.”

Tomhas stopped walking. "What?" He paused, clasping his hands, and closed his eyes for a second. "Okay. Sorry, I think I've missed something along the way. What in the world are you talking about?"

Jerica furrowed her brow at him. “When the gods wake up.” Why was he so slow? Gods. “You’re evacuating your territory to the East or the South so you don’t get crushed by stone trolls. Then you can come back when it’s calm.”

"I mean, yeah. But you keep talking about how you've got this covered, and now you're saying my brother and Ky will help out, and I genuinely don't understand. What are you talking about?"

Jerica looked at him dumbly. Or, maybe like he was dumb. "... We've got to be here to herald... did you just forget everything that's happened in the past month or...?" She was back to not thinking before she spoke. Oops.

"Herald?" He gave her a blank look.

(He wasn't told of this, right? Is Tomhas accidentally gaslighting Jerica or am I correct in recalling his being kept in the dark?)

(I'm honestly not sure at this point xD I think you are correct that they were wary to tell him because of his fragile mental health. But even if he was told, I think we could reasonably chock it up to him being in a bad headspace and not retaining it because depression screws with memories. So I'm good for this to be a genuine miscommunication with Tomhas not knowing and Jerica thinking he does ^^)

"Gods." Jerica rolled her eyes and looked at him impatiently. "You honestly expect me to believe big bubby didn't tell you about all this? Stop pretending to be dumb it's not funny. This is serious."

(Okay nice!
I feel like he knows Ky can see ghosts but that's like, it. I remember Gaius insisting they keep this on the DL)

Tomhas was growing increasingly agitated, wringing his hands. "Look. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry. But I'm genuinely in the dark--what is all this?"

(yeah that tracks ^^)

Jerica was getting progressively less patient with him. And she already didn't start out with much. "The gods need heralds when they wake up to tell people to get their shit together and act right. We're gonna herald so we'll know when everything's over and you can come back."

Tomhas shook his head again. "And you....decided you were gonna do this? The three of you are going to stay?"

"Yeah. Well. The gods decided we were gonna do it. And we've gotta travel up to their shrine thingy. But that'll be after the long night... I think. I dunno, Them'll tell me I think. But after you get everyone else evacuated."

"The gods are asleep," he protested. "And I was going to evacuate them anyway."

“…Okay?” Why was he arguing if they were agreeing? “Good.”

"But I'm not letting Ky stay here. It's foolishness--way too dangerous."