faibrus

Cloth rippled around him as he lifted his face felling the chill caress his cheek, finger his hair. The voices carried to him faintly with the caress. Regret washed over him. His peace, his quiet, would soon come to an end as the light began to stir through the trees. The nip to the air stirred his blood enlivening his spirit. At least he would meet the broken peace with relish and a strong mischievous gusto. This new power, this gift of Luna, filled him with a new lightheartedness and sense of power. The fear, the sheer need to survive, that has so long waited underneath each move and decision dissolved more and more each night he basked in the silver light of Luna's blessing. Spreading arms as if they were wings he leapt into the air. Using branches from the towering trees he lent height to the leap until he burst the canopy twisting into emptiness only to pause and flip diving as though a falcon back toward the green carpet below. upon reaching the lower branches, only feet away from impact, legs folded around the nearest tree's reach flipping his bocy in an arc to land with grace upon his bare feet. A small smile tugged at masculine lips and eyes crinkled giving vision to the impishness beneath. On quiet feet he made his way back to his companions, ready to face what might come.  

Just the thought of my sister's possible betrayal froze the warmth in me. I know to some she appears to only be a bundle of curious energy that ends in trouble but to me she is more.  I grew up knowing there were very few whom I could trust. Alliances change frequently and sometimes swiftly in the Jet Court. I hear tales it does in many of the others as well. Fortunately for me I've had Riliash, my twin brother, as an unwavering ally and confidant. Lilya has not been as fortunate. Riliash and I were sent away on various errands during her much younger years and we were unable to spend as much time with her as either of us would have liked. I see her fondness for me and it warms me. It keeps the ice of indifference at bay.  Sometimes when she shows me a new thing she has learned I want to grin but I am her elder and so commend her sticking to the stoicism of an elder brother. The more time I spend with her away from court the fonder I grow of her.  Without the necessity of a constant mask or part to play I know I can be more myself. I think that in turn has allowed me to feel more for those dear to me. 
I miss Riliash. He is the sounding board of my heart and soul. As children we used to make up mock stories to the ones told in court (of course we did it in secret). We would have the teller of one falling over his tongue as it curled into tiny ribbons and the teller of another's feet would start to become invisible moving up her body until only her mouth and eyes were showing. Sometimes we would change the ending of the story making it vanish all together or have water seep in from below or some unexpected twist. We would tell them until neither could speak anymore from the laughter flowing from us. The same place that shared our laughter shared our fear in the many wakes of our mother's fury. It didn't matter if it was aimed at us or another...it was better to ride them out elsewhere. Looking back now I'm uncertain if anyone else knew  our secret place, I am only glad I thought no one knew at the time. It made our place feel more safe and ourselves more free. .......(to be continued)