The sway of the ship was slowly making Leih feel sick beyond reason. She missed being able to use aether, yet she had no option but take the long routes to anywhere she went. Giving up on a swift recovery and not wanting to disturb Ilan, she moved under the deck to curl up for a nap until they arrived to their destination.
Closing her eyes, she drifted into sleep almost immediately...
The two young Miqo'te curled up closer in a corner of the street, the older white haired girl letting the younger brunette boy sleep against her shoulder. Her red and green eyes watched as the surviving soldiers walked into the city of Ul'dah. It was a strange combination of joy and dread as the survivors met with their families, while the dead were mourned. She did not need any confirmation to know the truth. Looking down at the boy at her side she knew they were alone. Her arm tightened around him.Â
She saw various other children, some of them she knew, run to their fathers, brothers and uncles. Her mind went to the man that had lovingly raised her and later on accepted the boy at her side as family. Not -her- older brother, -their- older brother was dead. Somehow she knew since the day she had saw in horror the 'Calamity' as everyone called it. She felt jealousy at the happy and relieved faces around her. And though she knew there were many others mourning, she had no sympathy for them. All she could think was that now the boy and her were alone.
"Sister?" She heard the small boy call her sleepily.
Quickly her frown turn into a smile as she looked down. "Hey, O'yhuh! Sorry, it might be hard to sleep with all the noise. Want to go somewhere quiet?"
The young male Miqo'te shook his head. "Not until Brother arrives. He will come back... right?"
She wanted to tell him the truth bluntly, but the moment she saw his eyes filled with tears her heart broke.
"Of course. He's just late... Probably overslept..." She lied, keeping her smile just for his sake.
O'yhuh nodded and curled up at her side to sleep.
Leih opened her eyes, tears drying on her face. It had been so long since she had dreamed of the past. It wasn't bad, but certainly it wasn't good either. She shook her head, curling back up in the bed roll to sleep.Â
Days in the street turned into weeks and weeks into months. Her sole focus was in keeping O'yhuh alive. Even her own survival was unimportant at this point. That was the reason she was now unable to move, pressed against a wall waiting to die of hunger. She had given her own meals to her younger adoptive brother and the children he kept bringing way too many times.
She was about to pass out, finally accepting her fate, when she saw a hand in front of her. It had to be her imagination... right?
"Hey, are you okay?" A male voice asked, the hand moving to rest against her cheek. "You look so pale... when was the last time you ate something?"
She felt as someone picked her up with ease, not that she was in any way heavy, and walked with her in arms.Â
"Don't die on me, you hear?"
Whoever was carrying her had a strange foreign accent and it made her worried. What if he took her away from the city to harm her? Who would care for O'yhuh and the other orphans?
They came to a stop and she was softly laid down against a wall, though unlike before she had some protection from the sun. She finally was able to see who had carried her. It was a Hyur boy, maybe a couple of years older, with dark hair and blue eyes. He covered his forehead with a bandana, but otherwise seemed well dressed.Â
The boy had sat in front of her with a bowl of some sort of soup and tried feeding her. "I promise it's not poisoned. You need to eat, right?"
She forgot in that moment any common sense and simply ate, never feeling better in her life. After she finished, the boy sat at her side, patting her head softly.
"Atta girl. I'm Neo. What's your name?"
"... Leih..." She mumbled, unsure how to respond to someone patting her as if she was some sort of pet.
Neo smiled. "Don't give up. Things will get better... eventually."
The Miqo'te blinked and smiled, though there was nothing real in the smile. "I know!"
The boy frowned, flicking her forehead. "I'm serious. You know, you don't have to act happy if you don't feel happy."
Blinking at his words, Leih was at loss of any of her own.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you, alright? It's the least I can do..."
Leih groaned in annoyance, giving up in her attempts to sleep. Clearly after many years, her past suddenly wanted to constantly remind her of memories she tried to forget as much as possible.Â
She walked back out into the deck, noticing the night sky. Ilan was most likely asleep, as well as any sailor she could talk to. She found a spot where she could sit and just stare at the stars.Â
"Hey Leih, let's get married?" A nineteen years old Neo asked a sixteen years old Leih.
The Miqo'te raised her ears. "What? Are you drinking again with that Elezen? I told you, you are a lightweight."
"Not that! I mean it. When we're both a bit older. Or well, when you are older. Let's get married, get a big house and adopt all the other orphans."
"And where would we get the money, oh great thinker of thinkers?" Leih chuckled.
Neo grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest and hugging her tightly. "Somewhere. Stop worrying so much. It's my job to take care of you, anyway."
Despite the years that have passed from his death, Leih could still remember how warm and safe she felt in his arms.
"You were always an idiot..." She murmured, noticing a shooting star. "I wish... I wish I could just blurt out my emotions just like you, Neo... I wish you were here to teach me..."
Closing her eyes, she drifted into sleep almost immediately...
The two young Miqo'te curled up closer in a corner of the street, the older white haired girl letting the younger brunette boy sleep against her shoulder. Her red and green eyes watched as the surviving soldiers walked into the city of Ul'dah. It was a strange combination of joy and dread as the survivors met with their families, while the dead were mourned. She did not need any confirmation to know the truth. Looking down at the boy at her side she knew they were alone. Her arm tightened around him.Â
She saw various other children, some of them she knew, run to their fathers, brothers and uncles. Her mind went to the man that had lovingly raised her and later on accepted the boy at her side as family. Not -her- older brother, -their- older brother was dead. Somehow she knew since the day she had saw in horror the 'Calamity' as everyone called it. She felt jealousy at the happy and relieved faces around her. And though she knew there were many others mourning, she had no sympathy for them. All she could think was that now the boy and her were alone.
"Sister?" She heard the small boy call her sleepily.
Quickly her frown turn into a smile as she looked down. "Hey, O'yhuh! Sorry, it might be hard to sleep with all the noise. Want to go somewhere quiet?"
The young male Miqo'te shook his head. "Not until Brother arrives. He will come back... right?"
She wanted to tell him the truth bluntly, but the moment she saw his eyes filled with tears her heart broke.
"Of course. He's just late... Probably overslept..." She lied, keeping her smile just for his sake.
O'yhuh nodded and curled up at her side to sleep.
Leih opened her eyes, tears drying on her face. It had been so long since she had dreamed of the past. It wasn't bad, but certainly it wasn't good either. She shook her head, curling back up in the bed roll to sleep.Â
Days in the street turned into weeks and weeks into months. Her sole focus was in keeping O'yhuh alive. Even her own survival was unimportant at this point. That was the reason she was now unable to move, pressed against a wall waiting to die of hunger. She had given her own meals to her younger adoptive brother and the children he kept bringing way too many times.
She was about to pass out, finally accepting her fate, when she saw a hand in front of her. It had to be her imagination... right?
"Hey, are you okay?" A male voice asked, the hand moving to rest against her cheek. "You look so pale... when was the last time you ate something?"
She felt as someone picked her up with ease, not that she was in any way heavy, and walked with her in arms.Â
"Don't die on me, you hear?"
Whoever was carrying her had a strange foreign accent and it made her worried. What if he took her away from the city to harm her? Who would care for O'yhuh and the other orphans?
They came to a stop and she was softly laid down against a wall, though unlike before she had some protection from the sun. She finally was able to see who had carried her. It was a Hyur boy, maybe a couple of years older, with dark hair and blue eyes. He covered his forehead with a bandana, but otherwise seemed well dressed.Â
The boy had sat in front of her with a bowl of some sort of soup and tried feeding her. "I promise it's not poisoned. You need to eat, right?"
She forgot in that moment any common sense and simply ate, never feeling better in her life. After she finished, the boy sat at her side, patting her head softly.
"Atta girl. I'm Neo. What's your name?"
"... Leih..." She mumbled, unsure how to respond to someone patting her as if she was some sort of pet.
Neo smiled. "Don't give up. Things will get better... eventually."
The Miqo'te blinked and smiled, though there was nothing real in the smile. "I know!"
The boy frowned, flicking her forehead. "I'm serious. You know, you don't have to act happy if you don't feel happy."
Blinking at his words, Leih was at loss of any of her own.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you, alright? It's the least I can do..."
Leih groaned in annoyance, giving up in her attempts to sleep. Clearly after many years, her past suddenly wanted to constantly remind her of memories she tried to forget as much as possible.Â
She walked back out into the deck, noticing the night sky. Ilan was most likely asleep, as well as any sailor she could talk to. She found a spot where she could sit and just stare at the stars.Â
"Hey Leih, let's get married?" A nineteen years old Neo asked a sixteen years old Leih.
The Miqo'te raised her ears. "What? Are you drinking again with that Elezen? I told you, you are a lightweight."
"Not that! I mean it. When we're both a bit older. Or well, when you are older. Let's get married, get a big house and adopt all the other orphans."
"And where would we get the money, oh great thinker of thinkers?" Leih chuckled.
Neo grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest and hugging her tightly. "Somewhere. Stop worrying so much. It's my job to take care of you, anyway."
Despite the years that have passed from his death, Leih could still remember how warm and safe she felt in his arms.
"You were always an idiot..." She murmured, noticing a shooting star. "I wish... I wish I could just blurt out my emotions just like you, Neo... I wish you were here to teach me..."