She crept into his lodge, carefully avoiding the scattered minutiae of his life. He lay curled on his side, his face lax in sleep, his blanket half kicked off. She smiled, kneeling next to his pallet, watching him with a slightly cocked head. He sighed deeply, shifting briefly before resettling into his dreams. She placed a gentle hand on his head, running her fingers through his thick mop of hair, then slowly began stroking his ear. She grinned a bit more as it twitched and his eyes sprang open. His smile reflected hers as he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.
"Kyiah... what-"
"Five suns, Kyrin. Prepare yourself."
"I don't understand..."
"Garin." She leaned closer, resting her forehead against his as she gazed into his eyes. Her voice dropped to a barely discernible whisper. "Beware the dust. I have made you a potion and soaked a cactaur pad in it to counteract his poison. Place the pad in the side of your mouth and bite it when he strikes. Have the potion near you to drink at the end." She paused, then smiled, her voice still soft. "You are Apah's heir..."
She placed her palm on his cheek. "You, not Garin, and Zakh will lead this Sept."
A trace of a smile touched his lips as he dropped his gaze, then met her eyes again. "And what of you, my sister?"
She smiled, running her thumb along the markings along his cheekbone. "My path lies away from here."
Kyrin jerked back a bit, his voice rising slightly. "Away?"
She nodded once, looking back into his eyes. "I have dreamed it."
"So you have been dreaming..." his brow furrowed slightly.
She hesitated, then nodded, rolling away to stare up at the stars through the flap in the roof. "Both waking and at rest. Glimpses, sensations..." She swallowed, "But not of here."
"Kyiah-"
She looked at him, placing her fingers over his mouth. "No. You know as well as I do that I do not belong here. Father trained us both. I was never meant to be a breeder. At least, not right now. He knew that," she smiled faintly. "He always knew. As does Ypah..."
He frowned, turning and grabbing her around the waist, pulling her against him. "I don't want you to go."
She smiled, leaning up to kiss his nose. "I know. But you'll have more than you can handle here when you are Nuhn."
"I'll miss you."
She smiled. "I'll miss you too. We have always done everything together, hm? We have always had each other... But in this, our paths diverge."
He sighed, resting his head back against his pallet again. "When will you go?"
"My chocobo is ready. All I have left is to say goodbye to you."
His eyes met hers, then closed. "Where will you go?"
"Ul'dah. Then catch a ship to Gridania."
He jerked, swallowing. "Why so far, Aya?" His voice sounded breathless and weak.
"My dream..." she whispered, her own voice catching in her throat. She cleared it.
"My dream is o-of green forests and whispering trees... and faces in shadow that I must meet."
He suddenly hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. He sucked in a deep breath, then let it out after a moment. "You will return though?"
She laughed, though her heart ached. "Of course I will."
She paused, then said softer, stroking his back, blinking back tears. "Of course I will, Ryn."
He looked up, meeting her eyes. A smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he gently brushed away an errant tear. "And you will be safe?"
She arched her eyebrow, laughing once to cover her discomfort at being caught. "I can't promise that, but I will do my best and I will return to see T'Kyrin Nuhn. So don't screw it up, hm?"
He flashed her a grin, then nodded once, his eyes somber. "Just remember: I love you, Aya. No matter where you go, or what you do, I am here an- and I will always be here."
She smiled, the emotion choking her momentarily. She swallowed again, feeling the tears burning her eyes again, but this time, she didn't mind. She smiled brushing away tear as it ran down the corner of his eye.
"Until we meet again," he said softly.
She nodded. "Until then, Ryn. I love you too."
_____
Lest anyone think dark thoughts, this is not GoT & they are not Lannisters. As twins, they are just close in the natural way of two that grew up doing everything together.
"Kyiah... what-"
"Five suns, Kyrin. Prepare yourself."
"I don't understand..."
"Garin." She leaned closer, resting her forehead against his as she gazed into his eyes. Her voice dropped to a barely discernible whisper. "Beware the dust. I have made you a potion and soaked a cactaur pad in it to counteract his poison. Place the pad in the side of your mouth and bite it when he strikes. Have the potion near you to drink at the end." She paused, then smiled, her voice still soft. "You are Apah's heir..."
She placed her palm on his cheek. "You, not Garin, and Zakh will lead this Sept."
A trace of a smile touched his lips as he dropped his gaze, then met her eyes again. "And what of you, my sister?"
She smiled, running her thumb along the markings along his cheekbone. "My path lies away from here."
Kyrin jerked back a bit, his voice rising slightly. "Away?"
She nodded once, looking back into his eyes. "I have dreamed it."
"So you have been dreaming..." his brow furrowed slightly.
She hesitated, then nodded, rolling away to stare up at the stars through the flap in the roof. "Both waking and at rest. Glimpses, sensations..." She swallowed, "But not of here."
"Kyiah-"
She looked at him, placing her fingers over his mouth. "No. You know as well as I do that I do not belong here. Father trained us both. I was never meant to be a breeder. At least, not right now. He knew that," she smiled faintly. "He always knew. As does Ypah..."
He frowned, turning and grabbing her around the waist, pulling her against him. "I don't want you to go."
She smiled, leaning up to kiss his nose. "I know. But you'll have more than you can handle here when you are Nuhn."
"I'll miss you."
She smiled. "I'll miss you too. We have always done everything together, hm? We have always had each other... But in this, our paths diverge."
He sighed, resting his head back against his pallet again. "When will you go?"
"My chocobo is ready. All I have left is to say goodbye to you."
His eyes met hers, then closed. "Where will you go?"
"Ul'dah. Then catch a ship to Gridania."
He jerked, swallowing. "Why so far, Aya?" His voice sounded breathless and weak.
"My dream..." she whispered, her own voice catching in her throat. She cleared it.
"My dream is o-of green forests and whispering trees... and faces in shadow that I must meet."
He suddenly hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. He sucked in a deep breath, then let it out after a moment. "You will return though?"
She laughed, though her heart ached. "Of course I will."
She paused, then said softer, stroking his back, blinking back tears. "Of course I will, Ryn."
He looked up, meeting her eyes. A smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he gently brushed away an errant tear. "And you will be safe?"
She arched her eyebrow, laughing once to cover her discomfort at being caught. "I can't promise that, but I will do my best and I will return to see T'Kyrin Nuhn. So don't screw it up, hm?"
He flashed her a grin, then nodded once, his eyes somber. "Just remember: I love you, Aya. No matter where you go, or what you do, I am here an- and I will always be here."
She smiled, the emotion choking her momentarily. She swallowed again, feeling the tears burning her eyes again, but this time, she didn't mind. She smiled brushing away tear as it ran down the corner of his eye.
"Until we meet again," he said softly.
She nodded. "Until then, Ryn. I love you too."
_____
Lest anyone think dark thoughts, this is not GoT & they are not Lannisters. As twins, they are just close in the natural way of two that grew up doing everything together.
