The Starlit Soul

The Elders

Something was moving outside of his tent. He wasn't sure what time it was or even what was going on – all he knew was that it was dark outside, and something was fiddling with his tent flap. A single thought flew into his sleep-addled mind as he rolled onto his feet, off of the pile of furs he used as bedding, and clenched his fists - danger. The tent flap opened and in a split second of hesitation, Lysander waited. Every instinct in his body screamed intruder – perhaps some beast coming for what it thought an easy meal – save for one, the one that prevented him from leaping at Sybella as she poked her head into Lysander's tent.

The two locked eyes in the darkness, Lysander's entire body tense and on edge as he struggled to lucidity, fighting the urge to leap on his sister.

"Um," she said, and that was enough to break Lysander's hesitation.

"What?" Lysander snapped, white-hot adrenaline pumping through his veins as he settled back down, forcing himself to relax. Maybe he'd spent too much time alone in the wilds, recently, if attack was his first response to his sister poking her head into his tent.

"Don't sleep there. It'll make you grumpy. Move your head three inches to the left," she said after a brief moment.

"That's what you woke me up to say? Gods above, Sybella," Lysander groaned, flopping back down onto his furs, limbs splayed out dramatically.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I didn't. And get up. It's almost light out, anyway, and you need to get a move on." She said. Lysander huffed and didn't move. "Mom's back." That got his attention and he poked his head up, cocking an eyebrow at her, not that she could see it in the darkness. The question of how she knew that bubbled on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it. With how sensitive she was to spirits and magic, it would be impossible for her to miss their mother's return.

Still...

"I don't want to," he whined, closing his eyes again. Even if Mom was back, sleep was sleep. Sybella huffed and didn't say anything else, but she didn't move either. He could feel her eyes on him, and for a while he stayed still out of pure stubbornness. Eventually, though, impatience won out. He was wide awake at this point – there would be no falling back asleep for a while yet. With a sigh he sat back up, scratching his chest and searching about for his pack. "Fine, I'll get up."

"Good," she said, and withdrew from the tent. At least she's in a better mood than yesterday. He figured, finding his pack beside a number of small clay pots he'd placed at the edge of his teepee. He didn't grab the entire thing – there was no need to, instead only pulling out the lizard's knife and putting on some pants. His claw necklace still hung from his neck; he rarely took it off anymore.

With a yawn he stretched, twisting this way and that until his back popped pleasantly, then slipped out of his teepee. It was only slightly cooler outside than in, and the sky was only just starting to turn grey as the sun rose. A few fires flickered from inside town, casting dancing orange lights on the mismatched homes therein. Sybella was waiting for him, standing with her back to the town, staring off in the direction of the mountains, and only turned to look at him once he stopped to stand beside her.

"Think if I wore a dreamcatcher like you wear those claws it'd help keep some of the visions away?" she mused, eyeing the necklace around Lysander's neck. He shrugged, toying with the knife almost absently – but being very careful not to break it. The blade was already loose enough. "What do you have there?" she asked innocently, and Lysander spun the lizard knife in his fingers with practiced ease.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied, just as innocently. Somewhere in the distance an owl hooted, and he hooted back, pointedly ignoring Sybella. He could practically hear her frown, and feel the curiosity radiating from her. His hand snapped around the handle of the knife mid-twirl, and casually stuck it into his leather belt, turning on his heel and yawning. "Think I'm going to eat some breakfast first, then I might head into town. See if Geovrick is hanging around the wrestling pit. What do you think?"