Brothers.

4

Two days. That's how long Josh hadn't shown his face around the palace. Gabe had spent half that time banging on his door but to no avail.

He and Father were eating breakfast when Josh danced into the hall.

He looked much better and he was even dressed in beautiful clothes. Black pants and a deep golden coat that hung past his shins. Josh sat down opposite Gabe and dug into the food, he didn't say anything about where he had been or what he had done.

"Feeling better, brother?"
Gabe looked at his brother suspiciously, but he smiled without even noticing. "Definitely, those two days of rest did me good."
He took a bite from the eggs.

Gabe didn't fall for his facade nor did Father. Josh was a master in a misleading one, but his family knew him.
"Boy, you don't have to pretend in front of us, we're here for you," Josh drank from his wine and then ate a rasher of bacon, but he didn't answer Father. Gabe shared a worried glance with his father, something wasn't right.

Josh ate on as if nothing was said or asked, but after a while, he stopped. Josh looked at them and laughed lightly,
"I am fine, believe me!"
"What about your w-"
"You won't say another word, Gabe,"
Josh looked at Gabe, his eyes void of the previous glee. He knew he had stepped on dangerous turf now and if he was to misstep all would be lost.

"What are you talking about, boys?"
Father looked at his two sons, confused. Gabe had yet to tell him about Josh and his wings because Josh had asked him not to and Gabe would never betray his brother's trust.

"Nothing, Father, Gabe was about to pull a joke on me and he knows it is a secret between us," he warned Gabe with his eyes and Gabe got the message clearly. Say another word and a dagger in your chest would feel like a vacation.

Father looked at Gabe and asked if this was true. Gabe replied with a smiling nod, then he turned to Josh again. His brother returned his smile, but it was not as friendly as a moment ago, "Say, Josh, my friends and I are going to Bleak Wench tonight, you want to come along?"

Gabe usually didn't invite Josh to get-togethers like this since his brother didn't ever go if he asked, but now he felt that Josh needed to get away from the palace for a bit to forget about whatever was haunting him. He knew that his friends wouldn't be all too happy about it, but Gabe loved his brother more than anyone or anything else.

Josh looked at him, fork in hand, "I would be glad to!"
He stood up, excused himself and left. Father looked at his fading silhouette, "I wish I could just understand an ounce of his being." He shook his head and also left, leaving Gabe to himself. He shrugged his shoulders and continued eating.

After breakfast, Gabe found Bill outside the palace. He was talking to a few soldiers but sent them away when Gabe approached.

"Gabe, how is Josh? Has he finally shown his face?"

"Yes, at breakfast," he stood with his hands on his hips and sternly looked at Bill, "that's why I came to see you now while both of us have things to do. I invited him to come with us tonight and he agreed."

***

"Come on closer, boys," Micheal commanded them.

Micheal's two sons approached him. One with an open, happy face, the other somber. Gabe bowed in front of the king, "Father, you asked for us?"

"I called you, Gabe, to thank you for the leadership skills you showed during the mission," he kept his eyes on Gabe, "Though we did not have a chance to find out more due to certain delays, " now he quickly glanced at Josh, "we did discover that the maligan are not extinct. Good job!"