Mage

Tertia

I always thought nothing could separate my brother and Rinn's friendship, but after every meeting with the high council, they seemed at odds with one another. I normally don't like to get in between their boy fights, but it got to the point where whenever Rinn was over he would just talk to me and not Adrian, and I could see how annoyed and hurt my brother was becoming.

"Rinn?" I asked, guiding my magic paintbrush down onto the towel beside me.

"Hm?" he asked, keeping his eyes down on the giant canvas we had been painting together, focusing on the leaf he was on.

"What's going on between you and Adrian?" He looked up at me but didn't say anything. "It's just, you guys are really close and lately it's like you're not even talking, what's that all about?"

Rinn sighed, "Esca, you wouldn't understand," he mumbled dismissively, resuming the painting.

"I wouldn't understand?" I asked, trying to withhold my outrage, "Rinn we're the same age, and who exactly has been here for you this entire time? Even with all the disagreements between you two, I've been making sure you were ok, and Adrian is my brother... Besides, you can't shut out both of us," I sighed, glancing down at my paintbrush, rolling it around aimlessly with a flick of my finger.

"Please just explain to me what's going on. I can't stand the coldness between you two," I added, my voice calmer this time.

He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye, "The war is getting worse, Esca, these meetings with the High Council... well, everything's all messed up, and I have a solution for ending everything, for good, but about half the council disagrees, including your parents and Adrian."

"Ok, way to be vague. Just explain to me what's going on. I have every right to know, and if I didn't have two older siblings to steal the only council seats my parents can provide then I would be there anyway," I urged, and after a moment he set down his brush.

"What if my mom gave you a council seat? Since Arabelle... the study seat behind her is empty. You're a close family friend, it's not like anyone would care. Besides half of your family is in the council anyway."

His response didn't sit very well in my stomach, "Rinn, of course, I accept the offer, I would love to sit in on a council meeting, but that's not changing the fact that you're barely talking to me about it, and you haven't spoken a word to Adrian in like a week."

He flung his hands up in exasperation, causing his paintbrush to flip around in midair and splatter the waterfall I'd done with dark green paint. "Look, it's not that I don't want to talk to you, or tell you what's going on, it's just," his voice rose in volume, "I don't want to tell you myself and then it sounds horrible and then you think less of me, I've already lost one best friend I can't have you turning your back on me!"

"Rinn, why would I turn my back on you?! We've been friends our entire lives, and I'm here for you still, do you even hear what you're saying?" I asked him, following him to a standing position.

"Esca," he put his face in his hands and rubbed them down his cheeks, taking a deep breath. His voice was calmer now, "I just ruined our painting. I've ruined how someone I consider my brother sees me, and for what? Making the hard decision no one else wants to make?"

I cleared the few steps of distance between us and placed my hands squarely on his shoulders, "Ok Mr. Dramatic, stop dancing around the subject and talk. to. me."

His shoulders slumped in defeat and he averted his gaze. "There's a spell in your parents' spellbook that has the ability to completely ice over an entire city." He took a deep breath, squeezing his hands together, "This war, it's getting worse, we keep drafting our best and brightest into battle and we're losing not just mages but prosaics, people of our country who can't even use magical means to fight and protect themselves, and they're getting slaughtered out there. Ninevah has no intention of surrendering soon, their numbers are greater than ours when it's all said and done, and they're willing to sacrifice more and more of their people. They won't stop until they take all of Ardmore's tomes, including your parents' spellbook."

He was looking at me now, "We need to make the hard decision to level one of their towns, and I know that makes me sound like a terrible person, but if we do it strategically, we could severely weaken their resources, supply lines, and the knowledge that we have the power to do it again if we wanted, that could be enough to make them surrender, it would end the war so much faster. Imagine all the Ardmorian lives we'd be saving. And, by ending the war faster, we'd be sparing who knows how many Ninevans," by the end of his speech he was breathless, looking at me with desperation.

I've never believed in good and bad per se, more differing views on how the world should work, I could see where Rinn was coming from in using this ice spell, I can see how it's almost merciful. I can also see the other side, where my brother would see his train of thought as something dark, something evil. Sometimes we try our best and things end up worse in the end. With this situation, either solution could be seen as good, but at the end of the day, which one will cost more? To either side?

Rinn has lost so much already, with Arabelle... I don't know that he's entirely in the right mindset to be taking this onto himself, even if it is ultimately the right decision for the country. Why does he think he has to bear the burden?

I must have been quiet for too long because Rinn had taken my hands in his and looked down at them. "Please say something Esca.."

I could feel his fear, it was so thick, it almost felt tangible, or maybe that was the unease tiring in the pit of my stomach. But despite his plea, I didn't say anything. Instead, I pulled him down into a hug and after a few moments, I could feel his breathing shake, as something hot silently dripped onto my shoulder.

I held him for a long time, I didn't really want to let him go, and I know he didn't really like crying in front of people so I let him get it all out.

"I will support you on this ok?" I said, squeezing him a little tighter. He nodded.