Fifty-One: Kuraĝon

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Kuraĝon

They left at night, as they usually did. They had refused temple horses, just as they had refused an escort. Kuraĝon knew that her brother had had a good argument with the priestess about that - mainly because she'd heard them, and the fact that he was still scowling. But he'd won.

Standing with Vakt, the big male leaning against her leg, she waited with her mare. She'd been surprised, and slightly pleased, to find that she'd been well taken care of. Soon, Aura emerged from the temple to the small inner courtyard, and one of the warriors brought her small mare out to her. The girl took the reins, and continued on her way, finally stopping in front of Kuraĝon.

The elf looked at her, taking in the mixture of fear and excitement in her eyes.

"Ready, Aura?" She couldn't stop her tone from being slightly bitter, and the girl flinched a little.

I'm sorry I'm coming. There were small tears threatening to overflow, and Kuraĝon sighed. She crouched, looking into the dark brown eyes.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, forcing her voice to stay friendly.

You don't want me to come. So you're not going to like me.

One tear spilt over, and Kuraĝon wiped it away gently.

"That's not true," she corrected softly. "It's going to be different, yes. I don't like change, and Ali knows that."

Then why are you both angry?

Kuraĝon sighed again. "We're not angry with you, Aura. Ali's annoyed because your mother wanted to give us the temple horses, and have the warriors ride with us."

He doesn't want them?

"No. We need to stay hidden. It's why we're leaving now, instead of in the morning."

But the warriors are loyal to my mother. They wouldn't tell anyone else.

"It's not that, Aura. We can't have them knowing where we live. It's too dangerous for us, and for the beastkins."

Why? I don't understand. You don't want me to come with you.

"No, sweetheart." Kuraĝon shifted her position, her legs starting to ache. She knelt in front of the girl. "Ali wants you to come. He's missed you all these years. You've changed him."

But I'd never seen him before the snows. I don't understand.

"I'll let Ali explain to you, Aura. I don't completely know what he did. But you're welcome to live with us. Neither of us is angry at you."

But you're acting angry.

"I know. I hate the temple, Aura. Like you. It makes me scared."

Slowly, the child nodded, and as Hunaja gambolled over, she patted the shaggy head. I don't want to stay here, she signed slowly. But if you don't want me, I'll stay.

"Nonsense, child. Of course we want you. You're a part of us, after all. You need to understand what we do."

Again, Aura nodded, her tears dry now. The flickering torch light played on her hair, the same as Kuraĝon's and Ailill's. It marked them as being of elfin heritage.

"Do you understand, Aura? Neither of us is angry at you, I promise."

Yes. It was simply said, but Kuraĝon nodded, rising to her feet.

All they were waiting for was her brother, and she wasn't sure if he was even coming. It was her secret fear - that he would want to stay and live with the priestess and Aura instead of everything going back to what it had been.

Finally, though, he appeared, Åska a second shadow. He barely looked at the warriors around the courtyard, his expression still dark. He took the reins of his stallion, mounting smoothly, and came over to them.

"Come on," he said shortly. "It's late enough."

Kuraĝon nodded, fastening her cloak. Aura did the same, struggling a little, but she refused help. Once the girl was mounted, Ailill sent his stallion clattering out of the courtyard. Fear spiked in Kuraĝon's throat, but she followed, keeping Aura between them. The three beastkins stayed with their chosen, keeping up easily.

They slipped through the sleeping city, unseen and unnoticed. At the gates of Highstone, they were stopped briefly, but one look at Aura, and the expression on Ailill's face, and they were let through. Kuraĝon gave a sigh of relief as the pressure that the walls put on her decreased, vanishing.

In front of her, she saw her brother's shoulders relaxing, releasing built up tension as he too felt the pressure decreasing.

Once they were under cover of the trees of Mutestep Wood, the warm night air brushing over and caressing their faces, Ailill slowed his stallion, turning around in his saddle.

"It's going to be dark, Stjärna," he said. "But you're safe, okay?"

The girl nodded, but Kuraĝon see the tension in her shoulders. Fear. She was scared, unsure of what she was going to do now, but she trusted them both.

If she didn't, she wouldn't have agreed to come.

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