The smell of winter wafted through the forest. It was a fresh, clean, pure scent. Untainted, snow fell lazily from the sky. A thick blanket of white lay over everything, tucking it away from the world for a time. Thin little icicles swayed gently, clinging to the branches as the soft wind blew through the trees. Little birds in flight stood out in great contrast with the fully white wirld. Ruby cardinals, yellow finches, it was amazing these birds stuck around, but the sight did not go unappreciated. Standing at the top of a small hill was a woman. A smile rested easily on her features as if she had been born that way. She wore a cloak, but the hood was down revealing thick amber waves of hair cascading over her shoulders. Snow dotted the top of her head as if it were a garnishing attempt. In fact, she looked quite peaceful just standing there. She stood still for so long that one might begin to believe that she was a very detailed statue, but eventually she creaked her joints back into motion. The woman's strides were long, but her steps light. Only because of the pliability of the snow did her footprints show. With a light toss of her hair, the woman made her way towards the ancient cathedral in the distance. This place had always intrigued her. A strong sense of curiousity was apparent in her golden emerald eyes.

Meera breathed easily, air clouding out in front of her. Though it was cold out, that did not automatically make the weather unbearable. Besides, Meera had on her cloak. She was warm enough. Like a child, as she was walking, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth catching snowflakes in it. They melted instantly on her tongue and didn't even make a dent in satisfying any thirst that Meera might have had, but the fun never ceased to amuse her. Craning her neck back down, a slight skip built into her step. Snow fluttered up around her, upturned by the flick of her heels. She appeared to have a faint glow around her, but it was only the percipitation. Finally feeling a bit exerted, Meera slowed her skipping pace. In front of her loomed the old crumbling cathedral. This was her original perogative for coming into these woods in winter. Normally, she would have stayed within the Norwood forest, but this cathedral...she had to see it. Not many had spoken about it, it really wasn't that big of a deal to the native people, and yet Meera was intrigued. Something such a piece of history had to have something interesting in it. Immedietely upon setting foot on what she would consider the sacred territory, Meera's fun stopped short. She still had an amused and curious smile on her face, but no more would she skip and kick up snow. It was only considerate to show respect. What right did Meera have to mess anything up if this structure had strained through the trials of time?

As Meera approached the wall, her hand hesitantly reached out in front of her. What her fingers met was cold stone. It was smooth, worn down by winds, but still rough in some places where time had not been so kind and weak parts had fallen away. As soon as Meera passed through the doorway, Meera's strides shortened considerably and she slowed. Her head tilted back as she tried to take in everything at once. Every detail told a story. What had happened, who had made it, who had visited. Meera walked straight down the aisle, hand trapsing over random pews as she passed. Her head remained swivelling around and around, revelling in the silence and simply soaking up the thought that she was here. Sure, she had walked through an entire city of crumbled down buildings, but this one took the cake. The colored glass was almost completely gone, but precious few pieces lay scattered about. Spotting one, Meera crouched down. Whiping a bit of the snow off of it, she pullled out a small shard of blue-green glass. Smiling, Meera straightened back up and tucked the glass into the bodice of her vest. She took her final steps up to the front of the cathedral and stood on the steps. With a mischevious glint in her eyes, Meera tilted her head back, raised her arms above her head and unfurled her wings out to their entire span. Face towards the heavens, Meera took in the sun and snow, enjoying who she was. There was no one that could change that. Nothing in this world.

Tilting her head back down, Meera felt a bit silly. Who was she to do that? She was the goddess of water, but there was no real need. Shaking her head, Meera curled her wings back in and stepped down back into the aisle. At least no one had been there to see it. The thought was only there to linger in the back of her mind, for debate at another time. Reaching up to her chest, Meera gently felt for the piece of glass. Just touching it felt comforting. Everything was fine. Sliding down one aisle of pews, Meera gently brushed off some snow so she could sit. Well aware of how old they were, she first gently applied some pressure with her hand. Only when she was assured that the bench would not give, did Meera sit. She leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. A relaxed grin played on her features, but she was deep in thought now about many things. Aiden...Varonen...being a goddess...meeting new people...Oh her life was allright right now. She had nothing to complain about. There were people far worse off. And plus, everything seemed pretty good. It had just been a while since she'd seen the ones she loved and cared about. She needed to know that they were still here. That they still cared about her. That she wasn't really as alone in this world as she felt.

((OOC: Not very good, but meh I'm rusty. =P ))

Time had been good to him these past couple of months, but he wasn’t so sure about his sister. Sure, he knew her to be a strong woman, regardless of how frail she seemed at times. Still, worry would not cease until he was certain that she was well. But that would have to wait, at least until he was truly ready to meet her again. Oh how he longed to tell her his exploits and even show her the surprise he had been working so hard to achieve for her. There was only one problem; he wasn’t quite sure how to even begin to talk to her.

As his eyes eased open, they ventured upwards and to the grey clouds that loomed overhead. Oh how the snow brought back memories of his childhood. The days when nothing mattered; other than creaming the other kids with a barrage of snowballs. Those were the days that he had missed the most and the days that he wished he could take back again. Unfortunately, something like that was improbable and by far inconceivable.

While the snow continued to flutter downwards from the clouds above, a few stray flakes would land against his heated flesh, before melting into nothingness. It felt good to get outside and to take in a breath of fresh air. It was far too long that he had remained cooped up like some sort of caged animal, unable to free himself from the binds of his work. Now it seemed that he had all the time in the world to do the things he so richly yearned for. Perhaps now he could start a family, meet a nice woman and settle down to have children. A soft smile graced his lips as he stewed over the thoughts for a moment, thinking of the old man from the bar some time ago.

“Oh, don’t give me that garbage, I’m sure you’ll meet a nice woman to settle down with. Hell, I’m even sure that you’ve found a couple of them already, but just haven’t realized it yet. See, what you need to do is take the past and put it as far behind you as you can, because that’s not important right now. What’s important is having kids to carry on your legacy, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want miniature versions of themselves running around, creating all sorts of mayhem and driving you insane on a daily basis? It’s fun to be a parent and I’m sure you’d make a good one, just don’t let the past talk you out of it. Sure you’ve been hurt, but that doesn’t mean you have to be afraid, go out and live a little and pretty soon you’ll find her. When the time’s right of course.”

Musing silently to himself over the whole thought, he would turn his attention back the ruins that surrounded him. This wasn’t exactly his idea of a vacation, but it would have to do for now. He needed to get away, to take some time to think for himself rather than others. And this place was the perfect place to get away from everyone and everything, even if it was only for a day’s time.

Scanning his surroundings for a moment, his eyes befell upon one of the structures a good distance off. At first glance it had looked like some sort of church, but its shattered exterior made it somewhat hard to distinguish at first glance. Shrugging his shoulders, he would push forward in a slow methodical pace, listening to the soft crunching sound as the snow compacted beneath the weight of his feet, leaving a trail in his wake. This place was like something straight out a war scene, it was something he heard all too much about. Though, he wasn’t so sure that this was the same case, simply because the buildings looked rotten and worn down by the onslaught of mother nature. Some buildings however remained in contact with the exception of their roofs and windows.

Upon approaching the massive edifice before him, his eyes traced along its exterior, taking in the big massive window that one stood proud above the large doorway bellow. No longer would it have that glory as it was stripped from its colorful glass so long ago, but now it would serve as a reminder of a long forgotten past. Peeling his eyes from the large window, he proceeded in making his way into the large building. Pausing just at the threshold, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimly lit interior of the cathedral. As he looked around though, he noticed just how well time has treated this age old structure. Rotten pews seemed to litter the aisles, sections of the roof came falling, the altar broken from its integrity, and lastly the stained glass windows laid shattered across the ground. Truly it was a sight to behold, but through all of its dismay, it still remained strong and rigid. Then something caught his eye, at first it looked like a person, but what kind of person would venture out to a place such as this? Then again….He was out here, afterall. Keeping his wings folded around him like some sort of white elegant cloak, he moved a single hand down to the hilt of his katana where it would come to a rest. Cautiously he began to move forward, taking grave consideration to the objects on the ground that could possible signify his presence. As he made his way down the aisle, he would soon come to a halt just a pew behind the woman. Though he would make no signs of letting her known of his presence, at least until his free hand curled into a fist and moved towards the pew beside him where it would hover for the time being. Then in three solid movements his knuckles would come crashing against the hard wood of the pew, sending three loud knocks out into the spacious cathedral. He knew he would more the less scare her, but he was ready if she decided to lash out against him, but he was most certain that she wouldn’t. For he had an idea of who this woman was now that he actually got a good look at her. It really didn’t take much to tell him that this was indeed his beloved sister, but the real question came as how she would react…

Meera felt the other's presence long before she heard or saw him. Her feet absently dangled in the snow on the ground. The icy water that made up snow, allowed Meera to have just the same control over it as she might over her own element in its liquid form. With just that small connection to the snow in the cathedral, Meera could sense everything within 50 feet of her. At first all she felt were small tingles up her back as little animals loped along in the hopes of running away, or hunting for food. Meera knew a human, or at least a humanoid, was approaching because the moment the person stepped with in her extent of sensitivity, A large jolt ran up her spine. It wasn't a painful jolt, nor was it one of coldness. It was just a shiver. Meera sat up straight in her pew and immedietly her own hand dropped down to her sword. She managed to keep one foot stretched out so that she maintained contact with the snow and was able to follow the person's progress towards her and the almost empty remains of the Cathedral. Eager to know wether this person meant her harm or not, Meera's thoughts quickly reached out towards the animals in the surrounding forest area. She connected first with a fox who was making its way back home. The fox paused for a moment, allowing Meera open access into its memory. Meera easily saw the hazy image of a man walking towards the Cathedral. The fox hadn't really concentrated on who the person was, and plus, he had been far away. Meera could not see a face, but she saw the lazy nonchalant pace of the steps and the fact that he did not appear to have any malicious intent. Knowing that she could not simply trust this first instinct, Meera floated over to a birds mind. The bird eagerly chatted with her, telling her a vivid description of the man it had seen.

Meera's eyes narrowed as she made a small connnection with the bird's description. There was only one person she knew who was like that, but yet she was not certain that it wasn't someone she hadn't met in Imythess yet. Pulling back into her own mind, Meera sensed the man's approach. His uncaring steps from before had turned quieter. If it weren't for Meera's sensitive elven ears, she might have missed them alltogether. She was a little suprised when she felt the man's approach stop. It was only when the man rapped his knuckes on the pew, that Meera fully understood how intent she had been on listening to his approach. Her whole body flinched at the intrusive noise as it dove deep into her head. Meera did not turn around yet though. Something within her said she knew who it was. It was her dear brother Varonen. Meera was willing to take the chance that it was him, and risk terribly scaring a stranger. With deft, feline like grace, Meera jumped up off the pew and spun around to tackle Varonen to the ground. A wide smile was on her face as she realized thankfully that it really WAS Varonen mid-leap. Her white wings spread wide to encompass her brother along with her arms. She planted a big kiss on his cheek and said "Hey you! Fancy meeting you here!" Folding her wings back at her sides, Meera stood up. She ran a hand through her long hair and still smiling widely continued "Why are you here? I mean, I know it's open, but hardly anyone comes! And where have you been? It's been so long!" Her cheeks were flushed with enthusiasm and her golden emerald eyes sparkled in unhidden joy. Goodness. The ones she loved seemed to just be popping out of the walls. It was almost too good to be true.

((OOC: Bleh, my next post will be better, but I think I've gotten this one to make as much sense as it's going to make, lol. Trust me, the next one will be better...))

A blank expression swept across his face at the suddenness of Meera’s actions. Taken off guard he fell backwards and onto his rump with little to no resistance. He laughed softly as she planted the big sloppy wet one on him like she had always done. Making a disgusted face he wiped away at his cheek for an instance and grinned, “Yuck, girlie cooties. I think I’m diseased now.” Laughing again, he allowed her some time to get to her feet before trying to stand up as well. Dusting off his rear, he turned his undivided attention upon her, “So what you’re telling me is that I’m not welcome here? Well, that’s no good…..” Smiling briefly, it would soon fade and welcome on a troubled expression. How long had it truly been? How long had he truly made her and the rest of them wait for his return….

Thinking back for a moment, he debated whether or not he truly wanted to tell her where he was. He knew she wouldn’t approve of it nor the less wish to hear about it. Settling his wary mind, he slowly took a few paces backwards, “Well…If you must know, I have something I want to show you.” Uncoiling his wings from around his frame, they then fanned out, spanning to their fullest extent. Flapping them a few times, they sent small gusts of wind down against the ground of the cathedral, kicking up the debris that lied scattered. Then with a few powerful flaps of his wings, his frame slowly lifted from the ground, hovering just about four feet from the ground. Halting their movement at the peak of their span, he simply floated back down with a soft patter onto the ground. Wrapping his wings around him again, a simple smile passed across his lips, “I’ve been working on using these things as a surprise for you. I had a little help though, so I can’t necessarily say that I did this all on my own. Though, it’s really no big deal…”

Not only did his wings change, but all of him as a whole seemed to undergo a change during his absence. His features became more refined and defined than they had once been. Other than that his body seemed to have bulked up since their last meeting. He was no longer the child that she once knew, but the man that she would have to learn to understand. Not only did his looks change but his dreams, hopes, and his goals did as well. Clearly he was not the same as she had remembered him to be, but yet he still held that soft loveable side that she had grown to love.

The smile then returned to his face, as he slowly moved towards one of the more stable looking pews. Placing a hand down onto it, he then took a seat next to it. Leaning back in the pew, his head tilted backwards as he threw his gaze up to the torn openings in the roof of the cathedral. Strands of light broke through the many holes that littered the ceiling, a few of them highlighting the features of his face. Closing his eyes briefly, a few solemn words passed his lips, “I can’t say I expected to see you here….” Just then his eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times as they continued to stare up at the ceiling, “I really wasn’t prepared to face you to tell you the truth. I feel like I’ve abandoned you these past couple of months. In that time I worried that you would be all right, but it’s apparent that you’re well, as well as I.” Bringing his head back down, his gaze then landed upon hers, “So, Meera…How have you been during my absence?”

It felt like he was living a life of secrecy from his own sister, but he really didn’t feel like telling her the things that were going on with him. Nor did he want to trouble her with any of his own problems, because she had enough as it was. Besides, even if he told her what was going on he was almost certain that she’d try to talk him out of it. He’d come to far and trained way too hard to let his new found strength go to waste by sitting around and doing nothing with it. He was going to fight in that arena even if it would kill him…

Meera's joyous eyes flashed with such intensity upon sight of his wings that she felt as if they had cast a bright light from them. Her brows sat amusedly upon her forehead, high with suprise. Her hair and clothes fluttered slightly with the simple strength exerted in the wind as Varonen fluttered a few inches. When he finally touched back down, Meera let out a soft laugh. She said "I'm so proud of you. This is really something." She shook her head in disbelief for a moment. One second her brother was a young child, immature and wingless, now he was a full grown handsome man with wings to rival that of an actual angel. Though Meera's speech was peppy and laden with unbridled happiness, she had not missed the troubled expression that had cursed Varonen's features for a brief time. What was wrong? Whatever it was, he hadn't said it out loud. Why? What did he have to hide from her? She knew it had been a long time since they'd spoken, but did he really not believe he could trust her? The grin that had been on Meera's face darkened slightly as she licked her lips and prused them for a moment. She ran her mind over all the questions going through her head, but nothing seemed to make sense. Her baby brother was now a man. She didn't know wether she was ready to truly accept that. Meera wasn't quite sure how to handle the fact that he had his own life and she no longer had so much experience and knowledge on him. Before, when they were younger, Meera had more than often been the one who had already experienced everything. But now, they had been apart for so long and life had taken them down different paths. Meera hadn't been everywhere in the world. She couldn't protect her boy forever.

Though soon Varonen's smile returned, Meera was not so easily swayed back into the swing of being excited. Though her lips twitched into a smile as well, her eyes showed no such laughter. Fogs of confusion sifted through. She said softly, "Don't feel like you've abandoned me. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself. I appreciate your concern, but I'm sure you have enough of your own to worry about." She paused letting her own solemn, serious eyes connect with his. She was no longer as playful as she had been before. There was obviously something going on with him. Meera was hurt that he didn't want to tell her. Almost like a little child sulking, Meera told herself that two could play the game he had picked. He didn't share anything about what had happened while he was absent, and so she would not delight him in that either. She felt stubborn. More so than usual. To his question, Meera said dryly "Oh fine. Just being me, just living life." Her smile flashed her teeth but only momentarily as she collapsed back down into a simple line. She stepped nearer to Varonen and the pew. Her eyes searched his face like a detective, just searching for one, final clue that might solve the mystery. But alas, her brother was just as good at concealing his true feelings as she was. Meera's search was fruitless. She lifted a hand and gently touched the strong masculine cut of his jaw. She said, "My Varonen's all grown up...you're not the little boy who sticks out his tongue and runs away from a fight anymore." Meera let her hand fall back down to her side. She settled it on her waist once more and turned her head to the side. "What's wrong? What has changed? Why do you hide this from me?" She tugged her bottom lip with her front teeth contemplating how he could answer her, then thought better of it. She would not let him answer it. Meera instead jerked her chin up in the air and spoke louder. She said "Do you know what being brother and sister entails us to?" Her eyes had taken on their feiry intensity once more as they bored into Varonen's gaze. He should know where this was going. He should know what to do next. He should know...Meera.

As she spoke her words and the hand that once graced his face had departed, the distraught expression would return once again. She was doing it again, trying to play a game with him, to get him to tell her just what she wanted to hear. It wouldn’t work and by damned if he would be lulled into telling her HIS problems. Though, he would at least humor her but only a little. If she truly wanted to know what was troubling him then she would either have to figure it out on her own or wait till he was ready to talk about it.

Drawing in a deep breath, he placed a hand upon the pew and pushed himself up to his feet in one fluent motion. Turning towards her, his right hand moved out to her cheek, but paused briefly just in front of her face. In a deep voice he would speak, hoping that she would understand his words, “Look Meera…We all have our demons, even you. These demons are something we all have to face on our own, no matter how badly we would like to just walk away, or for that matter ask for help. I’m not trying to keep anything from you, but I still need some time to get things straight…” His words trailed off as he delicately tucked a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear.

Offering her a faint smile, he continued on, “Trust me Meera, you’d be the last I’d keep something from, but I have no choice. I know you wouldn’t approve of what I’m about to get myself into, but I know this to be right and something that I have to do. I don’t like it anymore than you, because I know I’m not going to come out of this unscaved.” Cupping her cheek with his hand, he lightly stroked her soft skin with his thumb, “But when it’s all done and said I will come back…There’s nothing that can or will keep me away from here. Besides, what kind of brother would I be if I made you worry about my petty problems? As you said yourself, you’re a big girl and you don’t need little brother to worry about your problems…Well, being brother and sister that entails us to respect each others wishes. So, I’m going to trust your judgment that you can take care of yourself and not worry myself with it, as I wish you’d do for me.”

A smug grin soon plastered itself across his countenance as it had done so many times before when he had proven his point to her. Though, this time was different…This time they weren’t arguing or acting like children about the whole thing, but instead like adults. Taking a few moments, his thoughts wandered back to their childhood when they’d sneer and jeer at each other for the sake of it. Oh how it was nice to be a child and not have to worry about anything. Snapping out of his reverie, his eyes focused themselves back upon hers, “Do you remember the times we would fuss over stupid things like who got dibs on the first stick so we could use it as a cane, pretending that were a cripple of sorts? Well…I do, but you see things are different now. You’re no longer that little girl that would try to boss me around, but instead a very fine young woman. You’ve accomplished a lot in your time, especially to become the Goddess of Water. Though, you still are just as stubborn as you used to be and still just as nosy.”

Snickering softly, his right hand lifted to her face and poked at her nose with his index finger, “Sometimes that thing tends to get into places where it shouldn’t be, but I’m thankful for that. It’s nice to know that you care about me when I know that others couldn’t….it means a lot to me Meera and to be honest it’s the only thing that’s kept me sane” Taking in a deep breath, he dropped his hand back to his side again. Closing his eyes, his mind began to wander across the many questions that plagued his mind. Coming across the one that bothered him the most, his eyes slowly fluttered open and in a dry tone he began to speak again, “I have one question for you Meera…If you’re the Water Goddess….Then what is your brother?” He was almost certain that his question would probably confuse her, but she was the one that wanted to know what was bothering him. So if she wanted to figure out then this question would probably prove to be an answer to her own questions of him. That or he’d just make her upset all over again, just as he had done so many times before hand…Though, he would diligently await her response, almost as if he were too searching for another answer to his question.

Meera's eyes followed him as Varonen fluidly stood up once more to his feet. As he came nearer to her, she did not actually move, but Meera's jaw clenched. She held back her tongue and the many words she wished to say to him. She should not be mad. He was her brother. His reason was probably as good as any why he wouldn't tell something to her. Besides, she had to understand that the reason she might provoke a fight was because they were so similar. Both were unwaveringly stubborn, both cared a great deal for eachother, and both believed that they had some problems that they could only face by themselves. Meera held her tongue back so she might just have a little sliver of time to listen to him speak and plead his case. The thing Meera feared most about herself was sinking back into the Goddess of Water and losing the Meera Skiers, the person she truly was. Finally, Meera was unable to hold her gaze to his anymore. It was different when she was fighting with someone. It was different when she was actually mad at someone. She couldn't keep looking at Varonen like this. She couldn't say that she was truly mad at him. She just cared so much for him that she didn't know how best to protect him now that he was a grown man and could handle himself. Meera drew her gaze down to the ground once more and leaned her head into Varonen's hand as it cupped her cheek. She still remained silent though, untrusting that she wouldn't say something she would regret later. Her ears still listenened perceptively to Varonen's melodic voice. In that, she heard the answer to her question. It hadn't been the one she'd expected, but really Meera hadn't had any answer in mind. Besides, what he had said was true enough. Meera was reluctant to admit that much.

Slowly, she brought her eyes back up to meet his, catching the smug grin on his face. Though normally Meera would not even hesitate to smile warmly back, she was still troubled. She worried for her brother. No amount of consoling from him could cause her not to worry. Even if he had told her what he was going to do, she would still be concerned for his safety. With a soft sigh Meera lifted her head out of his hand and stood strong. She straightened her back and spread her feet while resting her hands easily around her waist. When Varonen spoke again, he brought back a memory from long ago that Meera had almost forgotten. She remembered those times. It was a nice feeling. They were both so innocent, so oblvious to the world around them, and now look at them both. All grown up, they both continued to search for what way they could both leave their mark upon this ground. Varonen calling her nosy brought a small twitch of a smile to the corner of her lips. Her eyes still showed a bit of hurt and sadness, but she understood that Varonen didn't want to tell her. She had to respect that. They were so alike that it almost caused problems. Oh what a family. At Varonen's question though, Meera was caught slightly off guard. Being a trained fighter, Meera reflexively hid her suprise though as she narrowed her eyes and prused her lips, considering its answer. Eyes widening again, Meera reached her arms out to gently rest on Varonen's shoulders. She slid across them and down his arms to gently grasp his hands. She looked into his eyes and said "Varonen. Now you should know that your life is never based off of another's achievements. You do not just become 'the water goddess's brother'. For what life would you lead if you always lived in another's shadow? You define your life. Define who you are." Biting her lip again, Meera took a quick step toward Varonen and threw her arms around him in a hug. She held him tightly, almost wishing she could never let him go. Leaning her head into his neck, she whispered, "Varonen, whatever you do, please just promise me that you will be safe. Think before you act, suspicion before trust. Please...I couldn't take losing you again"

He hated doing this, he hated deceiving her and keeping her shut out of his life, but he needed to do it. He needed to do what was best for him, even if it did hurt his relations with her, because in the end she would more the less praise him for it. Even if she didn’t, he knew this to be right and if it turned out to be a total mistake, then so be it. It would be something he would face alone and learn alone, because there was no way he would allow himself to remain a shadow.

When she stepped towards him his body tensed up in reaction, but would soon relax when she threw her arms around him. As she held him close, he made no motions to return the favor, but instead simply stood there listening to her words. Shifting his eyes off to the side a simple tear broke from his eye and traced the contours of his cheek and stopping just at his chin where it would fall to the ground. He couldn’t make that promise; he knew there was a great chance that he may just not come back. Even still….This was his sister and there was no way he could tell her otherwise. Trembling softly, he spoke up in a soft tone, “You’re right, I define who I am. I am the one that makes me…..well, me. But that’s the point I was trying to get at, because these past few months I’ve realized that I’ve been stuck in the shadows of you and Father. I’m not looking to become something better, but I want to become someone else. I want who I am determined by me, not just the fact of my blood ties…..” Pausing for a few moments, his eyes would slowly close, allowing himself some time to think before speaking again.

In a soft voice just above a whisper, he spoke up again, “You know me better than that Meera, but perhaps you don’t. I’ve gone through a lot in the time we’ve been apart, because I’ve spent it training. I’m not the same Varonen you knew, but a different one. I know how to handle myself now; I always have, I’ve just been afraid to stand up for myself. I can wield a blade now, I can fly, I can effectively defend myself, and I can even out power people. I’ve never been any more ready for this than now and to say that I’m not going to try taking care of myself would be stupid.” As he finished talking his eyes flashed open as he pulled back from her embrace. His hands instinctively moved out to her arms and ran down them, stopping just at her hands. Grasping them tightly in his firm grip, his eyes locked to hers, “Look Meera…We’re a lot alike aren’t we? We both think the same, we both act the same, and hell…We’re almost like twins in a sense, so why can’t you have faith in me that I’m going to take care of myself, why can’t you just have faith that I’ll come back rather than making me promise?” His eyes seemed to light up with an inner fire as he stared deeply into hers. Then in a few words he would offer her an option, hoping to settle her uneasy mind, “Look…If you’re really that worried, then how about a spar? And from that you can judge whether or not you should have to worry about me, sound fair?” He really disliked the idea of fighting his sister, but if it would ease her worries then it was well worth it, because he hated her worrying. It was his worries, not hers and the fact that she wanted him to promise to return bothered him. It was almost as though she didn’t have faith in him, at least it was how it had felt to him…So he would have to prove it to her, prove to her why he would come back.

Meera did not notice the tear that ran its course swiftly down his cheek. If she had, she might have realized how hard this really was for him. It was not at all that she thought Varonen was simply too cold hearted...it was just hard for her to come to terms with knowing she couldn't and would never ever want to try to keep him locked up in a hole safe and sound for the rest of his life. Never would Meera even dream of doing that to her own brother, but he didn't realize how much she worried over him. It was almost like a disease. He didn't know what she had felt after she had found all of her family gone in the blink of an eye. He had no idea what complete personality change had gone through her head as she realized that they were never coming back. Even when Var had suddenly popped back up into her life, Meera had already changed. And that change, right now, was going to affect him. She would protect him with her life had she the need to. Meera would not lose him. The thought was almost too much to bear in itself. Varonen's soft, whispering words tugged Meera gently back to the situation he was trying to explain to her. Meera listened, eager for any hint of what would posses him to do such a thing. What could he being doing that could cause him such the possibility of harm? When she heard the answer to one of her questions, immedietely she regretted it. Meera turned her face and buried her forehead into Varonen's shoulder. Great. She had done it. She was the one who made him do this. Having nothing to say, Meera bit down on her tongue. She wouldn't cry. Not now, not ever again. The pain was numbing, and only when Meera tasted the faint metallic blood in her mouth did she let up. She breathed out deeply. Why had she done this to him? She was such a horribly selfish person.

Varonen spoke once more, but his voice was just a dull sound behind the deafening, pounding thoughts jumping around in her head. He gave her many reasons as to why he could handle himself. Varonen was a big boy now. He knew how to fight. Meera picked her head back up and tilted it slightly to the side. She still wore a frown. He didn't get it, did he? As he pulled back and held her hands, Meera's whole body trembled. Her hands shook even in his firm grip. She was scared. For so long Meera had held up a facade of toughness. After seeing her whole family dead, nothing had seemed to faze her. Now that Varonen had returned, it was the killing blow to her facade. She couldn't deny it any more. While Meera had been alone for those first few months after her family's death, her mind had replayed over and over again what she would have done differently. Varonen didn't understand that now that he was back, Meera was trying to throw all of those things back on top of him to keep him safe. Right at this moment, Varonen was telling Meera that he was going to do something dangerous. Meera giving him the trust and respect that a sister should give, meant that she couldn't protect him as she had tried so hard to. She was deathly frightened by that. Looking back up into Varonen's eyes, Meera spied that same fiery intensity that had so glowed in their whole family line. She almost could not bear to hold that gaze. Her voice sputtered as her mouth opened and worked to search for the right words, any words to explain just what she felt. But then he spoke again. He offered to fight her. He offered to prove his capabilities. Meera's face fell. She gently pulled her hands out of Varonen's grip and turned around. "No, no, no..." Meera said softly. She walked in a trance-like state over to the altar once more. Body trembling still, Meera fell to her knees. She said, "Varonen...I only wish I could make you understand." Her voice wavered, threatening to make her cry so Meera paused. With a hard swallow, Meera forced herself to continue on, "I trust you. I know you are strong. I just..." Bowing her head down, Meera rested it in her hands. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes tightly and forced a wall to hold back the tears. Not today, not today, she kept repeating.

Craning her neck back around, Meera turned to face Varonen. She whispered, "I won't fight you. I will never fight you. You're all I have left." Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she knelt in front of the altar. This was not Meera the Goddess, this was Meera Skeirs, the girl from the woods who did not enjoy riches, who lived a simple life with the ones she loved. Meera spoke again, her voice still shaky but louder, "Varonen, I love you, that will never change, but right now we don't know eachother. There is much that has changed, and I wouldn't ever want you to judge me for who I am not. This though, can change. We need to talk. We need to go over what has happened since we last seperated."