One day after the spring dance...
Wolf awoke to the lingering scent of Teva's perfume in his bed. He reached out to grasp her once more, only for his arms to meet empty air. Unsure what was wrong, he opened his eyes, blinking to focus.
His vision was blurry, but it was easy to see he was alone.
What time was it?
A dull ache pounded in his head. He’d drunk a bit to celebrate, but not that much. He hadn’t known he was such a lightweight…
Staggering out of bed, he dressed, trying to remember what he’d intended to do today. Something important?
Maybe Teva would know. She was his support—he needed her. He couldn’t think straight with this pain…
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He made his way slowly to the kitchen and was greeted by a delightful sight: his love, dancing lightly while preparing a meal. As she spun to place something on the table, her tail spiked and fluffed in surprise, her eyes wide before narrowing with playful reproach.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping…”
He smiled despite her scolding and went to embrace her. She offered little resistance.
“I wanted to make you breakfast in bed,” she pouted into his chest. Though her words were gentle, they still grated against the throbbing in his skull.
“I need a hangover remedy. My head’s killing me.”
She pulled away and, with a subtle gesture, filled a glass with freshly summoned water. “You probably just need this, though I’m sure a potion will help. You’ll likely get a lot of requests for remedies today.”
As he gratefully drank, he watched her more closely. He remembered her laughing, more intoxicated than him last night. How was she so clear-eyed now?
“You drank more than I did. That’s the only reason I had anything—you wouldn’t stop insisting. So why are you more sober?”
Her giggling laugh, normally a joy, felt abrasive to his raw nerves. He glared, waiting for an answer.
She relented when she saw he didn’t share her mood. “Don’t be a sourpuss. My water mana lets me purge the impurities easily. I could’ve drunk twice as much and still been sober by morning.”
That was impressive, and she saw the admiration in his eyes, her smile turning mischievous. “You weren’t complaining last night.”
He blushed. He hadn’t complained. Nor would he complain any other night if last night repeated itself. And from the confident way she held herself—if he was reading her right—it might even happen again now?
She saw his flustered look and savored it a moment before turning back to the counter, deftly cooling his assumptions. “Focus on the shop, Dear. My mother needs me. It was my first night away, and she’s worried I’ll forget her.”
“After one day?” Wolf asked, incredulous.
Teva nodded as she finished his plate and began packing a small box of food—for her mother, he assumed. “She’s been anxious for a while that I’d leave her. I’ve always taken care of her in the mornings. This will be a hard change. I want to help ease her into it.”
She kissed him quickly on the lips and was out the door before he could fully respond, leaving him with the ghost of her touch and a plate of food.
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As he sat to eat, his mind turned to the day ahead. He shook his head, thinking of Teva’s mom.
*Man, her mom is needy. Kind of like how Nina can be.*
The thought hit him like a physical blow. The little mirth he’d felt fled, and he stopped eating.
*Nina may be needy, but when was the last time I showed I cared?*
*I always care…* he argued with himself, but a sickness settled in his stomach that he wasn’t sure came from the hangover or the truth. How many months had she been seeking his attention while he’d tried to humor her out of necessity, not love her as a sister?
Teva knew it. Time and again, she’d tried to get him to reconcile with Nina, even as Nina pushed her away, waiting for him to be the one to be there…
*Fine. Whatever. I’ll fix it. I’ll make things right today when she shows up at the shop. I get it—I’ve let this go on too long.*
He muttered the resolution to the empty room. It was getting ridiculous, how long he’d allowed this silent distance to stretch. He’d just… assumed Nina would eventually confront him more, and they’d hash it out from there.
Instead, she had just grown more distant. And he, wrapped up in his new shop, his new life, his new love, had just… accepted it. Just like Nina had.
The nice morning meal lost its flavor. He hated that his love’s effort was wasted, but he’d soured his own mood. He needed to resolve things. He headed to his shop to face the day and wait for Nina.
She would come, full of mirth, and yell for all to hear. This time, he wouldn’t say she was too loud. He’d say he was happy she was there. He’d give her a hug and apologize for being distant. He’d been immature. It would suck, but he’d built the wall she’d tried to bridge. Now he needed to make sure she had an open gate to cross, instead of always waiting for him to let her in.
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The shop was surprisingly busy. Things had calmed since his early hero days and settled into a steady rhythm, but now? It was a rush. Everyone seemed to need something to help them recover, and he wanted to laugh at being so unprepared.
Yet he was being saved by the wonderful beastkin employee he’d hired more on a whim and pure luck than by design.
Misty, the wolfkin who’d once overseen hundreds, seemed to dance around the shop, assisting everyone. He hadn’t realized the time—he must have slept in from the drinking and… other activities.
Yet things were still going smoothly. He half-expected to see Nina at the counter, taking sales like she always did, but instead, it was Ben—one of the two catkin he’d hired with Misty. Why wasn’t Nina here?
Maybe she was hungover… He hadn’t seen her at the dance. Had she even celebrated? When was the last time he’d really looked for her?
“Wolf, dear. Can you assist at the counter or help Viper in the back? We’re a bit short-staffed at the moment, and I’d like to do inventory.” Misty’s voice broke his wandering thoughts.
“Right, uh… Nina’s not here?”
Misty shook her head. “Not since the dance have I seen her, dear.”
“Right… I’ll handle the sales. Thank you.”
He smiled and thanked Ben whom cheerfully rejoin Viper, the other catkin, in the back.
Things were smooth overall, and as a lull settled in, his thoughts crept back to Nina. He kept fantasizing she’d show up any minute. He’d shout, “There you are!”—maybe spook her, demand why she was late (if she looked sick, he’d get her medicine first). Then he’d apologize…
He just needed her to show up so he’d know how to handle it.
“Where’s the fox girl?”
The voice startled him. He’d thought the crowd was gone; only one or two people remained. In front of him was a small old lady with a gentle smile, looking up.
“I’m sorry?” He’d heard her but wasn’t sure what she was asking.
“The fox girl that helps the cat girl. I’ve seen them both a few times. Both can be very kind, but I like the fox girl more. She reminds me of my granddaughter.”
He resisted the urge to grimace. He wasn’t sure what to—
“Nina is her name. She’s not feeling well today and is taking a break.” A gentle voice spoke from beside him. He swiveled his head to see Teva had returned, tail swishing and eyes full of life.
The old lady nodded, wished them well, said she looked forward to seeing Nina again, and left.
Teva smiled, watching her go, and didn’t turn as she asked a question that stung. “You going to see her?”
“No.”
That got her to turn in surprise. “Why?”
He shrugged. “If she wanted to talk, she’d be here. And if she’s not feeling good, I don’t want to bother her…” He left out the part about being afraid to confront her at home. That felt too personal. At least in the shop, they could both use work as an excuse…
He saw it in her eyes—the fear of the unknown, the past she helped create to push Nina away, but also the fear of pushing him away and losing what they’d made. So she said the only words she could say.
“Okay, dear,” kissing his cheek before assisting Misty with the last customer.
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He knew she wanted them all to be closer, and he felt the same. Well, since they had more staff now, he figured he’d do something for Nina. It was something he’d been working on for a while: a portable mage light in a bottle—a kind of lamp. He was experimenting with colors and ways to add crystal fragments to make it look like it held stars.
Since she didn’t like perfume, she’d love a light for her room. He knew she disliked the dark. This way, he’d always be with her—a thank you, a way of giving back.
He could give it to her tomorrow as a peace offering. Then they could yell it out, hash out why they’d both been so distant instead of talking.
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The next day was blissful after another wonderful night with Teva. The same routine started, but this time he had a clear head and was just waiting for Nina to show up.
Yet even as the sun rose and the crowds came, one truth did not change: there was no Nina. He wasn’t sure why he’d never focused on her presence before, but now her absence felt strange. He kept listening for her cheer in the background, hearing only the shop's murmur.
Teva asked a few times if he’d heard from her. He had not.
*Fine. Guess I’ll have to see her at home…* He’d let it go too far and now needed to show he cared. He’d played too coy, and Nina was probably upset.
He wished Teva well with a goodbye kiss, and Misty assured him they could cover the shop while he went to reconcile with Nina.
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He was about halfway from his shop, heading down the main road toward his old home, when he noticed Leena—his sister—returning from what seemed like their father’s shop. She saw him and waved.
He felt a pang of guilt. As much as he’d avoided Nina, he’d been ignoring Len, too, though she seemed more focused on her training and didn’t seem to mind.
“Hey, Len. Sorry I never visit. Been busy with my life.”
“Nonsense, brother. I’m fine. I chose my own life, too. I just wish we could have done the same for Nina.”
He nodded, listening, but her words seemed off. *Could have done the same for Nina?* What did that mean? Because he’d been distant? Yeah, it made sense she’d talk to Len, too.
“Yeah, I regret how I handled it, but I’ll be better.”
“Well, brother, I’m sure she’ll understand. Or she wouldn’t have left to find herself.”
He nodded, the conversation feeling familiar—then jerked his head up.
“SHE LEFT?”
Leena glared at the yelling. He apologized and repeated, more quietly, “She left?”
“Yeeesss…” Leena said slowly, watching his reaction carefully. “She said you already had this talk and she needed to find herself with her old tribe, so we wished her well.” Her gaze grew more thoughtful, concerned. “You’re the one who sees her all the time. You know better than me—she doesn’t like training with me.”
He wanted to fight her words, to yell that it was a lie, but he couldn’t remember the last real talk he’d had with Nina… The last time he’d really listened.
And now he couldn’t.
“Uh… yeah, Len. I was just coming to see if she’d already left. Thought I still had time.”
Leena nodded, though her eyes held a doubt she didn’t voice. “It was a bit sudden, so I understand. She left this morning.”
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He stayed a bit longer, catching up and asking about the rest of the family, but didn't feel like visiting more.
Teva was surprised to see him back at the shop so soon and assumed he'd fought with Nina.
He wanted to laugh. This went past fighting—this was destroying the family. But he kept it to himself.
He told her what he knew and half expected her to say she'd known and let him fail alone.
But the tears that followed after he told her let him know she'd been abandoned too. Great... not only did I ruin my family life, but my girlfriend's friendship too.
He assured her it would be okay. This was temporary. Nina just needed time to find herself, and he would write her a letter saying sorry.
The shop was fine without him—he couldn't focus anyway. He needed to write the letter. He also needed time away, as he was finally feeling the weight Nina probably always felt when he was distant.
I wasn't wrong...
Even as he muttered those words to himself, he knew nobody would agree... and even if they did? He knew it was a lie he wasn't even believing himself...
Would the letter really matter?
Does she?
That was the question that came back when he tried to get out of even this with his inaction...
So with a heavy heart, he wrote the best apology he could.
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Hello, Sis.
Little late, I know. Sorry about that. Sorry about a lot of things. But I guess most of all, sorry you felt you had nobody—or at least not me.
I was told you said you were leaving, and truthfully, I can't remember if you did. I just got lost in my own world. After being a hero I didn't want to be, I was happy someone new loved me. With my own home, it was a lot.
It made me forget those that were always there for me. I just assumed you'd be back till you weren't there.
I'm sure you've seen it—my gift. It was supposed to be a sorry and show I cared. I remember the few times you confessed you were afraid to be alone in the dark. I thought it was funny—all that magic and still scared of the dark...
But I don't think it was the dark you were scared of, Sis. It was being alone. And that's all I gave you.
I can't change that. But this light can. It's a mage light with flecks like stars. It was hard to get it to stay charged, but I did it. I wanted to start selling it in the shop, but I also wanted you to be the first to ever have one.
I hope you're happy where you ended up. And if one day, when you've found yourself and I'm more mature, I look forward to my sister coming home. Till then, you've got my light as proof I won't forget and leave you in the dark again.
Your brother,
Wolf
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The letter done, evening passed by with a somber mood. Even laying in bed with Teva, smelling her and feeling her warmth, just added to the weight of knowing Nina was alone in the dark, never seeing a light...
The night was a restless one. Despite his good mood prior, he asked Teva and Misty to oversee the shop while he went to the blacksmith to visit his sister and pay respect to those that helped her.
He’d heard stories—his sister's brutal training, how she was able to push herself to breaking and still stand, training with giants...
And still came back to him with a smile and willing to visit. While he was doing nothing to do the same.
He needed a gift for them too. Something to show respect and a thank you... He hated it was short notice and wouldn't be as nice as Nina's gift, but he was sure they'd understand.
He settled on improved mana potions. They didn't sell often, being high-priced and requiring a lot more care to make versus his more mass-produced cheaper ones. The key difference was it gave a lot of mana in a burst and sustained it in the system longer. He assumed it'd be good for hunting long distances where a lot of mana needed to be used, or for training your magic.
He’d heard they used mana in their smithing, so it could be a good gift to help there, he hoped.
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The trip there was intimidating. He looked upon the building as imposing—this was a place where people went to fight, be it by armor and weapon, or in his sister's case, to train.
A random guest left the shop as he was entering, holding what looked like a half-finished piece that could only cover a shoulder. He wasn’t sure armor was made that way, but the man holding the piece left smiling, mumbling to himself that it was good. While Wolf wanted to know more, he had his own issues to deal with.
An unbelievable sight was at the counter—a giant of a man with fiery hair wiping it down, talking to an equally shocking tall girl.
"I want to smith in back. U watch the counter."
"No, Da! I told U—just close the shop! I want to visit Arlin. U can train her instead."
"She's fine. I can't teach her anymore."
"Bah! Don't be lazy, Da! Nobody's even here—see?!" The fiery girl arguing with the man waved around the shop to make her point as Wolf stood blankly, unsure how to speak to them...
They both stared at him with ember-flame eyes, amazing him. Was it a side effect of fairy root? He’d heard about Arlin's mom having a similar effect.
The dad broke the moment of silence. "It's the blessed child in ma shop."
The big man left behind the counter and was even bigger-looking as he moved closer at a speed that defied logic, the fiery eyes locked on him. Wolf wasn't sure how he'd insulted him, but was very much sure he was about to be tossed out before he even spoke.
Yet the man knelt and bowed his head, confusing him with the words that followed... "Thank U for helping my daughter."
Was she once sick with the weakness curse?
The tall girl came closer, studying him, smile plastered on her face, watching him ever so briefly before hugging him and taking his breath away as she lifted him.
"You're Wolf? I train with Len—she's like my sister!" A gasp in his ear as she held him close and went on. "That makes U like my brother!"
She twirled him around, now laughing, disorienting him before the big man grasped him from his daughter's hands and gently set him down.
"We respect the blessed, not cuddle them." The father reprimanded her—at least he assumed it was her dad. He couldn't think, much less see straight, with the spinning room.
"HE MY BROTHER, DA!"
He wanted to shout "No, he was not!" as this was not what he'd expected, and the dad started yelling back for her to show respect. He was about to throw himself out—how did his sister survive in this environment...
"Brother?" A gentle voice from his real sister, Leena, finally gave him something to focus on, and he ran—best he could—to her.
"Len, I came to see you, but I don't think I can stay here..." He wasn't sure if that was rude, but they were a little too forward...
"TOLD U, DAUGHTER! U SPOOK THE BOY!"
"IT WAS THAT UGLY MUG U GOT, DA, THAT DID IT!"
Now they were bickering about who offended him more when really he just needed a calm meeting with his sister, not this...
"It's fine. Brother's just not used to a lot of attention, so he's distant. Doesn’t like worship—he refused to be seen as a hero even to our Uncle."
Both the girl and her dad turned as one, and both grimaced as one, and in unison both said, "Sorry."
It was so in sync he couldn't help but laugh. Watching them both look on, confused, added to it. Even Len was wondering if he'd gone mad, but he felt better knowing his sister was loved by good people—or she wouldn't be here every day training.
"Sorry, I was nervous to come here, but I see now you're both good people." The dad puffed up in pride at the compliment, and the girl—hmm, Terra? He'd heard his sister name her before—she blushed and fixed her hair.
"My name's Terra, and this is my Da, Ender. He's nobody special. Welcome to ma shop."
"OUR SHOP, DAUGHTER!"
"BAH! I work more than U!" The bickering was starting back up when Len blocked his view, giving him a hug and gently asking what brought him here as it was definitely new, though she was happy to see him.
When things finally settled he was able move forward.
He presented a gift to all of them, hating how it was the same thing for all three—it felt a little less sincere—but all three only showed gratitude. And for some reason, Terra felt the need to tell him she had a boyfriend, so was not available to be courted...
The dad did end up closing the shop but respectfully left him in peace. He went to do his blacksmithing while Len and Terra listened to him on why he’d shown up unexpectedly.
He tiptoed around the topic and drew it out best he could, but the long and short of it: he confessed he felt Nina left from feeling abandoned, not just to find herself, and that he couldn't remember the last real talk he’d had with her—which made him fear the same truth with Len—and how he was going to send a letter since he couldn't visit in person.
Len held him, assuring him he’d done no wrong, but it felt wrong to hear her say it. Terra was conflicted—at least her face looked that way. She didn't speak. But Len did for them both, it seemed...
"I think we should go see her."
He shook his head. "I don't want to leave my shop for that long, and it feels wrong if I go."
Leena gently kissed his forehead before speaking. "I meant me and Terra, brother. You already told us you wanted to send a letter."
"Ehh, I dunno." Terra said, seeming conflicted. "I just got me a boyfriend, and I love Foxy too, but she never really visited me."
"Please, Terra. You were just telling me how Arlin was saying you're too clingy. It'd do him some good to spend time with his mother, and it'll help him miss you not being there."
*Wow, Arlin got with her? That's crazy. Guess I've been neglecting more than Nina...*
Terra looked like she was ready to fight, then relented. "Fine. Let's see Foxy. I miss her too since she never visits."
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This wasn't the change he'd expected, but maybe—like Nina—this was the change they needed. He gave Len the parcel, and she promised to work out the details with Mom, Dad, and Nebo so all knew it was just a visit, not some mass exodus of their kids fleeing town first chance they got.
He wasn't sure where this would lead, but he was hopeful. Even as his sister and Terra prepared to leave, another was coming to town and would change things more than they knew or were prepared for.
and then Add to home screen.