Castle Shyr

Chapter THHHREEEE! :)

It took me forever to actually get this chapter done.. I think it was the one I procrastinated most on...

Thus far. ::dead::


-There Was A Woman-

His days all ran together. He didn’t know half the time if it was day or night. He didn’t remember how long he’d been in Fordwych. He didn’t remember anything except pain and the sinking sensation of failure. A huge failure. He had promised Johan he would protect them. He’d run like a coward while Johan spent his last moments a hero. Rhin was a failure and a coward.

“Rhinwyn?” He tilted his head just slightly as he heard Bitti’s voice at the door, so much like Tillyia’s. “Rhin, love, you can’t stay cooped up in here any longer.” Her words were so firm, but so kind. Rhin couldn’t answer her. His head remained tilted, showing her that he was listening, but his long hair hid his face from her view, hid his constant tears. The hair wrap he was given lay on the table under the window, he hadn’t put it on. He didn’t care if it was tradition to wear it until the white faded from his red locks, he just didn’t have the heart to hide his pain. He heard Bitti sigh softly before walking into the room and gently clicking the door closed. He sat in bed like some kind of cripple, dressed only in a light shirt and pants, his legs hanging from the edge of the bed as he sat looking listlessly out the window at the ocean. He’d eaten and slept only enough to soothe his aches, but his skin was looking pale and his cheekbones thin. His hair hadn’t been brushed since the day before the attack and now looked like a bush of tangle weeds. He shifted his gaze slightly as Bitti sat down next to him and put a hand on his thigh.

“Can I tell you a story, Rhinwyn?” She asked, though it was completely rhetorical. “There was a woman, a Nanion woman, who wanted to be a leader, who wanted to do something great with her life. She was born into a poor village, a village with so little to give that her whole family shared one bed, a village with so little to give that they ate the only horses they had to live another day. She didn’t give up though. When the hot season dried the water in the well and burned all the crop fields, she didn’t give up. When her mother fell ill and died within a week, she didn’t give up. When rats infested the village and caused a horrid plague, she didn’t give up. When she spent a year caring for her ailing siblings, she didn’t give up. Though she spent most of her life there helping others, never thinking once for herself, she never gave up. She found a man from the same village, and fell in love. They got married and had five children. They couldn’t feed all their children, but she still held out hope. She watched four of her children die, she buried her husband with her own two hands, but she and her eldest son still had hope. She saw the people in her village loose faith, she saw them break down and cry in the streets, she watched as they locked themselves in their houses, as their skin blistered from never rising out of bed, but she knew she couldn’t loose faith. She knew that it would solve nothing. She knew that her village hadn’t done anything to warrant such things, but she also knew that no matter how hard she cried, no matter how apathetic she became, it wouldn’t change anything. Nothing would bring back those she had lost. Nothing would stop the pain. But she had a son to care for, and she couldn’t give up.

“Do you know what happened to that woman, Rhinwyn? Just when things looked their worst, she was rescued. Someone was there to offer her a hand, offer her a warm smile, a hug, comfort. He took her and her son and those in her village to someplace wonderful - someplace where they could go on living. Someplace where they still felt the pain of what they had lost, but it was also someplace where they knew their loved ones wanted them to be. The more those Nanion thought about it, the more they realized that their loved ones were watching from the skies. They did not want to see those they had left behind acting so foolishly. They didn’t want to watch them starve and sleep themselves into nothingness. They wanted to see them prosper. They wanted to see them move on, find happiness, raise families, smile and laugh.

“My whole life changed when my family died, Rhinwyn, and again when Raban brought me here, but I have moved on. I have become stronger - and I have not forgotten those I lost. They are what keep me going. Without them I would not be here today - and I am grateful. They inspire me to do great things, even though they are no longer here. Do you think that your friends, your mother and your father want to see you like this? Do you think it makes them happy to know that you are wasting away? Feeling sorry for yourself? I know that they didn’t deserve what happened, no one deserves that, Rhinwyn, and I know that if they had their way they would still be alive and with you now - but you can’t dwell on those things. They have moved on, and now their wish is to see you and Kyin live on, smile again, and laugh again, start families. They died so that you and Kyin could live - why would you want to so selfishly spoil away what they sacrificed their lives for? They loved you Rhinwyn, they still love you, and nothing hurts more than to see those you love give up.

“You may feel lost, you may feel like you have nothing to live for, but that’s not true. You need to open your eyes and accept your pain, Rhinwyn. You still have Kyin. She needs you, Rhinwyn. She needs you like my Lan needed me. She won’t make it without you. You two are all you have now; you two know more about each other than anyone ever will. Your loss can never be replaced, and your pain won’t ever go away, but you can’t let that stop you. You can’t let that keep you from living your life, from helping Kyin live hers.

“Life is full of pain, Rhinwyn, you will never escape it. Everywhere you go you will see horrible things, death for those who do not deserve it, power for those incapable of handling it, but you can’t let that stop you, because life is also full of other things. Love. Beauty. Youth. Innocence. It is the responsibility of those who survive to protect those things. It is the responsibility of those burdened by pain to see that others do not suffer as they suffered. It is your job, Rhinwyn, your duty, your responsibility to live on. To honor the memory of all those you so wrongfully lost, by making a name for yourself. By making yourself into a great man. If you let yourself die here, if you wither away, you loose them. Everything they were, everything they knew, will die with you. Doesn’t their sacrifice mean you need to live on, if only just until Kyin finds her way? She loves you Rhin, and I know you love her too. You are brother and sister. You share the same memories, and because of that, you can make each other stronger. She tries so hard, Rhinwyn, to be happy here. To smile and play with the children, but if you die, so will she. So if not for yourself, Rhinwyn, for her. Live on and watch over her. Be her brother. Protect her and your village will live on through you. Life is too precious to throw away.”

Bitti stiffened slightly, hearing a slight noise from the still boy beside her. She tilted her head and held out her arms for him. He lifted his head and fell into her arms, crying against her shoulder.

“Shh, it’s alright. You’ll see, things will get better. Someday you’ll be rescued too, Rhinwyn. Just as you’ll rescue Kyin now, someone will rescue you when your bones feel broken. When you least expect it, there will be someone in the darkness, holding their hand out for you.”


“Hello Austly.” Kyin said with a smile, folding her hands behind her as she walked up to the boy.

“Uh, hey.” He grumbled, not even pausing to look up at her, he was so apparently wrapped up in his work.

“What are you drawing?” Kyin continued, taking a few steps further and leaning to peer over his shoulder. She met his eyes as he turned to gaze at her unbelievingly before quickly gathering his things.

“It’s none o’ your business!” He snarled, pressing the paper to his chest so his hands were free to grab at the pencils scattered over the table. He stumbled his way out of the large wooden chair and promptly dropped the pencils. “Damnit.”

“Austly!” Kyin whispered.

“Awww cut it out, I know you say worse words when yer workin’ outside, weedin‘ the gardens.” He answered in a smug way, a crooked smirk over his lips. He turned his back to the girl and folded up his paper before shoving it in his pocket and bending down to pick up his pencils.

“Here, I’ll help.” Kyin sighed, moving to kneel in front of him while pushing the long ties of her head wrap over her shoulder.

“I don’t need no help from girls!” Austly barked, reaching out and snatching the pencil from her hand - only she didn’t let go, instead, she grabbed his wrist. He cocked his head to one side and looked up at her, shocked. He met her eyes and narrowed his own, pulling back on his wrist slightly, she didn’t let go. He tugged again, and she only snickered.

“I’ll strike a deal with you, ok Austly?” Kyin said with a smile. “I’ll keep my mouth shut ‘bout the bad words you say, if you’ll keep yours closed about the ones I say, ok?” She smiled a little seeing him cock his head to the side as if he were considering her offer.

“I don’t make no deals with no girls either.” He sighed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Now gimme back my pencil and go wash the sheets.”

“Ah!” Kyin let out a slight gasp as she released Austly’s hand and stood, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, excuse me! I was only trying to be nice to you!” She snarled, her face looking particularly vicious as she turned and stormed into the hallway. Austly watched her for a moment then shook his head. He hated girls.

Kyin balled her hands into fists around the cloth of her skirt, grumbling to herself about what a brat Austly could be. In fact, all his little friends were like that - they had no idea what doing a woman’s chores was like! She had half a mind to tie them down and make them wash the clothes and the dishes and clean the house. She let out a humph and turned to go into her room when she heard a door at the other end of the hallway creak open.

It was Rhinwyn’s door.

Kyin lifted her hands to her mouth as she held her breath, watching as the familiar form of Rhinwyn emerged from the doorway, Bitti behind him with a kind hand on his shoulder. His hair was set behind his ear, pulled into his head wrap which managed to hide some of the tangles, but it showed off his face, tear stained and thin.

“Rhinwyn.” Kyin said softly, acting as if she were approaching a wild animal, wanting to get closer but knowing it would start and run at the slightest noise or movement. She was shocked, however, as Rhin turned to look at her and a smile slowly cracked his lips. He took a shaky step into the hallway before nearly running to Kyin’s side, throwing his arms around her and planting a kiss on her forehead. She stood, frozen in place and completely bewildered.

“Bitti tells me she showed you the best spot in the world to watch the lunfish,” Rhin said, his voice slightly broken, but stronger than it had been days before, “I’ve never seen them before. Will you show me?” He let Kyin pull back reluctantly, smiling for her as best he could. She studied him for a long while, and he was relieved when she laughed instead of cried. She poked him in the side and shook her head, looking at Bitti.

“Gee, you’ll have to tell me how you did it. It takes a lot to get him out of one of his pouts.”

“I’ve got two boys, that’s how I did it.” Bitti replied softly, patting Kyin’s head lightly as she walked past, giving Rhin a smile over her shoulder.

Kyin clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she looked back over at Rhin, grinning as if none of the pain had gotten to her. For a moment Rhinwyn forgot where they were, it was so much like home.

“Well, c’mon dawnbird, they’re gonna be comin’ out soon.” She reached over and took his hand, resisting an onslaught of tears as he squeezed her hand a little harder than necessary, but followed her happily. Stepping into the den Kyin walked over to where Austly had resettled himself, back hunched as he worked fervently on whatever it was he’d been set on not showing her.

“Austly,”

“Tck, what do you want now, girl?”

“Well, Rhin and I are goin’ down to watch the lunfish, do you want to come? You can get your friends on the way?” Rhin cocked his head to one side as he watched the boy slowly look over his shoulder at Kyin to roll his eyes in a haughty and exaggerated way.

“Gee girl, don’t you ever give up? Sheesh. I said I don’t make deals with no girls so why would you think I’d be wantin’ to go spend a night on the beach with one? Heh. I’d rather be housed than spend time with a girl.”

“That so?” Austly froze and slowly turned his head as his mother stepped up behind him, hands on her hips and a rather intimidating expression on her face.

“M-mom!”

“Austlinion, how many times have I told you to stop with this stupid nonsense about girls?!” Rhin and Kyin both took a small step backwards. When Tillyia had started a reprimand she’d never been able to finish, she’d always smiled and broken her act, and Alric had to step in and take over, but Bitti - she could do it on her own. She was scary enough on her own too.

“Too many.” Austly replied dejectedly, looking at the ground. “How long ‘my housed for?”

“You won’t be housed at all, if you go down to the shore with them.” Bitti replied with a strange expression. “It’s hard to believe that’s a punishment for you, Austly.”

“B-but mom..” The boy whined, poking at one of his pencils so that it rolled a few inches away from his finger. “Wh-what if the guys see me wit’… a girl.”

“Then you’ll just have to tell them your horrible mother made you go out after dinner time to play at the shore.” Bitti said, this time with a slight snicker in her voice as she turned and started towards the kitchen. “Either that or you’re housed for a week.”

“Awww, crud.” Austly moaned, even as he stood and looked at Kyin. “Jus’ ‘cause I’m goin’ don’t mean I like you!” He snorted before picking up his things awkwardly. “I’ll be back once I hide these tings in my room.”

“Ok. Don’t be too long, the lunfish aren’t as bright later on.” Kyin said with a small, secretive smirk at Rhin. She turned and walked back to him, reaching out to touch his a stray tangle with a frown. He shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish look, rubbing his wrapped shoulder.

“I was thinking I’d just cut it off and save myself the trouble.” He sighed, indicating to his hair, a clump of it currently in Kyin’s hand. She made a small noise and pulled his it lightly, ignoring his ‘ow.’

“You are not cutting your hair, Rhinwyn. I’m going to get a brush and I’m going to fix it while we’re at the shore tonight.” Kyin smiled, and then her eyes lit up. “Oh! And I have something to give you while we’re down there as well! I’ll be right back!”

Rhin sighed and replaced the tangle as he watched Kyin turn down the hall, passing Austly as she did. The wild-haired boy walked up to Rhin and studied him for a moment before shaking his head.

“Is she still goin’?”

“Yes.”

Austly let out a short growl and crossed his arms over his chest, hunching his shoulders over and jutting out his bottom lip in an expert pout. Rhin looked down at him curiously and reached over to put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Austly turned to look up at him angrily.

“What is it that you’ve got against girls? I mean, you like your mom, right?”

“Yeah - I like my mom. ‘s just that, girls are… smarmy.”

“Yeah, smarmy.” Popped a tiny voice from just behind Austly, causing Rhin to stumble backwards. Til stepped out from behind the older boy, tiny hand gripped tightly around Austly’s shirt hem. He waved with a short giggle before his bandana fell into his eyes.

“Wh-who’s he and when did he get here?” Rhin said as kindly as possible, his heart finally starting to calm down from the sudden surprise.

“He’s one of my crew. His name’s Til.” Austly replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world as he turned to help fix the younger Nanion’s bandana. “He got here a few minutes ago, climbed in through the window ‘cause I called ‘em.”

“You called him?”

“Yeah!” Til said excitedly, peering at Rhin with one eye. “Like this-” The little boy took a deep breath, puffing out his tiny chest, but Austly covered his mouth and shook his head before he could imitate the call. Til made a face and blew out the air onto Austly’s hand, making a strange sound over which they both began to chuckle.

“It’s a secret call.” Austly snickered, suddenly striking a pose with his left forearm out, brandishing a gaudy bracelet. “Only for me an’ my crew!”

“Oh, ok then.” Rhin replied as Kyin walked back over, a basket in her hands. She looked at Til in confusion for a moment, but she’d been around Austly and his boys more than Rhin and she was more used to it that he was. She did shake her head however as she reached for Rhin’s arm and started towards the door.

“Bye, Bitti! We won’t be out late!” She called over her shoulder as she opened the front door and nearly stuffed Rhin outside, giggling as she did so.

“Don’t get wet you thre-four,” Bitti said in a motherly tone as she poked her head out of the kitchen. “It’s too cold out to get wet and the last thing we want is some cold, wet kid covered in lunfish scales.” She chuckled, making a face as it was obviously not a pleasant thing, and vanished back into the kitchen.

“You’re going to love the lunfish, Rhinwyn. I know you will.” Kyin chirped as she stepped out onto the platform of Bitti’s house, starting down the stairs with Rhin, Austly and Til bringing up the rear. “That’s all I could think about when I first saw them: how much you would like them.” She turned and gave Rhin a shy smile, blushing a bit as he returned the expression, his eyes softening.

Austly shook his head and threw his arm over Til’s shoulders, startling the younger boy a bit.

“Oy, Til, make me a promise?”

“Sure Austly, anythin’.”

“If I ever start to like a girl, slap me outta it, ok?” Austly craned his neck to look down at Til as the boy started laughing.

“I don’t think you’ll ever like girls, Austly! But ok. If you ever start to like a girl I’ll slap you real hard.” He continued to chuckle.

“Hey, I didn’t say nuthin’ ‘bout slapping me hard. Just ‘nuff to make me stop likin’ the girl. Sheesh.” Even as he tried to suppress a grin, Austly chuckled as well, reaching up to fix his bandana. He hoped that his brother would come home for a visit soon, the boys had all been having trouble with keeping their bandana’s straight and he just knew Lan would be able to fix it.

“Why is she so ‘sited ‘bout showing him the lunfish anyway?” Til muttered, pulling at his short shirt. “I think it’s kinda nasty.” He stuck his tongue out and made a face, looking up at Austly.

“Well uh - I guess it’s ‘cause neither o’ them ever got to see the shore, y’know? They both grew up over that way near the mountains and there ain’t no oceans over there, so they never got to see lunfish. I guess she’s just ‘sited ‘cause he’s finally outta bed.” There was a pause, during which Austly raised an eyebrow at Til’s strange expression and cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“How do I know if you’re startin’ to like a girl?”

“Phsst, you’ll know. An’ that ain’t me likin’ her! ‘s me repeatin’ things my mom’s said.”

“Ooh, ok then.” Til said, though his voice was still suspicious.

Rhin couldn’t help but let his eyes and mind wander, even as Kyin began talking about all the things she’d been doing since they’d arrived, Fordwych was just so- unusual. He reached out and gently touched one of the planks on a platform, noticing water marks at various points along the legs.

“You see that black mark towards the top, Rhin?” Kyin said suddenly, leaning over Rhin’s shoulder on her toes. Rhin looked over at her then back up at the leg, scanning his eyes upward until he saw the black mark, maybe a foot or two away from the platform and the base of the house itself. He nodded and turned to look at Kyin, knowing an explanation was coming.

“Bitti told me that they marked that line on every house because seven years ago they had the worst flood ever. The water came that high.”

“It did?” Rhin said, giving one more glance to the black mark before continuing to follow Kyin. “And the supports didn’t give out? You’d think that with all that water at least some of them would have given out.”

“Don’t be so downtrodden, Rhin. Bitti said that faith kept them up.” Kyin chuckled and leaned closer to Rhin, so that her next words wouldn’t be heard by their two trailing cohorts. “She also said that she had to keep Austly locked up all day and night ‘cause he and his boys wanted to go out and swim in it. She said that they snuck out one day and did go for a swim, and all got sick so they were housed just in time for the water to go down.” Rhin chuckled but paused as his feet were met with the sandy ground. He turned his gaze to look at it, really nothing more than soft, white dirt, but for some reason it made his skin tingle. He slowly kicked off his sandals, noting that Kyin and the boys were doing the same, and stepped onto the sand barefoot.

He almost shot back to the path as the sand gave way under his foot and gave him the sensation that he was falling. He blushed brightly as he noticed Kyin and the boys looking at him in strange ways, wondering why he’d stiffened and thrown his arms out. He shook his head and walked out to meet Kyin, taking her outstretched hand. The shore seemed to go on forever, one long white stretch over the world, outlining to deep blue that was the ocean. Rhin again paused as he saw the ocean, rolling lightly in the distance, hissing and roaring in a strangely soothing way.

“C’mon, Rhin, you haven’t seen the best of it yet.” Kyin chuckled, pulling on his arm and leading him directly to the shore. She giggled and stepped forward a little, her toes just barley receiving the lapping tide as it whipped her skirt back and forth against her shins. Rhin did the same, smiling a little at the cool feeling over his feet.

“Austly, they’re brother and sister, right?” Til yawned as he and Austly scaled the nearby outcropping of rocks, sitting on the top and dangling their feet over the edge. Austly tilted his head to look at the duo and shrugged.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s what everyone’s been sayin’.” He shook his head and leaned forward, letting his eyes scan the dark horizon. He smirked a little and pointed to the reflection of the moon now cast in the water as the clouds shifted. “Here it comes. How much you wanna beat he screams and runs ‘way?” He chuckled.

“Oh, there’s the moon!” Kyin whispered excitedly, pointing up, and then down to where the moon’s reflection lay.

Rhin cocked his head to the side as the light of the moon seemed to ride through the waves, casting one large stream of white over the blue - and then, as if a door had opened, the light began to spread. The light moved out from the stream until all of the shore, all of the ocean that he could see, was white. The light seemed to be moving in circles, jumping through the waves, swimming.

“Bitti says that the lunfish are really transparent, that you can see right through them - but when they come to the shore to rub off dead scales and the moon hits them they glow white. Like fae.” Kyin smiled. “Oh, the tide’s coming in. We should move back, Bitti said not to get wet.”

It was amazing. It was more beautiful then when the fae migrated through Crawyn during the spring - and they had never gotten to see it. Rhin tried to recall Bitti’s words, her inspiring story, but he couldn’t. Johan had never gotten to see this. Tillyia and Alric, and Zeva. His whole village. They had lived their whole lives and never seen such beauty, their lives were taken from them before they could see such things. Johan would have loved it. He would have discarded Bitti’s warning and jumped right in, he would have tried to catch the fish. Zeva would have cared for him afterwards, the days following when he was sick. For Tillyia and Alric it would have been romantic. Rhin could almost see them, standing at the water’s edge, holding each other. He reached up and slowly untied his head wrap, dropping it to the water crawling up his ankles.

“Rhinwyn!” Kyin shouted again, tugging on his arm fiercely. Austly and Til scampered over, wading through the water which was at their knees, to help Kyin tug on Rhinwyn’s arm.

“Doesn’t he know not to get wet!” Til muttered, making a face as he was splashed in the eye.

“I-I’m going to get my mom!” Austly shouted as the waves continued to pound on the shore, this time hitting the boys’ waists. “C’mon, Til!”

Rhin cocked his head slightly to the side, his eyes blurry and out of focus as tears began to slip down his cheeks, a feeling which had become so familiar over the last few days. They were dead. They were gone, and they would never come back. They would never stand with Rhin and Kyin here, at the shore, together.

“Rhinwyn!” Kyin shouted, tears streaming down her own cheeks as she wrapped her arms over Rhin’s waist, tugging on his shirt viciously. “Please!” She sobbed, letting out a cry as a wave smashed right into her hips, knocking her free of Rhin and shoving her onto the sand. She rolled over, coughing up a mixture of sand and water as she struggled to her feet, sand sticking to her now sopping wet form. She started back out towards Rhin but was stopped by a strong hand on her upper arm. She let out a gasp and turned to look - it was Suhayl. He, Gehlman, Bitti and Raban had been gathered and were standing along the shore, frowning. Austly and now all seven of his cohorts stood behind them, looking on disapprovingly.

“Kyin, I thought I told you not to get wet.” Bitti said sternly as she threw a towel over the girl’s shoulders.

“I know - but.. We were standing at the shore and I told Rhin we needed to move because the tide was coming in but-but he wouldn’t move. He still won’t move. He wouldn’t even look at me.” Bitti frowned as Kyin reached up and covered her face, her shoulders shaking with sobs. She started to say something when she caught a hiss of voices and looked over her shoulder to see Gehlman and Suhayl whispering to each other, almost excitedly.

“What are you two doing, exactly? Get out there with Raban and help him bring that boy in.” She snarled, startling the two men.

“H-hang on a minute, Bitti.” Gehlman said, moving to stand in front of Kyin. He reached out and gently took her wrists in his hands, pulling them down enough so that she would look at him.

“Leave her alone for Goddess’s sake, Gehlmen.”

“Hang on a minute, woman.” Suhayl chuckled, leaning forward to hear.

“Kyin, you said he wouldn’t move or look at you, right?” Gehlman started, watching as Kyin scanned his face, nodding lightly. “Was it like - he was in some sort of trance?” Kyin let out a gasp and dropped her hands.

“Y-yes, just like that.”

“Has he done it before?!” Suhayl shouted eagerly, leaning forward and shoving Bitti out of the way.

“Yes! Yes during the attack!” Kyin shouted, but her bottom lip quivered and she began crying again, turning to throw herself at Suhayl. Bitti sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Are you happy, you’ve upset her again.”

“Calm down woman.” Suhayl said offhandedly, turning to watch Raban near Rhin as he rubbed Kyin’s back comfortingly.

“Would you mind filling me in on all that, please, gentlemen?” Bitti grumbled, looking pointedly at Gehlman.

“In a minute, I want to see what happens.”

Raban sighed as he neared Rhin, reaching out to touch the boy on his shoulder. He was startled when the boy tilted his head slightly, locking his eyes onto Raban’s. The older Nanion stumbled away shakily. Rhin’s eyes, which had been dazzling gold were now a misty silver, clear and pearly like the ocean. The Nanion man tripped over something unseen and landed in the cold water, splaying his hands over unsettled clams and seashells as he gaped at the scene before him. The moon had again been misted with clouds, leaving a strange ring in the air which sat behind Rhinwyn’s head. The light played against his white hair, speckled with glowing lunfish scales - Rhin wore a crown of silver and light.

Bitti stepped back suddenly, a hand instantly moving up to cover her mouth as the boys began scrambling forward to see. Rhin had turned to look at them, his expression both blank and solemn somehow. His eyes were silver to match the moon, flecks of light illuminated his skin giving him a completely celestial look under the crown of light upon his brow.

“Oh-oh goddess…” Suhayl turned his head away from the sight only to see that the commotion by the shore had drawn a fair-sized crowd, all of them scurrying to get a view of the Nanion boy. He heard a light shout and turned quickly back around as one of the women pointed.

Rhinwyn had turned his gaze back to the water lapping at his waist, where something had apparently caught on his pants. He reached down into the water, ignoring the still flabbergasted Raban, and lifted a long, hand-woven chain.

“Rhinwyn..” Kyin breathed suddenly, shaking her head as she tried to step forward, her efforts again thwarted by Bitti.

Rhinwyn held the object into the air as he untangled it from his pants, regarding it with a strange sort of confusion and disinterest. It was a necklace of sorts, and a long, jagged tooth hung suspended, spinning just above the water. Rhin’s gaze slowly returned to those at the shore, Kyin in particular, and he cocked his head to the side as the moon came back out into the open, casting the boy into blinding silhouette as his eyes grew wide and he toppled backwards.

“Rhinwyn!” Shrieked Kyin and Bitti in unison, both starting forward but catching themselves as Rhin’s body halted just above the water.

Raban spit out a mouthful of water and continued to struggle to his feet, his arms now looped under Rhinwyn’s. He stifled a groan and wrapped one arm around the boy’s torso, bending over to slide the other under his knees and lift him out of the cold water. He began stumbling to the shore and was immediately greeted by Bitti and Gehlmen, both eager to help.

“Raban,” Bitti whispered frantically, her hands flittering all over his arms and shoulders, “wha-what happened out there?”

“I’m not sure, just - help me get him inside and dry..”

“I’ll go ready some warm blankets!” Gehlmen said sharply, turning and dashing up the path.

Til’s eyes slowly returned to their normal size and he, along with the other boys, looked to Austly for some sort of guidance. However there was a strange expression awaiting them, one of complete and utter disbelief. Til started forward, moving to pull on Austly’s sleeve and wake him when Yuhin slapped a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, nodding instead to Kyin. Til turned to look at the girl, just inches away, flabbergasted next to Suhayl with tears on her cheeks. Til looked back at Yuhin only to receive a slight nod in her direction again. The blue-haired boy took a deep breath, puffing out his chest a bit, and walked around Austly towards the girl, pausing for a moment to just stand beside her and work up the courage to get her attention.

“Kyin,” he said softly, barely able to hear his own voice. She started slightly but turned to look at him with the most kind expression she could muster. He forced a smile, a little more genuine than she’d been expecting, then paused. “What was that all about?” He muttered after a moment, as if he were letting out this huge breath.

Kyin lifted her head, her gaze wandering away from the boy towards the path, where a slow caravan was forming behind Raban, carrying the limp form of Rhinwyn. It was like a parade to honor a King. Kyin felt chills rise over her arms and she began rubbing at them fiercely.

“You kids should probably get home.” Suhayl piped in, an odd and almost deranged tone in his voice. “It’s late and gettin’ cold.”

The basket which Kyin had brought to the shore resurfaced a little ways down, bobbing up and down as it continued to drift further away.