She never cried infront of me
#1
She stood at the top of the bluff watching the army of the usurper, a small smudge on the horizon coming forth to meet those loyal to the true heir. She turned to look back at the men that had begun to pitches their tents and ready themselves for the battle of their lives tomorrow. Many would fall, she knew that, but many would earn more marks to show their status in the ranks of the warriors. She flicked her ears back, surprised that the usurper had even had the guts to come to meet them halfway. She had expected the bastard to make them drag the war to his doorstep, tiring those loyal to DaVinci’s stand and causing unneeded havoc in the lands. She would be the first to admit that she was glad that he had come to meet them.

DaVinci had said he’d only done it because he was afraid to be viewed as a coward by the people and she had agreed after thinking it over. She would have believed him a coward if he hadn’t taken a stand to fight for what he’d stolen. Zana was silent as she brooded over what was to come, what had happened in the lands. She had been doubtful when Aisleran had said that the people would appear out of the woodwork to support DaVinci but the closer they drew to the battle more and more did seem to materialize out of nowhere. She knew that their numbers were nowhere close to that of the rival but she believed that in the end they would triumph for they fought for the greater good and the people deserved a just ruler. There was still an uneasy feeling as she watched and waited.

Aisleran had found her near dusk standing upon the bluff and in that looming silent way of his he stood with her offering her comfort. They had done well to mend things between them and in the end she’d found that she’d come to care for the warrior in turn. She smiled slightly to herself as she leaned back against his frame, the warmth of his body radiating through her slight frame as she closed her eyes and listened as he spoke softly, of what the commanders had planned and where she would be positioned.

None had thought it was wise to place DaVinci and Zana close in the action together, to lose the heir and the mother of their future in the same blow was too much for them. There wasn’t too much space planted between the two but it was enough to cause Zana to fret. She would ride along with Nesmed in one of their war chariots, a thing that she did not find amusing. She had little trust in the chariots or the creatures who pulled them. She’d rather be upon her own pawpads but she wasn’t going to push her luck, they didn’t have to let her fight at all. She meekly let them go about their plans once they’d explained everything. She had sighed to herself after that all and left to find her solace on the hilltop.

She’d let her mind slip back to the scene of the commanders and DaVinci deep in discussion, the deep crimson cloak thrown over his shoulder, the mark of the Ri on the broach glimmering dully in the dappled light that shifted through the forest. She was brought back to reality as she realized that Aisleran who had been combing his claws through her unruly curls, had given up and his voice had been cut short as he turned towards the darkness. She titled her head to the side to make out the form of DaVinci coming to join them atop the rise.

She sighed to herself once more, knowing that Aisleran would disappear shortly and leave her and her sibling alone to spend the last remaining moments gazing out upon what tomorrow would be a river of blood. She shuttered at the thought and gazed after Aisleran wistfully as he finally released his place to DaVinci. She shot her brother a gaze of daggers as the warrior left them alone. Her voice was bitter as she asked, ”Chaperoning now?” No ill was meant by her words, she just would have rather not seem her sibling before the start of the battle, knowing that it would only cause her more grief and worry; something she wasn’t sure she could deal with.
#2
DaVinci wasn’t surprised to find the two warriors upon the bluff. He had been searching for Zana originally but when he’d seen Aisleran heading towards the lookout point he had a feeling that he would find the other where the man stopped. He gave the two a moment before he followed, not for certain what he was about to intrude upon but not expecting the worst either. The soft murmur of Aisleran’s voice was easy enough to follow, speaking of what was to come and what the plans had been. Zana had not stayed long enough to learn where Aisleran would be, he had figured that the two had made up their quarrel and he wasn’t going to begrudge them their friendship, though the scene that unfolded atop the buff made him wonder if it was just a friendship any longer.

He was silent as Aisleran gathered himself and made to leave. The look of his sibling was lost on the Ri as he’d received much of the same from Firefly the year previous. He just stood silent beneath the old oak tree that stood guard over the plot of land. When her words greeted him bitterly he chuckled and asked. ”No. Why, should I be?” his voice was slightly amused as he turned his stormy orbs back to his sister as she quickly turned away. He wasn’t going to press her though he did worry now that she’d spoken just how far their bond had gone.

His gaze moved beyond to take in the scope of the land beyond as he sighed softly, he had wished to speak to Zana along and it seemed that this was to be the only chance he would get. He crouched down beside his sibling as he reached into his cloak to retrieve a rather bulky bundle. His words were hesitant as he spoke. ”Zana.. in case something goes wrong tomorrow and I don’t make it…” His words faltered as he couldn’t make the words escape his maw correctly. He looked fair foolish just standing there holding the letters between them but he was afraid of what the future held.
#3
The soft sound of Aisleran’s departure stayed on her mind long after he left. The words that DaVinci answered her with made her pin her ears back as her eyes darted up to meet his once more, a sharp deadly glare shot at him as she grumbled softly. ”I thought you were privy to all things, wanted or not?” Obviously the few times Aisleran and her had stolen away together had not been caught by the masses. Nothing more than a few careless brushes of his fingers upon her flesh and his lips gentle against her own. She decided to ignore anything further that her brother decided to bring up on the subject as she turned her eyes to the darkness that was settling down upon the land. Too soon it would be a world of chaos, a shudder rolling down her spine as she tried to grasp the last moments of sanity before the morn.

The shift of DaVinci’s position beside her was noted as she moved over to share the ground with him. The rustle of fabric and paper caught her attention as he spoke up, his words lost to her for a moment until she realized just what he was holding. She swallowed hard and reached for the bundle, her trembling paws lost in the darkness as she spoke sharply. ”Don’t, don’t even think such!” There was a bit of hysterics in her voice as she pulled the bundle close to her chest and whined softly. ”Why..” she asked, not even knowing what she held so tightly.

She knew she really didn’t want to know what his answer was but she had to know just the same. She turned her misty eyes to meet her brothers as she tried to figure out if this was him telling her goodbye or if there was something more to the actions of her sibling. She wished that she could tell him off for even laying the seed of doubt in her mind as they sat there in the dark but her tongue was like sand in her maw now, no words would come.
#4
He kept his amusement to himself as Zana gave him the glare of death at his chosen words. He couldn’t help teasing her, she had ignored the smitten warrior’s gestures for so long and now that their fight had been resolved he had almost expected them to just become friends once more. The fact that Zana had in some ways embraced the budding romance had caused him to worry slightly. He had wished there was some way he could keep either her or Aisleran from the battle but he knew they would know what was amiss if he tried. Instead he was just left to worry about them all, hoping that they came out of it in the end.

He couldn’t help but smile softly as she commented on his remark, a slight chuckle rising from his throat as he just nodded. He was actually glad to know that there was nothing to learn between the two warriors, or at least he hadn’t learned anything yet. Instead of goad her further he just stood there silently for a moment wondering just where they would find each other after the wave of bloodshed had passed. He truly hoped that all would bode well in the end, he didn’t want to be the one to return to Inferni to tell Gabriel what had befallen the young woman he had convinced to accompany him on his adventures.

When he finally admitted the reason he’d searched her out Zana didn’t take it well, he hadn’t thought that she would and he couldn’t help but smile sadly down at her as he tried to explain. ”For Ryan..” The letters had been for Ryan, to let her know how he felt, what had befallen them all after they had left the territories that they had lived in for so long and the very last had been to tell her that if she was getting the letters that he wouldn’t be coming back. His eyes brimmed with tears as he whispered. ”Just take them to Ryan if I don’t make it out of this..” He didn’t want to go any further but he knew that the masses below were depending on him in the morn.

He stood up then, eyeing his sister a moment before he began to fade into the darkness beyond, turning one last time to leave word to Zana. ”Take what love you can get, when you get it Zana.. you may never know when it may disappear.” The only sound afterwards was the shuffle of his paws as he moved through the grass and beyond even her sight upon the rise.
#5
She was quiet as she listened to his few words, just nodding in agreement, knowing that if she too lived that she would deliver the letters to Ryan and let her know the truth of it all. She didn’t believe that Ryan knew what DaVinci had gone through when she had left him once more, ending their star crossed affairs and going back to being a good clan member. Zana sniffled quietly as she heard DaVinci pull himself from the grass and began to disappear. She knew that there would be no other talk of Ryan, of what had lay between them and what was lost. If there was anything to know she would find it in the bundle of letters she let fall to her lap.

The departing words he left her with caused her to bow her head, knowing that he was right in some way but she was afraid to act on them. Instead she sat upon the bluff a moment longer, nothing but her tears for company as she wished that DaVinci had just left her be. She had thought that she’d had everything under control but once more he’d put things into a spiral and she didn’t know which way was up.

She cast the last tears from her cheeks and moved down into the encampment below to find her tend and light a candle. Her fingers trembling as she opened the letters and began to read.


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