And Then Everything Changed... [Akilah]

[Ronan]

"I'll help you up," he said slowly, holding her feet and lifting her to the saddle. "And the Strider... she's called Tairell." He remained quiet for the rest of the time, as he mounted and ushered the horse to start trotting back to Endrykas. The journey was silent, and Akilah herself remained quiet too. An awkward tension purveyed the air, and more so for Ronan, it was a time of contemplation and reflection. Denying it was pointless. Her name was Windsong - and Windsong she must be. He could see it in her eyes, her face, her dark hair. The same blood flowed through their veins, he knew it. Family. The idea left him breathless - and just a little clueless. How would he even face this - it was a greater challenge than any glassbeak or sword fight. He had been alone for so long. First his brother, then his parents. He had always believed his Pavilion to be in ruins following his tempestuous arguments with the rest of the clan. As they approached the tent city, he swallowed and broached conversation. "If Michaeus was your Granduncle... that makes us cousins I guess?" He looked at her with a wan smile, slightly uncomfortable, but with a burgeoning hope.

[Akilah Windsong]

"Tairell, nice to meet you." She greeted the as she mounted. Though it was painful at first, she managed to get comfortable enough. Fortunately the yvas had plenty of straps for her to rest her feet, securing them to prevent any movement.

As they trotted, scenery blurred together into a wash of gold. Leaning against his back, she listened to the wind as it blew, to the soft sway of the grass. Ronan remained silent and her eyes drooped ever so slightly. Akilah was tired, the long walk taking its toll on her. Tired and his back was warm, the heat seeping through his shirt. Closing her eyes, she fell into a light, dreamless sleep.

When he spoke once more, she felt the tremors through his frame. Waking, she looked up as he turned his head and smiled, still leaning against him. "Cousins?" The word rolled in her and she nodded, his shirt scratching her cheeks as she did so. "I think so." A little mischief worked its way into her voice as she continued. "That means you have to make up for all the babysitting you missed. And our youngest cousins are quite... precocious."

Sitting up now, she peered around him to see the city nearby, the bright colours she had memorized since infancy. "We're nearly there." Biting back a yawn, she kept her eyes open for the rest of the ride.

[Ronan]

"Youngest cousins... precocious... right," the information entered Ronan's ears and dispersed in his mind, he was as confused as he was amazed. Endrykas neared, Tairell carrying them into the tent city. She was back to her old self - almost. Her injuries had slowed her down a little, but most had healed, and the shocks of the storm had worn off. She was a hardy girl. A cousin. A friend. Family. He finally began to grapple with the idea, oblivious of the goings on in Endrykas around him. He had to get to know Akilah, there was so much to learn and understand. So much history to rewrite. "Where to," he asked quietly, before pausing, and rephrasing, "where to, cousin?"

[Akilah Windsong]

She watched as the city approached, the tents growing bigger, the carefully sewn patterns more distinct. A few riders were entering the city, their quarry proudly displayed. Some had rabbits hanging off their yvas, others an entire pronghorn slung over the rump of their striders.

His voice was soft as he spoke and she had to strain to hear it over the ruckus of the city. The outskirts Endrykas were loud, filled with returning kin and newcomers. Hunters argued over their trophies and shopkeepers tried to catch the attention of strangers. Over the bawdy laughter and light scuffles, she caught his words.

"Ah, we're in the hunter section," she responded. Though her clan specialized in hunting and fighting, the warriors were rarely home, either training others or travelling in the Watch. "Just follow the trails on the right for a while." She guided him as the moved, the path leading away from the noise. Quieter now, she watched as the trails narrowed, the pavilions crowding the sky in some places. In others small patches of grass were left open, horses tethered there.

Her pavilion was near one as well, their hunting animals baying at the scent of the two.

[Ronan]

Ronan couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Akilah guided him down the trails, away from the hustle and bustle of central Endrykas. And he began to realise she was taking him towards her Pavilion.

His Pavilion.

"This... this is going to be hard," he said slowly, as Tairell plodded on towards the small camp, "you understand that?"

Perhaps he should have searched harder, perhaps he should have just stopped and thought a long time ago - but he had been blinded by sorrow and mourning, angry at the world. And when he had returned to Endrykas, after living like a wild man, there were only remnants. Old, proud men, and a collapsing Pavilion. He had argued, and he had left. Believing only ruin to be behind him.

But here was Akilah, a young girl, a new generation of Windsong. He smiled at her, hoping she would understand his fears. He knew this wasn't going to be easy...

[Akilah Windsong]

As they moved down well-worn path, she could feel him stiffen in her arms. He sat erect, his back straight, and at his words she felt a tremor.

"Not entirely."

Hard? Meeting some of her sterner family members was hard, so much that she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide whenever they came over. That was not the hard he was talking about.

His was deeper, on a less tangible level. Hard? In the sense that it was hard to come to terms that the dead still walked, she understood. Up to the point where his memories and hers clashed, where one pavilion fell and the other stood, she understood. It must be hard to come home when there used to be none before.

But that wasn't the hard he was speaking of. Or at least, not fully. It was half of it and it was that other half she would never understand. Akilah had always had her family, to the point of suffocation at times, and she was never truly alone. Even when her strider wasn't with her, there was always Zulrav whistling softly in her ears a half-forgotten tune from childhood.

"I don't think I ever will." That was the truth of it.

"But I'm willing to try." This was another.

It was strange to think of this man as family, this man who appeared in front of her like a mirage. Family he was, though, and if anything, Akilah always put her family first. She smiled back at him, reassuringly squeezing his arm as they came to a stop in front of her pavilion.

It was getting crowded once more and yet another pavilion would have to be made to accommodate the growth. The tan cloth rippled in the breeze, patterns of foxes and hunting dogs chasing a hidden quarry trailing the bottom. Cleome's bloomed here and there, their spidery petals stretching out to form paths for the animals as they raced across the golden grasses.

Looking down at the ground, she frowned. The distance seemed daunting and though her ankles felt better, it was another thing to risk it.

"Could you help me down?" she asked, gritting her teeth slightly. Akilah hated this helpless feeling that came with getting sick or hurt. Like she couldn't do anything. Like she was nothing.

At least her leg wasn't broken. This pain would last at most a day or two and she'd be on her own two feet once more.

As she waited for him to get down, she heard a loud bark nearby. The other animals had calmed down, recognizing her scent, but this one wouldn't. Without looking, she knew she'd see a medium-sized dog, his black-blue fur a little lighter in the sun.

It seemed Vespera was put out by the fact she left him home. Inside the pavilion, she could hear the sound of conversation escaping the tent. It wasn't as noisy as it could have been, meaning not everyone was home yet, but still crowded as it was.

[Ronan]

They came to a stop, and Ronan took it all in slowly. There were animal noises, and Drykas speaking inside the tents. A cool breeze blew through the camp.

"Of course," he said hurriedly, clambering off of Tairell's back.

Suddenly a dog began to approach, barking. It had the most beautiful black fur, that held an almost blue shimmer in the autumn light. Akilah looked to it with recognising eyes, and it seemed to calm a little.

He moved round to the other side of the horse, as Akilah managed to swing her legs down. He reached up and held her waist as she slid off of Tairell, then supported her and lifted her to the floor gently.

"You're the closest I've ever had to a sister," he said slowly, "so I'm here for you. Always."

Feeling more than a little apprehension, he tried his best to support her while tying Tairell up to a nearby post and giving her a soothing word. She almost smiled at him. Bless that Strider, he thought. She meant so much to him.

And then, he began to walk along with Akilah into her Pavilion. He began to walk into history, a meeting with the Windsong family looming.

[Akilah Windsong]

She turned red at his words, embarrassed and pleased. None of her cousins ever said anything like that before--sure, she knew they would come when she was in trouble, just as she would when they were. She knew it, but there was something more solid in the promise he gave.

At the same time, it was a little strange to hear it from him. Though he was now her cousin, scarce hours ago he was no one and it was hard to connect the image of family and stranger. Ronan was quick to adapt and she would have to catch up.

Looking away slightly, she ducked her head to hide the flames that spread to her ears. "T-thank you." A little braver, she lifted her head, looking up at his face. He was taller than her, as was most men she knew. Akilah stumbled over her words slightly, still flustered from his sudden declaration. "Me-me too. I'm here for you."

A bark was the only warning she got before Vespera stood on his hind legs, his forelegs caught the crook of her elbow. He wasn't tall enough to reach her face yet, but he was still growing and she didn't doubt that in time he'd be able to lick her face easily. Wagging his tail, he panted lightly as he almost threw her off balance.

Escaping his embrace, Akilah watched as her pup eagerly sniffed the man beside her. It was a good thing this dog was going to be a hunter--Vespera would not survive long if he were a guard dog. He was friendly to a fault and she could only sigh in response.

She amended her previous statement with a chuckle. "We're here for you."

Inside the pavilion, she could hear rapid footsteps and a small bang before the flap tore open and her youngest female cousin rushed out of the the pavilion. Seven years old and the most emotionally unstable, she almost stumbled as she ran. Blonde hair tumbled in the wind as she regained her balance and she made a beeline to her cousin.

"Akilah! Akilah!" Used to the strangers that came and went in their home, she paid Ronan no attention. "Look!" Beaming a bright smile at the two, she proudly poked her tongue into the small hole in her upper teeth. "I lost one, I lost one!"

"That's good." She almost snorted at her cousin's actions--she used to do that too. Her tongue would constantly prod the gaps in her gums, unable to ignore the missing teeth. Resisting the urge to laugh, she shook lightly, trying to keep her voice in control as she continued. "Fajra, this is--"

By this point, Fajra noticed the grime and small cuts on her clothes. Her fingers touched each spot, her head curiously tilting as she circled her cousin. A decision made, she moved into sight of Akilah's companion. Clutching her cousin's leg, she suspiciously glowered up at Ronan.

"You hurt her?"

[Ronan]

Ronan stood back a little and let Akilah take the lead. This was her family first and foremost. She had known them for years, spending her days here, crafting memories. Ronan was a spectre from the past, a transient reflection who shouldn't even be here.

As they moved closer to the Pavilion, a young girl burst out from one of the tents. Bright blonde hair billowed around in the wind, her face one of joy. She rushed to Akilah, who named her as Fajra. She began shouting about losing a tooth. He couldn't help but smile. The innocence of childhood. That was something that should preserved, he thought astutely.

The wind changed direction, cooler against his skin. Fajra began to study Akilah's cuts and bruises, circling her like a predatory vulture. And then her eyes turned to Ronan. Cutting. Child's accusing eyes.

"You hurt her?"

He was paralysed. His family. His blood. And straight away, accusations were being flung at him. Suspicion. Doubt. He knew he should say something, he knew he should tell the truth and make everything alright, but he couldn't speak.

He looked to Akilah helplessly. Everything was spiralling out of control, and he didn't have the words to express how he felt.

[Akilah Windsong]

"No, he didn't," she cut in when Ronan remained quiet. Fajra remained immobile, her tiny hands clutching Akilah's pants and she looked up at the older man, confused by his silence.

His eyes were staring at her with an emotion she didn't understand. Desperate, perhaps, but she couldn't understand the myriad of feelings that lurked in his expression. It stemmed from the accusation, she knew, but this was Fajra. Little, spoiled, curious Fajra. Her words were not supposed to hurt.

Realizing he wouldn't make a move on his own, she swiftly mended the situation. "This is someone important," she explained, gently prying Fajra's hands off her pants. "He's a cousin of ours."

Fajra stared up at him, squinting as she tried to recall his face. Glancing up at Akilah, she looked like a bloodhound sniffing the truth. A frown formed on her face, her teeth biting into her lip. After a few minutes passed, she determined that this was the truth, that he hadn't hurt Akilah.

The cousin part was something she wasn't sure of. Cautiously, she approached him, looking back at Akilah every now and then until she stood right in front of him. He was tall, like the sun, a giant to her. He was even taller than her cousin! Still, she had to get to the bottom of this and the only way to do that would be to investigate. Standing on her tippy-toes in order to get a better look at his face, she pouted at the continued height difference, her plump cheeks puffing out.

"Bend down," she ordered, the way only a seven-year-old princess could. Rocking on her feet until he complied, she continued to squint up at him.

Akilah nudged him, trying to set his frozen body in motion. It wouldn't do to have him stop just because Fajra mistook his appearance. "She won't bite."

When he finally did bend, she reached up and touched his face, pushing his cheeks in with her grubby hands. His skin was tough and she stretched his cheeks a bit before pulling his nose.

"He has Keegan's nose," she decided before letting go. "He can come in."

As she turned around and marched back to the pavilion, Akilah laughed, trying to muffle the sound behind her hand. At his questioning gaze, she explained her cousin's words. "Keegan's her strider."