[spoiler]A continuation of my last story about Skye. If all goes according to plan, there will be a few more. Criticisms and suggestions, of course, are welcome and most appreciated. This is not open for roleplay, this time.[/spoiler] [i]Skye, about thirteen years old, sat on a large stone that lay near the edge of a cliff looking over the sea. The waves crashed furiously against the rocks below. The sky was cloudy and seemed to be set ablaze by the brilliant golden colors of the setting sun. There was a peace in the air that came with the power of the water, the gentleness of the sunlight, and the salty smell in the wind. But her arms were crossed and her body tensed with frustration and hurt. He didn’t keep his promise, and she felt betrayed. Why hadn’t he come? Then a familiar voice sounded behind her. “You know, you’re not supposed to be this close to the cliffs without someone with you.” She glanced over her shoulder to see Errol climbing the stone, and she quickly turned back to the sea angrily. He approached and settled himself beside her. “Father wanted me to come find you,” he continued. “Training starts early tomorrow. You’ll need the extra sleep.” “We were supposed to go explore the mountain today,” she grumbled, “but you didn’t come.” Errol sighed, knowing this was coming. “Look, Skye—“ She cut him off. “You didn’t come because you were with that lass that lives north of here again, weren’t you?” He hesitated. “Aye, I was.” “Why did you want to be with her? I thought you wanted to be with me!” “I do want to be with you, but I—“ his face met the palm of his hand “—I thought you liked her!” “I’m not good with people. You know that.” “I can have friends! I won’t just stop seeing her because you want me to,” he said in protest. “I don’t want you to stop seeing your friends, but you made a promise, Errol!” They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Skye could feel the irritation rolling off of him, and off of herself. Then Errol shuffled in his place. “You’re right,” he finally said, and his tone softened. “I did make a promise, and it was wrong for me not to keep it. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Skye looked at him. His annoyed expression from before had changed to one genuinely sad as he realized how much his decision had upset her. Regardless, she was still angry with him. She was always awkward interacting with people, and it wasn’t for lack of trying to be ‘normal’. It didn’t help they lived in a place so far away from the nearest town. And because of that, it hurt her feelings to know that Errol, her only friend other than Lyle, went back on his word. However, the emotion subsided when she felt his arm pull her close in an embrace. Ever since she joined his tiny family, he was there for her constantly, and it was then that she was reminded of it. His apology was sincere, and she had to forgive him. “We’ll explore the mountains after our training tomorrow. We’ll leave as soon as possible, and we won’t be back home until sunset. How does that sound?” She beamed. “Aye, let’s do that.” They rested wordlessly on their perch a moment longer. Once more they simply enjoyed each other’s company while the sun continued to descend into the horizon. Then a question rose in Skye’s thoughts. “Errol?” “Hm?” “We’ll always stick together, right?” He glanced at her in surprise. “Of course! You’re my sister. Besides, even if we did end up apart, you obviously wouldn’t let that last for very long.” He gave a boyish grin. Skye rolled her eyes. “You’re right, I would never let it.” “I wouldn’t either. I promise.”[/i] - Another memory faded as Skye stood on top of a massive hill. She took a sip of water from her canteen. The scene before her brought the memory to her mind, though it held little resemblance to the cliffs of her home. The hill overlooked miles of forest instead of ocean. The sky was completely clear of clouds and held the bright shade of blue that came with late morning. The only similarity was a steady breeze, but even then the air held the faint fragrance of flowers rather than the stark scent of salt and seawater. Perhaps it was simply the feeling of being elevated above the trees, along with a recent conversation with a friend, that made her remember that moment. Only a night or two ago, she promised a friend that their relationship would not be effected by a situation he was in. That day on the cliff, Skye and Errol had pledged that their connection as siblings would never change, no matter what would happen in the future. They would always be together. At this realization, Skye gave a sorrowful sigh. Everything had changed, more so than she wanted to admit, and an all too familiar doubt slowly crept into her heart. Would she be able to think clearly through this knowing that lives were lost while he was looking for her? Would she really be able to convince him to turn away from his vengefulness? Would he ever forgive her for what she let happen to Lyle? Would that connection they had ever be the same as it once was? Would she start making similar mistakes with her friends in Offtopic? Skye didn’t want to question her mission when it had barely begun, so she shook the thoughts out of her head and turned her focus a little to the south. Depending on how consistent her pace was, she could get to Kleinton in only a couple of days. It was a small and mostly quiet town, rather secluded to most of the craziness of Offtopic. However, it was a hotspot for travelers and journeymen to pass through and spend some time to rest comfortably. She was told that Errol started heading in her direction, and then turned back. While the reason behind this was unknown to her, if he ever got close to the Capital there was a chance he would have made it there. And, luckily, Skye had an acquaintance at the local inn who would be more than willing to give her any information on him. At least, that was the hope.