David

Forest birds sang quietly in the tall trees that surrounded the small pool. A gentle breeze drew small ripples across the face of the quiet water. David stood waiting at the water’s edge, the thick mud sucking at the soles of his heavy boots as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

Aestril floated, face-down in the sparkling water. Her flame-colored hair fanned out around her head mimicked the reflection of the setting sun. Two fiery red drops in the deep blue of the reflected sky. Her arms, flung wide, floated at her sides. The water played with her dress, opening it fully one moment, pressing it against her body the next like a moss-colored umbrella. The crimson ribbon of her sash meandered away from the floating girl giving the illusion of her life-blood trailing on the water.

David shifted impatiently once again, fiddling with his belt buckle to keep his hands occupied. An image floated into his mind…himself stalking angrily from the pool, his cloak flapping behind him on the breeze looked like strange wings from this odd, observer’s view of himself. He shook his head to aid in clearing the vision. He’d long since been able to clear his head of his sister’s unique and only means of communication, though lately he’d become suspicious that he was able to clear the visions voluntarily only because she allowed him the option to do so.

As the vision melted from his eyes his sister came into focus, still floating, but on her back now. A small pout adorned her freckled face.

“Do you really want me to leave?”

Aestril’s chest rose and fell in a deep sigh. The pout remained.

“You asked me to come, Aestril…”

David felt the odd sensation of his sister manipulating his thoughts, causing him to see what she wanted to tell him.

He watched his sister walking a wooded path…he reflexively jumped as a huge man thudded to the earth behind her…his anger rose as the dirty man pawed at his sister’s collarbone…she was speaking to the man…the man was plunging his own dagger deep into his own heart…

As David’s mind cleared, he felt her arms around him. He hugged her tightly. Aestril had always been small, and David had always felt obligated to protect his younger sister, especially since she didn’t ask for help. She never was afraid. Until now. He could feel fear emanating from her, and he held her tighter, wanting her to feel safe. Aestril lifted her face from her brother’s shoulder to look him in the eye. She spoke to him in the gentle way she usually did, not completely clouding his mind as she had to tell him what had happened to her. A small picture formed in the corner of his mind, Aestril floating in the water, face-down, as he had found her not long ago. David stood at the edge of the water. His face showed obvious grief. The expression on his sister’s face made it a question.

“How could you even wonder, Aestril? If you died, I’d follow not long after...” He hugged her tightly to him again and softly kissed her wet hair. His next thought, After I killed whoever took you from me, he left unspoken.

They stood, embracing, for many minutes until David realized that his clothes had taken on much of the water that had been dripping from her dress, and the front of him was now as thoroughly soaked as his sister.