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Isolder was gathering supplies in the city for his expeditions to the other cities with Ming to look for his brothers. Food, herbs, water, a few blankets. He sighed contented and packed it all up into a carry friendly bundle and slung it up onto his back. The weight settled comfortably between his shoulder blades. At least now he wouldn't be so painfully lonely and spending time with Ming would be a delight, she was beautiful and fascinating.

He turned to the square to pass through and nearly fell over..that boy looked like Isaris..but this had happened before and it had never been one of them. So he shook his head, wiped the tears from his eyes and walked forward. "Excuse me..." He said gently waiting for the boy to turn so he could get a better look at his face and carry on with his life when it turned out to not be his brother.

It...it was Isaris!

"ISARIS, IT IS YOU!" Isolder shouted, their racket garnering stares from everyone around. He opened his arms and wrapped them around his little brother, the one who shared so many memories. He twirled him around for a bit and then set him down an arms length away. "Look at you, you look so good! Well besides the scars but they add to your character." Isolder winked and walked around his brother. "Your hair came in rather awesome didn't it?' He tugged gently on the ragged braid.

"Oh my Serin, I missed you so much." Isolder came back for a better hug and burried his face, full of tears, in his brothers shoulder. "Gah, I'm sorry, its been five years, thats 4 years and 364 days too many! Your safe, your safe!"

He pulled away face contorted with joy mixed with pent up longing. "You haven't found any of the others by chance? Issaly? Icanthis?" He voice broke, almost not wanting to hear the answer if someone hadn't made it, almost.

Isolder noticed the move. "That happened during the battle, someone missed my head and I have kept the promise since that I wouldn't grow it out until I found somebody, I thought I was going to have short hair forever." He shook his head like a dog fluffing it up. "But now your here! And Issaly is safe too."

"It'll grow back, brothers won't, but speaking of growing, you look like you put on a foot since I last saw you. Show us your muscles." Isolder chuckled flexing his own bicep. Gah, it was so good to banter again, the good humor that Ming started now back in full force shining from his face and every pore. Happy shifter boy was so freaking happy that it leaked out his eyes.

Isolder pulled him closer and kissed his temple, "I still trust ya. So where is Issaly? Is he very far? What have you been up to? Has someone helped you on your way? Someone I should be thanking? I know I've had help on my way. If I hadn't been going on a trip with someone helping us I wouldn't even have found you." He felt guilty he hadn't been there to protect them, but he had tried so hard to find him there was nothing else he could have done.

"I think the bow is a very practical weapon." He smiled, "Much more practical then gauntlets."

"A woman named Ming'we, she has volunteered to help me find you and the others. A gift for which I am most grateful. It has nearly killed me to be away from you, as the oldest of the young I felt responsible for you two in particular, I still do, even though you have grown into a fine young man." He felt a tear creep into his eye, that felt like something his mother would have said. "Now I can finally grow my hair out again, to be like her again, now that I've honored her memory and eased my own heart by finding you."

"You've done so well Isaris taking care of Issaly, I'm just so glad you were with him, so glad." His knees wobbled as he swayed halfway to either falling over or bawling like a small child. So he knelt holding his brothers hands and resting his head on his chest. He inhaled and it felt like when they used to all sleep in a wonderful pile of brothers. He missed all things about it the close companionship the light bantering the frequent wrestling, always near always within an arms reach or closer. "Gah." He had to pull back to wipe his eyes. He was blubbering but he couldn't help it and after five years he felt it was justified.

"But your not in the shadow, not anymore, you took care of your brother, just as we would have done, you've grown into a fine young man and I can't even express how proud I am, look its leaking out my eyes!" Isolder giggled.

"I was alone for at least four years, than I got sick and an alk lady helped me get to an inn where I could recover, then Ming helped me by getting some of my spirit back. It was so hard to not know what had happened that it pretty much consumed my life, I hunted from one end of Jauhar to the other, I must have covered every inch thinking no one would leave it. But they had to have otherwise I would have found them a lot sooner."

"Something far enough away that everyone can get organized, get their lives in order and just go. Maybe six months from now? A year? Something like that anyway." He shrugged happy to have found two when he thought he would find none. He still wanted to see the others of course but some of the terror had ebbed at the sight of Isaris. Isolder still felt dizzy, he had had an almost out of body experience he had been so shocked. Isaris looked older than he had but still like his brother plus a few large scars that tended to make Isolder's blood boil just thinking about them. "Anytime you or Issaly need me just send word I will come."

"I've personally scoured that area a lot, I have pinpointed where we were so that if anyone came back I could find them on my many surveys. But it may be harder for the others who have been gone for so long, I don't think they are in Jauhar, I would have found them."

He gazed off. "I wonder where they are Isa, where have they been flung, why haven't they returned here, do they have lives, families? Some of them are plenty old enough."