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 Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:43 pm
Swearing under his breath Leif dropped the last dagger and left it in the open. "Mersi! Mersi!" Leif's heart dropped in his chest and a wave of guilt swept over him. "Mersi, please!" Paws pounded on the soft earth as he ran towards his sister, with his ears pressed against his skull while his tail drooped towards the ground.
"I'm sorry!" Hesitating, Leif swallowed before reaching out to touch his sister's shoulder. "Will you at least listen to why I didn't tell you?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:48 pm
Mersi sniffed and wiped at her nose. Stupid jerk, thinking she couldn't handle it probably.
Feeling his touch, she stopped short, jaw and fists clenched. "Make it quick." She growled, eyes straight ahead.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:57 pm
"You know how mother is!" Leif cried out defensively as he looked at his sister, "I didn't want her to worry and I was afraid you would too so I didn't tell you or Mom." His tail swished against the ground, "I wanted too, really I did. But I wanted to surprise you with my training and I hoped to defend you one day. Yet, I was afraid that you would worry too much or think I was being silly. I hated to think of anyone worrying...so...I didn't tell."
Leif's eyes dropped to the ground with a sigh, "I really hate hiding things from you, Mersi. But I can't always tell you everything that I do." His eyes closed in guilt and his hand clutched at the other. "I'm sorry."
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:00 pm
Mersi closed her eyes. "I am not mom." She said quietly. Then a thought struck her. "Dad's helping you, isn't he." She wasn't asking, her tone accusatory. "Both of you."
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:05 pm
"I know that!" Replied Leif sharply as he opened his eyes to look at Mersi, "Mersi, I just...I just don't know!" His tail swished behind him as he gestured around them, "What would you have done had you known?" He asked finally softening his voice. "I mean, I was afraid of how you would react. What if you were against it?" Leif's gaze dropped and he sighed, "I didn't want to upset you, but I guess I did that anyway."
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:21 pm
Mersi was silent for a long time before speaking, her eyes searching for answers in the flowing river. "I was scared that day too. You think I wasn't affected by that wolf? I saw you coming. Because of me, you were in danger. Then it was dad, and mom." She sighed, a pained look on her face. She had to tell him...
"Come with me." Turning, she headed back the way they had come. Following a path that no one but her could tell, she lead Leif to her tree. Expression blank, she pulled the bark away and retrieved the wrapped dagger from the hole, handing it silently to Leif.
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:46 pm
Leif remembered the feeling from that day and secretly rejected any thoughts of blaming Mersi. It had been his own fault for taking her out into danger in the first place. Without the wolf would the two of them be hiding things like this? Would he be fighting or training as hard as he was? 'Maybe, or maybe not.'
"Mersi..." Leif felt like protesting against his sister's feelings concerning that day, but followed silently instead. His breath nearly hitched as he took the dagger out of its wrappings. Confusion flickered over his features, "Where, when? How did you get this?" He asked softly raising an eyebrow at his sister.
Even though he had always subconsciously realized that his sister was tough for a girl her age, he had never expected to see her holding something like this. The blade gleamed as Leif turned the dagger expertly with his fingers, "I knew you weren't a total softie...but still."
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:04 pm
Mersi hugged herself tightly and wouldn't look up from the tree, afraid to see disappointment on her brother's face. "My birthday. Mom and dad took me to the market, gave me some coins, let me go on my own for whatever I wanted. Ever since that day with the wolf, all I've ever wanted was the ability to protect my family. You, mom, dad."
She reached out, lightly caressing the empty nook she had dug herself. "I saw a centaur selling weapons. When I heard he gave lessons as well, I wouldn't take no for an answer. Been training under him ever since."
She sighed in defeat and leaned her forehead against the trunk, eyes closed, speaking quickly. "I was afraid to tell you. Mom and dad want me to be a lady. Like all the other girls. And I didn't want you to feel like I was trying to be better than you. I just... want to be strong." Her voice went dark, gleaming eyes opening to glare at the bark. "I want to break that wolf's neck."
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:45 pm
"Ah." He still was amazed though that his father's sharp gaze-wait no telling about what his dad really knew, now that he thought about it. Still, he was amazed that their mother hadn't quickly caught onto Mersi's purchase.
"Hey." Leif touched his sister's shoulder and pulled her to him in a hug. "I understand your feelings, Mersi. I'm fine with you learning how to defend yourself, being strong isn't a bad thing." Pulling back Leif looked at his sister, "But you can't let yourself get over run with revenge." His ears twitched, "I want to tear into the hide of that wolf as well...and of several other things. But I'm not about to leave and put any of you in danger just to seek that revenge."
An eye twitched as Leif looked at Mersi, "Wait...a centaur is teaching you to fight?" He asked looking at her with wide eyes. Surely, it couldn't be the same one that- 'Nah.'
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:58 pm
Eagerly, Mersi let herself be pulled into her brother's embrace, leaning against him. It felt so good to finally have someone else know about it. Bouied by Leif's support, she raised her head and nodded. "I won't let it consume me... but it still aches." She blinked a couple tears away, brushing at them in annoyance with a hand.
She frowned at Leif's question and expression. What'd she do now? "Yes, a centaur. What is it?" She gave him a weak smile. "We've found out so much today. Don't think this is neccessary to hide. It concerns me now too."
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:07 pm
"Good." Replied Leif squeezing his sister once more in a hug. But at her next question, Leif nearly burst out laughing at the irony. "It's nothing...it's just that when I went-" He paused and shook his head, "When I finally was found out by Uncle and Da, they umm...took me to get my own weapon. And most of my stuff come from a centaur who sells in the marketplace as well."
He laughed again and ran a hand through his tangled hair, "Weird right?" Leif blinked at Mersi, still amused by the thought. Because it wasn't possible, right?
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:13 pm
Mersi cocked her head. "There aren't many centaur weapon sellers at the market. I guess it's possible. Wha'd your's look like?"
When the next thought flit through her mind, her face went pale. "If it is the same one.... What if he tells dad about me? He'll be so upset..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:49 pm
"Well..." Leif paused thoughtfully, "He was tough looking and had darkish skin with a dark body?" Leif shrugged, "Something like that at least. And though he looked kinda scary at first, he turned out to be more of a joker."
Another pause as Leif tried to remember, "Oh! He has a weird way of speaking too, like an accent." But his hand found his sister's shoulder and he squeezed reassuringly, "I'm sure that Dad wouldn't be really upset, or not too badly." His tail twitched behind him as he tried to imagine their father's reaction, "I don't think the centaur would tell him anyways?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:14 pm
Mersi gave a grim smile at his attempt to reassure her about dad's reaction, but she was very doubtful. She shook her head at his description of the centaur.
"Sounds like he looks the same, but he is most certainly not a joker. And no accent to my ears..." She took the training rather seriously, and her trainer knew that. If it was the same guy, there was also the chance he might act differently around her.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:18 pm
"Hmm...maybe twins then?" Replied Leif with a casual shrug, though he figured that wouldn't be the case. 'Maybe he just acts different?' Whatever it was, he was surprised that the centaur had decided to accept his sister as a student.
The teen's mind was so confused right now and with a sigh Leif just shook his head. "We'll just not worry about that right now." He mused looking back up to Mersi. Silence was around them and Leif could barely stand the moment's pause.
So he tried to find something to say."So what all does my sister know about fighting now?" He finally asked with a small grin as the breeze picked up in a slightly stronger wind.
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