Growth Solo
Family is the Home


Things shifted, things moved. Nothing ever stayed the same. This was something Eirlys had long accepted for that fact. With a long sigh the female sat there in her family's caravan, chin in her hand as she looked at her youngest sibling. Elfani sat there. Graceful as she remembered him being as a youngling. His deep gold eyes were a alluring shape and as always his gentle blue skin offset it in a pleasant way. His medium blue hair flared out around his upper body as he let it grow out to help insulate his body. Currently he wore a collar piece connected to sleeves, showing off his star shaped crystals that flecked across his neck and chest. He wore a pair of simple slacks. Baggy around his calves as his bootes clasped around them to puff them out. His boots had a lot of buckles to them as he crossed them while leveling a stare at his sister.

The thing that put Eirlys at some ill ease wasn’t the Keldari around her brother’s shoulders. It wasn’t the twin Prezi’s at either of his ankles...oh no...it was the staff he had laid across his lap. The crystal set in the top was slighting pointed at the tip. Tapping her foot she rubbed her temple again. “Elfani...what are you saying exactly?”

The youth let out a slow exhale. He was older than her twins, that showed in how he carried himself. The youth flicked his gaze down to the letter before Eirlys before he gave her a level stare. “Mother is leaving Mama. She’s offering us all the choice to go with her, or stay with Mama. You guess what we’re thinking…”

Eirlys leaned back. “Stay with Mama.” She knew where most of her affection came from as a child. Her siblings were of the same mindset, that she knew from past conversations.

“Exactly. Mama isn’t taking this easy. Mother seems to suspect that Mama was seeing a male on the side. Even though Mama hasn’t, she has been focused on teaching the few of us who found magic. I’ve grown quite well under Mama’s guidance.” the youth said with a shrug. “I honestly have never liked Mother, she would rather have servants rather than children. She’s too controlling.”

Eirlys drummed her fingers. “Has anyone decided to go with Mother?”

Elfani chuckled. A bit darkly. Something Eirlys found herself glancing around for something. He shrugged. “A few are talking about it, if only to keep track of Mother and report back to the rest of us.”

Eirlys silently facepalmed. “Well, that makes a whole lot of sense.” she sighed. “What do you want me to do?”

Elfani crossed his legs. “Refuse Mother. She’s banking on you joining her side. Since you’re both Beast Tamers….she wants your support. If you supported her I can pretty much guarantee a few of us would follow you. I wouldn’t...but then again, I dislike Mother.”

Erilys blinked as she rolled her shoulders. “No. I refuse. Mother never approved of anything I did. When my daughter found a potential partner. Sure my child did something stupid but that’s what kids do...Mother...Mother overstepped her boundaries when she sickened my daughter. She never wanted me to go with Huyana. She wanted me to go with Mato. Do you know how Mato is---”

Elfani cut in. “Mato is a jackass. None of us like him. He keeps whispering harmful things that makes life hard for the hybrids in our family. Mama is thinking of packing up the Inn and moving to be honest. Mother is going to stay in a separate part of the village. If they wanna talk. Mama says, let them talk.”

There was a soft chuckle. Eirlys could picture her Mama being able to do that. She nodded. “Does Mama have a new home in mind? Or is she just going to travel?”

Elfani smiled. “She has a friend in a different settlement who says there’s open land near them. The settlement could do with a new offering. A Inn already exists there, so Mama is thinking of opening a potion shop to really use her skills. It’ll be a nice training aspect for the rest of us too.”

Eirlys sighed deeply. “Where is Mother now?” she sorely wished that the female was nowhere near Tale.

Elfani tilted his head as he thought. One of the Perzi lifted itself onto its hind legs to dig around the bag that Elfani had behind him. Bringing out a small book, the tiny beast lifted it up for Elfani to take. Eirlys blinked. “Well trained…” she smirked.

Her youngest brother gave her a identical smirk. “I picked up a few things.” he shrugged. “You were a good role model.”

She felt really proud of herself right now. She wasn’t a fan of the thought that her family was separating in this manner. She took a longer deeper breathe before she lowered her head into a hand. “Is there any salvation to their relationship...by a certain ceremony their mates. What about that?”

Elfani blinked slowly. “Mother said it wasn’t complete...if either her or Mama ever lost the ring that bound them. That was seen as a break of the union.”

There was a long pause. One that Elfani shrank a little away from, scooting his chair back a bit as he watched his sister. Oh he could tell by her eyes that someone was in for it. She looked at the letter again, shifting it to the side to reveal one that Elfani leaned forward to blink in shock over. That was their Mama’s handwriting. He looked up at Eirlys. “What is this?”

Eirlys tapped the paper. “Proof. Mama found my Papa...that friend she spoke of. Its him. Mother hates him. I think I know why this is happening. Mother’s hate is getting the better of her. Elfani. I don’t advise any of our siblings to go with her. If they love Mama, they stay with Mama.”

The youth nodded as she drummed her fingers. “If Mother wants to break the family, she has another thing coming.”

Eirlys would not allow her family to fall apart. Not because of a petty reason such as insecurity without a proper attempt at mending. She sighed as she looked to her youngest brother. “You can stay here for a while. Hulis has magic...perhaps you can help?”

Elfani nodded. “I would like that. Its nice to know that Mama’s magic takes root.”

Eirlys stood then, taking up both letters before she left to show Elfani around the caravans before letting him go off on his own. She took a deep breath. This was going to be a rough road for sure...

Word Count: 1127


Lesson Learned
A family can be broken, but only as broken as the members allow. Eirlys isn't going to let this slide...things are rocky. She's learned that there is weakness in her family. Weakness she was blinding herself to. She's watching her family fracture. She's not going to watch it fall.