One Heart Becomes Two

Cordelia Seafarer

The everlasting storm had subsided for now, making ocean eyes shift with that same serendipity that was usually there but something wasn’t quite the same anymore. Stress tore at their features, that youthful glow had been dampened greatly as the monochrome fallen warrior shifted along the sand and stones with clear balance issues they tried to hide. A sigh escaped them as they took in the rolling waves further out to sea, admiring the chill that had started to touch the air. A calm smile would touch their pale muzzle, deep in contemplation of what might happen in the future instead of living in the present. The future seemed nicer, gentler than what each current day held.

Maybe war would be long gone and they could have merry days with their siblings once again.

No. Those days were long gone.

They could no longer hold onto such an ideal as if everything would go back to a childhood they had cherished far too long, too quick to disregard reality. A huff tore past fangs that were no longer innocent of harming others on purpose, swearing they could still taste the imperials blood fresh on their tongue. Violence was far from what they craved, yet they wanted to see the end of a few now, as much as they didn’t desire to admit that. To want murder. It felt so opposite of who they had always been and it was pulling them out from the deep pits of their closed off soul.

What was their future then? If not with those they had loved their whole life, had relied on? Their ears tilted as if listening to a voice that wasn’t there, accepting the breeze that tumbled the waves in their direction. Their head would tilt, taking in the morning sun rising along the horizon and the image would make their eyes widen a fraction before a heat melted into their cheeks. The sky reminded them of Brann’s eyes and it brought a sheepish smile to take over, feeling a bit more hopeful. It seemed the fae were constantly giving them signs and now they thought maybe they should listen.

“Is Branny Cory’s future?” they asked to the sky, giggling to themselves, unaware someone else was close by and approaching.

table by rae - manip by amanda

"Is Branny Cory's future?" "Maybe..." she said as she approached her dear sibling from behind. She gazed out past Cory to the sun rising on the horizon and smiled. The air was chilly but there was a certain peacefulness to it today that brought warmth to Nora's heart. She moved to stand beside Cory, her own figure dwarfed in comparison. "I met Brann... he seems lovely..." she said, turning her head and looking at her sibling with a smile on her face.

The fact that Cory had someone she could rely on other than her siblings was something to smile about, certainly. There were many things to smile about lately, like having her children back and safe with her, and Anteros... and for that she was grateful. She had been blessed with so much in the midst of the war that she just hoped life kept turning around for the better. For a while there she had become so worn and lost that she'd contemplated many dark things. Still, the future was uncertain and that made her wary.

"You'll have to meet my new... friend. Anteros, he's wonderful. I hope he is my future. He and the girls."

Her voice was soft and she wondered if she was too quiet for Cory to even hear over the mellow waves that lapped at the sand near their feet.

"I think the future is uncertain, but bright."

"We are all young and naive still."

code & art by claerie

Cordelia Seafarer

Cory about jumped out of their skin when their sister’s voice echoed behind them like a wave sneaking up and splashing an unsuspecting swimmer into the depths. A giggle quickly replaced that shutter of fright as they accepted they weren’t so alone right now and it brought a giant smile to their face, taking in those cool blues they missed so much from that past. They had been apart more often than they had been together and that reality was depressing so they didn’t think about it that way very often, preferring to just think how nice it is to have her back. Those ocean eyes followed their sister as they took to their side, ears dipping with a bit of sorrow they had rarely expressed growing back when everything was sunshine and roses. “You have!? He is, he’s really sweet and everything Cory isn’t. Though being a Chieftain, I feel bad taking up his time…” the surprise quickly turned soft and thoughtful as their worries came to light for the first time vocally.

He deserves someone better, someone equally a leader. Yet, he didn’t seem to see it that way at all, quite the opposite and that’s what stopped them from trying to run from these new feelings.

Slowly they sat down, slightly leaning into Nora with a gentle nudge of their nose into her cheek, taking the weight off of the shoulder that was hurting beyond words could form. They didn’t want to worry anyone and therefore they chose not to say anything, hiding the pain with smiles and bolstering laughs as if to seem entirely okay. The wound that matted their shoulder from that timber wolf was hardly so easy to hide, bone purged up above the skin, damaged by fang. Quietly and hopefully drawing no attention to themselve, they would turn their head to clean the wound, ears pinning at how much throbbing each lick created but they pressed on as if it didn’t hurt at all.

Anteros? The name would make Cory’s cleaning stop on a dime, freezing there for a moment certain they definitely never heard that name before. Worry lined their brow, especially after what happened last time Nora thought someone was wonderful. Drawing in a breath, the idea of him being near their nieces made them uneasy. “Do you love him?” the words came out without thinking. They paused for a moment before smiling at that last statement. “It seems you are the one looking at the rainbows now instead of me…”

table by rae - manip by amanda

“You have!? He is, he’s really sweet and everything Cory isn’t. Though being a Chieftain, I feel bad taking up his time…” Cory said, and Nora smiled... even laughed a bit. "You shouldn't feel bad for taking up his time, I'm sure he doesn't feel that way about it," she said.

As Cory sat back down and leaned against her, Nora did the same. She felt safe here with Cory and she missed that feeling all too much. Time had taken from them too much and she was only just now getting her life back, it seemed. However, she noticed something she hadn't noticed before once Cory started to clean her shoulder. A large wound rested there and Nora felt worry, anxiety and anger well up inside her. "What happened?!" she asked as her ocean blues pinpointed the wound and she leaned away. Cory had tried to be subtle about it and even asked her about Anteros probably partly as a way to move the attention of her. Cory had never liked to be in the spotlight when it came to making their siblings worry about.

"I..."

She paused a moment at the question then shook her head and smiled. "I think I do, but right now I'm worried about you. Are you okay? Have you been to a doctor?" she asked. The wound looked very not okay and it unsettled Nora's stomach even.

"We are all young and naive still."

code & art by claerie

Cordelia Seafarer

“That’s easy for you to say, Nora. You aren’t an embarrassment like Cory is,” they blurted out impulsively, staring at Nora with a bit of hurt in their eyes before quickly jerking their head away to look back out at the sea. How could someone important feel right with them at their side? When had they become such a downer, usually the one vibrant and happy, sharing joy with everyone they met. It was like the war had drained that happiness all away, that robust optimism they once had. To lose so badly the first time, then to win barely by the skin of their teeth. Was there going to be no end to the violence they had avoided for so long only to turn 180 right into the crusade they so eagerly avoided before. A sigh rippled along their whole body, slouching down some as they just wanted to flop down dramatically in that moment as if their world was literally breaking apart.

“Sorry. Just… I know I’m different. How could anyone take him seriously if he really does want Cory by his side?” they asked, ears drawn back apologetically, hopeful for the best advice a sister could give them if they didn’t ruin it already. Their cheeks warmed as they realized what they really just said, having never thought they would have such a talk in their life. Were they together? They couldn’t say for certain, but they knew their feelings were mutual and that's what mattered the most, label or not.

The comfort they acquired from one another was refreshing, happily melting into her side like a barnacle, never wanting to be removed from their place. That would be rudely interrupted when Nora would remove herself from their side, making them almost faceplant into the ground, scrambling to put a paw where the other had been to catch themselves. “Almost face planting-o-oh! This?” They glanced at the wound with her, doing a half assed shrug in the process. “It’s nothin. Just a gift from that scuffle with those soldiers the other day. Think it was the big sandy one that did it. Just can’t really feel most of my arm is all, doesn’t like responding that well anymore either. Sure it will be fine, once the wound heals. Besides we were talking about you being in love,” they tried to show how lacking in control they had in their arm, trying to extend it out to their sister, which was a slow chore.

They left out the part about how the bite wound itself hurt in the most excruciating way they had ever felt before, just smiling past it to not worry her too much.

They gave a shake of their head at the doctor comment, deciding not to be verbal on that. The more that force smile clung, the harder it was to keep as the pain only increased at the movement moments ago.

table by rae - manip by amanda

When Cory said she was an embarrassment, Nora scoffed. "Oh, please. I think I've done plenty of embarrassing things." she commented pointedly. "You are no embarrassment, Cory." added haughtily. She wished her sibling would not think of themselves as such when Nora loved them so. They apologized shortly after and Nora only sighed and shook her head. "You may be different but that is what makes you special. If there are those who doubt you and Brann, well, I wouldn't want them around and he shouldn't either." she said matter-o-factly with a stern nod of her head.

The way they brushed off such a wound irked Nora and she shook her head again, exasperated. "Love can wait." she said.

"Let me take care of you then. I can help, a little." she said hopefully. If Cory wasn't going to get treated then she'd have to do her best to make sure she didn't lose the whole damn leg at this rate. She already had lost sensation and that was not good. "Lie down and rest, I'll be right back." she said before turning and heading down the shore, towards the tall flowers and grass that lined the beach. She plucked some little white flowers and managed to find some yarrow for a poultice before returning to Cory. "Now... eat this for the pain, I'll put this one the wound to help stave off infection. You'll need a lot of rest so you can heal right." she said. "It sounds like a lot of damage has already been done, it's probably irreparable..." she added, trailing off a little and then sighing and beginning her work as she gave the white flowers to Cory and began to chew the yarrow up into a paste.

"So... yes, I think I'm in love. Anteros treats me so well, I can't wait for you to meet him. He's patient and strong... loving and gentle..." she said, singing his praises in between chews and while she worked on spreading the poultice gently with her paws. "What's Brann like? I haven't spent much time with him?" she asked curiously, looking into her siblings blue eyes.

"We are all young and naive still."

code & art by claerie

Cordelia Seafarer

“If Nora says so,” they replied with a small smile that meant nothing but was a silent hope for their sister to hopefully not degrade herself further for her sake. There was a shuffle of their paws as talks of them being together was uttered and they shook their head, admittedly confused if that were actually the case. “Cory doesn’t know if we are… together together. Mmmmm I want to be able to say we are but it was never stated directly that, you know, we heh. I hope so, though. He’s too injured right now for any of that stuff,” that pleasing smile would become more bashful and genuine as they looked down and up again, uncertain where to put their eyes in the moment as they fumbled around awkwardly. This was never a conversation they thought they would be having, and it showed clear as day.

They blinked about love being something that can wait before letting out a few chuckles, shrugging more so to themselves at the thought. Maybe it could wait, it wasn’t like either of the boys were here making them choose on the spot. Were they? They glanced around for a second, double checking, in some ways hoping Brann would pop up just so they could see he was doing better.

Despite normally being a wiggle worm, they would obediently listen and lay down on command, not about to upset their sister with being a brat. The action wasn’t exactly smooth, kind of half lowering themselves before the leg slipped out and forced them the rest of the way down. It was strange how it could both have no sensation but also a wars worth of pain all at once when a nerve was pinched just right. They couldn’t make heads or tails of why it was that way but they would trust Nora as she returned to take care of them. There was not a moment's hesitation to shove the flower in their mouth, making faces as they did so with reluctance at the flavor and the bug wing-like texture. It was so bitter, not tasty at all.

The return to the previous conversation would cause their head to turn to her abruptly with a petal sticking of their mouth, ears tipping back then forward while they listened. “Nora is so cute when talking about him. Cory hopes he is everything you say he is and not a heart snatcher,” they teased, subtly jabbing at their situation with Leoric in the process though hopefully not making Nora feel awkward. “Branny… is home. The wind that helps a butterfly’s wings soar. He is patient and pretty, attentive and cozy. He is… special. He makes Cory feel special…” they answered, not breaking their sister’s eye contact at first but would allow them to fall as they would drift off and continue to ramble on and on about how wonderful he was and how they met at the Stones. How the fae brought them together. It was a long story, and they were more than happy to tell it as they leaned into Nora as she applied the poultice.

-fade thread to gushing about boys-

table by rae - manip by amanda

"I do say so. And you know I'm always right!" she said matter-o-factly. Of course they both knew she was not always right, especially as of late.

"Oh, I hope he gets better soon..." she murmured at the mention of Brann being injured. He'd probably sustained injury form the fight, if she had to guess, but she didn't delve into that too much. She offered a small smile at the thought of them not having set out the boundaries of their relationship yet. At least Cory was willing to wait and see, past his injuries and all that. It meant that he must be something special to her sibling.

Once she was satisfied with Cory's care, she settled down with her sister to talk more. "I hope he is too... I really do." she said. She didn't know if she could live through another Leoric. She smiled as Cory spoke of Bran, or 'Branny' as she so fondly called him and she felt a warmth in her heart. Cory had found someone to call home and that was... everything. She kissed her sibling on the cheek and then pulled back and shook her head, laughing a bit. "Who knew we'd ever be here..." she said softly before looking off into the horizon, over the sea and beyond.

-exit nora-

"We are all young and naive still."

code & art by claerie