Declan's apartments were in a round tower room and built of the same cold pale white stone as the rest of the castle. A weathered battle standard hung from the dark oaken rafters, the standard of Clan Kanaka. Declan had once bore that very standard into battle for his father when he was no more than twelve having had his first change only a fortnight earlier. The walls were similarly decorated. Declan's old shield or the pieces that were left hung on the eastern wall. A striking tapestry depicting Durin I capering for Móðrysl hung near the door that led to his bedchamber.
His door opened along with Declan's eyes. Blurry and red they stared up to find his little brother Dorian sitting across from him.
It took a fair few seconds before Declan realized that Dorian was speaking.
"You did well to bend your knee and give me no challenge. You ha–" Dorian said.
He cannot be serious?
All these years apart. Their father. Their brother. Declan finally returning home and this is what brings Dori to him?
"Is this why you have chosen to wake me at some Godless hour?" Declan interrupted.
He had not truly been asleep. Nodding off from spice, perhaps.
"It is nearly mid-day." Dorian told him sternly. "Half our fucking world is on fire yet you spend all your time drunk or addled on spice." Dorian said not bothering to soften his disdain.
"Aye, when the gods favor me." Came Declan's reply.
Who the hell was Dori to come here and lecture him? What the hell did Dori know, of anything? He'd grown up here, in this hall, with mother and father and Duri. He had been here to see the twins born, to witness their first change, to be there for them. He was here.
And where had Declan been?
"When have they ever done that?" Dorian bit back. "When they allowed you to be stolen from your home? When our father died without you ever again hearing his laugh? Or was it when our brother was driven to madness and you had to stab him in the heart?"
A fist slammed hard on the table and both brothers were on their feet, faces mere inches from each other, the tension thick.
"I cannot have you like this, Declan."
There it is then.
Only just returned home long enough to remember how it smelled and already he was to be sent away again.
Banished by…
By…
… Dori
A tear fell from Dori's eye onto the heel of his hand as he lifted it to wipe those that swam silently on his brother's face.
His door opened along with Declan's eyes. Blurry and red they stared up to find his little brother Dorian sitting across from him.
It took a fair few seconds before Declan realized that Dorian was speaking.
"You did well to bend your knee and give me no challenge. You ha–" Dorian said.
He cannot be serious?
All these years apart. Their father. Their brother. Declan finally returning home and this is what brings Dori to him?
"Is this why you have chosen to wake me at some Godless hour?" Declan interrupted.
He had not truly been asleep. Nodding off from spice, perhaps.
"It is nearly mid-day." Dorian told him sternly. "Half our fucking world is on fire yet you spend all your time drunk or addled on spice." Dorian said not bothering to soften his disdain.
"Aye, when the gods favor me." Came Declan's reply.
Who the hell was Dori to come here and lecture him? What the hell did Dori know, of anything? He'd grown up here, in this hall, with mother and father and Duri. He had been here to see the twins born, to witness their first change, to be there for them. He was here.
And where had Declan been?
"When have they ever done that?" Dorian bit back. "When they allowed you to be stolen from your home? When our father died without you ever again hearing his laugh? Or was it when our brother was driven to madness and you had to stab him in the heart?"
A fist slammed hard on the table and both brothers were on their feet, faces mere inches from each other, the tension thick.
"I cannot have you like this, Declan."
There it is then.
Only just returned home long enough to remember how it smelled and already he was to be sent away again.
Banished by…
By…
… Dori
A tear fell from Dori's eye onto the heel of his hand as he lifted it to wipe those that swam silently on his brother's face.
