Brothers: Part V

Getting into the Alliance fortress had been the easy part.

Preceded by a barrage of artillary fire, Westel and his team made a slow approach along the shore, mostly concealed by smoke and all around chaos. The alliance infantry that did spot them were easily cut down by either Matero, Alvaris, or Westel.

Lead by the stealthy Matero, who either killed or incapacitated any soldiers in their path, the team was able to plant the wards successfully without raising too much alarm. For a moment, Westel had been confident that this was an easy in-and-out mission and they would be back at Domination Point in time for lunch.

He had not, however, taken into account the watchmen flying their gryphons overhead. Within seconds it felt like the entire Alliance army was on their heels. Alvaris and Caloneth both insisted that they stand and fight, but Westel wouldn’t have it. The mage, Isais Vi’le provided enough cover in the form of both fire and ice to put a decent amount of distance between them and their pursuers. Westel urged them on. Surely if they got to the beach, the chaos of the battle and the cover of artillary would allow them to get out from behind enemy lines in one piece.

West had been right, for the most part. Two members of his team, however, had to be carried back up to Sparklight Outpost. Isais fell to a gunshot wound and the priestess Edanna suffered a severe wound to her side when she stopped to heal him. Westel could not help but be thankful for Caloneth’s large stature when Isais needed to be carried quickly down the beach.

They were a rough sight to see when the elves stumbled through the portal leading back to Domination Point, but Westel receieved what seemed like a genuine congratulations from General Nazgrim when he reported their success.

For what remained of the day, Westel stayed in the infirmary with the injured. The healers saw to Isais fairly quickly and he was escorted back to their quarters. Because Edanna’s state was not considered critical, it took a while for the healers to get to her. West distracted her with a book of parables written by Pandaren monks until the healers finally got around to taking care of her.

It was late into the night when Westel and Edanna returned to the bunker. Everyone had already fallen asleep, it seemed, completely spent after the day’s events.

Physically, Westel was exhausted. It was a chore to move one foot in front of the other. Mentally, however, he was wide awake. A small table and chair were situated against the wall, and there Westel sat with a soft sigh. He rummaged through his bags until he found a thin, leatherbound journal and his pen. By the soft glow of candle light, West wrote down what he could remember of the mission; he recorded the good and the bad, who did what, etc. He reminded himself that the mission had not been a complete failure; they had accomplished their goal after all.

As he closed the journal, finally ready to turn in, two envelopes slipped from their pages. Wes paused, frowning softly as he lifted one of the envelopes and slipped from it a small stack of goblin photographs. Slowly he looked through them, pictures of Anais and Laurelia playing, a grinning Kuvasei, and Astoreth with that soft smile of hers–

“Who’s that?”

West nearly jumped right out of his chair. He turned around to find Caloneth curiously peering over his shoulder at the photos. Westel instinctively rested his hand over the simple photo of Astoreth as Cal tried to get a good look at her. “Er…that’d be my wife.”

“Your wife?” Cal looked surprised and tried to see the photo through Westel’s fingers.

“Yes, my wife.” He tried to slip his photos into their envelope but Cal reached over West’s shoulder and snatched them up.

“I didn’t know you were married.” He held the grainy photograph near the candle light. “She’s pretty,” he observed, flipping through the photos.

“Married last June.” Westel sat stiffly, watching Caloneth look through the stack, certain that they would end up in flames any moment.

“And who’s this?” He held out the picture of a smiling, shoeless teen.

“Her name’s Kuvasei.” West paused, but Caloneth seemed to want more of an answer than that. “My wife..uh…Astoreth adopted her before we were married. She’s a good kid.”

Caloneth nodded and plucked up the next picture in the stack of a baby girl no older than two.

“Laurelia,” said Westel before his brother could ask. “She’s Astoreth’s daughter from a former marriage.”

“Why do you have a picture of her?” Cal brought the photo to the candle light again, peering closely at LaLa.

“Well…she’s practically my own.” He sighed softly, looking down at the photograph of the baby girl with her toes in her mouth. “I love her like my own, anyways. I bathe her, make her food, put her to bed. I was there when she took her first steps.” West furrowed his brow. Why did he have to explain all this to Cal? What interest did he have in his family?

Caloneth then held up a picture of a six year old girl with fly-away black hair and a huge grin. “Your wife adopt her too?”

“Well…technically.”

“Technically?”

“Anais is mine..uh…she’s six. Astoreth adopted her after we married.”

“Six? Huh…” Caloneth frowned softly and leaned back against the wall, peering at the photograph of Anais. “Yeah…yeah I remember now, Melody telling me about this one. Didn’t tell me you were married though.”

“I s’pose she didn’t think you’d really care, Cal.”

The paladin blinked and tilted his head, a line creasing his brow. Westel gently plucked his pictures from Cal’s hands and placed them back into their envelope. An awkward silence settled between them as West packed his things away. Though his questions had quieted, Cal still curiously reached for the remaining envelope laying on the table.

“Don’t touch those.” West hissed.

“Why?” A slow smirk tugged at Caloneth’s lips as his fingers inched towards the now forbidden envelope.

“They’re…” Westel faltered, unsure how to describe this without simply tempting Cal more. “They’re just private.”

A split second later, the brothers darted towards the table in an effort to get the envelope. Cal, being closer, seized it first and held it high above his head, grinning. “What is it, Westy?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding. I’m not six anymore, Caloneth.” Westel whispered furiously, even as he jumped up to try to rescue his photos from Cal. The paladin chuckled quietly and turned his back on West, trying to get a look at what he was so desperately trying to hide. “Stop!” Westel growled, ducking under Caloneth’s elbow to snatch his property away. “Didn’t mother ever teach you not to touch what wasn’t yours? Good gods.” Scowling, West stashed the photographs away in his bag and glared up at his older brother.

Cal simply laughed, shaking his head. “When did you get so serious, lil’ Westy?”

Westel stared. “You…I can’t….Go to bed, Sorrelon. You’re lucky I don’t put you on..latrine duty or some shit.” Bag in hand, Westel pushed past Cal and climbed up into his hammock. “And blow the candle out.”

“West–” Cal stopped short as his words were met with a malevolent glare. He sighed, turned to extinguish the candle, and vanished with the light.