Big Sisters and Big Secrets

Briar waited with interest for Kite to share what was on her mind and only grew more curious as her younger sister seemed to hesitate and choose her words carefully. As the truth and the questions finally started to come to light, she felt a bit like she was listening to a much younger version of herself once upon a time. It made a little, wistful smile of understanding tug at her lips, but she stayed quiet and let Kite continue telling her about the expectations she felt in the Armada from her older brother and from perhaps from somewhere else that she decided not to share. There was a pause, but Briar could tell that she wasn't quite done so she waited and sure enough she continued on, but what she added next made her chest ache for her sister. It reminded her too much of the conversations she had with Ophelia once upon a time. As much as she adored her family and their father, she knew it was difficult for anyone that fell slightly outside of the mold.

Briar shifted one of her forepaws, resting it over Kite's and giving it a gentle squeeze. "First of all, I don't want to hear you ever referring to yourself like that. You are more capable and talented than some wolves that have their full sight. There is no qualifiers. You are a Fatalis and a strong one at that." With that aside she went on to add, "I moved to the Hallows full time after my second birthday, though I did visit quite a bit before then. Art's mother was very sick at the time so I came to be with him and check on him often. That was before the Armada moved to the north though so the trip was much shorter. Art also came to live in the Armada for a season to train with Dad when we were younger." Even though it was more information than Kite had really asked for, the context felt important to show all of the things that led up to her moving out when she did. She hadn't simply decided to leave one day and she hadn't been granted permission to do so out of the blue. A lot of experience and trust had led to that moment.

It was her turn to pause as she considered how she wanted to phrase her answer to how she had 'built her own life'. She had a hard time believing she had done anything drastic or revolutionary, but she did understand what her sister meant in her line of questioning. She understood the pressure that came with the high ideals and expectations of their family and what that could do to someone. "I didn't leave the Armada because I wanted to build my own life," she explained after a moment. "I left because I love Artorias and I felt the most complete at his side and he just so happened to be the heir to the Hallows. I left because I felt like I found a bigger purpose here in the Hallows. Whatever life I've built out of those things is just a result of following my heart and doing everything I can to honor our family and the family I've married into." She smiled a little bit and squeezed Kite's paw again. "I felt the same way you did when I was your age. I wanted to get away from the Armada, away from our father... There was a lot going on back then, a lot of things happened that made it very hard to want to stay... But it was worth staying and seeing it through until it was the right time to leave. Does that make sense?"

"Briar Carpathius"