The leaves were just beginning to fall from the trees the day Leonard had heard the knock on his door. A shock in itself, since his initial move he had heard...
Well, practically nothing. Nothing from humans nor faeries, at least, just the birds and the trees with the occasional deer shuffling by. It was peaceful, Leonard had grew past his plain and previous familiarity to appreciation for the company it provided him - And the signs. If something were ever wrong, the forest would tell him. But he was certain it wouldn’t just come knocking on his door.
He stopped what he was doing, and stared.
Was it a prank from the faeries? He had tried his best to avoid them, even if he heard how they went looking for trouble...
Had he gone mad in all this isolation? It had to have been at least five year. No, maybe more. It wouldn’t be surprising.
Maybe a lost traveler? But, in this forest...?
At the second knock, he grew hesitant. Perhaps... No, he had to see what it was and get his answers. Otherwise he’d truly start growing crazy. It took a moment before he finally managed to push himself forward and open it.
“Brother...?”
Before he could reply, Leonard was pulled into a tight hug from none other than his younger sibling, Lukhege, to which he quickly stumbled back from. Lukhege took a cautious step back as well to his reaction.
He... He had grown up in similarity to himself, he noticed, but soon enough Leonard had averted his gaze in shame. He was clueless, but not just that... The last time he had seen him, he was nine and had just begun to learn how to hunt. Laum, the youngest, was just learning how to speak. Now, he was...
“Lukhege...” His voice shook at first, unsure how he could face anyone from his family after so much time. So much time... But he managed to bite it back, knowing that there had to be a reason he would search a faerie-infested forest for him, of all people. An important reason.
“Tell me, what is going on? Are Riversal and Laum alright?”
Lukhege paused. “Well, yes, they’re fine,” He answered. Thank goodness. “But, mother and father... They’re ill. And worried... About the war. I knew you must have still been alive, so I went to find you and-!”
“Lukhege!” The boy’s expression dropped, and Leonard bit his tongue. He didn’t intend to snap, damnit...! His tone grew immediately softer afterwards. “....What you did, was reckless. This forest is dangerous, too dangerous for one such as yourself.” He didn’t want to, at all, but he couldn’t let him go back on his own. The faeries just loved to trick and prey on unsuspecting villagers like him, it was a miracle he had gotten this far at all. “Please, allow me to go back with you. I think... I think it would be good to hear about what I missed in all our time away from each other.”
Lukhege’s jaw dropped, only to break into a large grin later on. “Yes! Thank you, brother! Are you busy at the moment? I can wait, or even help out if I’m able to. I think you’ll find I’ve grown a lot since you’ve left. I even managed to bring a deer back for everyone a week ago, which I had hunted all on my own!”
“... I am glad to hear that.” Leonard nodded and managed a weak smile. He was still so glad to see him after all these years... “Lukhege... You certainly have grown.” He wondered if it would have been any different had he known why he left to begin with, he doubted he’d even be here in such an instance. No, he’d have been warned to stay away, and for good reason.
He pushed those negative thoughts away and closed the door behind him, taking a few steps further and waiting for Lukhege to run up to him as he always had when he was younger. “How old must you be turning now?” He asked as they started their walk out of the forest together, “The last time I saw you, you had only come to my waist. Now look at you...”
“I’ll be turning fourteen in a few months!” He grinned, walking beside him with a gleeful little hop in his step. Seeing that actually quelled Leonard’s worries of what it would be like getting back into town. He was sure there were all sorts of rumours floating around about his disappearance, and he wouldn’t be surprised if some of them actually ended up being the truth. But... It was a single visit. He’d be fine. If Lukhege and the others were fine, what reason would he have to be worried? He tried to tell himself that.
“So, Leonard...” Lukhege started, a bit quiet now. The grin that he previously worn on his face was replaced with a look of hesitance. “I... I didn’t come here just to see you again, you know. I... Since mother and father aren’t doing well- And what with this war and everything... I understand if you are unable to, but... We need shelter. I didn’t know where else to go...” Lukhege’s voice fell a bit quiet and he fell short in his tracks, though he quickly came back to try and sway the stunned expression he had found on his older brother’s face.
“I- I promise I’ll do what I can to help! I can hunt now, and Riversal is getting a knack for archery too! We won’t be burdens, I swear... I think even Laum can do something, though I’m not exactly sure yet. So Leonard, please....”
His brothers? Staying with him...? Leonard opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Instead he just looked away. No. No. He couldn’t. He had left everything behind to keep those urges at bay, so that he wouldn’t hurt any child.... And if he were to end up doing that to one of his own brothers....!? It made his stomach churn just thinking about it.
But then another thought crossed his mind.
They couldn’t take care of themselves. Lukhege was the oldest besides himself, and was only turning fourteen! If the Empire attacked, they wouldn’t stand a chance. As for himself, on the other hand... He could do it. It would be a struggle, he knew, but if he turned him down, it may be the last he’d ever see of him again, the first time in five years.
“Yes... Yes, I’ll do it.” He said at last, cementing the thought in stone. “It will be small for four people, but I know we will make it work. Thank you for coming to find me, Lukhege.... I will take good care of you all.”
Leonard promised to himself that he would never leave his brother’s side again.
