Lieschel
To say that they were separated from their siblings when they had come into the cave that night would have been wrong. Sure, perhaps at first, but later once Mari had made sure the younger two were well, they had all come over to cuddle Nevi. Even weary Argo and sleepy little Lissie. They had cuddle piled him and Leelee had done all she could, even visualizing her love and theirs pouring into Nevi to heal him, to heal that shattered heart.
She had known it would take more. She had known that he wouldn't be healed but at least for then it was a band-aid. Something to help the hurt at least a little.
She had stopped, ears flickering when she heard the rustling of something moving in the dark depths of the cave and could only sigh in relief. Her eyes searched the dark for him. A sad smile curls her lips when she sees him hobble out. She cannot help but smile, because she loved him and he made her happy even when he was so sad and broken. Even when she could barely make out the light in his eyes that he had had when they had first met.
Sadness made her heart ache and she pulled him to her so that their chests were touching when he laid his head heavily upon her withers. She wrapped her head across his, squeezing him to her and just being silent until he spoke. Even when he does, she lets it fill the silence. Of course she knows he is not just talking about his leg. But she feels his heart thumping in her chest and her own thumping in response.
"It's not your fault Nevi." She says softly, her lips brushing a feather light kiss along his spine, not ready to release him yet. She lets their hearts thump together. This was closeness. This was love, she thinks. As she tries so hard to heal the brokenness of him like he had healed her. She would shower him in love and worth, because he was worth every damn second of pain that she felt. She would cut herself on these rocks, she would bleed into the ground for him. She wished she had been there.
Maybe then the wolves would not have taken what they had. Maybe then they would not have broken their family.
But Leelee wasn't one to let the sadness suck her down until she couldn't take a breath, until she was drowning. She refused to let that happen anymore. Now and again she would take a pity party, let it swallow her whole and escape from her eyes. But for too long she had felt like she wasn't good enough and she would not go through her life any longer thinking that.
And perhaps this really all hadn't been a conscience decision until she stood here with her brother's heart against her chest and feeling the pain that ached from him like a tangible thing in the air. She could almost feel it against her skin and makes her hair stand up along her spine. "Nevi, do you realize how much you mean to me? How much I love you?" She says, softly, her eyes staring into the darkness behind him.
That awkward moment when you're laughing so hard but no noise comes out so you sit there clapping like a retarded seal.