Stick Together-- Dizznee Family

Fire Fight

Dex ended up resetting the leaping crystal so that he wouldn't have to end up anywhere near where there could have still been council members and goblins.  He and the triplets were at enough risk already with the possible invasion of their camp happening in a week.  Just a week and they might all be exiled.

Or, most likely, Dex would be sent to Exile and the triplets possibly to Exilum.

Yeah, there was no way that was happening as long as Dex's heart beat.

He wound up nearly ten whole miles away from the crystal's hiding space and where he originally leaped.  Dex was fully aware that the triplets were going to kill him and that Bex was still sick, but what was worse? Being found out or being a little bit late?

Besides, he'd made good time in the Lost Cities...

Dex began his hike back immediately - he always did in case the crystal were to be traced so soon.  It'd never happened before, as nobody had ever seen him, but this time might be a little different... It was risky to leap where he had, but he didn't see much of another choice.

The eldest Dizznee just prayed that he'd get back to the camp soon.

.-.

"Do know how late you are?" One of the triplets exclaimed.  Surprisingly, it was Rex.  "We were starting to get worried.  I almost had to send Lex out to look for you along the path.  What kept you so long?  Did you get into trouble or something?  Whatever it is, it better be a good excuse, but tell me after you treat your sick sister, who's getting worse by the minute."

Dex avoided eye contact, nodded and ducked into the shack where he found his still sickly sister, Bex, with her head on Lex's lap.  Taking a seat beside them, Dex slowly began getting out the supplies he'd bought at the store.  The silence unsettling as Lex stared him down all the while combing a few fingers comfortingly through Bex's hair.

After going into the back of the shelter to get a mortar and pestle, he put some ashwagandha crumbs and umber leaves into the small bowl.  Quietly, he began crushing them together, adding a bit of water now and then.

It wasn't quite alchemy, but his father had taught him how to make the concoction for certain elixirs anyways, since both things helped with elven sickness, often times no matter what it was just so long as it was simple.

Lex took a bottle of youth and, after waking Bex up from her nap for a quick moment, gently held the glass up to her mouth.  Slowly, Bex drank half the water before pulling away to show she was done.  And just like that, she fell back into sleep.

Lex screwed the lid on and looked up at Dex, who was beginning to fully realize he hadn't slept in over twenty four hours as he mushed and crushed the crumbs and leaves.

"I can take over." Lex said, as if understanding his older brother's exhaustion as well.

Dex didn't open his mouth when he yawned in a vain attempt to hide it, "I'm fine, but can you keep mixing these for moment while I go put the lavender soup over the fire?"

Lex took the mortar and pestle that was handed to him.  "Where were you?"

"Huh?"

"Where were you?  What took so long?  Rex was freaking out and I was ready to go on some sort of quest to find you."

Dex squeezed the bridge of his nose and rubbed his hand over his face.  "Just ran into some stuff on my way back.  Had to take a new, longer way."

"You need sleep, Dex."

"I've been up for longer, Lex."

"And all the while walking miles and miles?"  The younger triplet questioned as he began working with the pestle.

Dex shrugged, clearly showing he hadn't done that before.  The time he'd been up for about two days, he'd just been on Sophie's bedroom floor, like everyone else, awaiting news of Tam's recovery.

Upon exciting the shelter, Dex was met with the sight of Rex sitting by the fire, staring into it blankly.

"I'm sorry I was so late."

Silence.

"I had to take a way longer way home to avoid suspicion."

Nothing.

"I got that book for Bex, at least."

No words.

"Do you wanna read through it?"

Eventually, Rex turned to him.  "Do you know how much you scared us?"

"I'm sorry." Dex said.  "There wasn't much of a choice though..."

"Damn right there wasn't.  You couldn't have gotten at least a little closer to the camp?"

"I didn't wanna risk it."

"You didn't want to risk what?" Rex challenged.  "Us being found out or you being taken into Exile?"

"Excuse me?" Dex asked, flabbergasted.  What had gotten into his little brother?

Rex sighed, turning back to face the fire.  "You seem to have this intense fear of something happening, but what would actually happen?  There's no way they'd send you to Exile without trial, and there's no way they'd find you guilty.  We wouldn't be taken anywhere unsafe - if anything we'd probably end up with Sophie and Edaline - and none of us would end up in Exillum no matter how many people tried to stop that."

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but Rex was simultaneously making Dex want to cry, scream, yell, and punch a wall.  "Well then, why are we here?  Why haven't you guys just packed up and left?  Why am I still here, huh?  If it's so safe, why don't we just go on back.  Ignore all the 'wanted dead or alive' posters.  Let's just go back.  Maybe we'll even find mom and dad alive and healthy in this fun little fantasy."

Dex hung the pot of lavender soup by the fire without another word spoken between the two and turned to go into the woods.

Rex continued to stare at the fire.