Stranger Passing: The Sword and the Flame Novella

Chapter 6

Seeing how badly her son wanted that life, and understanding he had indeed found his "Jack", Milda nodded, giving her consent. She hoped to keep her children around until they reached thirteen, but some things were beyond her ability. As much as it hurt her to admit, she was proud of her son and believed he'd make a great warrior.

Blind love isn't always shared, especially between contrasting viewpoints. Surie leapt from the table screaming, "What do you think you're doing? We're not warriors, we don't hack on monsters! We steal and live like kings!' Tears formed in her eyes at the betrayal of her people by her brother. Milda reached for her, but she ran into the house before the comforting hand could touch her.

Not sure how to react at first, Milda remained standing before turning back to her guest. "She'll be all right. Surie's always been emotional like this."

Reinhart's eyes softened. He understood how sisters could be, so it wasn't hard to imagine it being the same for daughters as well.

Eron moved over until he stood next to his mother and rested a hand on her shoulder, offering what comfort he could. She returned the gesture by clasping his hand in hers.

Inside, Surie slammed the door to her room and dove onto her bed, crying. She understood it was "that time" in their lives where she and Eron would make their decisions to go into the world to find their path. Under normal circumstances, she would've been doted over for being the younger of the two, but their mother had more of a bond with Eron than the baby of the family. She learned to accept that as the way of things after a while. It gave her more of an opportunity to find her way without being pampered like a newborn.

The role reversal caused those that didn't know the family to think Surie was the older sibling. Being a thief was her dream and she had a firm grasp on it. Few in the village of Glensford could match her ability to sneak into an area or to lift a coin purse with less contact than a fly. Her gifts were something to be proud of, as many residents told her, but there was something missing.

While she never appeared to take notice of her brother, the opposite was true. She watched his every move and spent countless hours wondering why he didn't share her interests. To Surie, being wealthy was the most important thing. With money one could help their friends and family, they could change the world to their liking, even going so far as to become a recluse and live in luxury. Why did he waste all of those days pretending to be something so unattainable for a Halfling? She knew her people's proper place in the grand scheme of things, why couldn't he understand that?

She secretly idolized Eron, despite giving him endless grief over his lack of direction. She did so out of love, hoping to help guide him onto the correct path and out of his foolhardy dreams. It was a hope she never wavered from. Surie never intended for her brother to do something that would bring ridicule and heartbreak upon him and their mother. Lying in her bed, she wondered why she idolized him if he was so willing to hurt those he claimed to love. A knock on her door brought her out of her line of thought and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

When the door opened, Eron stepped inside as if he were walking into a dragon's lair. "Surie?" He wanted to comfort her and take away the pain he caused by any means possible.

"Go away!" Surie buried her face into her pillow when she heard his voice.

Eron continued walking towards her bed, taking quiet steps in an effort to not antagonize her further. Until she ran from their picnic, he never realized how much he annoyed her. His entire life had been a never-ending game, while she dedicated herself to something he could care less about.

"Surie, please." He had to try to apologize to her, to let her know he loved her and didn't mean to hurt her in any way.

"Go AWAY!" Her scream became a shriek from the amount of grief being released.