A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 2

East heard Meadow groan loudly as she plucked a berry from its bush and inspected it.

"This is so unfair!" Her friend exclaimed. "It's not our fault Blaze is afraid of some tiny, harmless animal."

East hummed in agreement. I wonder what happened to that toad. She smiled, glad that she now knew what the creature was called.

"Will you guys hurry up? I don't wanna miss breakfast," said a bored teenage girl, twirling her long spear with her fingers as she leaned on a nearby tree.

"Sorry, Faybian," said East, forgetting she was there to guard them in case there were any wild animals straying around.

"It's alright, just starving, y'know?" Faybian shrugged, giving the child a lazy smile.

East snapped her gaze to Cliff, who was silent ever since they were sent to retrieve their baskets. She put her berry in her basket after deciding it looked well enough and padded to her friend. She wanted to wipe that sullen look from his face.

She stood next to him and started picking in silence. Cliff didn't seem to notice she was there, so she decided to speak.

"Don't let Canyon get to you. Siblings always fight," East said cheerfully. He didn't look at her. He stared frozen at the berry bush, deep in thought. She continued, picking a raspberry and placing it in his basket for him, "Whisper said she used to argue with her brother all the time, but at the end of the day, they would apologize to each other and make up." She smiled reassuringly at her friend, waiting for him to do the same.

Out of nowhere, Cliff tugged harshly on a stem, his gaze hardening as he faced East. "Do you and Echo fight? Do you guys make up?" He snapped.

East stared at her friend and surprised herself by feeling a sudden hollowness in her chest. Echo barely even speaks to me. It's like she doesn't know I exist. He knows that.

She blinked at Cliff. Doesn't he see how lucky he is that his sibling notices him? Oh, what East would give to have a conversation with her sister, even if they were arguing. That would be enough. East blinked. Well that's depressing.

She lost her train of thought when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Meadow, her green-blue eyes glaring at Cliff.

"Stop being mean, Cliff. East is only trying to cheer you up. We get it that Canyon is not a great brother, but that doesn't mean you can't be. Don't follow in his footsteps and start acting like a jerk to those who love and care about you."

Canyon glared at Meadow and East thought he would lash at her too, but his face softened and he sighed, scratching the back of his neck a little awkwardly. "You're right, Meadow. I'm sorry, East. I shouldn't have compared me and my brother to you and Echo. That's not fair."

"It's okay." Relief washed over East that Cliff had calmed down.

Meadow smiled. "Wow, for someone who doesn't have siblings I sure know about them a lot better than you two," she teased.

East and Cliff glanced at each other for a moment and started giggling, Meadow joining soon after.

After East calmed down, she flashed her a grateful smile for lightening the mood. Meadow always knew how to cheer up someone with her bright personality. She did it way better than East ever could.

Suddenly, the three jumped and turned at the sound of rustling from the bushes.

East frantically looked around. Where's Faybian? She's supposed to be protecting us!

The rustling got louder, and East huddled up with Meadow and Cliff, each of them desperately holding onto one another.

What if, East swallowed, what if what's ever in that bush killed her, and we're too late? The thought made East tremble, and she tightened her grip on Meadow's arm.