Waiting for Her [Tags Fiona/Aisling]

[Irren]

Irren and Jett walked through the feeding grounds, heading for the very edge of the Wing's lands. Somewhere, out there, Fiona was waiting for them. It had been a week since they'd last seen each other, and that had been the first time in a long time. They'd make plans for Irren's escape to the Wing, and he'd spread the idea of leaving to Aisling. She didn't want to go to the Order, as Irren had decided to, but it was better for her to be a rouge than part of the Wing.

He continued on, looking for Fiona, or for Aisling who he'd told about her twin coming today. He was sure she'd want to see her, and invited her along.

[Fiona]

Aisling sighed as she looked out at the feeding grounds from a tree she sat in. Below her, Soran crouched, his fluffy white tail twitching as he watched some of the deer in the grounds. You can go eat if you want, Aisling told him.

I'd rather wait here with you, Soran disagreed instantly, not even giving it a thought as he turned one of his adoring golden eyes upwards into the branches of the trees to look at his bond mate. It's funner with you.

~~~~

Fiona glanced around as she leapt to another tree. She knew she wasn't making much headway jumping from tree to tree, but she had little other choice. It was the quietest way she could get through the forest. She had her hair tied back in a messy bun that was holding up well, and Nolan, her beautiful Pegasus, was above her, scanning for anyone that might try to follow her.

She glanced out as fear pulsed through her. She could see the feeding grounds of the Castle from where she was, and farther up from them, the Castle itself. She swallowed the fear as she spotted a figure with a griffin and felt herself relax as a small smile spread across her lips. She could recognize Irren anywhere.

As she skipped from tree to tree, never having realized how acrobatic she was, she moved closer to the feeding grounds, and closer to Irren. As she reached the edge, she jumped down and stood in the grove of trees she had chosen to come in by and smiled, knowing he would see her once he looked over at her, and also knowing if anyone were to see her from a distance, she would look like Aisling. Fiona had changed back into the red and black dress her sister preferred just in case, and it was but an easy matter to hide her eyes.

As she waited, she glanced around, as if hoping Aisling would suddenly appear, but was afraid to find out that her twin didn't want to see her, that she was going to stay with the Wing and betray her and...

No, She thought. None of that. Aisling would never do something like that, I know it. She sighed and turned her attention back to Irren, hoping he would look over.

[Irren]

As Irren traveled closer to the edge of the lands, he spotted a figure standing in a grove of trees. It looked like Aisling, from his distance, but he knew it was Fiona. A small smile played on his lips, and walked a little faster, making his way closer to her. [Jett, go and see if you can find Aisling, alright?] He asked, looking to his bond mate. the griffin nodded and ran off to locate the other elemental girl.

Irren walked even faster towards Fiona, practically breaking into a run by the time he reached. He pulled her into a embrace, hugging her tightly. "Its good to see you again, Fiona," He told her warmly, a smile on his face, before he kissed her on the cheek.

[Fiona]

When Irren finally spotted her, she felt a smile spreading across her lips again. She didn't dare step out of the forest though, and just waited for him. When he started to run, she laughed and when he was close enough, let herself wrap her arms around him so he could hold her like she loved. She felt her cheeks heating when he kissed one, but smiled as she brushed her own lips across his cheek before pulling away. "It's great to see you too," She told him, her eyes bright.

They dulled however, when she realized that her sister still hadn't shown up. "Is... Aisling not...?" She couldn't finish the sentence as she felt tears closing her throat, and rather than keep talking she just stopped mid-sentence.

~~~~

Aisling glanced up when she noticed Jett, and knew he was out looking for her. She sighed, Fiona must be here. A sense of betrayal and love swamped her, leaving her confused and teary-eyed. She wiped her eyes now before she jumped down. "Is she here?" She asked, her voice as emotionless as it ever was when she wasn't alone with Fiona, or Soran, and sometimes with Irren.

[Irren]

He smiled as she laughed and wrapped her arms around him. His smile grew slightly as he felt her lips against his cheek. When he saw her eyes dulled, and he asked about her sister, though, his smile dropped again. "She's going to run," He told her, "She promised me that. I don't know if she's out here or not, though. I invited her to come along, but I didn't see her before I headed out here."

---

Though her voice was emotionless, Jett could see the confusion in Aisling's eyes. "She is," He said, "She's asking about you. Are you going to come, or not?"

[Fiona]

Fiona relaxed a bit. So long as she knew her sister was leaving the Wing, it was enough for her, for the moment. "Thank you," She told him, reaching out and grabbing his hands and giving them a slight squeeze. "Have you heard about any..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes focusing on a point over his shoulder. Her blue eyes filled with tears...

~~~~

Pain. Joy. Betrayal. But the strongest thing Aisling felt was an urge to see her sister again. The other emotions were shoved aside as she nodded to Jett, then ran off in the direction she thought... No, knew her sister was in. When she spotted Fiona and Irren, she couldn't help the slight smile. She had always known how close the two were, and felt joy again.

When she saw Fiona stop talking to Irren as Aisling walked up behind him, when her sisters bright sapphire eyes met her ruby ones, Aisling felt tears rise into her own eyes as she strode forward fast.

Fiona stepped around Irren, not thinking about the Wing as she ran to her sister, and Aisling ran to her. The met, almost tackled each other in a huge embrace. "Aisling!" Fiona sobbed. "I'm so sorry Aisling!"

Aisling held Fiona tight as she looked up at Irren, tears streaming down her own cheeks, such a rare emotion from the normally stoic girl. When she pulled Fiona away, led her back down to where the shadows of the trees hid them, she turned to Irren again as the two twins stood side by side.

"I'm sorry, Fi," Aisling said, looking to her sister. "But I can't go..."

"I know, Ash," Fiona said, shaking her head as she reached out and took Irren's hand in a sign to include him into the conversation, not wanting him to feel left out. "I know you don't want to go to the Order. I know you'll feel the same there that I felt in the Wing." Aisling nodded, looking upset again but didn't say anything.

Aisling turned her ruby-eyed gaze to Irren. "Did you hear anything about a raid?" She asked him. "They don't tell me anything around here. They don't trust me since..." She trailed off, glancing at Fiona who flinched visibly. "Not that I've had any real problems," Aisling hurried to add, not wanting her sister to feel any more guilty. Fiona shook her head, but she stayed silent as she stared down at the ground, waiting for Irren's answer.

[Irren]

Irren squeezed Fiona's hand just a moment after she did the same to his. As she focused on a point beyond his shoulder, he turned his head. He could see Aisling there, Jett walking just ahead of him, and a moment later, the sisters had almost knocked each other in their embrace. He could help but smile wide to see them together again. He watched Aisling start to cry, a surprising thing to see, since she tended to be as stoic as he was. He gave Fiona's hand a slight squeeze as she took hold of his hand, trying to pull him into the conversation.

He nodded slightly when Aisling asked for information on the raid. "I've been hiding in the walls while they're having meetings, a couple times," He said. He hadn't been doing it too often, for fear of getting caught. "They'll be raiding a town in Southern Ethaia...there's a lot of soldiers there, though. Don't know why they would've picked. Show of strength, I guess. But there should be lots of chaos. It'll be easy for us to slip away."

[Fiona]

Aisling nodded, she had expected he would do that. It would be easy enough for him to do that every once in awhile, with his powers. "When is it?" Aisling asked as Fiona tensed. She knew her sister well, and knew that Fiona would want to stop the raid even though she wouldn't be able too. Aisling grabbed her sister's free hand and squeezed it, and Fiona squeezed back but didn't look at her sister, her sapphire eyes looking at Irren as she waited for what information he could give her.

"Should I give you a couple days leeway?" She asked him. "Long enough for you to get the Wing off your tail should they try to recapture you?" She looked at Aisling, and the two knew what she had meant. When Fiona had run, the Wing had sent out a couple riders to find her, but they hadn't thought to send Jenna, the only person that could have found her because she was half water elemental. Fiona had stayed in any source of water she could until she got close enough to the Order to feel safe.

[Irren]

Irren gave a slight shake of his head when Aisling asked about when the raid was. "I didn't hear that," He said, "But the way they're talking, it should be soon." He wished he could offer them more information than that, but hadn't heard it. "I'll send you word if I find out exactly when it is, so the Order can be ready," He told Fiona.

He nodded when she asked about giving him a couple days to try and escape the Wing. "Its probably for the best," He told her, "I don't know if the Wing will send anyone after me when they don't find my body, or Jett's, or if they'll go after you, Aisling. They may just forget about us, think we're dead, or dying somewhere."