Kintla Flatlands Unconditional

When Peregrine had come near enough to see Osprey properly, she thought she saw concern and pity in his eyes. A shadow of a smile crossed Osprey's expression - as an apology for him having to see her like this and a sign of a defeat and acceptance of the situation. He sat by her side and they were silent for a long time. She had no way of knowing, what was going on in her brother's mind, something had to be said, yet she saw no way of explaining, how, what and why it had happened. It felt like she had done this so many times before that the words had become worn out and bleak. There was no strength left for that either.

He was the first to break the silence, by asking the exact questions she had wished he would not have, because she hadn't got satisfying answers for any of them. It was endearing that he - being her big brother, keen to protect her sister from all harm - thought that someone had done wrong to her. That someone else was there to blame, not her. And it seemed a little foolish for him to ask, if she was going to be alright, if she herself had no answer to that. It had got worse, yet it didn't feel like she was dying yet. "You have chosen a very bad timing for a visit," she looked up at him, mustering up a grin and then letting it fade, as if it was too much of an effort to keep it there. "As to your first question... lets put it like this... I have been better," she sighed and averted her gaze.