Neverwinter Forest there was a thousand storms in his eyes

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“Rannoch?” Kjalarr repeated, unable to help the incredulity that colored the sharp intake of breath though he did not doubt Cypress’ words as true. The explanation that soon followed, broken as Cypress hurried to get it out and cut himself off through out, painting a rough and incomplete picture for Kjalarr whom almost asked his younger brother to slow down, to start and the beginning and not to leave things out but Kjalarr did not, struggling to make sense of it through what little Cypress told him. Curiosity was not a thing easily stifled from Kjalarr who deigned to know it in full now that Cypress had left a feeble crumb trail for him to follow. Despite this, the dots did not all connect and a pressing question spilled from betwixt Kjalarr’s lips: “Why did he want you to tell everyone he’s dead?” No matter how he tried Kjalarr could not make sense of it and he looked to Cypress severely, expression grim, unable to help but wonder if the dark Frostfur would tell him.

Kjalarr’s ears smoothed back against the crown of his skull as Cypress spoke and let an inquiry hang between them. “When we are angry, when we are hurt we say things we don’t mean to say,” Kjalarr spoke from experience. Of destroying all ties to his family the viking was something of an unintentional expert. “We shouldn’t let our anger and grief rule us. They are good servants but horrible masters. When we say things without thought…they are words we can never take back.” From that point there was only going forth, but he felt he needed to address something else, here. “Cypress, your worth is not tied to Rannoch,” Kjalarr told him gently, not wanting Cypress to use Rannoch as a crutch when his brother was no longer around to lean on. “This may not be what you want to hear but you are you’re own man. Do not think that you linger in his shadow, and that without him you will die. You will find your own way.” If Kjalarr could do it then so, too, could Cypress.

“The right thing to do would be to tell Allure the truth even if it means betraying Rannoch. He should have never asked you to lie for him,” Kjalarr’s salmon pink tongue drew across his jowls. “Do not make the same mistakes that I have made, Cypress. If you were to lie to Allure and she found out it would cause a rift between you. Sometimes those rifts cannot be repaired and you have to live with that. You have to carry that.” Living as Kjalarr did, disconnected from most of his biological family was a heavy burden to bear and it was a desolate, lonely path to walk in life. Kjalarr didn’t want that for Cypress. "If Rannoch ever returns he must face the consequences on his own and you should not shoulder the blame for him."

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