Night.
The feverish battles of the day were all but forgotten on this clear, moonless night. Dave and his brother sat on the edge of the roof, their legs dangling over the ledge as they watched the beautiful meteor shower. The falling stars were reflected on the brothers' matching glasses, their faces impassive despite the glorious event before them.
The Striders were silent for much of the night, but Dave seemed antsy, shifting his position constantly. Finally, Bro broke the silence.
"What's up, little bro?" he asked quietly, never taking his eyes off of the stars.
Dave sighed, and Bro knew something was amiss. Dave was normally very collected, and even something so small as a sigh was a way of saying that there was an enormous problem.
"Nothing," he said flatly. "I haven't been sleeping very well. No problem."
Bro raised an eyebrow ever so slightly and looked at Dave directly. "Nightmares?" Dave nodded and hugged his knees to his chest.
In all of the 10 years of his life, Dave had only had one nightmare. In it, he was flying, almost like an angel, and him and Bro were fighting a great black bird. The battle had been going well; Dave and Bro had been winning. But the bird changed suddenly, and before he knew what was happening, Dave was falling, falling, falling. Trying desperately to turn himself around, he saw Bro hit the earth, a sword embedded in his chest. A red stain blossomed from where the blade pierced flesh.
Bro frowned. "Dave. You're the best little brother I could ever ask for. I've trained you, bro. We've fought plenty of times. You know how to take care of yourself, and so do I." He paused. "If anything ever happens, you'll know how to take care of yourself."
Dave nodded again, and his shoulders slumped.
"But you know I'll always be here, little man." Bro patted Dave's head. "I promise. I'll never leave you. And I definitely won't let something like a whack-ass bird put me down."
A grin tugged at Dave's mouth at that, but no amount of reassurances could shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach. He sighed lightly, but then looked back up at the skies, content in knowing that at least here and now, his brother was safe and alive.