Gnash and Yuri have a talk about loneliness and growing up quickly, because Yuri isn't the only one who had to live through those.

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Family Name

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"He's so…quiet."

Chelinka's expression was something between concern and curiosity, as she looked at the Selkie boy sitting a few feet away from her and her brother.

Yuri had to agree. Sure, Gnash seemed like his normal self, sitting cross-legged, swaying a little to some unheard music, observing his surroundings in mild amusement- but he wasn't talking. Normally he'd be happily telling the group about all the things good to eat in the forest, or things he wanted to eat, or about how easy it is to talk to animals and that he didn't get why nobody else could. The point was that he always had something to say.

It'd only been a few days since the twins and their Yuke guardian had met him, but they were already used to his antics. Because he was fun, because he was sweet in his own way (according to Chelinka), because he was their friend. And if their friend wasn't being himself, then they, as far as they knew, had to worry.

"I think I know what it is, though," Chelinka whispered to him again, snapping Yuri out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Before we went to the castle, remember we spent some time around the town, getting new armor and magicite and things? And remember that Lilty woman Gnash suddenly stopped to talk to?"

"Yeah,"

"Did you hear what she said?"

Yuri looked up, trying to remember. Finally he recalled how the woman had seemed to recognize the Selkie, and they'd talked for a few moments. "Oh, yeah…" When Yuri had reached the pair, the woman was talking about a tiny Selkie village she'd found once near Abyssus forest, and mentioned that the last time she'd seen it, the houses were in ruins, swallowed by the forest. According to her, Gnash looked a lot like a little boy she'd seen there when the village was still alive.

"Oh."

"Exactly," Chelinka said conclusively. "I thought it was just a coincidence, but now that he's like this…"

"But are we sure?" Yuri interrupted, trying to evaluate the situation a bit more carefully. "Maybe he just runs out of topics to talk about sometimes; we don't really know, do we?"

Chelinka scoffed. "Yuri, we found him in the forest alone, and he hasn't mentioned any family at all. And, you know what, he couldn't remember his name," she said the last in a matter-of-fact way. "Not because he's 'just like that', but probably because nobody has used his name in a very long time."

His sister's face showed worry, and her voice didn't fall short. Yuri gulped, realizing Chelinka had been thinking about this for a while now- and worse, she may be right.

He turned to look at Gnash, who stared in return. And was it Yuri, or did Gash's smile and wave come a little late and half-hearted?

There were a few minutes of silence, only interrupted by Al's occasional snores. The Yuke had been so angry about having his identity stolen a few hours ago that the twins were surprised he was sleeping so soundly. Because of this, even if Al were awake, Yuri wasn't so sure he'd have an answer to Chelinka's suspicions.

"So, what do we do?" Yuri finally said, not standing the silence anymore. Gnash had curled up on the floor and seemed very intent on falling asleep too, so there went the option of trying to speak to him.

But Chelinka didn't answer immediately; instead, she sighed and looked at the floor forlornly, drawing lines on the dirt. "Ask?" she suggested. It seemed that, so far, she hadn't put much thought on a solution.

"…He didn't say anything; maybe doesn't want to, either." Yuri laid down on his side. He was at a loss of what to do, and perhaps he was too tired to come up with a decent course of action. There had been so much going on lately- the trek up Mount Vaal, the trouble in the forest, the fake Alhanalem…maybe that was why he hadn't caught Gnash's off-ness sooner. He felt guilty. The first friend he had and he was already messing things up!

"He's already asleep…" Chelinka muttered to herself before giving up and lying down to sleep too. With their backs to one another, both twins were frowning, the same thoughts and worries going through their minds as they both decided to rest before doing anything.

One thing they completely forgot about, though, was that Gnash had very, very good hearing.

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They woke up roughly at the same time. Chelinka yawned and stretched before locating Al. He was cooking some potatoes and corn for breakfast, so she went to help. When Yuri awoke, all groggy and with his hair sticking out in funny ways, he looked around for a moment before asking, "Where's Gnash?"

Chelinka looked up from the potatoes, as if she too had suddenly noticed the Selkie boy was missing.

"At the river," Al answered, "Taking a bath habitual. Or fishing. I know not."

Chelinka jumped up so suddenly Al had to take care the potatoes didn't get dirt on them. "Yuri! You stink!" she announced. Yuri frowned, Al stared.

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do; go to the river and wash yourself." She walked up to her brother and ushered him to do as she said.

"But Chelinka, I just woke up!" Yuri protested, standing up, only to have Chelinka frown in exasperation and forcefully turn him around to push him in the back.

"Just. Go. To the river, Yuri." she kept pushing and Yuri finally gave up, but walked the way mumbling and grumbling to himself.

Chelinka turned and went back to the food, considering her task done- hopefully Yuri would get the sense to ask Gnash if something was bothering him.

Al was still staring, and under his questioning look, Chelinka asked, "What?"

"Do not make me go too," Al said, turning back to the food, "I sink like a rock."

In the cloudy, windy morning, Gnash was fishing. The Selkie had made a spear out of a long branch, vines and a pointy rock, and Yuri found him standing shin-deep in the water, still as a statue, poised to pierce any unsuspecting fish unlucky enough to pass by.

Holding the spear besides his head, Gnash slowly, methodically pulled it back further and further until in one lightning-fast movement it flew from his hand and into the water. It barely even disturbed the surface, but Gnash let out a grumble of frustration and threw his fists up in the air before angrily going to pick the spear up.

Yuri chuckled, making Gnash throw him a glance and a smirk that dared him to do better. "This way faster than fishing rod," he said as he pulled the spear from the riverbed.

"I know; I'm no stranger to fishing." Yuri walked to the edge of the water and kneeled. He cupped water in his hands, splashed it on his face and neck and watched the drops drip down on the surface. "I used to sit for hours waiting for one to bite, but Chelinka also had to eat, so I couldn't go back empty handed. Sometimes," he laughed briefly, "Sometimes I caught really small fish, and they looked so pathetic a catch, and it was so…" but he didn't finish; he shook his head in amusement and with his hands he showed Gnash the size of the smallest fish he remembered.

"No, no; you catch big fish with this!" Gnash said, bouncing the spear on his palm, one hand on his hip. "But from shore." once again, he took an offensive position, holding the weapon tightly at eye level, aiming.

"You watch, you wait, and…BAM!!" he let the spear fly with force once again. This time it hit its mark.

"Awesome!" Yuri cheered as he stood up. Both boys walked towards the catch; Yuri on the shore and Gnash threading on the water. "But I had a creek, Gnash; you had a forest."

The easiness with which he said that surprised him; he never imagined a time in which those memories wouldn't bring anything other than pain and uneasiness. Back then, he'd been sad, then angry, and then sad again until one day all those emotions disappeared, things fell in a routine, and he got used to being bored and alone. Chelinka was mute, and blind to the things he did for her; she only responded to the basic commands he gave her, and when she wasn't doing that, she'd be like a statue, uncaring of the world around her.

But now- now he had her back, and his old friend plus a new one. He found no reason to fear those memories now.

With his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath and observed the scenery around him. The sky was dark with clouds, though without the sound of thunder, and leafs kept falling on the current. One was blown onto the side of his face and he brushed it away bemusedly. "You think I would have preferred the forest?" he wondered idly. "…Gnash?"

When Gnash didn't answer, Yuri turned to see him and found him standing still, the spear forgotten at his side. In his hand, he held something that glistened with its own light, and reflected fragmented soft blue and green colors on his face. Gnash was enraptured by it, and not because of simple curiosity.

"Is that a crystal?" the Clavat asked, and Gnash took a moment to look at him and nod, before turning his attention to the crystal once again. With one finger he traced its shape gently. It was small, like Chelinka's, but its shape was jagged and undefined; it looked like a piece had broken off of the big crystal in Rebena Te Ra.

"I'd…never seen one like that," Yuri ventured, keeping his sight on his friend. He seemed like he had yesterday- apparently fine, but this time Yuri could really tell something was bothering him. "Hey, Gnash, what is it?"

For a moment, Gnash clasped the crystal in his hand. Then he shook his head quickly and turned towards the Clavat. He opened his mouth to say something, but considered it for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Finally, he asked, "Why were you alone?"

The question took Yuri by surprise. He stared for a moment. "What?"

"Why were you alone? Why you no have father, or mother? Never said to Gnash why." he looked like his normal self again, his fists on his hips and that imperative look on his face.

"Um," Yuri's gaze turned to his feet, and he scratched the back of his head. "My parents are dead, Gnash. I thought you knew."

"Yeah, but why?"

Yuri quickly glanced around; as if afraid someone else might hear him. But it was just the forest and the gathering storm out there; the temple was far away. He looked at Gnash in the eye and said, "A man called Cu Chaspel killed my father. He was from the temple, and he came to our house one night to take Chelinka away, just like he had taken our mother when we were young. So my father fought to protect us."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the wind picked up. Gnash saw Yuri shiver involuntarily. "There was a storm that night, too." he said. He crossed his arms, unwilling to say much more.

A compressive expression appeared on Gnash's face, who no longer wanted to demand answers. Still holding the small crystal in one hand, he finally pulled the spear out; its tip was jammed into a medium sized fish. Resting the spear on his shoulder, he threaded his way out of the water to Yuri's side.

Once face to face, he held the crystal up to drop it on Yuri's hand. The Clavat received it, curious. Now that he was close to it, he could hear it chime faintly. He looked quizzically at Gnash.

"You can't ask when you not give answer first," the Selkie said, and in one movement he sat cross legged besides Yuri. With a big lopsided grin, he said, "I hear you and sister talking past night. You wonder what happen to Gnash's parents, but I not know about yours. No fair."

"…Oh. Are you…mad?"

"No," Gnash shrugged. "Now Gnash can answer." he gestured for Yuri to sit down.

"Hey, we were just worried about yo--" Yuri began as he sat, but Gnash cut him short.

"Me know," then he extended his palm, asking for the crystal again. When Yuri handed it back, he held it up between both their faces, and stated, "This be life." short and to the point.

"Father found this -one like this- one day. Gave to me, and I keep crystal around my neck. Gnash have it for long time before-- before…" for a moment he struggled with the words, unable to find one to describe what he remembered. Finally, he pursed his lips and said, "Thing was a mist- poison mist. Came to village from no place and family go sick. Even when wind blows mist away, family still sick; didn't recover. They, um, they did like- like this-" he mimicked coughing in a scarily realistic way.

"Coughing," Yuri quickly helped him with the word he didn't know. "They had problems breathing."

Gnash nodded eagerly and continued. "But Gnash not sick and not know why. I help people best I can, but…but they still die. Mother dies first."

"I'm sorry, Gnash," Yuri said sincerely, but feeling phony. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

The Selkie stayed silent for a moment, lowering the crystal to hold it with both hands. He breathed in deeply before continuing. "One time, father said, he be glad I am safe. Gnash get close to him, and he say: 'I breathe easy when' -- no, not like that," he corrected himself abruptly, and struggled to say his father's words correctly, as he remembered them. "'I- I breathe more easily when I am around you' and he hold crystal for a moment. Gnash understand then. Me tries to give crystal to father, but he not accept it. So father dies too, a time after. Then Gnash alone."

He tried to shrug it off, but Yuri had heard his voice grow fainter. They sat in silence for some minutes, while the trees rustled in the strong wind. At this rate, they wouldn't be able to eat breakfast if it began to rain, but Yuri wanted to say something to Gnash, so he didn't stand up or suggest they move.

Tell him that you understand, he thought; even if your circumstances were different, you understand.

Just as he finally figured out a way to say it and was about to speak, something caught Gnash's attention. The Selkie looked to a point over Yuri's shoulder and grinned, making Yuri turn around in curiosity. By a tree, Chelinka and Al stood, each holding a recently cooked potato on a stick, they waited for an opportune moment to approach the two boys. Chelinka smiled sweetly then, and beckoned Al to follow her.

"Since when have you been there?" Yuri asked as the two new comers sat down besides their friends.

"A while, to be sincere," Chelinka confessed, handing Gnash his breakfast. He began eating immediately. Al handed Yuri his food, and as the boys ate in silence, the Yuke took the spear from the distracted Selkie. The kids watched with curiosity as Al stood up to gather small dry branches and prepare the fish. When he came back, he made a small campfire with the branches and magicite, and used the spear to hold the fish close to it.

"It shall be done soon," he commented. He kept quiet, because his mind was racing, trying to figure out just what that poison mist Gnash had mentioned was. He had a faint suspicion he had heard about something like it before.

His thoughts were interrupted when Chelinka finally broke the silence. She placed a hand on Gnash's knee, and getting a curious look from the Selkie, she said, "I'm glad you're our friend."

Gnash stopped chewing for a moment, tilting his head.

"Um," she looked down, a little embarrassed. "Because it's like fate, right? We lost people we loved, but now we met, and we can help each other, and… I- I'm happy that Yuri can have someone who understands what he went through. When I wasn't there." while she spoke, she folded her legs against her chest, resting her cheek on her knee as she drew lines one the dirt with her finger.

Gnash beamed, apparently pleased with himself. "So's all good, no?" he asked, looking at them all. Even Al nodded eagerly.

They ate the rest of the food quickly, trying to avoid eating under the rain. Gnash began talking again, recalling the times it rained in the forest, and how he built shelters in which he and some animals waited the rain out. Then Yuri chimed in, telling that when it rained in the villa, it meant that he got a free day from watering the small patch of crops, and saved himself a trip to the creek to collect water.

By the time the group got going to Rela Cyel again, Yuri was talking about one time when he was too sore to train with the sword, he had sat down and braided Chelinka's hair, the way she sported it now. On another occasion, Gnash had knotted together the tails of two sleeping Mus.

They weren't pleasant memories at all, but they simply weren't painful anymore when the boys could talk about them without having to explain themselves.

A light rain was falling when they reached a summit from where the abandoned Rela Cyel facility could be seen clearly. Conversations died as the group contemplated their destination. Raindrops, heavier and heavier by the minute, splashed against their faces, and the four friends started their descent, drawing their weapons out; the facility was sure to be riddled with monsters.

Al led the way. Besides him was Gnash. The situation didn't call for reminiscence anymore, so the group marched solemnly with the sound of the rain and their footfalls on the mud filling their ears. But it wasn't an angry or sad silence, like the one the night before; Gnash had taken the lead because he was eager- something was about to be done, and he liked that better than idling around. Besides, he felt good. He was doing something for his friends, when they once again had done something for him.

Suddenly, he remembered something. He grinned widely before looking at his sides- at the twins and Al, and said, "Gnash Tu."

Chelinka leaned to look across Yuri. "What?" the other two also looked at him with curiosity.

"When Gnash have family, Gnash have that name. Gnash Tu," he stated now, smiling widely. "That be Gnash's whole name."

I seem to have a thing for Selkies, Clavats and rivers. I dunno. It's a shame that there's little time in-game for these guys to truly develope a bond, so I'm just writing what I suppose happened behind the scenes. It was fun, but again it took longer than what I'd like.
Say, I've had this little idea of writing a novelization of Ring of Fates for a while; see if I can expand the story and the characters. Would anyone care to read that, I wonder?

Either way, feedback and critiques are highly appreciated!