Brother

-Nearly twenty years ago-

--

This time he was going to get it. This time, for once, Hyara was going to give her brother the comeuppance he deserved and the joke would be on him. She snickered to herself and crept closer, being careful not to knock a hoof on a stone and make noise.

Gheris was sitting just outside with his back turned and his big blue tail swaying, and he had all that armor on. She didn't usually like it when he wore that armor. It meant he was all cold and clanky when he picked her up and twirled her. But today she was glad because now he would be the one who was cold! She held the slippery jar of water tightly so as not to spill it and she giggled again, quietly.

Hyara got close to him and then stopped, getting ready. She'd have to be fast or his tail would hit her and he'd know she was there. She suppressed another giggle as his tail swung away, then she darted in and dumped the jar right over his head. Gheris jumped straight up with a yell and spun around. Hyara squealed in triumph, dropped the jar, and ran as fast as she could make her hooves go toward the forest outside Azure Watch.

"Oh no, you don't!" Gheris roared.

She could tell he was laughing, but she screamed and kept running anyway. He'd catch her, of course, like he always did, except when he let her get away. Hyara didn't think he'd let her get away this time, though. Unless she could make it to her tree! She put out another burst of speed and caught one of the tree's lower branches, swinging herself up. She couldn't make it very high, but most draenei had a hard time climbing trees at all. Gheris would never be able to catch her with his big hooves and his clanky armor!

He stopped under her branch, panting a little, and glared up at her. She could tell he was trying not to smile.

"You little squirrel, come down from there! Look what you did to my hair!" He leaned forward and mussed his hands all through his wet hair, making it stand up wildly in all directions. Hyara laughed and knocked her hooves against the tree trunk.

"I'm staying right here until you promise not to do anything back to me, and then go away!" she called.

Her brother took a casual look around. "Hey, this looks like a good place to camp. Maybe I'll just spend the night out here." He sat down on the ground right beneath her dangling hooves, leaned against the tree, and started to snore theatrically. Hyara groaned in frustration.

"You can't sleep here," she said. "Bears will get you."

He opened one eye and looked up at her. "Bears won't like all my metal."

"I don't like all your metal either," she pouted. "Why'd you have to leave?"

This time Gheris opened both eyes. "Well, I didn't exactly have to leave, little sister. And I didn't exactly want to either, in a lot of ways."

"Then why did you?"

"Because there are a lot of things that need doing in the world and not really very many people to help with them. I think someday you'll understand what I mean."

"But it means you left me here with just Mother and Father and Grandfather." Her lip was quivering and she tried to hold it still.

"That's all, huh? They love you just as much as I do."

"But… but I can't pour water on Grandfather's head," she said in a small voice.

Gheris's deep laughter boomed through the trees. "No, but you can come to Exodar and pour water on my head any time you want, little sister."

She smiled and let him catch her as she swung down from the branch. She didn't really mind his armor so much. Maybe she could get used to it. After all, it was still just her brother underneath all that.