Evelline

I breathed in the Silvermoon City air. Oh, it was wonderful. Much better than the terrible odor that the scourge brought along with them. I unsheathed my sword.

"Father, might we have another duel?" I asked excitedly. It was so great to finally be in his presence! I've missed him so much, and the rest of my family, of course. But mostly Father and his competitive ways. I missed his long, brown hair. Still shining, competing with his wonderfully glowing green eyes. My father was a proud one, and I wanted so be much like him. I never wanted to disappoint him ever again, like I already did when I became a paladin. A Blood Knight, not a mage. I would never be my father's apprentice. I truly hoped Sieana would.

Truthfully, I hoped Sieana would become anything! I do not know what my parents, especially Father, are thinking to not have her trained yet!

"Dear Eve, I've beaten you, and you have beaten me. What more can you ask for?"

"A rematch!" I exclaimed. He laughed.

"Your mother should be home by now, though. Let's not keep dinner waiting." We both mounted. Quickly and skillfully, as was expected.

"Race you home!" I yelled and dashed off. Through the arch, down the path, turn to the right, then to the left, make one more turn to the right and I'm out the door. I didn't even stop to gaze at the beauty of it, as I usually did. I've memorized Silvermoon City so easily, for I love it and I spent most of my free time here.

Eversong Woods was just as I remembered it. The everlasting autumn. The dragonhawks. The dead scar. I forced my charger to go faster as I thought of the dead scar and the scourge. In the name of the Sunwell, Arthas would pay. All the scourge would pay. Pleasant thoughts, Evelline, pleasant thoughts. You're home now. You mustn't feel such anger.

I forced my face to look serene as I walked into our humble home in Fairbreeze Village. I heard my mother, laughing her special laugh. It honestly sounded like bell chimes. My mother wasn't like most; she had pale skin and her hair was the color black, just like Sieana, but it fell in curls, just like Alileda and… Avannai. It pained me to even think of my fourth sister, but I couldn't not think of her. My sister, Avannai, was now a Death Knight. Everyone shunned her. My father was outraged when he heard the news. He didn't understand how Arthas could have captured one of his daughter's souls. I understood like no one else did. Avannai was my twin, I knew why she was so easily corrupted. I tried to save her, somehow. I heard the whispers just as Ava did. Ava and I were very close when it came to experience. We were both paladins, Blood Knights, children of the light, and so on. She just wasn't confident enough, even if she was, she was just too corrupted.

When my father told me about Ava and what had happened to her, I think I was the one most affected. I know, it sounds kind of selfish, or whatever, but when I heard it I had to get away… The dead scar stuck out even worse since I knew my sister was an undead just like them. I killed as many of those brainless skeletons as I could, taking my anger out on them. Finally, I was exhausted. I ran to an Inn, for I didn't want anyone of my family members to see me sobbing.

"Evelline!" my minn'da's voice broke into my thoughts. She glided to me and gave me a long hug. Was she also thinking of Ava? I smiled when I saw her white ringlets that were under her natural black ones. She paid quite a hefty amount of gold to get that halo. She wanted the halo to support Ava. My father was against it, but she did it anyway. Which was why I admired her.

"Mother! It's so wonderful to see you!"

"Yes, I've missed you terribly. Where is your father?"

"Oh, he probably lagged behind."

"I'm here!" boasted Father.

"Not before Eve, I'm afraid. Better luck next time," Mother teased. I loved them when they were like this. Instead of tense and disagreeing, like when Ava first turned… I couldn't believe that was only three months ago.

"Finally you're here," Ali's somewhat snooty voice completely ruined the atmosphere. For me, at least. Sometimes I just didn't understand that girl. How could she act so…high and mighty? She probably doesn't even remember Ava. I bet she takes pity on her. I bet she frowns upon her. I bet… No, stop thinking of Ava. Of course, it's alright to think of Ali's obnoxious ways, right? Ali was in fact much more beautiful than I am, and more beautiful than I ever will be. I will never let her realize that I am a bit jealous of this fact. Never. Once, I remember, we were discussing Mae. Somehow the color of her eyes came into topic.

"They are yellow-green and they are quite odd," Ali had said. I disagreed with her. Mae's eyes weren't yellow-green, nor were they even yellow. They were gold, like the leaves of Eversong. I believed, and so many people would tell me differently, that Mae was prettiest of all of us.

"Now, now, everyone. Dinner time!"

Mother's spread was delicious. Everything a growing warrior needed, as Father said. Maelina ate quickest of all. She devoured her food, and begged for more. She was so famished all the time, it seemed, but she was taut and delicate looking, so no one ever mentioned it. I looked at Scar, Mae's pet, and he looked so cute sitting next to Mae, looking ready to pounce anyone who disagreed with her. I had to throw him a slab of meat.

"Minn'da," Sieana began, "what am I going to be when I grow up?" Everyone stopped eating, even Scar. I wanted so badly to know the answer to this question, for Si-si was becoming older and older everyday. My mother washed down her food with a quick swig of Sunstrider's Special Reserve.

"Why, whatever you wish to be," she said quickly.

"And if she wishes to be a rogue?" I persisted. I wasn't about to let this conversation drop with such a silly answer. Si doesn't know what she wants. She is only a child. My mother stared at me.

"Then she should be a rogue."

"Oh, yes, being stealthy on the battleground and stabbing people in the back, how adorable," Ali smirked.

"As if being a dark, secluded warlock is any better," I snapped. "Oh, do tell Belgak I say hello." Belgak, her void walker. She simply swoons over the thing, while I am repulsed by it.

"He'll be charmed, I'm sure."

"What about being a cook?" Mother asked Sieana, thinking I was distracted because of a quarrel.

"Being a cook can save my sisters, right?" Sieana was completely oblivious.

"Of course! You can get them food that will make them stronger than anything the vendors can sell."

"We don't need food," I said through clenched teeth. "Besides, what are the chances that all of us are at the same place, at the same time?"

"We are now, aren't we?" Father chided. I knew what I wanted to desperately say: No. No, we aren't all here. Ava's not here. My best friend. My twin. My sister. She isn't here enjoying this. I think my father knew what I wanted to say, probably because of the way I was staring at him, and probably because he just knew me. He gave me a hard stare, but I saw a flicker of pleading there also.

"That we are," I grumbled.

I helped Mother clear the table; Ali went only the Sunwell knows where. Mae quickly dashed upstairs with Scar. I could almost hear both of their light snores. Sieana went upstairs with Father to be tucked in.

"Minn'da," I said, after the table was cleared and everything was clean again. "Why hasn't Si been put into serious training by now?"

"She has. She's been trained with cooking. She is most excellent, I must say."

"Yes, but learning how to make a Herb Baked Egg won't help anyone, especially not her."

"And how do you know that? You have barely even tried to master any of your professions." I could almost feel myself growing redder. That was true. I didn't work on my professions. I could never make myself armor. I could hardly mine for ore because I'm not very good at it. I like to think I make up for it in combat.

"So? Listen, Sieana needs something a little more stable than becoming a cook for her future. Even if she is good at it."

"She is excellent at it." I stared at my mother in silence. How could she not understand? Sieana needed a future like ours. Why should she be a vendor when she could be anything else?

"Mother, you aren't making any sense. Sieana's training starts tomorrow at dawn."

"You do not have the authority to make such decisions, young lady!" Her voice was rising.

"I have more authority in my pinky than most people can find in their entire family tree!"

"Not when it comes to my daughters. Evelline, you will listen to me. You are still my child." I scowled at her. She returned the glower easily. I was first to break away from the stare-down because I grabbed my helmet and put it on my head.

"I'm no child," I snarled. My temper got the better of me, as it usually did, and I bolted out the door, but not before taking my blade and cutting down the curtain on my way out.

"Evelline!" my mother screamed after me. "Evelline, come back! Please, please come back…" I was a far distance now, and I couldn't hear her yells anymore. I missed Avannai more than ever now. If she were there when I had bolted out, she would have followed me.

"Eve, are you okay?" she would ask. Her voice was so clear in my mind.

"No, I'm not. It isn't fair," I would have responded. I would have said something like that, at least. I would sit in silence, and she wouldn't press for more information. She would only put her arm over my shoulder in comfort and we would go to Sunstrider Isle and watch the sunset.

That's what good sisters do. That's what best friends do. That's what Ava did.

I mounted and brought myself to Sunstrider Isle. The place I had avoided for so long since Ava had gone away. The sun was setting, and I could feel the tears that streaked my face. In the back of my mind I felt shame. I shouldn't be crying like this, but I remembered my helmet that was secured on my head. No one would notice. I liked it that way.

I ran down toward the ocean. The waves were calm. It was almost as if they sensed my presence.

Eve, Eve, Eve, they seemed to whisper. Everything stopped suddenly. The wind shifted and so did the waves because of it. This time it sounded more like Ava, Ava, Ava…

Even the oceans missed my sister.


A/N: Okay, I hope you liked the second chapter. Read and review, please. But, reading is good too. ^.^