Rayvin stared at her brother, who was relaxing in a chair, "what should we do?"
Nor glanced at her, "about what?"
With a sigh of exasperation, Rayvin looked pointedly at Savina, who was sleeping in the chair across from Nor's, "her."
"What do you mean, 'what should we do?'" Nor stared at her.
Rayvin stood up and started pacing, "she's going to the Dark Tower, Nor, alone. Shouldn't we help her?"
Nor shrugged, "we won't let her go."
"That won't work," Rayvin shook her head, "did you see her face when I told her her friends had been taken? Did you see her eyes? Whoever her friends were, she loved them and she isn't going to stay here." Rayvin glanced at the sleeping girl, "she'll claw her way right through the mountain if she has to."
Nor scoffed, "I'd like to see that." He stood up and stretched, "we'll lock her in, it's for her own good. Her friends are dead."
Rayvin gave him a sad look, "we assume they are." She gazed at Savina for a moment, then continued, "look at her, Nor, she has passion and strength and determination. We can't stop her. She'll never believe that they are dead," Rayvin's beautiful face was shadowed with guilt and sadness, "I don't know if I believe that."
Nor whirled around, "what do you want me to do? Should we take our remaining hundred people and storm the tower?"
Tears burned in Rayvin's eyes, "there are more than a hundred of us left, Nor."
He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, "one hundred and nineteen," he glanced down at Savina, "one hundred and twenty with her."
"One hundred and nineteen," Rayvin said firmly, "she is not from here, you cannot rule her."
Nor glared at his sister, "she is a MoonElf, I am the king of the MoonElves, and therefore I rule her."
Rayvin glared back at him, "what would you have her do?" she spat angrily, "sit in this stone prison and rot like the rest of us? Would you do that to her, Nor? Would you imprison this fiery, spirited girl under this mountain? Would you let the mountain over her head squish all the spirit out of her?"
With a ragged sob, Nor turned away, "what am I to do? I have failed our people. I have killed them. We should have stayed in Moonzaar and died honorably fighting to win back our king…" his voice cracked, "my father. Instead we ran and hid under this cursed rock. I am a failure."
Rayvin softened. She crossed the room and rested her hand on his arm, "you have not failed completely, brother, we are alive. But," she glanced at Savina, "you must let her go, even if you offer no help to her."
Nor straightened his shoulders and nodded, "yes, we will help her. She will make it to the Dark Tower, she will make it to the black gate at least."
Rayvin smiled and patted her brother's arm, "you are a good man, Nor, and a good king as well." She lowered her gaze to Savina and smiled tenderly, "she reminds me of what our people used to be."
The MoonElf king smiled and took his sister's arm, "we have much to do."