"Leave no opening for your enemy!" A blade flicks out toward my hip, but I dodge, dancing around my opponent. "Watch your footing!" I glance down toward the other novice's feet, a smirk flashing across my mouth before I kick out a leg, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud thump.

Azim calls the next two people to begin another match; he claps me on the back before turning back to the fighting ring.

I catch my breath, swiping a hand over my forehead to wipe away any sweat. I stretch my arms over my head, sighing lightly as my shoulders pop.

"Brother!" I turn, smiling brightly as Kadar comes running into the training area. My eyes flicker up to the person closely following suit, my mouth dropping to a frown. Kadar tugs on my hand, pulling me from my glaring match with Altair.

"Yes, Kadar?" I lean down to his level, seeing as I'm still a head taller than the younger novice.

From behind his back, my younger brother pulls a leather-bound journal; I slowly take the book from his hands, my eyes wide and expression awed. I open the cover, running my fingers down the soft yellow pages.

Kadar looks up at his hero, a large excited grin almost splitting his face in half; Altair looks amused, watching as I smile largely. "Do you…do you like it brother?" Kadar is bouncing on the balls of his feet, wringing his hands in anticipation for my answer.

I tightly hug my brother, laughing lightly in delight. Looking up at Altair, I offer him a small smile, forgetting my rivalry with him for a moment; he blinks, and flushes lightly, turning his gaze from me and itches the side of his nose.

Breaking from my hug, Kadar grabs hold of Altair's hand, tugging him so the much taller male is level with him. "Altair helped me pay for it; Happy birthday, Malik!"

Altair clears his throat, crossing his arms. He chews lightly at the corner of his mouth where the scar rests; I hold the journal close to my chest, the tips of my ears heating as an awkward air presses down on us. "Um, happy birthday, Malik…"

Kadar seems not to notice our discomfort, grabbing both of our hands and leading us away from the training area. Altair and I glance toward each other, expressions of confusion covering our faces. "No training today, brother; you're going to enjoy your birthday, alright?"

"How I get in these situations with you-" We scramble up a building, breath coming out in short pants. Kadar clings to my back, his hands tightly holding the stolen pomegranates. "I WILL NEVER KNOW!"

Altair laughs beside me, leaping gracefully over the rooftops of the squat buildings. I can hear the quick footfalls of the guards behind us, and I gulp down my fear, following the other novice.

Kadar giggles lightly, his arms tightening around my neck as we take a sharp turn. "I make your life interesting, A-Sayf!" We jump from the rooftops to the ground below, Kadar gasping and clinging even tighter. I pat his arms, physically telling him to loosen his hold.

We dive quickly into a large pile of hay, hearing the guards run past. I wait until I'm sure they're gone, letting out a long breath that I didn't realize I was holding. Kadar sneezes softly. "I'm going to check if they're gone…" My brother scrambles out of the hay stack, his boots crunching lightly on the ground.

Altair laughs lightly under me, and I give him a heated glare. "Why did you persuade Kadar into stealing those pomegranates?" He gives me a crooked grin, and I notice how close our faces are, and what our position is.

"Because I gave all my money to him to buy your journal."

I blink, flushing brightly; my body doesn't want to respond to the frantic messages my brain are giving it. My mouth goes dry and I fist my hands beside the other novice's head. "A-about that…um, thank-" My sentence is cut short by lips being pressed lightly against my own.

Golden eyes stare up at me, until we break away. I stutter, jumping from my previous position. I scrub my lips with the back of my hand, my brain slowly rebooting. Altair sits up, the hay clinging to his light brown hair and clothes; he looks embarrassed, and a light flush covers his own face.

"WHAT WAS-"

"Brother they're gone." I jump as Kadar lays a hand on my shoulder. My brother blinks, looking from me to Altair; I can almost picture his mind putting the pieces together, so I quickly push him toward our home.

I sigh lightly, resting my chin on my crossed arms. I look out across the horizon, shifting so my crouched body is more comfortable on the roof. The stars blink above me, pulling my attention from the dark landscape to the sky.

I lay back, grabbing my journal and quill, propping the book against my bent knees. I let my mind wander, and allow my hand to begin sketching.

For a few minutes, the sound of my quill scratching across the surface of the paper fills the quiet night air. I stop my hand, eyes widening as Altair's grinning likeness beams at me from the page. Slamming the journal closed, I huff loudly, falling onto my back. "Why can't I get that bastard out of my head?" I dig the heels of my hands into my eyes, groaning lightly.

"Brother?" I take away my hands from my eyes and blink up at Kadar.

He sits silently beside me, and I sit up, noticing that he's clenching his blanket. I wrap an arm around his smaller form, hugging him close. "Did you have another nightmare, Kadar?" He sniffs and nods, burying his face into the crook of my neck.

I sigh, rubbing circles on his back. Kadar pulls away, his blue eyes are misty with tears, and he holds the blanket close. Letting out a shaky sigh, my little brother gives me a watery smile. "I'll be fine…"

He rests his head on my shoulder, relaxing until I think he's gone to sleep. I can hear the muffled laughter of our older brother below, mixed in with the contained moans of silent lovemaking. "…Malik?"

I look down at my little brother, and notice that his eyes are closed. "Yes, Kadar?"

"…can you…please not be so mean to Altair?" I feel my face bloom with a blush, remembering scarred lips on my own. Kadar sighs lightly, his hand pulling the blanket close.

"Why, little brother?"

A loud yawn works it's way out of Kadar's mouth; I stroke the top of his head, the blush on my face not fading anytime soon. "Because I think he," Another yawn breaks the young boy's sentence. "Really likes you…"

Short chapter is short.

But, more of Kadar being adorable along with Malik's birthday. I couldn't find a date, so I'm pronouncing that TODAY is Malik's birthday, huzzah. As always, please review!