The twin orphans stared at the tambourine that Uday always used to play. They did not speak, but felt comfort with each other. Uday was the first to break the silence, in their friends' language. "At least we have each other. The others have no one else."
"Chessa is with Frederick." Celerina corrected.
"Then my heart goes out to Dhiren and Miach."
"Do you think they even remember us?"
Uday spun around, anxious to speak against such doubt, but then he stopped short. What if Celerina's fears were true? It has been four years since their last meeting. They could have very well forgotten them.
"Uday?" his sister broke his thoughts.
"I don't know."
She sighed. "Well… I believe that the crystal will remind them."
Uday's face brightened. "You're right! It should!"
There was a knock at the door. "Uday, Celerina!" A commanding officer came in, leading them into the war.
.
"Selkies! Whan!" That was their only command. "Win!" was its translation. The twins readied their bows. They couldn't let their race down, but they didn't know how to fight. Not only because they weren't trained very well, but because they weren't willing.
"I do not wish to fight. I do not want to fight!" Celerina spoke in their friend's tongue.
"I do not either. But we must." Uday looked on into the field, where the Lilties were already slaughtering so many. "We must act quickly. Strike only those who are hurting our men, but do so in a way that will not kill them."
"We are not trained for that kind of aiming!"
"We can at least try!"
And try they did, sometimes missing, sometimes hitting critically, rarely making their targeted spot.
.
Led by Miach's father, the group of Lilties wrapped around behind their enemies. "Strike and conquer, men! Fight with all your might! No mercy!" Miach's father climbed a steep hill, arriving behind the twins. Stealthily, he advanced.
.
"Our aim is terrible, Uday." Celerina groaned. "We best not do anything." She knelt down. Meanwhile, the Lilty commander marveled at her almost flawless speech. Who knew a Selkie could learn the Lilty tongue? It was unheard of. He had much interest in this girl. "Why do the Lilties have to be so proud? Why are we even fighting?" She began to sob. "Whatever happened to a joyous crew?"
Uday sighed and lowered his bow. He looked out to the horizon, directly north, where the crystal was. He closed his eyes, remembering the song that his sister had quoted. "It is not fair." He turned. "It—" He stopped short. Celerina was gone. "Celerina!" He called. A scream rang from below the cliff upon which he stood. A Lilty commander was dragging a bleeding Celerina with him, back to his army. "Celerina, no!" Uday cursed in his native tongue, jumping down from the cliff.
He followed the bloodstains, through the crowd of his own people, through the battling of the Lilties, he ran, ran, ran on. His goal was in sight. He could see his sister! Then all turned black.
.
Light and hope seemed to sink into his mind's complete and utter darkness…