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"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
— Unknown Author
It is Vax who had speaks out against the Huntmaster’s decision but it is Vex who is almost visibly shaking the moment they leave her study, the half-elven woman looking slightly as if she iss just barely containing the urge to storm back in there and wring the Huntmaster’s neck.
She is furious—perhaps not as outwardly as her brother—but splitting them up? No, that simply does not happen. She has hardly ever been away from him, never more than a day or so at most. Vex’s anger eventually dissipates into distress and she leans against her brother, pressing into his side noticeably. Vax is, as she expects, as tense as he possibly can be, even as he wraps his arm around her waist reassuringly.
“Vex… Vax… maybe we should go get a drink or something,” Scanlan suggests meekly, looking up at the two half-elves almost cautiously.
It seems to be unspoken knowledge that the decision just made as events transpired was breaking something more binding than law. Vax nods stiffly and Vex does not even respond. In silence, the group goes to look for the nearest tavern, or something of the like.
It is a long time before either of the twins can say anything. And when they do, they speak at once—whether instinctively or by mere coincidence is a mystery.
“Brother, what if you—“
“—it’ll be alright, Vex’ahlia.”
They both stop, looking at one another, then Vex looks down at her lap, biting her lip. How many times had he comforted her—over and over—that everything would be alright? How many times had she worried that he would be wrong and that this time would be the one time where something terrible happened to him? There is a hand placed on her knee and she raises her head slightly, just enough to meet her brother’s eyes.
“We knew this day would come. We can’t always be together forever. Had circumstances been different, had our lives gone down different paths, we might have had to face this a long time ago. It’s just by pure chance that we’ve been side by side this long. There’s a first time for everything, right?”
Vex frowns, hating that he is right. Vax, despite his enigmatic demeanour around others, has always been so gentle and transparent in front of her. He knows what she needs now—he always knows. And that is why she is so reluctant to let him go his own way.
She knows he feels the same, regardless of anything he says.
“Well, if you come back with a hefty sum of gold to add to the party’s funds,” Vex deflects, straightening a little and smoothing out her hair. Vax merely gives her a look.
“Vex’ahlia.”
Busted, as always. Glancing sideways at the ale that feels tasteless and terrible on her palette tonight (of course it’s terrible, it’s cheap), she takes another long drink, clearly flustered. Perhaps something stronger would be needed in the morning. Vex then suddenly throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid,” she mutters, muffled by the furs he wore. But he heard her; she can tell from the way he relaxes and hugs her back.
“I won’t do anything too stupid,” he replies firmly and that is good enough for Vex. “If I don’t come back in one piece, I know for a fact I won’t survive your scolding anyway.”
He teases her, as an older brother should… even if it is only by minutes. Vex doesn’t let go just yet, turning her head so her cheek still rests against the furs, looking out toward the rest of the group who are thankfully ignoring them for now.
“It will be an adventure,” she says quietly, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she feels.
“It will,” Vax agrees, gently grasping her shoulders and pulling her off of him so she is sitting up straight again. “And this time you’ll be able to tell me all about it because I won’t be there to see for myself.”
Vex can’t help but smile. That was true—they rarely got to talk that way, simply sharing their day with one another unless their business was their own, let alone tell the other of an entire trip. They were always together and those things never needed to be told. They were shared together. This would be new but maybe some good could come of it.
“But if you don’t come back with any gold...” Vex warns sternly.
Vax laughs.
“I’ll never hear the end of it, I know.”