Blood of my Brother

Conflict, Conversations, and Cold Weather

I LIIIIIIIIVVVVEEEEE!!!!!

Thank y'all for your prayers and patience; I can't express how much that means to me. I'm doing quite a bit better, now that I'm actually addressing my mental state rather than shoving it back into that dark little box in my mind (shocking, I know!), and I'm getting the help I need now! (I'll still be posting veeeery slowly, as I still need time to handle all this, and it's senior thesis season T.T; I'll try for at least once a month updates.)

Also! I've got a co-writer now! She doesn't have a Wattpad account, so I can't @ her or anything, but know that the brainstorming and plotting for this story is in part done by the magnificent Portal! You'll probably see me talk about her a lot. She's an irl friend. I asked for her help on some aspects of this story that I needed advice on, and she helped me untangle the entire big mess this had become, along with opening my eyes to some things I hadn't even considered! We've been working together for a few months.

And! So many of y'all have been kind enough to create fanart for this story! I know it's been a *very* hot minute since y'all made some of these, and sorry it took so long for me to post, but shoutout to @estherfernandesdrilard (https://www.instagram.com/p/CRU8hy-FT5q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link), @toatoons (https://www.instagram.com/p/CVyEXcuvTCI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link), @celine_lacan (https://www.instagram.com/p/CSKJ-Q2q4vy/), and @DoodleDayDream (https://www.deviantart.com/doodledaydream/art/Child-of-the-Dark-Kingdom-884272571). Please Please Please check these incredible artists out!!! And if I missed anyone, if you've drawn something for this story and I somehow missed it or forgot to post a link, please let me know!

The new cover for this story was done by the incredible @CelineLacan!

Trigger warnings: obligatory snow trauma

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Varian was surprisingly chatty over the next week.

Just not to Hector.

He was trying to give him space, he really was. But he died a little inside every time he came back from hunting or scouting to see his nephew deep in animated conversation with Adira, only to fall silent and stone-faced the moment he saw Hector.

Adira, for her part, reminded him to be patient. Varian just needed time and support. He'd open up eventually.

The fifth day of the silent treatment, Hector had grumbled that Varian had been so much quicker to open up to Adira than he had with him.

"You can't blame him for that," she chided. "You told him he could trust me. And he's not relying on me the way he did with you. He's still got those walls up in case I'm not what he thinks. You saved his life. I'm just here. He talks to me because he doesn't trust me the way he does you. If I let him down—which I won't—it's not as much of a letdown because I'm not on a pedestal like he put you on."

As much as he hated to admit it, it made sense. Varian could keep his emotional distance from Adira. It didn't make him feel any better though.

Should he apologize again? He'd already tried apologizing for having to leave, but he still insisted it was to find a way to save Varian. He regretted that he'd done it, but he hadn't seen another option. Was Varian upset that they didn't agree on this?

Three days later, and he was sure he would lose his mind if this went on any longer. He sighed and leaned against the trunk of the tree he was perched in. He'd come here after scouting (and destroying some poor innocent trees to vent his frustration), knowing he would be unwelcome in their little campsite. Varian hadn't seemed to notice him there. Adira had, of course, but she said nothing and continued to work with Varian.