Christmas Blessings (Bas and Pas)|Aegestrom, Maels

[Kender Bard]

At the Sanderson house there came a very small, almost completely unnoticeable noise - a little scratching at some window shutters followed by a tiny, plaintive meow.

[Northen Light36]

Bas and Pas were sitting on one of their beds. 'Their beds' because the twins never went through a night where they didn't end up sleeping in the same bed and Acqua and Mat had long ago given up trying to keep them in seperate beds, figuring they'd out grow it sooner or later.

It was late at night, meaning the young cat-twins were the only ones still awake. And even they were starting to doze off as Pas read to Bas, but their ears still pricked up at the sounds from downstairs. "A kitten?" Pas asked his sister in a surprised whisper.

"Think so," Bas whispered back, sliding off the bed. "Let's go see. It might be cold, and hungry." Pas hesitated, they weren't allowed outside alone anymore... But it'd be silly to wake their parents up for a might-be kitten.

"all right," he agrees, getting out of bed and taking his twin's hand. "But only quickly." Bas nodded and the twins tiptoed downstairs. Trying to be as quiet as possible, they carry a chair to the door to climb on to reach the lock.

"Nearly tall enough without the chair," Bas notes in delight as she and Pas make their way outside.

"Daddy will make the lock higher," Pas predicts, but he's grinning. It's been a long time since he and Bas got to sneak out at night. "Here kitty," he calls softly.

[Kender Bard]

From around the house came a very, very unusual sight; a white kitten.

With wings, as white as its fur and glittering faintly in the moonlight, as though sprinkled in crushed quartz.

The kitten reared onto its hind feet a little, paws batting the air as it mewed again. Mew!

It even flapped its wings, apparently excited at seeing the two.

[Northen Light36]

The twins look at each other in surprise and delight at the sight, before running towards the winged kitten. They drop to their knees a little way away from it and activate their signs. "Here kitty," they chorus in beast speak. "We won't hurt you."

"You're so pretty" Bas adds. "What's your name, pretty kitty? Did the Forces give you your pretty wings?"

[Kender Bard]

The kitten romped around in a circle, evidently chasing her tail. Then she mewled again, a giggle, and replied. "I don't have a name! But I know who gave me wings and it was a Force! Come with me and see for yourself!"

Then the kitten sprinted off into the night.

[Northen Light36]

The twins didn't hesitate to follow, all warnings not to leave the house without an adult forgotten in their excitement. Besides, a cat wouldn't lead them into trouble or bad people and she was Force-blessed, like Pixie and Smudge. So it HAD to be okay.

Eager to see the Force, the twins followed the kitten into the dark night.

[Kender Bard]

The kitten would pause now and then if it got too far ahead, waiting for the twins to catch up. At long last, it led them to a quiet, secluded little spot.

Efil sat on the ground, her long, white shimmering gown and wings catching the light just as the kittens' did. The kitten mewed and leapt up onto her lap to curl up there, making contented sounds.

Sitting next to Efil, Taed sat wrapped tightly up in his cloak, barely more than a shadow beneath the hood and cloak he wore. Perched on his shoulder, silent and stern looking was a black kitten with wings like a raven's.

"Hello children," Efil greeted them, voice reveberating softly like chimes. "Do you know who I... and my brother-" she flicked her pure white gaze to the figure beside her and smiled "-am?"

[Northen Light36]

"Efil," Bas whispers, her eyes wide with surprise and awe.

Pas looks between the two, considering. If this is Efil, and he knows Bas has meet Efil before so she'd know, then, well, the opporsite force to Efil is... "Taed," he whispers, with a hint of fear in his voice.

[Kender Bard]

"Everyone fears me," Taed murmured in what sounded curiously like a sulk.

Efil grinned a little and reached over, her fingertips disappearing completely under his hood as she stroked his cheek fondly. "Taed will not hurt you, children. It is not your time to go beyond the Veil. He is here to keep me company."

Taed's kitten ruffled its feathers and shook itself, silently.

"You were both very brave in the face of danger," Efil went on.

Taed lifted his hand, and it looked like a very human, normal hand, though pale and he pointed at Pas. "Especially you."

"Perhaps such bravery should be rewarded... if you are willing to take your reward and continue using it for good," Efil replied.

[Northen Light36]

Pas beams at the praise and stands a little straighter. The quieter of the twins, Pas doesn't often get singled out for praise, and to be told a Force thinks he's brave.... Wow.

"We always try to be good," Bas says honestly, wondering what reward the two Forces might have in mind.

Pas, however, remembers the wish the twins had made the day before, when they'd gotten to go to the market with their father. "Do you mean, our wish gets to come true?" he asks hopefully.

Bas also looks hopeful. With Storm signs they'd be strong, like Mama and Uncles Amaro and Talon. They could keep the little twins and Aries safe so Muma and Daddy could go look for Lumi.

[Kender Bard]

Efil and Taed leaned forward, almost in sync; Efil reached out and softly Bas's left cheek while Taed did the same to Pas's right cheek. Taed's touch was a little chill, but not painfully so and Efil's touch was very warm. Both left a faint tingle on the spots they had touched and when they pulled their hands back, they reached for each other, fingers entwined.

"Always look out for one another," Efil instructed them. "Your best ally is in your sibling."

"Whether you fight or stay close to one another, nothing can replace the intrinsic bond of a twin," Taed added.

"Now I suggest you go back home before someone worries," they murmured together.

[Northen Light36]

The twins look at each other, reaching out to touch the other's sign and smiling before turning back to the two Forces. "We'll always look after each other," Bas promises.

"Thank you so much," Pas continues, then both twins look at Taed.

"We're not scared of you anymore," they chorus before running back home and up to their and Aries bedroom. "Aries, Aries wake up," they hiss, shaking their brother.

[Kender Bard]

Aries starts awake, a little wild eyed, thinking something is wrong, and he actually lashes out in a clumsy, slow swing before fully waking. "Huh? What?"

[Northen Light36]

Aries clumsy punch manages to hit Bas' shoulder, but the young girl's too excited to care. "Aries! We met Efil and Taed!" she tells her brother excitedly.

"Look what they gave us," Pas adds, gesturing to his new sign and forgetting in his excitement that Aries' night vision isn't as good as his and Bas'.

[Kender Bard]

"I can't see," Aries complained, rubbing his eyes and sliding out of the bed. He moved over towards the window and opened it a bit to let the moonlight in and his eyes adjust. When he saw the faint coloration of the new signs on their cheeks, his eyes widened and he was rendered speechless.