The Ithanian released a small sigh, turning her face upwards as she moved into the garden of the estate she lived in. Her eyes were closed but she could feel the sun, despite it beginning to set, the ending Summer's warmth remained. She lowered her gaze once more and looked about the empty garden, silence remaining in it except for the rustle of still-green leaves and quiet chirping of birds that turned a memory in her mind like a leaf on the wind. The Wodenstaff lowered herself to sit on the bench of the garden, hidden behind several bushes so she wouldn't be seen and bothered as soon as someone entered the garden.
She lingered on the memory- her sister, Darcie, bringing her towards an oak near their home. Herself, a child then, not understanding the big deal as her older sister lowered herself to lie in the grass beneath the tree. The young half-Ithanian had pondered her sister's actions a moment before clumsily moving to the ground and parking herself in the grass with her sister, snug under her arm as they waited beneath the tree.
Moments passed and the young girl grew impatient, readying to stand and toddle off elsewhere to bother her eldest sister when Darcie placed her free hand on her arm to grab her attention. When she had, the older girl raised her hand slowly to point at a small bird that was floating to sit on the branch above them, the nest that was hidden in the foliage of the tree becoming visible to her untrained eyes then. The dull colored bird chirped into the nest as she hopped into it gingerly and sat, paying the young Darcie and Juliette no mind as they were simple observers in the grass. Despite the fact that the younger of the two would usually be calling out to the animal, the gentleness kept her silent and several moments passed before it rose from her nest again and took off in gentle flight, arching off to wherever it needed to be.
After the mother bird had taken her leave once more, Darcie carefully peeled her arm out from underneath her little sister's head and stood, lifting Juliette to her feet afterwards. The child kept staring up at the nest in awe before asking her sister, "Darcie, why does the bird not stay in her home?" The little girl's eyes trained up at her sister's, focused on the older Ithanian rather than the bird's nest for the first time in several minutes. The older Vauclain took several moments to consider the younger's question before answering carefully;
"The birds come and go from the nest many times, sometimes for quite a bit- but more often than not they'll always return." The little girl stared up at her, pondering the answer before her sister added, "Just as I'll always do- I'll always return to Mari, and Fred, and you." Juliette paused before bobbing her head in a single, understanding nod causing her sister's lips to pull up into a smile before she leaned to lift her baby sister into her arms, kissing her forehead. "Come now then, Ma plus chère soeur." Darcie had said before carrying her off to answer to the calls of supper.
Juliette blinked a moment, realization of the night dawning on her as she shook away the leaf in her mind and stood. She hadn't been there long, but the sun had set in the short amount of time. She carried on from the garden, green skirts swishing as she moved through down the path- Vauclain purple having been traded for Wodenstaff green months ago when she shared vows. Her sister's lesson on birds fluttered by once more and she paused a moment before shaking her head. The lesson wasn't wrong, nor was her sister's promise. She did return to her- and her sister had never said that the bird was the same when they returned.
@WalnutNinja
