Casting Runes Part 46

He could not believe his eyes.

Jordis, too, blinked a few times before she was convinced that she really saw this and it was not just her imagination. Liam was still lying on his blanket as she had left him, but her sister Colleen was sitting right next to him on the floor, her back facing the two of them, and she was just leaning back into an upright position. Had she really kissed Liam’s cheek?

Without noticing them, Colleen was still fondling Liam’s dark hair and even the some days old stubble on his cheek. Jordis looked at Neil, who was already beginning to blush, and she wanted to signalise him that they should retreat as to not disturb her sister, but right in this very moment, Colleen gaspingly turned around.

“You…”, she whispered and her eyes widened in shock, but Jordis felt unable to say anything. Without another word, Colleen jumped to her feet and dashed out of the door, pushing Neil out of her way and thereby knocking the logs from his grip that now fell to the ground with loud clatter.

“Colleen!”, Jordis called after her, “Wait!”

But her sister simply kept running. Concerned, Jordis looked at Neil who put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her to the door and urged her on: “Go after her. Go.”

She quickly nodded, but before she left, Jordis grabbed the collar of his green shirt and pulled him down to her to swiftly place a kiss on his lips.

It was not easy to leave him then, but she ran after her sister, calling for her: “Colleen!”

She received no answer, but stumbled further away from the hut, although her steps grew slower. The marsh was dangerous and Jordis had no idea where she was, nor where she could put her feet on safely and moreover, she could easily get lost in this forest. So she stopped, panting heavily and looking around to find Colleen, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“No…”, Jordis whispered and felt tears fill her eyes, born from the fear to have lost her sister yet again.

A noise caught her attention and Jordis listened closely to her left until she identified it as quiet sobbing. Slowly and very carefully, she approached the source of it and found Colleen almost hidden by the branches of a weeping willow, her back leaned against the trunk of the old and strong tree.

“Colleen…”, she caringly said and it made her sister jerk, then stare at her again and quickly turn away.

“Stay!”, Jordis pleaded and Colleen froze in place.

“Why?”, she then asked, her voice raspy with tears and sadness. Jordis could not find an answer immediately and Colleen already took a step away from her as she managed to quickly say: “Because you are my sister. Whatever it is that is troubling you, I will do my best to help you. Maybe I cannot do anything, but I will try everything.”

Slowly, her sister turned her head, but did not really face her, although Jordis could already see the wet trace of a tear that was running down her cheek as Colleen repeated her question: “Why?”

Now she raised an eyebrow, as she did not know what Colleen meant, so she hissed at Jordis: “Why would you do that?”

“You are my sister, my family, the only family I have left. I may not know much about your life, but I will try to understand and listen to everything you tell me. Believe it or not, I love you. Even if I do not know that much abou…”

“You know nothing about me!”, Colleen snarled and Jordis winced at the anger in her voice, before calmly admitting: “True. But I want to know whatever you want to tell me.”

Snorting, Colleen looked away again, but Jordis, as much as she felt unable to solace her sister, which she obviously needed, she nevertheless abandoned her doubts, just as she had earlier with Neil and spoke what was in her heart: “And I know that you are sad, for whatever reason, and confused. I may not know why, but I will listen. Please, Colleen, tell me.”

Speaking these last words, she reached for her sister, but did not dare to touch her. Instead, she simply stayed there and did not withdraw her hand. Her sister slowly turned around, looked at her hand with a frown and then she forcefully wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks before whispering: “I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”, Jordis softly asked, but Colleen only shook her head and hissed: “Damned everything! You, that knight Neil, Mora, the fact that we’re on the run basically…Liam…”

Everything Colleen had mentioned caused her trouble and it was understandable, so she said: “I know…”

“You know nothing!”, Colleen hissed again and shot Jordis a glare from her light blue eyes, sparkling with rage and pain.

“Then tell me.”, she shrugged and Colleen snorted again, shaking her head angrily. But then she looked into Jordis’ eyes, which had almost the same colour and silently whispered: “You will listen?”

“Yes, I will, to whatever you are willing to tell me.”, she sincerely answered.

Colleen’s breathing was more a wheezing and she hid her face in her hands for a moment, until she stared into Jordis’ eyes again.

“Alright.”, she then shakily said and Jordis waited, what she would tell her.