Like the Wind; Like the Sea.

[Narifia]

"He's probably in shock. Help me," Mahiri said, bending down to lick one of Hamali's wounds.

Although she could clearly see how terribly shaken up her younger brother was, Mahiri would allow herself to feel no guilt. She had warned them how rough this road would be. She had asked them if they were dedicated enough to endure this all the way to the end, and they had wholeheartedly accepted the challenge.

Nyota's test was over, and he had passed. There was little doubt in Mahiri's mind that Hamali's faith in her would falter after this. His test was now to overcome that.

For the both of them, their training was still far from complete. Even though this test had been by far the worst thing they'd endured so far, it was merely a stepping stone to the completion of their training. They--and even Mahiri--still had a lot of growing to do, and they'd need every ounce of inner strength and willpower within their beings in order to do it.

[Kai]

Nyota started to come over to help, but Hamali pulled away from them. His white eyes were full of fear and his tone accusatory.

"You..."

He paused, trying to find words.

"I almost drowned. AGAIN."

He backed away slowly, stumbling occasionally on his unsteady paws. His mind was racing. He was struck by so many emotions at once he was having a hard time processing it. Betrayal, fear, anger... relief, because he was still alive. Even after the ocean had caught him again, and he was almost crushed by the waves, lost his breath in the terrible cold silence, he was still alive. But the one person he trusted most had put him there. He remembered the look in her eyes, and her chilling words... "Your deaths!"

"You tried to kill me... both of us!"

He closed his eyes for a moment, the sound of the waves in his ears, unfathomable terror in his voice.

"You put me back in the water."

For a moment he sounded like a scared cub, like he had sounded back on that day long ago when they had pulled his small body, near-dead, on to the shore the first time.

"The water."

[Narifia]

Mahiri sighed. She looked him in the eyes for a moment, her gaze soft and understanding as she tried to reassure him.

"Hali. I never would have let you die."

It was the worst possible thing she could have put him through. As tough and ruthless a trainer as she was, she couldn't completely keep away the pain of having hurt Hamali so deeply. This was Mahiri's test--to endure the terrible suffering of her beloved younger brother.

[Kai]

"But I could feel it all happening again. I was slipping under, being pulled down, crushed. I tasted the water as it stole away my breath. The life in my limbs seeped away. Then there was the darkness, and nothing."

Nyota only listened in grim silence. He hadn't realized the degree to which this experience had affected Hamali's life. He felt like he had brief taste of what he had endured, but he had overcome it. Nyota had conquered the ocean, but Hamali hadn't.

Hamali seemed to notice that the sound of the waves was not just in his head, that it was still there. The waves seemed to creep up the shore, closer and closer each time.

"It's trying to pull me down again."

Hamali whispered.

"I can't be here!"

"Hamali!" Nyota started

As if he heard nothing, Hama bolted into the bushes. Nyota did not chase him.

"I think he's going to need a little time, Sis." said the Prince.

[Narifia]

Mahiri stared after Hamali, a brief flash of sadness in her eyes.

In an instant, that sadness was gone and replaced once again with Mahiri's infamous cold-and-calm-exterior. She sat down, her eyes never leaving the spot where Hamali had disappeared into the bushes.

"This is what it means to be tested, Nyota. And this is what we must endure--together. When we face the monster, we will be in danger. He will try to rip us apart from one another, just as the ocean tried to rip you and Hamali apart. Our bonds to one another will be stretched to their limits. If those bonds aren't strong enough, we will lose. And we will die."

Mahiri finally turned to face Nyota.

"Do you understand now, my elder brother?"

[Kai]

"Yes, I think I do now." He began to groom himself, washing away the sand that today's trial had left behind. "It sure took a lot to show me."

Hamali just ran, with no regard to direction or concealing himself. He ran until his already tired legs gave out. Emotionally and physically spent, he curled into a tight ball in the underbrush. Slowly, Hamali fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

[Narifia]

Mahiri nodded once, satisfied. 'It sure as hell did,' she thought sardonically to herself. She raised a back leg and scratched herself behind the ear for a minute or two before she stood and stretched. Wordlessly she began to walk back towards the border of their pride's territory. With a glance she bid Nyota to follow. They would need to slip quietly back home before they were missed, and they needed sleep besides that.

For the time being, Mahiri was guiltily thankful that Hamali's presence wouldn't be missed within the pride. She doubted if anyone would even notice. It was a good thing for tonight, however. He needed some time alone.

Continued On: "Blood is Thicker than Water"[/size]