As promised Jenai arrived outside the gates of her old home, alone and on her personal mount, the reins to another in her hand. She still wore the colors of the COS, but her head was free from the folds of the dark hood as she waited in the fall sun for Mirage.

Ever impatient, Mirage was standing there. Waiting. Her thick arms were folded over her cloak and the crimson bits of fabric at her waist were easily seen, just as the tips of her blades were poking out from beneath the cloak. She heard the hoof prints and turned to see her sister.

"I didn't think to ask if you could ride" she gave her a smile, "You can right?" It was an average saddle, comfortable but not meant for long rides.

She bit her lip. The very presence of her sister made her heart leap. It had been so long since they had had a good heart to heart. Her smile became a smirk. "I can ride as well as you, you know." She walked over to the horse, patting his nose along the bridle. "If not better."

"Maybe. But this isn't a day for competing. I meant what I said. But we'll talk as we ride." She looked past the gates for a moment. A long moment but no expression crosses her eyes.

"Sure, Jen. Anything you say." Their camaraderie and witty banter felt replaced by carefully chosen words. Mirage missed her sister, more than she could admit. She mounted the steed and as she took the reins, she looked to Jenai. "You lead, I'll listen."

The horses started a slow stroll away from the gates as she spoke "I owe you an apology Mirage. You are not just a 'Sister' but you have always been a dear friend and close to my soul." she looked ahead and not to Mirage as she went on.

"With Brian's path, I could not endanger you by showing that I still care. He was angry with Issy. Why would I hand him another target near my heart? He knows he can not get to me. Our daughters are hidden, His best friend for a life time... dead, and his body guard on his side. What else could he do?"

Mirage swallowed. She listened. She wanted to know so much, she had so many questions. But for now, she simply nodded to Jen as they rode. There would be time for her to ask soon.

"That was my explanation, Now the apology. I am sorry to have not been able to meet you away from him. It would have been different."

Mirage's eyebrows curled as she wrinkled in her forehead with her own regret. "I'm so sorry for the way things seem to have gotten so out of control, Jen."

Jenai listened for a moment to the morning as she thought about Mirage's words. She smiled and nodded to a passing school teacher and a gaggle of young children behind her off to who knows where.

"Its okay Mirage. Who says things are not how they should be? This would not be the first time the gods create storms to see how we handle it. Am I upset? Yes. Am I angry? Much. Am I disappointed. A bit. But am I understanding. Always. I am angry with Issy and all who left with out warning or word. I needed you. My family, my sisters when my strength was faltering. And no one came."

Mirage looked down, "Jen? I don't really know what to say. I hate seeing us all, well, not together. Issy left. She did. And the others did, too. I left. But I will tell you that it was not of my choosing. I don't really know what to say except that night was a terrible night."

She gripped the reins tighter, "I know I was at that Mallerek guy's house. I know that we were all together. But that's it. Everything after that is fuzzy. You have to know that if I knew that you were in trouble........ If we had known you needed us....." She looked to her sister, "Jen, you have to know that we would have come for you. Please?"

Jenai nodded and looked over to Mirage a moment as the moved through a curve in an old shoppe district. "I know you would have Mirage. I know. But the past is just that, past. I had said what I had to, what had been boiling inside me. And it's done. I picked myself up, did what I had to do to get my family back and work to save this town. And it was the Goddess who gave me hope and I used that faith to do so."

"Of course you did. We all live with the faith that Scathach has instilled in us." Mirage maneuvered her steed around a broken cobblestone.

"She's what brought you guys here. her reason is her own. I do not question it or her or you. And I wish Issy would see that as clearly." Jenai replied.

"Issy?" her close cropped hair leaned away from her face as she tilted her head to look at Jenai. "She's really scared of what's happened. Vixen, too."

"Scared of what?" Jenai did the best to hide the sound of amusement in her voice.

"Scare of what's happened. Especially with....." She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she chewed on her words. "With Brian." She waited for the backlash.

Jenai chuckled. "What? Brian yelled at Issy. He got in a fight between Issy and Renna. What does that have to do with me?"

"Well" She really didn't know where to begin. "You two are married, right? I figured that their must still be....Nevermind."

She knew she was treading where she shouldn't. It was none of her business actually.

"Actually Ravenlock and I never married. But the people want to call us such, so it is easier to say so. The public will believe what they want to and then it becomes public belief then fact. But... we are not together, I never agreed with every path he took. But that does not explain why my own sisters, knowing I was here, never once stopped into the Public Temple, knocked on my door, or even sent a message to me when they returned. Even before the Raven conflict."

With this Jenai watched Mirage. Her visage locked and searching.

Mirage nodded. "I will take the heat for that. And I'll also make my petty excuse. I thought that since you had Brian and that you had the girls, and the house and had moved away, you were you know, sort of done with the whole thing. especially after that stormy night. I didn't know where anyone was, I only got back into town recently myself. I thought you had sailed off for brighter shores. Like so many of the other girls who left the Island, found husbands and never came back."

She shook her head lightly. "I have never given up on anything, the Goddess is first and foremost in my life. I only left the to live on my own after Brian was thrown out for false accusations by Issy. I loved him and I meant it... I felt bad for having caused him so much but he was there to help us and was in our employ. But such is life."

"That is a story for another time and place. Maybe dinner, coffee.."

Mirage shrugged, "You said what is past is passed, right? Maybe you could both start off fresh. You and Issy."

They were headed in the direction back to the sanctuary. "I never ended anything Mirage. I was the one written off. Remember?" She gave her a smile, an honest one. "I am sorry I feel like I took up all the time myself talking and gave you little for questions you may have for me."

It was a few moments before Mirage attempted to speak. She was never one to be afraid or timid, it was just that she wanted no offense to be taken. "Jen, I've got really only one question."

"Ask"

"Why are you doing this?" Her hand left the reigns and motioned to what armor Jen was wearing. "I mean, why are you separating yourself from us? We're a family, Jen. We're all we've got, for some of us. For me."

"The Goddess has told me to prepare. I have found older teachings, older ways, lost to us, she led me to these, she showed me that I must be strong, for the city, strong for myself, strong for my daughters, My sisters... you. I have not left you Mirage, I have just chosen a new path when there was none. Her light shone upon it. Now instead of the scales which can be tipped, I am her swords, I am not here to bring Judgement, I am here to bring Justice."

"But we're all on the same side, Jen. Right?"

"We are. So why would you think I am not? I follow our Goddess with all my heart. Just because we do not have the same work before us, does not mean we are not under the same employ. We are both means to the same end"

Mirage looked to Jenai, obviously perplexed by her sister's words. "But we don't have the same work before us?" She stood up on the stirrups for a moment and reseated herself. "And you were just so cold when we first saw you. You wouldn't even let me hug you."

Jenai swung her leg over and dismounted.

She stood there weaponless and guard less. her arms open before the gates of her old home that now saw her as an enemy and looked to Mirage.

Mirage followed Jenai's lead and dismounted. She walked to her sister and enveloped her in a warm hug, whispering against her beautiful crimson hair, "We're all on the same side, Jen. Issy will see that. They will all see that."

Jenai enclosed her and pulled her to her in so much warmth and smiled softly "This is why we must stay faithful. The Goddess would not let us true to her fall. They are scared, You were scared. But worry not again for now you know. I am still walking in the love of Scathath as are you." She took a step back, her hands on Mirage's arms. "I am glad you came with me and I wish I could stay longer. But I have so much to do. You know where to find me, anytime you need me."

"I'm going to tell them. I'm going to tell them that this is still you and that you're not with Brian. If if you'll let me." She gripped Jenai's shoulder, in as much as she could, "I want us all to be a family again."

"Of course you can. I would never stop you from anything like that. And they will believe if they want to, or not. It is up to them. But it is you I am happy to see grow so much and so wise. Issy is lucky to have you at her side."

"I'm at your side to Jen. You should know that by now." Mirage was quick to add.

"Then it is I that is the lucky one!" she chuckled and let Mirage go. "I will see you about, you must promise some tea or coffee.. or hell even a strong drink soon"

For the first time since she had arrived back in the great and chaotic city of RhyDin, Mirage wore a smile as warm as her blood. "Yes, yes I think that would be an excellent idea." She squeezed her sister's arms as she nodded to her.

"Later then, the Inn even." Jenai gave her a wink as she remounted and gathered the other's reins. "Maybe even we could cut our horses loose to give them a run they deserve."

"I'd like that, Jen." She took a moment to soak up the sun before she continued, "Jen?"

"Yeah?"

"It's good to be back. I missed you." She smiled then like she had been shown the light of the heavens.

Jenai reached for her own cloak and pulled the hood over her hair but leaving her face smiling. "I'm glad you are back. You have been sorely missed."

Jenai rode off pulling the hood fully over her face, the smile turned to a grin, the grin to a smirk. "Your will guides my sword," she spoke a quick word to the Goddess, inaudible words carried from her lips to the heavens softly in prayer.

Let the others come. She had nothing to hide.


(adapted from live play thanks to Mirage)