Sky Full of Stars

    My father looked me over, making sure I had everything packed and ready to go.     "You've got your rations? Weapons, shield, armor? The climbing gear?" His golden eyes searched my frame while he didn't move forward, filled with fatherly love and worry.     "Yes, Father, I am prepared. Kareem's light will guide me on this journey. I will make it to Rushen safely, I assure you. And I shall see you again before long" I smiled lightly, reaching out and placing my hand on his shoulder. Father spared no expense when he learned I wanted to see the world. He made certain I had the best equipment money could buy. Full plate armor, the best warhammer the capital's best blacksmith could forge, coated in silver, naturally, a shield that bears the full moon, the symbol of Kareem, embedded into it, three silver coated daggers, and a longbow with arrows dipped in silver.     "And you're sure this is what you want to do? Your siblings will miss you terribly, you know? As will I..."     Father hadn't been looking forward to this day. When Mother died three winters prior from the plague, Father lost the very love of his life. We struggled on our small farm until I saw the notice in the Full Bone, one of the many inns in Dragondrift, the capital of Thunia, my home country. The notice spoke of the many riches we would be searching for, and I knew that was my chance to help my family.     I smiled up at Father and nodded. "I'm sure. Someone needs to help our people. Who better than me? I trained with the knights in Dragondrift for ten years before..." I didn't finish that thought. He knew I only stopped training to help with the farm after Mother passed.     I cleared my throat and pulled him in for a hug. Father hugged me tightly, and I knew he didn't want to let go. But eventually, my five younger siblings walked into the room, young Elva, the youngest, looking heartbroken.     "You're leaving...?" She asked me. My other siblings already knew this was coming, but Elva was only six. I didn't want to upset her before the time came.     I kneeled before her and opened my arms wide. She ran to me and hugged me tightly, tears spilling over her cheeks.     "Come now, don't cry, my Little Mouse. You know I'll always return to you" I smiled down at her and gently wiped her tears away. Little Mouse was the nickname Mother always used with Elva. It used to always calm her down, and it seemed to do the trick this time around.     I grinned lightly and pulled out my old journal, leaning close to whisper to her. "I've written you a letter for every page of this journal. Every situation I could think of that you might need my help with, there's a letter for it. Keep it with you, okay? Then you can always come to me for advice." Since Mother had passed, I had become like a mother figure to Elva. I knew it was breaking her heart to see me go, but I had to save our people, and help my father pay to keep our family farm.     Elva sniffled and smiled sadly. "Okay, Great Wolf" she whispered back to me, using the pet name my father, and at this point the rest of my siblings, used for me. Mother was the one to start it, and it just kind of stuck. I couldn't bring myself to ask them to stop, despite the pain I felt every time I heard it.     I kissed the top of Elva's head and stood. "Be brave, Little Mouse." I smiled, then turned to look at Levah. Her hands shook as she tried to hold in her emotions. I never thought I'd see my little sister cry, but the day had finally arrived. My nineteen-year old sister broke down in front of me, sniffling and trying to wipe away her tears. "Come now, Brave Lioness, there's no need for tears. I shall return."     Levah wiped at her tears and nodded, swallowing hard. "Of course, Great Wolf. I'm just going to miss you, is all. You had better write to us." She gave me her best serious look, and I smiled warmly. My sister had been joining me in my training with the knights for two years before we had to stop and help Father. Despite her being eight years younger than myself, we grew so incredibly close during the last five years.     I smiled and pulled Levah into my arms for a tight hug. "How could I not? Who else is going to remind you to feed the chickens and harvest even the small ears of corn?" I teased her.     She smacked my arm and smiled before stepping back so I could say goodbye to the twins. Byldum, the Strong Bear, and Brunel, the Silent Squirrel. I looked between them, the only way to tell them apart being that Byldum was slightly taller with a dark amber color in his eyes, and Brunel had slightly darker hair and a warmer honey color in his eyes. Aside from that, both twins had reddish-brown hair, both grew out their beards, and both hunted for the family to provide meat for us. Boy would I miss them...     "Strong Bear, Silent Squirrel, I expect you will protect our sisters. Given that you two are the oldest besides me, I expect you to step up!" I looked between the two of them with my most strict expression.      Byldum, the obviously more aggressive of the two, puffed out his chest. Brunel, the more gentle of the twins, smiled softly. "Of course, Great Wolf" they said in unison.     The twins were twenty-four, only three years younger than my twenty-seven years. Much like father, they shared his reddish-brown hair, cropped neatly around their ears and kept short. Elva and Levah both had brown hair, which Levah kept cut short while Elva decided to grow hers out. I, of course, was the one to handle haircuts, both with Mother here and without her. She was very busy one day when I was ten, and seven-year old twins Brunel and Byldum came running up to me, begging me to cut their hair because it was making their ears itch. I did so well, Mother only ever cut my hair from then on, letting me handle everyone else's.     I smiled at the memory, then turned to Iadara, the only true middle child. I took in her long red hair that she had tied up in a bun. She was only twenty-one, but was so strong-willed she had managed to convince Father to allow her to attend the Bard's college in Rushen's capital, Ravenwallow, when she found out I was leaving. He agreed, on the condition she stayed by my side during the journey there. I, naturally, agreed. I couldn't turn down my siblings wishes.     "Ready to go, Iadara?"     She smiled and nodded, quickly giving hugs to each sibling and saying her goodbyes before turning to Father. They watched each other for a long moment, before finally she ran to him and hugged him tight. I just managed to hear her whisper, "I'll miss you, Father" before she pulled away. "Let's go"     She walked out the door, her own bags packed and ready to go. I took one more look back at my family, smiling softly at them before I finally closed the door and shouldered my pack. I whistled lightly and my horse, Penny, galloped over to me, already saddled and ready to go. I strapped my pack to her saddle and turned to Iadara. "Go on, summon your steed, little sister"     Iadara grinned lightly, and after just a moment, a pale white unicorn stood before us, conjured by the magic Mother had taught her several years ago. Though not a real unicorn, that had been my sister's favorite animal since Mother made her the stuffed one for her crib twenty-one years ago.     Before I could feel sadness overtake me, I shook the memory away. Iadara had just mounted her steed and smiled knowingly at me. "I miss her too. But she would be so proud of you, big sister"     She was the only one who has never used Mother's pet name for me, and I have never for her. It pained us both, and we both saw it in each other. I nodded and pulled my long blonde hair back into a ponytail. Iadara teared up. "You look just like her like that" she whispered.     I nodded sadly. "I'm hoping my being gone will allow Father to heal. He always tells me I look exactly like Mother. Now he won't have to see the very image of her every day"     "Nonetheless, they're both proud. Kareem watches over Mother's spirit, who watches over us"     "And she is proud of you, little sister. Now come, we have a long way to go today if we are to make it to Basingate in time for our flight"     Iadara looked confused. "Flight? I thought we were taking a ship to Ravenwallow?"     I grinned back at her. "We are. An airship"