He heard the laughter of his sister and felt his body swaying with the movements of the Chocobo beneath him. The Moon was smiling down at the two kids racing through the mountains on their feathery friends, the chilly but welcome wind blowing in their faces. ”I told you I will always be a better rider than you, Brother!” the voice of the girl flew mockingly back to the other Miqo’te behind her, accompanied by her fearless laughter and an approving chirp of her Chocobo. ”Maybe I am just kind and always let you win on purpose!” the boy yelled back and with a grin urged his Chocobo forward. Earth and dust welled up around the big Birds feet. A bend in the path before them led them further upward into a long slope to a plateau on a Peak, the finishline for their little nightly race. The blondhaired boy leaned forward in his saddle, his ears moving wildly in the wind. The bend was his last chance to overtake the Chocobo before him and his bird leaned his long neck forward too and gave a cute Kweeh as if to warn his companion of his fast approach. The girl tried to steer her Chocobo into the path but was too slow and the birds slightly bumbed into another as they pressed forward around the bend and up the slope, their wings flapping shortly and their riders just began to laugh again. The boy took the lead and up on the mountain brought his Chocobo to a hard halt and waited for the girl, a triumphant grin on his face. The second Chocobo stopped next to his just seconds later and the Girl looked up to her older sibling. ”I am still a better rider than you, Somna’a!” ”Hah. Maybe, Thera, but I am the one who convinced Mom and Dad to let you near a Chocobo in the first place.” he answered unperturbed. ”I am not a small child anymore.” the younger Miqo’te said with a slight pout and jumped out of the Saddle. ”I know that, don’t worry.” the boy agreed and moved out of the saddle too to join his sister on the edge of the plateau. The view over their home was magnificent and Somna’a loved it everytime, no matter how many nights they had already been up here. Somewhere to the south was Ala Ghiri, hiding behind the mountains. Nyunkrepf’s Hope was a small shiny Dot more to the east like a green little Star. They could see their Village from here and the River. It was one of those perfect peaceful nights. A Brother and a Sister together at the top of world, with all their hopes and dreams still alive around them and in their hearts. It was how it always should have been.

He thought he had already forgotten about this memory, but seemingly it was still there. The Chocobo races with Thera and their secret place up that mountain. A chill shortly raced down Somna’a’s spine as the feel of the nightair of his memory was harshly replaced by the warm afternoon sun shining down on him and Aveen on their way to Ala Ghiri. He still had both arms around the slim body of the Healer who calmly sat before him. Regarding the position of the sun, it must be late afternoon now, not far any more to their destination.

“Was I asleep?” Somna’a asked honestly a tiny bit confused of how far his mind might have wandered away from the current situation. In any way it made him feel unpleasently stupid. What a great and reliable protector was he when he fell asleep on his duty, lulled by the rhythmic sway of the saddle and the scent of soft blue hair. Maybe he truly wasn’t a trustworthy companion to anyone.

“Not that I have noticed. You were just very quiet suddenly. But I let the Chocobo follow the path and hope that was correct?”

Somna’a straightened his back a bit and looked around, his ears rotating to filter through the natural sounds around them. “Seems alright to me. We should be there in an hour or so.”

He let go of Aveen and asked him to stop the Chocobo so he could walk the rest on foot. And at least try to do his job for the rest of the way. The Healer stayed in the saddle this time and Somna’a silently thanked him for that, so they could keep up a faster pace. The Keeper suddenly felt out of place here and painfully reminded of his sorrows regarding his sister. He had arranged an opportunity for her to flee through Baelsars Wall into the Black Shroud but he never heard of her since this fateful day. Which could be both, a good and a bad sign. He had urged her to change her name and start a new life. She stubbornly wanted to stay and fight too, but Somna’a had rather taken the risk to see her hate him forever but alive and safe, or happy but possibly dead by now.

“Do you have siblings, Aveen?” he asked after some minutes of walking next to the red Chocobo.

“No, I don’t.” he answered calmly, looking down to the other Miqo’te.

“Then something close to that? Friends you grew up with?”

As there was no immediate answer, Somna’a looked up to the Healer, whos face looked a bit strained. ”I wasn’t one for friendships in my childhood. So no, no close friends. At least back then. I now have a Lalafellin friend who still studies in Ishgard. And someone in Thavnair. And some in Kugane.”

For Somna’a it was hard to tell which part of the answer seemingly distressed Aveen.

“Quite scattered across the lands, huh?”

“Hmhm. But I love writing letters, so that’s okay.”

“Ah, that reminds me. What else do you like? Anything I could do for you in return for the Chocobo ride?” Somna’a asked with a slight smile. He doubted that he could be of any true help regarding that. Not because he doubted Aveen might have hobbies, but how they would differ from what Somna’a knew about or had the chance to do favours in. Aveen did not make the impression to be interested in swordplay, sparring or leatherworking. Somna’a sometimes felt like a wild dog next to the educated and smart young man.

“Hmmm. Writing. Reading. Botany.” Aveen began to enumerate. “Anything with magical energy or aether. Carbuncles. And poetry.”

Somna’a couldn’t help but snort in an amused way after hearing all that. ”I fear I can neither help you with magic stuff nor tell you poems about Gyr Abania…”

Aveen laughed, looking like a cute little prince on top of that red Chocobo. ”Thats alright. I don’t need anything in return anyway. So please don’t stress yourself.”

But still Somna’a rifled through his mind if he knew anything that could be of interest to Aveen. And suddenly… he had an idea.