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Ariel’s eyes opened to Raisa’s face in the dark room, her sister leaning over her to shake her gently awake. At the sight of her sister, a smile bloomed on Ariel’s face. Raisa matched the smile, giving Ariel a quick hair ruffle before turning to get dressed quickly and quietly. Ariel sat up and opened her own small chest of clothes, digging through it for her nicest dress, buried at the bottom since the last time she’d worn it on the winter solstice. Pulling it over her head after shucking off her nightgown and stowing it away, she noticed that the dress was shorter on her than it had been before, the skirts falling around her knees rather than her upper shins. She frowned down at her legs for a moment, before Raisa’s hand on her shoulder caught her attention. Her sister held a hairbrush in one hand, and gestured for Ariel to sit in front of her on the blankets while Raisa knelt at her back.
Raisa tugged the brush quickly through Ariel’s curls the same way she’d done for her own a minute before. It stung a little, and her hair fluffed out when Raisa was done; Ariel patted it down and smoothed it with her hands as Raisa put the brush away and got to her feet, an eager smile on her lips. Ariel scrambled to her feet after her, and together they quietly padded across the floor to slip out the front door. Outside with the door shut firmly behind them, they shared a giggle, and Raisa wrapped her arms around Ariel and pressed a rough kiss into her hair.
“Happy Summer Solstice,” she said, and Ariel darted up on her tip-toes to press an answering kiss to Raisa’s cheek.
“Happy Summer Solstice!” she piped in return, before grabbing Raisa’s hand and tugging, leaning in the direction of their trek. Raisa let Ariel hang on her arm for a moment, leaning back as a counterweight to make her giggle, before giving in to Ariel’s urging and starting down the cobble street on a path they knew by heart.
The city was dark and quiet all around them, this long before the dawn, and their rasping pawsteps across stone were the only sound. Ariel tipped her head back as they walked, trusting Raisa’s hand to guide her along, and looked up at the stars. She loved the stars, the great white sparkling path of them through the dark. She’d be able to see them better soon, away from the buildings that blotted out the sky.
Raisa led the way, and they walked hand in hand until they left their district’s borders. They passed by the library, and Ariel wondered if Mme. Ola would be working there today. She didn’t actually know what holidays the librarian celebrated.
Soon they made it past the edge of the next district as well, and then the lookout tower, and then there were no more buildings in front of them, only sandy, rolling hills and the vast, dark sky. They walked up the nearest and tallest of them, feet slipping in dew-slick grass until they reached the peak, and settled down to wait. Ariel folded her knees underneath her, and laid out her skirts carefully, as to her side, Raisa did the same.
“Your dress is getting a little short on you,” Raisa said when they were settled, and Ariel stuck her tongue out at her sister.
“Yeah,” she said, “and you haven’t outgrown yours yet. What are we s’pposed to do next winter?”
Raisa frowned softly, running a finger over her lips in thought.
“I mean,” she said, “Yours might still fit you—and I might have grown by then.” She didn’t sound too hopeful, though, and Ariel frowned quietly as well. Her sister should be a lot taller than she was, being nearly fourteen already. Ariel knew that Raisa worked too hard, and that was bad when you were young, and she’d been doing it since forever. She’d have to ask Priest Caelan about it tomorrow. And if that didn’t pan out, there was always the library again. She thought he’d know, though, and he liked to teach Ariel, so he’d tell her what to do so Raisa could grow right. It was probably a nutrition thing as well, Ariel mused, squinting at her sister in the dark. They could see each other perfectly, of course, in shades of gray, and Raisa’s face smoothed out when she saw Ariel’s stare.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It’s just less clothes to buy, you know?”
It was, until Ariel caught up with her—which was still a long way off, since Ariel was a little small too, but it was still—it still wasn’t okay. Ariel brushed the thought away for now, though. She’d work on it tomorrow, and she’d work until she fixed it. That kind of thing was how she could help. She was the cleric, after all.
Today was for happy things, though, and Ariel focused on that, leaning her shoulder against Raisa’s and watching the sky as it grew from black to gray, lightening behind the stars until their sparkling was lost amidst the pearly glow.
“I saw Deniel yesterday.” Raisa spoke quietly, but her voice took on a giddy lilt. Ariel giggled.
“Did he tell you Happy Solstice?”
Raisa shook her head.
“He doesn’t celebrate it,” she said. “He did tell me he’d come see me on my birthday, though! He said—he said he’s gotten me a present.”
Raisa’s eyes were sparkling, their amber shade visible now in the growing light; she was so happy. Ariel felt warm, looking up at her smile. She grinned with teeth, and a little bit of tongue.
“D’ya think he likes you?” Ariel asked, giving her sister a little jostle where their shoulders met, and Raisa’s face froze for a split second, before she looked at Ariel in shock.
“Do you think he does?” Her voice was high, exuberant and disbelieving. “I—I don’t think—I never—I mean—we’re—just friends, right?”
Ariel burst into giggles.
“I don’t know,” she said, “I’ve never met him. You like him, though, right?”
“Um.” Raisa bit her lip. “I dunno…kinda? He’s…my best friend, you know. I…I don’t know. He’s really cool, is all.”
Ariel leaned her head on Raisa’s shoulder.
“Well, if you don’t know, then I don’t know. That’s just how it always goes in stories. You know more real people than me, so…”
Raisa gave a distracted sounding hum, and Ariel’s voice dropped to a quiet murmur:
“Just don’t leave me behind, if he does, and if you do. And I’ll never leave you behind, either…I still don’t really get liking people like that though.”
“Well, you’re only eight. You will.”
“Bleh,” Ariel said, and then Raisa gave a quiet gasp beside her, straightening up. Ariel straightened as Raisa did, looking to the horizon as a thin finger of sunlight crawled over the hills.
“Good morning,” Ariel said.
“Good morning,” Raisa returned, and Ariel pulled her amulet out from under her collar so that they both could hold it.
Together, they said:
“Dear Sarenrae, who holds our lifelong pledge: We are your will.
Thank you for the light and warmth you give us.
We welcome the day of the longest light,
And we ask that you lay your light upon us today so that we may act as your hands.
From yours to ours to others, we will share your warmth with all whose paths we cross.
We are your will.”
The prayer tumbled from their lips with practiced rhythm, and they were left grinning at each other as the morning light washed over them, settling on their fur like shining gold. Raisa’s hands were warm and callused, clasped over Ariel’s on the amulet. The light shown through the corneas of her eyes, catching the irises and lightening them to the shade of thin-spread honey, with darker flecks of brown and of copper.
“Are you ready?” Raisa asked.
“Of course!”
Raisa’s hands fell away from hers, and Ariel tucked her amulet away before reaching for her sister again. They held hands as they walked back down the hill, past the guard tower and the library and down the streets until they stood together in a market.
“Where do you want to start?”
Ariel looked around, watching the people bustling around them; their city woke as soon as it was light enough for day-eyed people to see, but before it got too hot for most to handle.
“There,” she said. There was an old man carrying a basket for his shopping, and he looked frail and unsteady. The two of them made their way through the crowd.
“Do you need help?” asked Raisa, and the old man looked surprised.
“If you want,” said Ariel, “I can carry that for you.” And so she did.
They passed the morning that way, with smaller things, and when the sun was at its peak, they became vigilant. Ariel and Raisa weren’t bothered by the heat much, but not everyone was like them. The city was big, too, and lots of people weren’t locals, who always took long mid-day breaks unless they worked underground where it was cool.
Tourists and merchants were guided into shade or to the baths, and both leonin did small healings.
Evening was again for smaller things, where they could; little ways to help when they saw them.
Finally, the sun began to set, and Raisa’s hand on Ariel’s shoulder guided her home.
Her feet dragged over the ground, and she listed into her sister’s side, worn out.
“You did good,” Raisa said, pausing before they turned onto their street. “I didn’t even see that kid, but you knew exactly what to do.” She ruffled Ariel’s hair, mussing up the curls. “You’re getting good at healing, you know. It’s a little scary, how much you know, actually. You fit a lot of knowledge in that little head of yours.”
“Not little,” Ariel grumbled, leaning her forehead against Raisa’s arm. “Le’me alone.”
“Right, right,” Raisa said, guiding Ariel along back towards their house. “Eight years old is all grown up.”
They slipped in through the front door, and Daddy wasn’t even home. It was a good day. Together, they peeled off their sweaty dresses, and climbed into the bath. Raisa scrubbed sudsy hands over Ariel’s ears, and Ariel fell asleep against her chest until it was time to rinse the soap off.