Work Text:
From the time Auria could walk she was always in Scout’s shadow, following after him on unsteady legs. As time went on and they got older she followed him out into their tiny little world. The river bank, the edge of the forest, the dirt roads of Phaendar.
Scout always smiled at her. Happy to have her along and to carry her home at the end of the day when she'd tired herself out. He was everything she wanted to be.
When their father started to teach Scout how to play the ukulele, Auria insisted on learning as well. Falx patted the top of her head and apologized that they only had the one ukulele for him to teach with. Scout promised he would teach her someday instead. It never came to be, but that was because she'd lost interest. Instead she took to arts and crafts.
As they got older and the twins came about, Auria mirrored everything Scout did. She would be the perfect big sister, just as Scout was the perfect big brother. It was a harder roll to fill than she expected. She learned a lot from Scout as the two little ones went from babies to toddlers to small children. Patience and empathy were the two biggest things. By the time Litus came around, she was a pro.
Scout was still everyone's favorite, though.
Once they were teenagers Auria went out less, and Scout had less free time. She preferred to work on her leatherworking. Scout was training with the Foxclaws. When their free time did line up they always found something to do together. Dragging their siblings and Scout's friends out to go swimming, or to have snowball fights. Their imagination seemed to be a tireless resource pool.
-
"C'mon, ya gotta keep up, Kit."
Auria took the offered green hand in front of her. "What's a kit?"
"You're Kit," Khet said, big hand closed around her much smaller one. "It's a nickname, like how we call yer brother Scout."
"Oh."
"Do ya like it?"
Auria thought the question over like it was a very serious matter. "Yeah. Can I have a piggyback ride please?"
The bigger boy's strides were hard for her to keep up with, but she'd learned quickly from her parents that asking to be carried didn't work anymore. But the occasional piggyback ride did work.
"Ya sure can, Kit," Khet said, stopping to crouch down and help Auria onto his back. Her little arms wrapped around his neck.
"Can I go back by Scout soon?"
"You ask a lot of questions, huh? Scout said he'd come getcha once the baby's here, so you gotta hang out with me until then."
Auria sighed and settled into her piggyback ride. She had wanted to stay with Scout and their parents while they waited for the baby. It wasn't fair that she'd have to wait to meet them, and to find out if it was a little brother or a little sister.
They walked in silence for a while.
"Are ya excited for the baby to come?" Khet asked.
Auria didn't answer, and when Khet glanced back Auria's eyes were closed and her cheek was smooshed against his shoulder. Khet slowed down to a gentler pace, so as to not jostle her too much to let her nap. He slowly altered his path to head back towards the Maximus residence, excited to find out more about the next addition.
-
Auria often prided herself on being able to keep up with Scout and Khet whenever they were out running around. Today, they were down by the river bank. It was too cold to swim, but the boys had invented a game for hopping across the rocks without touching the water at all. She had been keeping up all day.
Her only problem was that she got tired out before Scout or Khet did every time.
She slipped on one of the rocks in the shallower part of the water. There had been the distinct feeling of a rock slicing her knee open, but she was more mad at the fact that she was wet up to her elbow and thighs now. Auria wasn't a stranger to scrapes and bruises. Shaking her arms off she headed up back towards the grassy patch they'd picked to hang out by.
"Ya alright?" Khet shouted after her.
"Fine, just gonna sit and try to dry off a bit," she responded, kicking her shoes off to lie them in the sun. Scout and Khet went back to their game.
Auria inspected her knee. The pain had started to seep in a little bit, but it really wasn't that bad. The blood mixed with the water running down her leg just made it look worse.
"Can I see?"
She jumped at the voice next to her. Theo must have just come out of the trees as she was sitting down so she didn't see him.
"Oh, sure," she said, turning towards him to show him her knee. "I think it'll be fine."
Theo didn't say anything as he examined her cut. Auria always thought it was a little strange that Theo didn't talk a lot when he was friends with Scout and Khet, because those two never shut up. But she didn't mind it. Ever since the twins were born she'd learned how to appreciate the quiet.
Without saying anything else, Theo pulled a little jar out of his satchel and opened it. The smell that wafted out immediately made Auria wrinkle her nose in disgust.
"What's that?" She asked in a very seven year old fashion as she watched Theo dip his finger into the green paste. He reached out and smoothed it over the cut on her knee.
"Something to make it better," Theo said, putting his jar away and wiping his fingers on the grass. He got up and turned back towards the trees.
"Where ya going? Don't you wanna play with Scout and Khet?"
Theo paused and turned back to her, glancing at the boys through his hair. "I have to practice."
"Practice… playing?" She asked, confused.
"Finding herbs for Oreld."
"Oh." Then after a few seconds. "Can I come with?"
Theo looked at her. "Okay," and then he was heading off into the trees without waiting.
That didn't bother Auria much, since he was just walking, and even though he had long legs it was easy for her to jog and catch up. She followed Theo around, not really bothering him aside from occasionally asking him what each herb was. Auria tagged along until she heard a distinctive high pitched whistle coming from the direction of the river that she instinctively turned towards.
"That's Scout," she said matter-of-factly. "I gotta go. Thanks for the stinky knee gunk!"
Auria got a nod out of Theo in acknowledgement and then was running off in the direction of her brother's call.
-
Sometimes when Falx wasn't feeling well, or Scout was busy, Auria would take up the job of walking Maelia to work at the tavern. Did her mother need someone to escort her to work? Of course not. But Auria knew for a fact that her mother enjoyed the company. It wasn't a long walk either, and Auria was old enough to make the walk back home all on her own.
The sun was just starting to set, and the early evening chill of fall was just setting in.
"Oh, looks like Yianov is here again," Maelia said, sounding sad. Auria looked up and saw the boy sitting outside on an empty barrel.
"Why is he always here?" Auria asked, looking up at her mother. She'd been wondering for a while why he'd been at the tavern so often, but hadn't been sure how to ask about it.
"You'll understand when you're older."
Auria rolled her eyes. She was nine! That was plenty old enough to know everything she wanted to know, in her opinion. Still, she didn't press it. Maybe Scout would tell her.
As they approached the tavern Yianov didn't get off his barrel, but he did greet Maelia in return when she said hello. Auria didn't say anything as she followed her mother inside. She wouldn't stay long, but she liked to see Jet and hear a new joke whenever she was here.
"Alright, Auria, time to head home," Maelia said, kissing the top of her head. "And tell Yianov to come in and get something to eat."
"Yes, mama," Auria replied before heading back outside.
Once she was outside, there was no sign of Yianov. Sighing, she decided to do a lap around the building, just in case he was still close by. If she didn't at least try, her mother would be unhappy with her. That was the last thing she wanted. When she reached the door again there was still no sign of the older boy.
Shrugging to herself she started to head back inside to let her mother know he wasn't here. As she was reaching for the handle on the door, someone popped up out of the empty barrel.
"Boo!" Yianov shouted, making Auria jump. She only squealed a little bit. Reflexively she swatted at him, whacking him in the chest with her hand.
"Ugh! My mama said you should go in and get some supper while it lasts!"
Yianov was too busy laughing to listen to her. She narrowed her eyes as she glared at him, but then inspiration struck. Darting forward she grabbed the lip of the barrel and put all of her weight into pulling it forward. Auria scrambled backwards as it tipped and Yianov pitched forward.
"Ha!" She laughed in his face before turning and running towards home, smiling to herself as she left the sounds of him groaning behind her.