Shayn stretched his aching muscles.
"How are you doing, Kyler? I'm beat. I wonder if we'll get back by tonight."
"Beat? Really? You sound like an old man," Kyler teased.
"I feel like an old man, but that would make you ancient, now wouldn't it?" Shayn shook his head. The spring air was marvelous against his skin, but he was more than ready to be indoors. He and his brother had been out for what seemed like ages.
"I'm barely more than a year older, hardly ancient. Twenty-five doesn't qualify me for a pension or retirement just yet." Kyler jabbed his brother with his elbow, almost knocking him off the cart.
Shayn sighed in resignation. "What's it been since we were back in Klain? Two years?"
"No, closer to three, I think." Kyler responded. "You sure you don't want to ride your horse?"
Shayn shook his head. His brother had slipped off his crutches that morning, and though he wouldn't admit to being injured, Shayne knew the signs.
"And let you have the comfortable wagon seat all to yourself? Think again."
Kyler could ride a horse, and did sometimes, but on days like this, the wagon was best. His legs had been crushed badly in the War Between Worlds ten years ago, and hadn't properly healed.
He had used a chair with wheels for a while, but stubbornly, he was determined to walk again. Crutches were made specially for him so that he could support himself on his malformed legs, but they were painful if he was on them for too long.
The wheeled chair was stowed in the wagon in case they had need of it, which Kyler never admitted to. The wagon was stocked with practically everything, in fact. Their years-long mission for Klain had been based out of the Northwestern territory, where the mountains and desert collided.
It was little explored, and even lesser-mapped. It was vitally important to do so, given that the world had never been comprehensibly viewed.
Their work finally complete, it was time to go home. Well, Klain was sort of home. Their early life had been in a village on the edge of the wilderness with their mother, sister, brothers, and father until he had died.
When their village had been burned, and they were kidnapped into the Darkness… things got bad. The first War resulted in much heartache, and they moved to Klain, only to volunteer to fight in the War Between Worlds.
They'd been young and foolhardy, eager to prove they were as brave and useful as their older brother Riley.
Neither had been really up to the strains of war, but Kyler had taken the worst of it. Trampled by goblins, it was a miracle he wasn't killed.
They rarely talked about it seriously, and there was little need to, out in the wilderness. That's mostly why they had requested the assignment. With the exception of when they would go into small villages to resupply, there was no one out there to stare at Kyler in curiosity or ask questions.
"We'd better stop outside the city at an inn to clean up before we go see Mother," Shayn eyed his older brother. "You're looking pretty scruffy."
"Me? Take a look in the mirror." Kyler tossed back.
"I would if we owned one," The younger brother grinned, "But you're close enough to one. A slightly older, scruffier mirror."
The two did look a lot alike. If it weren't for Kyler's crushed legs stunting his growth, the two could probably be mistaken for twins.
Dirty, scruffy twins who hadn't bothered with shaving or haircuts in far too long.
"Ok, neither of us is looking quite what we could," Kyler conceded. "Maybe a night at an inn would be a good idea."
They'd been camping out for as long as they could remember, really. With only each other to look nice for, some of the finer points of grooming had been left by the wayside. Shayn smirked.
"On second thought, maybe only I should clean up. Can't have all the ladies after you, can we? A stampede would be a terrible way to celebrate our return." He raised one eyebrow.
"I've already been trampled by goblins. What's a few dainty slippered feet?" Kyler nudged him with one shoulder.
"Might even be rather pleasant at that," Shayn said thoughtfully. "All right, you've won me over. Bathing and shaves for both of us."
"Very generous of you considering I hold the purse strings," The elder brother replied.
"I appreciate you carrying it. It must have been very heavy. Perhaps you'd like me to take it off your hands?"
"Not a chance! You think I won't notice when you sneak off to buy pastries and hoard them for yourself?"
"That was one time! And I was seven!"
"Once a thief, always a thief," Kyler shrugged.
"Thief?? I paid you back! I was just starving. It was a growth spurt." Shayn complained. "You can't hold that against me!"
"'Can't' is such a strong word when I'm very clearly capable of it." The elder laughed.
"Fine. Have it your way. Pay for everything. I'll carry it all. Including any pastries."
The two settled into a comfortable silence as the landscape rolled by. The horses were used to the moments of alternating quiet and brotherly banter.
Shayn turned his eyes to the landscape. How their lives had changed since childhood. The incident with the pastries had been in the small village they'd grown up in until they were twelve and thirteen.
Years in Klain had civilized them somewhat, but now that they'd been outside of society for so long, who knew how they would readjust?
Would they even have to? It could be that another portion of the world was inadequately mapped and they would be sent out again to survey somewhere else.
Mother would be upset if they didn't stay for at least a while. And their sister Mayra, who doted on them like a second mother.
The rolling hills leading up to Klain began to feel vaguely familiar, and Shayn leaned back on the seat of the covered wagon.
"The 'house' will need some attention. Maybe we can finally replace the cover to fix that draft." Kyler looked over his shoulder. "Not that we'll be sleeping in it anymore. Mom and Phillip will put us up for as long as we're in the city."
Shayn blinked. Though it had been years now since their mother had remarried, it was still an unfamiliar thing to hear her name in the same phrase as their childhood neighbor. At the same time, it wasn't odd at all, and formalized the fact that their old neighbors were, and always had been in a sense, family.
"Everyone will be all grown up." Shayn realized. "And it's quite possible we have more nieces and nephews than the last time we checked in."
"I lost count a while ago," Kyler admitted. "Especially since our dear stepsister is something of a baby factory."
"She stopped after her initial three," Shayn's brow scrunched together. "Though maybe she's had another set since we left."
"Wouldn't that be something!"
"Other than that, it's just Mayra and Peter's two, and Riley's horde." Shayn counted on his fingers. Ashley had been with child again when they left, so who knew what number they were up to now?
"Hopefully mother's happy with that many grandchildren and doesn't want to pressure us to marry and give her more," Kyler swallowed.
"I'm sure she'll be delighted even if we stay single until we die." Shayn included himself in the statement easily, having no immediate intentions to settle down, but he knew it was a sensitive topic for Kyler.
They'd talked about it once or twice over a campfire in a rare moment of true vulnerability. What little girl pictured her future husband as a man who couldn't walk without crutches? Or needed help climbing up onto a wagon seat?
It's a war injury, Shayn had comforted him. Girls love a wounded warrior!
'Only if they can nurse him back to health' Kyler had replied. 'If he's broken forever, well… nobody wants half a man.'
"Maybe," Kyler shrugged, unconvinced.
"Or maybe she's already picked out a pair of pretty girls who will be waiting at the door when we come home." Shayn said lightheartedly. "If one of them's blonde, I call dibs."
"You can't call 'dibs' on a woman, Shayn."
"'Can't' is a strong word, seeing as I just did." The younger replied. "Don't be jealous, I'm sure the other will have a great personality."
The brothers shared a laugh, both knowing neither of them were likely to attract anyone at all in their current state.
A township came into view, boasting a smattering of businesses and homes along the widened main thoroughfare. The area was bustling enough that no one paid them any attention; the fine spring day was letting everyone socialize more after the winter's loneliness, and there was much to be done.
Shayn sighed. His great adventure was coming to an end.