Wanderlust (mxm)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tandar was at the gate, but this time he hadn't been waiting for Tanden's arrival. He was deep in discussion with a guard captain and Tanden hoped he could slip by. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his brother, he just wasn't ready for a spectacle. Tanden nodded at the guards, and moved to step around them.

"Welcome back, Captain Tanden," an unfamiliar voice said.

Tanden nearly shot the young guard a glare. At least he'd used the correct title, he had tried.

"Tanden?" Tandar turned around. "Where have you been? Rael thought you'd be back yesterday, and—"

"You know where I was," Tanden replied vaguely. He kept walking, hoping Tandar's business with the captain would keep him back. Instead, his older brother caught up quickly and walked beside him.

"I suppose I do. What happened to your wrist? I didn't do that in training."

Tanden was torn. Half of him was impressed that Tandar could be so certain that he hadn't caused the injury, but he was a good enough fighter to know that. The other half could have cursed him for noticing. Tanden didn't really want to explain that the bandage was not covering an injury, but a bruise.

"No," Tanden agreed. "It's nothing. I think I leaned on it oddly, that's all."

"You wrapped it because you leaned on it?"

"Leave it alone," Tanden grumbled. Sometimes out at sea he forgot how infuriating older brothers could be.

"Did your Crelan hurt you?"

Tanden froze, and replied sharply. "Firstly, he had a name, and you know what it is."

Tandar crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Name, title, what's the difference? You know who I'm talking about."

"Are you implying that 'your Crelan' is some sort of title? Would you call Roland 'Rael's Crelan'?"

"Plenty of people do." Tandar shrugged. "Aside for calling him Rael, I mean. So, what's your second complaint?"

Tanden was too annoyed to bother figuring out what he meant. "My what?"

"You said firstly. Implying a secondly."

Tanden narrowed his eyes. He'd spoken without thinking, and he didn't like being called out on it. "You are... very frustrating."

Tandar chuckled. "Is that all?"

"Soren would never hurt me, and I don't appreciate the accusation."

"So you are hurt?"

"Leave it alone, all right? It's nothing. Something I did to myself." He'd been the one to pull against the cuff, he couldn't exactly blame Soren for that. His wrist didn't even hurt, he just didn't want to have come up with excuses for why it was bruised. There was no mistaking that it had come from a shackle. "You don't really want to hear details, anyway." He hoped that, at least, would convince Tandar to stop.

Tandar nodded slowly. "I see. So, what brings you up to the castle this morning? I heard from some of the guards that you came in yesterday just to take some food."

"I'm allowed to take food, last time I checked," Tanden replied, still annoyed. But at least Tandar was questioning him about something else. He started walking again. "I need to leave soon," he explained. "My sailors are due back tomorrow, and Soren's working on buying our supplies. We'll probably sail out in a few days."