Rosewater had sparred with his brother Felfrond often, particularly in their youth. Before the coming of Wigbrant and Murchad the pair had been unique in their bond. The otter standing for light, spring and renewal. His stoat brother standing for shadow, autumn and decay. Seeing them duel was more akin to witnessing a duet. With it being difficult to tell if light moved shadow or vice versa. Though their battles could get quite animated, never did they battle with the intention of inflicting serious harm upon one another. They certainly had their disagreements. Felfrond often chided him for being soft, while he scolded Felfrond on being unnecessarily harsh. But in the end their bond would always win out over such differences.

But never had anything tested that bond to such a degree as the day when the stoat approached him to take responsibility for his wrongdoing...

When their father had brought two new members into their family, Rosewater had also been skeptical of his adopted brothers in his own way. He tried to be friendly with them. And certainly, that approach seemed to find success with the badger! Not the selkie though... true to his season, he'd given Rosewater nothing but the cold shoulder. Things had seemed at least somewhat promising though. That was until Felfrond himself came to him in private and divulged to him the things that Wigbrant had been saying behind his back. It had taken him completely off-guard, forcing him to consider if he had misjudged the badger completely. He could scarcely believe what he'd heard! Yet, why would he have reason to distrust the brother he knew cared for him so? It wouldn't be the first time that Felfrond, acting unseen from the shadows, had secretly watched over him and protected him from threats he couldn't see coming. His dark twin showed his love in strange ways sometimes.

Yet Felfrond himself admitted to his deception. Wigbrant's character had been slandered and his reputation ruined entirely undeservedly. Rosewater should have trusted his instincts, looked into it for himself and been less quick to accept it. He ought to have been there to stand up for his adopted brother when he needed the support most. But he had trusted Felfrond instead. Now that the manipulation had been revealed, it stung all the more deeply for how close they'd always been. He hadn't even known what to say to his brother in response. On instinct, he'd drawn his rapier, prompting the stoat to brandish his falchion. Then the pair of them had duelled. This was not their usual duet, a playful dance of light and shadow interwoven- no, this battle was fast and frenetic, for the first time leaving both of them blooded.

More than anything, the battle was a crescendo. A final sendoff. Neither knew if they would ever spar again on good terms. When it was concluded, Felfrond slipped back into the shadows to lick his wounds... and Rosewater did not call after him or try to follow. He couldn't ever remember being as wounded and angry as he felt in that moment.

After he'd calmed down, he sought out Wigbrant. Reuniting with the badger and formally apologizing for not rallying behind him, confessing that he had been misled. He did not divulge that it had been Felfrond who deceived him though. For all his hurt and fury, he didn't have it in him to sell out his brother for the sake of absolving himself. To his astonishment, the badger accepted his apology and welcomed him back with open arms without so much as a single outburst. Confirming before his very eyes that everything scandalous said about Wigbrant and his character had been false. With that barrier between them removed, the scions of Spring and Summer quickly began to form a bond of true friendship.

However even that bond couldn't replace the one with Felfrond that it felt as though he'd now lost. Nothing could. He did not know where his dark twin had fled to, nor when they would meet again. In all liklihood things between them would never be the same.

*****

A brother gained, a brother lost.

Another wonderful sketch in this series courtesy of the fantastic cbh !