[locked and backdated] and all my bridges burned

[branbach]

Not for the first time in his life, Bran woke up to the fading sound of music--delicate and silvery, insistent, beckoning, filled and filling with profound, sorrowful longing.  The first time he remembered hearing it he was twelve, standing on top of a mountain with Will and the Drews, and had felt, inexplicably, as if something very important had

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[llewych_will]

At first, Will was simply busy with life on the island...then, he was busy coping with his own loss. The days had slipped by and he hadn't seen Bran, hadn't really had the energy to seek him out, either.

But now the island, or fate, or maybe The Lady intervenes, and as Will is walking he hears a familiar cry and the thunk of a sword hitting wood. He frowns and changes direction, heading in the direction he thinks Bran's cry came from. And sure enough, he finds his best friend, curled up and quite heartbroken.

Without a word, Will sinks to his knees at Bran's side and rubs his back gently.

[branbach]

Bran collapses against Will, burying his face in his shoulder, forcing back a sudden, intense stab of shame that he hasn't seen Will, hadn't gone to find him first, has no idea what's going on with him. But Bran has only energy enough for one hurt at a time, and this one will have to wait for the other to ease.

[llewych_will]

Will gathers him close, hugging him tightly and rubbing his back. He wants to ask what's wrong, but it seems almost wrong to speak, just now, so he doesn't. He just holds him and lets him cry, for a minute.

[branbach]

Bran catches a ragged, miserable breath and straightens, dragging an arm across his eyes. "I do not know if you have very good timing," he says unhappily, "or very bad."

[jake_of_newyork]

Jake came upon Bran...crying, and tried to assess the situation at hand. Mayhap his sword was stuck and it had hurt Bran's arm, or. Well, Jake didn't know, so he did the one thing he could do and pulled the sword from the tree. "Look, it's alright," he said quietly, offering the other boy his sword back.

[branbach]

Bran looks up, surprise and hurt and disbelief and embarrasement and something utterly unnameable all flashing across his face at once. He drags an arm across his eyes, blinking, and reaches for the sword.

"You keep showing up," he says unhappily, "just when I need you. It must be a talent."

[jake_of_newyork]

"Oh, aye, they teach us that in gunslinger school," Jake teased lightly, hoping for some sign of a smile. He leaned against the tree the sword had just been in. "What's the matter?"

[branbach]

"I'm afraid there are no dinosaurs this time." It isn't a smile, not really, but for Jake, Bran tries. "And I think the tree will think twice before trying anything." His eyes are red, still, his pale cheeks blotchy from crying. "It is the disappearing...the way people can just vanish, and you did not have a chance to say good-bye, or any warning at all. You just wake up and something is missing, and you will never get it back."

[abbysciuto]

Abby hadn't been going anywhere in particular. She was really just searching for more mint since she was using up her available supplies fairly quickly.

When she saw Bran collapse to the ground, she immediately went over and dropped down next to him and gathered him into her arms.

[branbach]

It's not the first time Bran's cried on Abby since he came to the island, just the first time he wasn't stuck in a child's body. He curls against her, sniffling in her shoulder.

[abbysciuto]

Abby murmurs those soothing nothings that people tend to say when someone they care about is crying. No one ever really knows what they say, but it sometimes helps.

[branbach]

Bran lifts his head, sniffling still, and drags an arm across his eyes. "I am not strong enough for this," he whispers miserably.