<7> The mage's eyes had nearly closed as a soft click met her ears, followed by the hulking form of her returning brother. A pair of leggings once more granted him a semblance of modesty, and in one hand was a small plate with a slice of bread and a small capsule of ground up herbs on it. The other hand grasped a tall glass of cold water. "Eat and drink," he instructed her gently as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Then you can sleep." Vinnia's movements were more sluggish as she obediently swallowed the pill, munched half the bread, and was able to get down a few swallows of water before she collapsed back on the bed. Her glowing eyes slowly closed as sleep uncontrollably overtook her. Artaan's struggle not to stare brought more warmth to his cheeks and tension within his underpants. It took all his might to gently roll Vinnia back onto her side in the recovery position and just plop himself down on the floor next to her bed. It took a great deal of control to tear his eyes from her naked body, though he never once stopped listening to ensure her breathing remained even. A flood of unusual emotions ran through him as he finally had a quiet moment to contemplate the evening, his relationship with Vinnia, and likely the trauma she underwent. His heart ached for her, and part of him felt he'd failed her for simply letting her walk into the unsafe scenario, but at the same time he was thankful that he'd been able to save her from a worse fate when he did. As far as he was concerned, he would make sure their father never knew... at least as long as Vinnia would hopefully shore her life up a little bit. Still, another thought seemed to contradict the last one. It had been a while since he'd really opened up to Vinnia, and vice-versa, but their odd little encounter had created a pleasant warmth within him toward his sister. He felt they were kindred spirits in a way, even if they didn't handle certain circumstances the same. Their ages were not so far off -had he met an attractive female her age, he wouldn't have hesitated to invite her to get to know him- but it still boiled down to the fact that she was his own, younger sister. Even with that thought in mind, looking back at her naked, sleeping form sent excited quivers through his muscular body. He couldn't deny that she had grown into a beautiful woman. A full hour passed before Artaan felt his eyes grow heavy, and he found himself quite thankful that Vinnia seemed to remain stable. As quietly as he could he rose from his spot... but had to freeze as he felt a force hold him in place. Vinnia's hand had laced itself into his long hair in her sleep, and it took him a few careful moments to work her grasp away from him. He lingered for another long moment to ensure she did not wake, and once satisfied he quietly slipped out of her room to head for his own. To his own surprise, he couldn't wipe a small smile from his face. * * * * * The next morning came all too quickly, and despite his late night, Artaan had risen from his bed early, much as he always had. After getting dressed, the burly draenei stepped out into the hall to head downstairs, but stopped as he looked in the opposite direction at his younger sister's door. Curiosity got the best of him, and gently he tapped on her door and pushed it open to peer inside. Vinnia's form still rose and fell in her deep sleep, and all he could see was the bottom half of her still-naked rump, along with the rest of her slender legs. A sigh of relief escaped him as he closed her door again and went down to make himself breakfast. There was no point in making any for sleeping Vinnia, and his father tended not to eat so early, so he was happy with his own plate of eggs and tallstrider meat. No sooner did he begin to tuck in, however, did their mail slot clink with the morning's post. However, as Artaan approached the slot, their morning newspaper was accompanied by a single, additional envelope. Some time later, Oronir came thumping down the stairs in a groggy haze. "Morning," he gruffly remarked as he passed his son to get a cup of coffee, hardly even bothering to look at him. "Sleep alright?" Artaan swallowed hard, his face having lost its color whether his father noticed or not. "Fine," he stated simply. His meal was only half gone, but he seemed not to care as he got up from his seat and headed for the front door to go outside, a single piece of paper crumpled up in one hand. Oronir didn't question his son, and with a shrug he picked up his newspaper and began to read. * * * * * A shivering, still naked Vinnia's eyes finally opened as the morning sun rose even higher above the horizon. The feeling of her bed felt oddly foreign to her, and it took her a few moments for her brain to reboot and recall the memories from the night before. All of it came rushing back quite quickly, actually, and to her surprise she was without any sort of hangover or headache. Memories of her brother's glowing eyes looking down upon her, coupled with his little bread-and-herb remedy, became exceptionally vivid. A strong urge to seek him out overpowered just about any other thought she had, and as quick as she could the draenei pulled on a loose nightshirt and shorts before she barged out of her room. Vinnia immediately poked her head through Artaan's wide open door, but his room was devoid of her brother's presence.