Waves Past

A cool ocean spray hit Veli's face as the waves crashed ashore. The whole ocean stood before him, the crisp cool waves dancing together so beautifully. Veli watched them as they danced. He followed each wave and watched how they swirled and sunk, this, this was familiar. The water was just as it was that day, when everything was still normal.
"Veli! Veli! come on it's time!" Circi practically squealed
"Aw man, time for what?" Veli asked getting out from bed and pushing his hair back.
"Dad is finally gonna show us!" she said
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah he said we are old enough now!"
Veli pushed his furs back onto the bed and followed his sister into the main hall. There father was already dressed and standing to meet them infront of the door. 
"Are you ready children? their father asked
"Hell yeah we are!" they both said
"What have your mother and I told you about that kind of talk?!"
"Sorry" the both said at the same time
Their father lead them outside and out of the town walls, and then to the river behind the town. "This, this is where we start." He said firmly
"What's first dad? Are you going to show us how to create a hurricane, or, or maybe how to make ice?" Circi squealed fidgeting around
"We start, with meditation."
"Aw dad really?" Veli moaned
"Quite you two, come and sit infront of the river, good, good now cross your legs, find a position that is comfortable. Now close your eyes."
"Should we do something? or think something?" Veli asked
"Think of nothing, hear the water, see it without seeing it. Feel its presence, its life."
"Then what?" Circi asked
"You will see, connect with the water, I'll come back at the end of the day and see how you are doing."
Veli and Circi sat there for the whole day, everyday for the next 3 and a half months they sat at the river each day. One day as the sun began to sleep behind the trees their father came back to grab them, when he saw it. In front of Veli the water in the river had stopped flowing. It wasn't much but the water infront of Veli was standing still with the rest of the water flowing around it.
A snowball crashed into Veli's cheek. "Shit, sorry dad" Uhtred said . "You should be." Veli said turning around "your aim is terrible." He scooped up snow from the ground and hurled it into Uhtred's face.
 Uhtred brushed the snow off, "Get him guys!" he yelled.
 Bjorn and Lydia joined with Uhtred and started throwing all the snow they could. The hero tried to dodge but he was no match for the young warriors. He shot his hands out and the snow balls stopped in the air. He brought his arms back, stepped forward and put his arms back out resending the snowballs.
 "Hey that's cheating!" Lydia exclaimed
"There is no such thing as a fair fight" Veli chuckled "Now do you still have your boats?"
 The children reached into their bags and pulled out small model ships designed to look like dragons. Veli grabbed one of his own and joined his children on the shoreline. They crouched down and placed the dragon boats into the water, Veli flicked his wrist and the boats began to sail off into the vast blue.
 "Hey dad?" Bjorn asked.
"Hmm?"
"You know you have never really talked about it, how exactly did it happen?" Bjorn asked ignoring the intense looks his brother and sister shot at him.
"Well," Veli started, his eyes growing empty and cold. "When I was Uhtred's age my sister, your aunt did something your grandfather couldn't forgive, so he banished her  from our home.
"He just got rid of his own daughter?" Lydia asked "Did you try to stop it?"
"I, well I did, but it was complicated. After my sister was banished our father named me next in line and that cut her deeply."
"But you were twins, neither one of you had more claim than the other?" Uhtred said now joining the conversation
Veli grabbed Uhtred shoulder, "True, but she had devoted her years as an ethling, learning how to run the town. Meanwhile I just wanted to fight and adventure, to see the word. So she built an army and than she attacked our home, and, she, killed your grandfather."
 The tone grew quite and no one made eye contact, they just watched the ships sail farther and farther. "I'm sorry dad I.."
"It is fine." Veli interrupted, he twirled his finger and played with the water. "Lets, head home. It is Essus's turn to make supper."
 The children rolled their eyes and looked frightened at the thought of the serpent's cooking.
The family picked up their bags and made their way home to Alton. As they made their way up the hill and into town the sun was beginning to set, it looked as though the sun was kissing the ocean. When he opened the weathered wooden door into his house Veli found Essus standing over the fire, stirring something in a pot. 
"Please tell me you haven't added any of your weird mushrooms this time." Veli said sitting down on the bench in front of the fire. "It took the kids hours to come out of that trance.
"They shouldn't have messed with my sword, they know how dangerous it is." Essus said still stirring
Veli slumped over, threw a log onto the fire and watched the embers soar up.
"Today is the anniversary isn't it? That's were you took your kids."
Veli nodded "The way Bjorn and Lydia screw around, it reminds me of Circi and me"
"Your not your father Veli, you don't know how your kids will turn out."
"Brida and I had hoped they would grown up in Greenhaven. We really thought that was possible, she always had a high belief in me. Now I don't know if they will see it within my lifetime." Veli said as he added another log.
 Essus stepped back to avoid the embers and kept stirring. "They will, and so will you my friend" Essus said dabbing the spoon the the side of the pot. I promised you that and I still promise it to you. Go and fetch the mongrels, dinner is ready."
 Snow began to fall from the now dark sky and Uhtred and Lydia dropped the sticks they were fencing with and joined everyone inside the longhouse. The gentle silent snow covered the roof and stiffened the ground as the Dragon family ate their supper, keeping themselves warm with furs and laughter.