�Minrena! Please, come away from the window!� The eldest girl finally turned her head, hearing the call from her sister. Her eyes slowly scanned the room in which they now sat. This room, the main part of their humble cottage, served as living room, kitchen, wash room and bedroom. At this point, there were three small wooden framed beds set up in the room. During the day, these beds were pushed against the far walls and the mattresses removed. The solid bases of the beds were used as tables or storage or counters for cooking. The wall opposite where Minrena was sitting was the hearth. A stone hearth her grandfather lovingly carved diligently with his tools. Her family was an old family in these parts, very well respected. But poorer than church mice. Minrena sighed and shook her head, as she finally turned her black eyes onto the huddling mass of small bodies on the tiniest bed in the room. �I�m perfectly safe here, Shina, why should I move away? The storm is beautiful tonight.� If not strange in it�s own way, she added in her head. Minrena bestowed her small sister a soft smile, then turned to look at the three other faces that watched her carefully. A pang of sorrow and loneliness hit Minrena hard. She wished her mother were here, were alive. But she had been killed just two years before. In a storm much like this one. Minrena remembered that night well, that storm was the start of a series of storms, in which the lightning had slowly changed. The storm her mother died in, the lightning�s colors had changed only slightly, muted, pastel colors, and barely noticeable except for when you watched the streaks come from the ground and hit the clouds. Shaking her head clear of those depressing thoughts, Minrena turned back to her siblings. They were all watching her carefully, trying to see if she�d listen to Shina�s request. The two youngest, small twin boys named Thomant and Tonent, blinked their small red lashes over ice blue eyes, their innocence and fear was written on their faces. Minrena turned her eyes to her other sister, Sivia. She too had soft red hair and ice blue eyes. She was quiet for her age of six. She was a serious child, and knew that the loss of their older brother would bring events that were best left to not be thought of. Serena turned to observe the other girl. Shina. Shina too had red hair, but her eyes were a deeper blue than the others. Shina was an amusing adolescent who took pride in her fair looks and common sense. She too was aware that Tineant�s disappearance or even death would be devastating to their small family and farm. Minrena reflected on her distinct differences from her family. All of them were fair-skinned and eyed. They all had red hair. Minrena�s hair was as dark as sable, her eyes the same, almost like looking into twin pools of tar. But the neighbors didn�t mention her looks, and her family pretended not to notice. They needed her. Minrena was their lifeline. Without her and her skills, they�d be dead. �Minrena, please. Please come away from the window. You remember what happened�� Shina�s voice died as she remembered what happened to their mother. She too had a fascination with these wild storms. She loved to sit by the window and watch the debris getting churned and spun by the winds. She had loved to watch the lightning leap from the ground to the sky, to marvel at the shapes, the brightness of the flashes. Shina and Minrena remembered that all too well. Her mother had just been commenting to them about the odd colors of lightning, how it seemed to have shifted, changed. At that moment a brilliant flash of purple lightning, the brightest they�d see during that storm, jumped up from the floor of their cabin, right under their mother. She hadn�t screamed, she hadn�t made any noise, just disappeared. Into thin air. Just gone. Minrena and Shina had stayed in the bed for a few seconds, just blinking their eyes, not believing what they�d seen. They leaped from the bed, running to the spot where their mother had been sitting, screaming and calling for her. Then they heard it. They weren�t sure if it was in their heads, but they both heard their mother�s voice loud and clear, �Don�t panic, my loves. I am fine where I am. I have gone Home. Calm the other children, tell them that Mother loves them. I love you my children.� The voice faded and Shina and Minrena just stared at each other, wondering if the other heard what she had. The look in their eyes confirmed that they each had. Hurrying back to the others, who had actually been asleep, they hushed them, telling them softly that their mother had died, and that she was safer now.

�Minrena! Please! Come away from the window! You�re frightening me!� Shaken from her memories by Shina�s voice, Minrena smiled and this time obliged her younger sister�s pleas. She moved from the window and walked slowly to the bed where her siblings were all huddled.

��Rena� what if Tine doesn�t�� Thomant started

��Come home?� Tonent finished.

Minrena smiled softly and pulled both boys into her lap, holding them tightly to her. She could feel their ribs through their clothes and a pang of anger filled her mind, a flash of red, almost as brilliant as the lightning streak that had just leaped outside. She forced that feeling aside in order to comfort her brothers. �Shhh� don�t think it, mintos, children, don�t� think it. Tine will be all right. He will come home. I promise you.�

�But what if he doesn�t �Rena! What if Tine goes away like Mima and Pipa? What if we�re all left alone? What�ll we do, �Rena?� This piped up from Sivia who had crawled closer to Minrena�s side, for the warmth and the comfort.

�Tine will be perfectly fine, Shiv. Honestly. He will be. And if he isn�t� we�ll get by. We always have. I don�t plan on letting my family starve. But that�s pointless to think about. Tine will be home. Now hush, little ones, and listen to this Story.� Minrena started to Sing a soft Song, in a tongue that all the children knew, their mother had Sung to them often in that tongue. None of them knew what the language was, or how it was spelled, but the songs were beautiful. They always changed. None were written down, just passed on. Minrena�s soft voice carried through the cottage, strong and full of a gentle pride and confidence she wasn�t sure that she felt. As the song wound to an end, the children, except Shina, were all sleeping, huddled together under the one blanket. Minrena gently slid them off her lap and then covered the three youngest up. She then moved to her bed, and Shina followed behind her. The two of them cuddled up on the one bed that they�d shared for almost six years.

�Oh, Rena� what if the mintos are right? What if Tine doesn�t come back. Do you think we can really take care of us all? You won�t get to University then. Oh, Rena. Tine has to come back. He must! If he doesn�t, we�re all sunk!�

�Shina! I told the mintos not to think about it, why should you? Besides, we both know that Tine is strong. He will be smart enough to find shelter. He will be back. Tomorrow. Morning. Now sleep, minta, sleep.� Minrena laid her sister down on their bed, and covered her sweetly with the blanket.

�Oh, Rena� Sing to me again. Like you used to do before� before everything. Sing to me of Mikala and Minsten.� So Minrena Sang the story of Mikala and Minsten, two of her peoples favorite heroes. She Sang softly to Shina of how Mikala and Minsten overcame great odds to finally be together, the way the goddess had intended them to be. Long before the Song was finished, Shina was asleep. Minrena brushed her sister�s red hair from her face, and watched her sleeping. She seemed so peaceful, Minrena mused, and the minta had no idea what would happen on the next day. But tonight she slept.

Minrena crept softly out of the bed and back to her vigilant spot by the window. The wind had quieted down now, it had started to silence when the twins had closed their eyes. Every now and then, a few odd bursts of lightning would jump upwards, but the light rain had stopped and the winds were now small gusts, not the howling banshees they had been. Minrena sat there most of the night, watching the storm die down, trying to center on its origins. Sighing, she turned her thoughts to subjects that she KNEW she could control. She turned her thoughts to worrying about her brother, Tine. Tine was only two years older than she was, but he�d been caring for their family since their Pipa had died shortly after their mother became pregnant with the twins. Tine had been seventeen at that time, Minrena sixteen. She worried about her brother very much. She loved him more than she did her younger siblings. It was a horrid thought, Minrena realized that, but Tine and her had to carry this family now. They had grown about as close as family could. Besides, Shina was only eleven now, Sivia was only 5, and the twins were just two. Minrena sighed again, taking her eyes off the outside world for just a moment.

Her head spun as there was urgent knocking on the door. Not wanting the children to wake up, Minrena leapt off the stool and ran for the door. �Tine!?!?!� She called out as she yanked it open.

�No, Rena, it�s not Tine. Is he not home?� Minrena blinked several times before her frightened and confused mind could place the voice. Then she let the boy in. As he stepped into the soft light of the cottage, Minrena habitually looked him over. He was gorgeous. Hair as dark as hers, falling to just past his shoulders, several braids appearing within it. His black eyes matched hers perfectly. He stood slightly over her own height of five foot, nine inches. Her eyes roamed his face. His nose. His lips, which she had tasted several times. He was perfect. �Rena, where is Tine? Why isn�t he here?�

Shaken from her observation and daydreaming by Molokai�s deep voice, she smiled tremulously up at him. �Tine�s not here. He left this morning and hasn�t come home yet.� Minrena paused. �Why are you here, Kai? What�s happened?�

�Nothing, cominda, my friend, nothing. I just knew that you were all alone here with the mintos and I wanted to make sure that you were all doing well. The mintos, they are well?�

�Yes. I Sung them to sleep. Even Shina. She wanted to hear Mikala�s Song.� Minrena shook her head sadly, � She is so innocent, Kai. I hate to think of what will happen to her when�� Rena�s words stopped immediately. She didn�t want to think about having to leave her family. Not now. Not when they needed her so badly. �Oh, Kai!� Rena finally broke down and ran to Kai�s arms, crying softly. He held her tightly, let her cry on his shoulders, brushed her hair from her face and just held her.

�Hush, cominda, hush. Come outside, the storm is gone. Come and talk with me, sit with me.� Rena nodded and let Kai lead her outside of the cottage, he sat on the wood pile and pulled her into his lap, cradling her. �Now tell me, Rena. Why did you suddenly lose it? What is wrong that you can not tell me?�

�Oh, Kai. What am I going to do about University? I can�t leave them here alone. But I don�t want to give this up. I can�t let University slip through my hands.� To emphasize this, she lifted her hands from her lap and showed him her hands. Rena spread her long, thin fingers out to show him. She cupped them as she spoke, making motions of trying to catch sand as it slips. �I just can�t. You know how hard I�ve worked for this, Kai. I can�t let it go now, but I can�t leave them behind. What am I going to do?� Rena started to cry again, slipping one arm around Kai�s waist, another lay on his chest, her head buried in his shoulder.

Kai held her tightly, never having felt the things she was making him feel at this moment ever before. He didn�t quite know how to quiet her, but he held her, ran his fingers through her hair and just let her cry on his shoulder. She had done so few times in the past. Out of them both, she was the strongest. Kai couldn�t remember a time when they were children that she hadn�t protected him from the other older boys. He couldn�t remember a time that they weren�t there for each other, hadn�t helped each other out. Now that Rena needed help, Kai wasn�t about to let her down. So he held her there, rocked her throughout her tears. When they had finally quieted, he kept her pressed close to him, liking the way her body felt against his, and how she trusted him so completely.

�Oh, Kai. Why do these storms happen? The wind, the rain, the lightning. I never used to mind them, I used to love them. But now, it�s all just a sad reminder of my life before. Each storm is getting worse, more violent. The lightning is becoming brighter, stronger. Kai� I don�t know what it means, but it means something. I know that it does.� Rena looked up into Kai�s dark eyes, hoping to find an answer for her questions there. But none was forthcoming. Rena sighed and laid her head back on his chest, and just clung to him.

�I don�t know Rena. I honestly don�t know. I wish I could tell you. It is scaring me as well. I see the colors that you see. They�re so vibrant, so strong. I wish I understood. But whatever happens, I am here cominda. I promise you that I will never leave you.� With that Kai kissed the top of her head and they sat like that for what seemed hours, until the sun started rising in the North.

�Kai, shouldn�t you get going? There will be work to be done on your Pipa�s farm. And I should go wake the mintos, we have things to do, wash and cooking and�� Kai cut her off abruptly by kissing her firmly on the lips.

�Hush, Rena, hush. I told my Pipa where I was going, and he told me to stay with you until I was sure that you were going to be fine. Since Tine has not returned, I can�t do that, can I? I know you can handle the mintos by yourself, but you can�t watch them, and tend the small farm here at the same time. Until Tine comes home, I will stay here and help you out.� Kai paused slightly. �If you will allow me to, cominda.�

�Oh, Kai! Do you mean it? You�ll actually stay here and help me? And the mintos with our work?? You and your Pipa are wonderful!� With that, Rena hopped off his lap, pulled his face close and gave him an enthusiastic kiss before running into the house to awaken her siblings. Kai just stared after her and shook his head. He wished that he could understand her better.

The children were thrilled to see Kai when they woke up. They all ran to him and hugged him close, asking if he was going to care for them now. Rena watched with intense amusement as Kai met her eyes with his own, a question in them that she was afraid to answer. Chuckling softly, Rena gathered the children to get them washed and dressed and ready for breakfast. The children scampered out of the house, their single bar of soap in hand, running for the clear water of the small brook near their house. Their laughter could be heard long after they disappeared into the brush. �Kai� what are we going to tell them? How do I explain why you�re here? If they know that, they�ll start to think of Tine again. Of him possibly being dead. Oh Kai, I don�t think��

�Cominda, haven�t I told you that I will stay? No matter what you tell me, or worry.� Kai walked closer to her, holding his arms out, placing his hands on her shoulders. �I will not break that promise, Rena. I�m here for as long as you�ll have me.� I�ll stay forever if you just ask, Kai finished the thought in his head. �I�ll not have you or the mintos hurting or starving. Mine Pipa wouldn�t stand for it, neither would yours. So neither should we. I promise Rena, I�ll not hurt you.� With that, Kai pulled her into his arms, trying to shelter her from the pain of possibly losing another dear one. He wished he could stop all her pain, to keep her safe from harm. Pulling her towards Tine�s bed, he sat down and pulled her to him again, laying her down onto the bed next to him. �You did not sleep last night, cominda, did you? Sleep now, I will help the mintos.�

�Kai, I can�t sleep,� Rena tried to sit up, but Kai held her so that she couldn�t. �Kai, there�s so much to be done around here! I can�t afford sleep! Kai!�

�Hush, Rena. Sleep softly Little One. I will work around with the mintos today. You must rest. Now hush and listen.� With that Kai pushed her back down to the bed and stretched out besides her, propping himself up on his elbow, pulling her close to his body, her back to his chest. He ran his tender fingers through her pitch-black hair, and he Sang. The Song that Kai sang was soft and sweet, a different story of Mikala and Minsten. Rena was asleep very quickly, she hadn�t realized how tired she was. Before she closed her eyes, she heard Kai�s soft Song in her ear, felt his warmth lulling her to sleep. I wish it could always be so, Rena thought as the darkness of sleep descended on her.

Kai slipped from the bed softly, covering her so that she would stay warm. He then walked out of the cottage door in order to meet the children and warn them that Rena was sleeping. The children soon came clamoring up from the brook, laughing and singing as if the storm the night before meant nothing to them. When they saw Kai, however, they grew silent, especially since Rena wasn't with him. �Kai! Where�s Rena??�

�Shhh, Rena�s just sleeping, mintos, just sleeping. That�s all. So be quiet when you go back inside the cottage. Then come back out here and we�ll talk about what we�re doing today, very well?� The children nodded excitedly and sprinted into the cottage as quietly as they could. Kai watched them, wondering to himself just how Rena had managed, how her and Tine had stayed sane in the last few years. The children were adorable, true, but they were so rambunctious, so noisy. He was sure that Rena should have had several white hairs. But even in those thoughts, Kai had to smile. The children had always been respectful when they should have been, and they all seemed to adore Rena. And as far as Kai was concerned, anybody that adored Rena was perfectly fine by him. The children hurried back out of the house, running towards him. The twins reached him first and wrapped their arms around her muscular legs, grinning up at him.

�Kai coming to��

�Stay with us now?�

Kai smiled down at them both and ruffled their hair. �Yes, mintos, I�m here with you until Tine returns. Then I�ll go back to my home.�

�Tine will be back, you don�t need to stay. We can care for ourselves.� This harsh comment was brought forth from Shina. Kai turned his black eyes to her, and quirked a brow. Shina had never objected to his visits before, why would she start now?

�I promise Rena that I would help out, Shina. And that is exactly what I�m going to do. So what is the first thing we have to do today?�

�I said that we don�t need your help Molokai! Go home!� Shina�s face was livid, and if Kai hadn�t seen the tears forming in her eyes, he�d have figured she truly hated him. He hurried the others on to do their work, but held Shina back.

�Shina� what have I done? Why are you so hateful to me?� Kai spoke softly, to let her know that he wasn�t angry with her. �What have I done, Shina?� Kai wasn�t prepared for what happened next. He had expected Shina to run, to pull from his touch and go after her siblings. But instead, she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face. Kai was at a loss for what to do. He just stood there, looking down at Shina.

�I� I�m sorry Kai�. So sorry� but, but� I saw you here, and� I thought you.. were coming to take.. R-Rena away from us� and� that you wanted to� to take Tine�s place.� She burst into harder tears then, curling up on herself. Kai quickly scooped her up in his arms and held her against him, trying to soothe her worries and fears. Odd, he thought, how I am called on to soothe both of them today. Goddess, help me know what to say. Eventually, Shina�s tears ceased, and they were replaced with a look of true shame and embarrassment. �I�m so sorry, Kai. I got your shirt all wet, and I shouldn�t� I�m sorry. I have to go� With that, Shina leaped from his lap, trying to sprint after the others, but Kai held her fast.

�Don�t apologize, minta, I understand completely. Just know that I am here only to help you out, not to hurt you. And definitely not to hurt Rena. Now go get your work done, Little One.� With that he kissed Shina�s forehead and grabbed an ax, preparing to go out and cut more wood for the family. Watching Shina run off after the others to finish her chores, Kai shook his head once again. What was going to happen to this family? What was going to happen to them all if Tine didn�t�? Kai stopped himself abruptly, knowing that thinking bad things often made them happen.