2026 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 27

For today's prompt, write about waking up.

(Note: If your story gets flagged for review, be patient—we will be releasing comments every few hours throughout the weekdays of this challenge. Our system randomly flags comments for review, so just sit tight and wait for us to set it free! If you run into any other issues with posting your story, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.)

Beginning Brotherhood

He came to with a gasp that quickly choked him. As he floundered, a pair of hands came to rest gently on his collarbone, trying to settle him.

“You’re alright,” a deep, sweet voice soothed. “Just you and me here.”

Aiden sucked in a few shallow breaths before the tension in his body cut, dropping him back against something warm and soft. He tilted his head and saw that it was a fur.

“Who…?”

“Ah! Yes. I’m Oleander! Fished you out of the river. You had a, ah, crossbow bolt, just there.”

Oleander took Aiden’s wrist gently and moved his hand up to his shoulder. Aiden could feel the burning of the packed wound, the stiffness of the bandages. Aiden grunted and blinked a few times.

The world was opening to his senses. To his left, a fire, small but throwing off significant heat. Around them, the hush of trees brushing against each other, the winking of stars in the dark sky. Aiden took a few slow, careful breaths.

“A few more big wounds down your other thigh. Maybe a broken ankle? Those are healing up nicely already.”

Aiden turned and fully looked at the man who saved his life. He was clean, for someone out on the road, bright, gleaming eyes in a boyish face. He had wild dark hair that curled around his ears, across his forehead. He gave Aiden a bright grin.

“Know a bit about healing, do you?”

“Just a bit. I traveled with one of your brothers for a while.”

Aiden grunted out something that could be a laugh. “Sweet Ansha herself. Soren’s your Wolf.”

There was a pause and then Oleander started laughing, loud and melodic.

“No one’s put it quite like that before,” Oleander said when his mirth died away.

Aiden hummed. “I expect that those people don’t have a Wolf to themselves.”

“Fair enough.”

Aiden tilts his face so that he can watch Oleander move away, tend to the fire, bring a waterskin over to him. He murmured something about not choking and then helped tilt Aiden’s face so he could take some sips.

When he settled back down, gingerly breathing through the ache of sitting up even that small amount, Aiden turned his face to the stars.

“What now, friendly traveler?”

Oleander hummed. “I was thinking, once you’re healed enough, we could head south. Anarey is lovely this time of year, don’t you think?”

Aiden grinned. “Want to stay with me? Another Hunter for your songs?”

Oleander’s boisterous laugh came again.

“I think we will have an interesting season together,” Aiden said. Then, after a small pause, “Little brother.”