He faced his brother with a stern and expressionless face.  They hadn't seen each other for years now, not since he joined the military and was consumed by the war.  The last time they'd been together they'd been pals, easy-going friends before they even considered themselves brothers.  Now the atmosphere was awkward and he was unsure of what to say to his brother.  They stood in front of each other for a few silent and strained moments before his brother broke the tension.  Patting him on the shoulder over the stripes he earned, he called him pal and offered to buy him a drink.
