Sisters Three (Completed)

15. Adair

Adair sighed and dangled her fingertips over the armrest of her throne. Little flurries of snow floated to the ground where two wolf pups chased them. Usually this was a favorite past time for Adair, but lately it felt like she'd been doing the same thing thousands of times before. The pups bumped against her legs playfully, but Adair barely noticed them. She was too lost in memories of things she hadn't seen in so long. Books, cards, embroidery... all lost to her once she crossed the border those many years ago.

Tired of the pups already, Adair straightened and curled her fingers to stem the snow flurries. The wolf pups came to a tumbling stop, their heads cocking as they tried to figure out just where their new toy had gotten off to.

"Go on, back to your mothers," she ordered, lounging back into her furs. At her command the pups scampered off, disappearing through one of the doors and taking their happy yipping with them. The hall stood like a hollow place without them. Empty and silent.

Adair loved her kingdom, loved the mountains and snow and treacherous places. She loved that only she and Silver lived there, hidden away from anyone who might want to harm them. Yet, being cut off also brought a few dull moments when she realized that any entertainment had to come from her own mind, no matter how many times she'd done it before. And playing with the animals and building ice sculptures could only keep her interest for so long.

Pushing herself to her feet, Adair strolled down the hall to the door, wrapping her gray fur cloak tighter around her shoulders. She headed for the stairs that lead to Silver's rooms. Normally at this time of day he was busy with the stone bowl, making sure nothing was amiss on the more remote corners of her kingdom. With the scouting party still fresh on memory, he'd been even more vigilant. He barely left his rooms all day, and Adair missed him.

The opaque ice of the door blocked her view of the lookout room, and she politely knocked. She knew Silver didn't mind her just walking in, but when he got in the mood of withdrawing, she always felt better letting him know when she was going to enter his one place of privacy.

It took him a few moments before he appeared in the doorway. She smiled at the sight of his face, a fondness blooming in her heart. Whenever she went a sustained period away from him it felt like getting back something she'd lost when she saw him once again.

His hand still rested on the handle, and Adair reached for it.

She hadn't really been headed into the room, though she assumed he would step back to admit her, but for a strange reason she didn't understand Silver nearly bowled her over as he shut the door firmly behind him.

Adair looked from the door to him and back again, careful not to lose her smile.

"What was that?" she asked.

Silver kept his gaze away from the door and trained on her. His expression was mild, like it normally was. "What do you mean?"

Adair scoffed in disbelief and gestured toward his chest. "You nearly knocked me over barreling at me like that."

"I'm sorry," Silver said. "I hadn't noticed." He shifted so that she had to turn with him to face down the hall and away from his room. "I think I'm just feeling cooped up in there, and wanted to see something new."

Adair sensed it coming. Perhaps it was the faraway look in his eye or the mention of being cooped up, but she knew exactly what he was about to say next.

"Adair, I've been thinking. We've been lacking certain things for years now, like iron and proper clothes and bread and countless other things. With the New Growth festival coming up in a few days down in the villages, I would be able to go into Bask Town and barter without anyone growing suspicious of a stranger. It would be the perfect opportunity to get what we need without drawing attention."