Springtime meant warm, sunny days and lots of opportunities to explore and have adventures! And there was no one Ember would rather have spent the day on an adventure with than her only litter sister, Clove! So when the adolescent fae got up that morning and found another glorious Austral spring day, the first thing she did was race down the hall to her sister's room and beat on the door until Clove answered. It took pretty much no coercion from her end to get her sister to agree to a day trip, and after breakfast, Ember packed a small bag with some snacks, slung her sword over her back, and waited for Clove in the gardens.

The trek down to the southern territory just beyond the Hallows borders took almost no time, just a little walk up over the hills and there it lay: the sloping ridges of craggy rocks that Ciaran had shown her before! She had been fascinated with the many skeletons and bones of strange animals protruding out of the ground when she'd come here with their big brother, so she could only imagine the awe Clove was going to be in! "Lookit, Clove! See! Didn't I tell you this place had cool things in it?" Ember said with a toothy grin as she carefully maneuvered her way down one of the slopes. "Ciaran brought me here a long time ago to show me all the bones. I think he was trying to spook me, but he's the least scary wolf I can think of. Eh, except for maybe Thorn." Their brothers... oh brother. Hopefully Clove would find this place neat too. She knew how much her sister loved exploring and making new discoveries!

"Sisters"

Having just opened her eyes, Clove was in the middle of stretching out her legs, enjoying the warmth of her perfect, plush bed. And in the middle of her stretch, she nearly jumped out of her skin- the banging at her door taking her by surprise, as she scrambled to sit up and pull the blanket over her chest. Calling out, asking who it was. She expected it to be one of her rowdy brothers playing an early morning trick on her- but when Ember answered, enticing her with a spring day adventure in Auster, a smile spread across her face. Jumping up, opening her door, inviting her sister in while she fixed herself up and got ready for the day. The duo grabbed some snacks, Clove making sure to bring a satchel along for collectibles, and the two of them headed out without another thought.

Meeting in the garden before traveling out of the southern gate, they entered the neighboring territory that bordered the castle. A land of rolling grassy plains, with several ridges and hillsides concealing unknown treasures. Ember told her there were cool bones here, and Clove was so excited to see and investigate them. And so, she stayed close to her sister, following as Ember led her to the first sloping ridge with craggy rocks. Jumping down, she landed in a small dirt clearing- cracked, ivory bones sticking out from the ground, weathered away to perfection. A little gasp left her, eyes widening in awe as she studied the bones. “Yeah, this is so cool!” She exclaimed, looking at her sister with wonderstruck excitement. Tail wagging swiftly behind her, as she moved to circle the bones and look at them closer.

Ciaran had brought Ember here? Truthfully, Clove was a little envious. She hadn’t spent much time with their older siblings- aside from Talyssa anyway. But maybe that was because she and Taly shared a love for the stars and navigating. “Oh, our brothers can sure be a bother.” She’d muse aloud, finding her little rhyming trick amusing and witty. “But that was nice of him to take you out. I haven’t seen our older siblings much, just in passing. Oh, and Thorn likes to keep me up at night, banging stuff around in his room!” She’d huffed, reaching a slender paw towards one of the bones. Caressing it with her paw pad, noting the texture and rigidity of it.

Enough about their bothers- they could rant about their silly antics all day. Clove wanted some girl talk. “Hey Ember,” She’d say. Something had been on her mind lately, and she wondered if her sister had similar feelings. And, Clove felt like she could share anything with her sister, even this. “That boy you hung out with at the ball,” A short pause, before she gained the courage to continue. “Do you like him? I mean, ummm. Do you like any boys?” Akito came to her mind, along with Dorian and Rogue. All handsome young men, who’d treated her nicely and whose company she enjoyed. What did it mean though? And did Ember have these thoughts too?


"Sisters"

Clove's enthusiasm was infectious, and before she realized it was happening, Ember was grinning from ear to ear just from the sheer joy of watching her sister happy and having fun. An airy giggle slipped form the midnight fae as she followed Clove's daring lead down the ridges, leaping from craggy rock face to smooth, weather-worn bones like springboards. Her paws hit the dusty earth, landing right alongside a vertical face of rock that had a skull of something big and ferocious sticking halfway out of it. Ember stared in awe and studied the strange reptilian-like bones, eyeing up those sharp teeth that practically screamed apex predator. How had such big things ever lived in the world like that? And how did they all die off? They were mysteries that likely would never be answered, but it was fun to speculate.

Amidst her exploring, Clove declared their brothers could be a bother, and Em both picked up on her clever alliteration and her truthful humor. A soft snrk as Ember tried to stifle a snarky laugh and failed, shooting Clove a wry smirk. "Well, I guess we can't make fun of them too much, since us girls got all the brains and good looks from Mom and Dad," she joked along with her sister, her braided tail wagging with amusement off her back end. When Clove made mention of not seeing much of their older siblings, Em would purse her lips and give a slow nod. "Yeah, they're all so busy doing their own things, and Talyssa left before I really got to know her... The only one I really got to know is Bramble because we trained together with Dad and I helped her with her ball, but the others... not so much." Watching Clove test the feeling of one of the bones, Ember followed her lead and rested a forepaw on the smooth surface, noting with a bit of surprise how much smoother it was than the surrounding rock. "Oh, and if Thorn's keeping you up at night, maybe he's overdue for a little sister prank to teach him a lesson." The midnight fae shot her slate sister a wicked grin, the gleam in her eyes inviting Clove into a scheme of mischief if she wanted to have a little fun.

As the pair of sisters continued their exploration of the ancient boneyard, Ember was pulled away from examining a nearly full skeleton of... something... when Clove asked her a question that took her a bit off guard. "Hmm? Oh, you mean Erik!" she replied, her tail wagging as she spoke his name aloud. Em looked over at Clove with a broad smile on her muzzle. Ever the bold one, Ember had no apprehension discussing such matters with Clove. Maybe that spoke to the strength of their bond as sisters and littermates more than her own bravado though; Ember felt like she could talk to Clove about anything without worry or judgment. "Of course I like him! He's pretty much my best friend outside of us. We hang out, and-" Ember's words fell off as the realization of what Clove was asking her specifically kicked in, blue eyes blinking wide and mouth forming a small O shape.

"Oh, you mean LIKE like him. I, uh..." Ember's thoughts drifted off to memories of Erik then, reflecting on their adventures and time together. How he made her feel. How she felt in his presence and in his absence. "Yeah... Yeah, I guess I do. I, uh... might've snuck him up to my room last season." A sheepish yet devilish grin spread across the adolescent fae's lips as she looked at Clove with a look that begged her confidence. She still hadn't told anyone she'd snuck another pack wolf into the Hallows. "We didn't do anything! He was going through some stuff and didn't wanna be alone, and I... didn't want him to be alone either." Huh. The more Ember thought about it, the more a warmth began to bloom across her cheeks, a giddy girlish feeling fluttering in her belly. Quick, time to turn the questions on her sister! "What about you, Clovie? Have boys been getting sweet on my sister, and do I need to go threaten them?" The flash of her smile showed she meant it all in jest, but Em was also totally serious. If anyone dared to hurt her sweet sister, they'd better pray their father got to them before she did. She was fiercely protective of Clove.

"Sisters"

Continuing their trek through the boneyard, Clove is captivated by the sheer magnitude of it all. These creatures, they looked so foreign and they were massive; like they came from an entirely different time. A different world. If they were alive, they’d tower over her, maybe even make her their lunch if they could catch her! The thought was a little scary, so she was glad they were looking at a pile of bones. She couldn’t imagine what these creatures would have been like alive. 

Ember had a knack for making Clove laugh- she giggled at her comment about getting all the brains and beauty. To be comical, Clove used her paws to puff up the fur around her neck, like she was preparing herself to catwalk down a runway. “Got the brains and the beauty!” She teases, giggling and following after her sister, stopping to inspect new piles of bones along the way. “Everyone is trying to find their way, I think.” She says, musing aloud. “Mom and Dad give us lots of freedom to discover what we love. It just… gets lonely sometimes.” Her voice trails off, and she knows Ember can relate. That’s why they made sure to always have each other's backs, through thick and thin. Clove would always support her littermate sister. 

A sly smile curls her lips at the mention of playing a trick on their brother. “Let’s come up with a plan on our way home!” Teaching Thorn a harmless lesson sounded like fun. Maybe they could put a stinky plant in his room. Or ding-dong ditch him in the middle of the night. Both sounded like a good plan for the mischievous sisters, but maybe Ember would suggest something better.

They arrived at the beginning of an odd skeleton, both stopping to inspect it when Clove popped the question about boys. Ember was quick to reply, perhaps taken off guard at first. Clove didn’t seem the type to be fantasizing about boys- she appeared innocent and naive on the outside. But she was deeper than she let on. “Oh! So his name is Eeeeerrrrriiiikkkkk,” Another giggle, as she exaggerates his name, being playful in her teasing. She thought she was going to shock her sister with news of meeting three boys. But what Ember said, made her little jaw drop.

“EMBER!” She shrieks, whipping around to face her sister. She sits in her rump, raising her paws and trying to grab her larger sister’s shoulders. “You took a boy to your room!?” She’s shocked. Flabbergasted. Completely taken by surprise. And she wants all the details. “What did he say? Did he sit on your bed? Did he go through your stuff? OHHHH,” Suddenly, her opened mouth curls into a sly smirk.“He didn’t try to pull a move on you, did he?” Yeah, she said they didn’t do anything. But that didn’t mean he didn’t try to kiss her or something, and she rejected him! Details, she needed details!

But Ember was quick to spin the question on her. And given Ember had been so open and honest with her, she wouldn't hold back either. “Welllll,” She begins, trying to pique her sister's curiosity. “I met a boy on the bifrost. He was so handsome, like a midnight sky. Tall and muscular, with an amazing smile. Super charming too- a prince even!” She remembered her day on the beach with Rogue, looking for pearls. “And then, I met a boy from Enthe when I went with Dad to visit their alpha.” Dorian had been such a sweet guy. “He showed me around the pack, and was very gentlemanly. His green eyes were to die for! And he was so sweet... he tends to a garden in memory of his Father. I invited him to come see our greenhouse!” But her favorite by far was- “But the boy I really like,” Another pause for anticipation. “When I met him, he was exploring the grapevine cathedral, just like me. He lives in Tojo-Kai. Tall, dark, and handsome. He looks like the Milky Way shared some of its stars with him. And he's got these cute little horns!” Another pause. “He came to Bramble's ball, but I never saw him. So I went to visit him in Tojo. Did you know they don’t let outsiders in their lands?” Sure, it was a pack and all. But their kingdom was receptive to friendly loners, so it was odd to Clove that Tojo was so solitary. “But he snuck me in! And he danced with me beneath the bamboo, spun me around, and then walked me home.” Her cheeks lit up with warmth, a soft sigh escaping her as she relived the moment in her head. It was such a sweet memory, one she would remember forever. Her first real teenage crush. "I...." Her voice trails off, thinking about what Ember said about Erik. "I want him to come visit me next time. I told him about the castle, and all the amazing things we have. But he hasn't done it yet." How was she supposed to convince Akito to come see her? Maybe Ember had an idea. 

"Sisters"

The sound of Clove's airy giggles brought a triumphant smile to Ember's face. She loved making her sister laugh. Ember was a huge family-oriented wolf and she loved all of their giant family dearly, but the relationship she had with Clove was special. They were sisters; the only two girls of their litter. They had a special bond that nothing could break! Em was sure Clove would be her closest friend and sibling for all their lives. She giggled when Clove puffed out her chest and rightfully boasted about getting all the brains and the beauty. That was for sure, even if her charade was hilarious in its own right!

The mood shifted slightly as Clove made a comment about their parents giving them so much leeway to pursue their passions and their own paths that sometimes it felt overwhelming and lonely. Ember's ears flicked back, her expression deflating somewhat. Yeah, she could relate to that... "I know what you mean. Sometimes I wonder if I'm on the right path, or if there even is a 'right path' for us that Mom and Dad are, like, secretly hoping we take, you know?" There was a beat of silence before Ember added on, "Sometimes I wonder if that's why Taly left our family..." Family was so important to them all, Ember and Clove especially, so Talyssa's departure had really struck a nerve in the younger girl's heart.

Thankfully, Clove was quick to pivot the mood back to pulling a prank on their brother, and Ember was all smiles once again. Her blue eyes flashed with mischief considering all the possibilities at their disposal. "Yeah! Like... maybe we could move some stuff around his room when he's not there or put it in different places and make him think his room is haunted!" The thought of Thorn going back to his room at the end of the day and seeing things randomly moved about brought a giggle to the Carpathian girl. Gods, she'd love to see the look on his face! Ember hadn't hesitated to respond to Clove with Erik's name, but as soon as Clove began her teasing banter, suddenly she wished she hadn't been so quick on the reply. Em's cheeks burned hot as her sister drew out his name in exaggeration, the adolescent fae puffing up her cheeks as she glared at her littler sister.

But if that had been bad, Ember was wholly unprepared for the shock on Clove's face when she revealed where she had taken Erik. Clove was on her in a blink, her dainty paws around her shoulders and her wide-eyed face right up in hers. Ember blinked, eyes wide with surprise. Clove was much more of the romantic girly type than she expected—certainly more than she was herself! "Whoa, hey hey! It wasn't like that! He-" Ember was cut off as Clove gasped and asked if he made a move on her. Again Em's face went hot, leaving the girl sputtering while she tried to catch up to her enthusiastic sister. "NO! No, he didn't do anything like that! He was just... having a hard time in Tojo-kai and he snuck over to see me. I would've gone down to see him, but it was raining and the wet weather messes with his throat, so I... kinda... sorta... maybe snuck him past the Knights and up to my room to dry off and hang out." Ember raised her paws in mock testimony, swearing to the truth and nothing but the truth. "He sat on my rug in front of the fire and dried off while I groomed my tail, he looked around my room, and then he laid on my bed with me, but he didn't try to put any moves on me or anything! He stayed until the rain passed, then just went home." There was a touch of disappointment in her voice when she emphasized how he had put no moves on her that night. Ember hesitated with adding on that was the last time she had seen Erik. He'd been gone for a while, probably just overly busy in Tojo-kai. At least that's what she told herself...

But for all the surprise she hit her sister with when it came to Erik, Clove returned the favor sevenfold when she began to list off all the boys she had been interacting with! Now it was Ember's turn to look wide-eyed at her sweet innocent sister with shock. Three boys! And she'd had no idea! Did their father know about them cavorting around with the young brutes of Auster she wondered? "Well well well, sounds like my sister is quite the popular lady! Better warn those boys you've got a lot of bigger brothers and a protective sister looking after you, so they'd better play nice," teased Ember with a grin and a wink. "So this boy you reeeeally like—the Tojo-kai one—he sounds really romantic! You want him to come visit the castle, huh?" It sounded fair; he had snuck Clove into their secret bamboo forest, and Ember had snuck Erik into the castle, so Clove could do the same, right? Maybe the two sisters could help each other out. "Maybe he hasn't come over yet because he's nervous? We could invite Erik over too, so that way he doesn't feel like he's coming here alone." Plus then maybe it would get Erik back over so she could hang out with him some more too while Clove and her prospective boyfriend enjoyed some time to themselves.

"Sisters" | "Carpathian"