No friend as close as your sister

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"