Sisters Three (Completed)

25. Adair (1/2)

Silver strode into the throne room without a word, bringing a chill breeze with him. His expression was sour, and his curls stuck out at random angles which normally indicated that he hadn't slept in at least a day. He flopped down on the edge of Adair's throne, staring hard at the fox kits she was idly playing with on the armrest. She gave him a sidelong glance and sighed.

"What has you in such a joyful mood, darling?" she asked, lazily lifting a hand to stroke the back of his neck. He ducked out of her reach, getting back to his feet and pacing in front of her.

"There have been more scouts," he said, clenching and unclenching his fist. "I don't understand why they keep trying to cross the border. You took care of the first batch, and the last three attempts have ended with them being turned back by the natural danger of the mountains. Yet they won't give up!"

Adair stilled. "More? That's impossible. No one ventures back here more than once."

"They have. Multiple times. Every time they're knocked down, they just return with more force. It's as if they have some mission. It's not merely to explore, this is something more."

"Well, we need to stop them," Adair stated. She lifted the fox kits off her throne and shooed them on their way.

"You can send another snow storm, but they won't be deterred. We need to cut them off. Make sure that they simply can't keep coming back."

"How do we do that?" Adair asked. Silver was so good at coming up with plans, and sometimes she deterred to him in that area. He easily assumed the role of her advisor, though he knew better than to think she took his advice as law.

"Coming from the villages that they are, you need only block the pass. Without it, they'd be forced to go around the mountains, and that would take them months. They are relentless, but I don't think their drive would carry them that far."

Adair sighed heavily. Sledging out to the border to use up a good deal of her energy shifting the snow was not something she relished doing. It needed to be done soon, as well, before more scouts decided to see if their luck was better than their predecessors'. It meant calling the reindeer and building the sled and making sure all the animals in the castle were properly fed and watered before they made the journey. It was already nearing mid-day, and they'd have to spend the night out by the border. But the alternative—leaving the pass open for their eventual invasion—was not an option.

"Pack some food and blankets," she said.

Silver dashed off to fulfill her orders while she went to dress in warmer clothing.

Her bedroom was located on the second story, but surprisingly small compared to the grandeur of all the other rooms she'd built. It was long and narrow, with her bed made of an ice support and piled high with furs. A window looked out over the front of the castle, flanked by two ice gargoyles and positioned to catch as much of the sunlight as possible.

Adair walked to her frozen wardrobe and pulled out a heavy gown made from a wolf pelt. She'd spent years figuring out how to make an ice loom, but finally a prototype was able to make a length of cloth that stayed together when tugged on. She'd made them both clothing to replace the ragged and out-grown things they'd arrived in.