A Wolf of Ice and Iron [OLD]

Chapter 15

Adras

Be brave.

Those two words, those final words. I can remember them clear as day. What he looked like when he said them, how quickly he started crying, how long it took for me to understand why.

|~~~|

Morel laughs softly and drags me through the various white, frost-dusted roses that are somehow not dead from the chill. I have a blanket wrapped around me, which Morel somehow found from god-knows-where. Regardless of the strange circumstances it ended up here, I am very grateful for it in the chill.

"Do you like it? It's so beautiful." He spins around and touches one of the frosty flowers beside me. The ice falls from it in a spattering of icicles. "I love it out here. It's cold, sure, but... it's lovely."

I smile, touching one of the flowers as well. "Of course... I get what you mean. I too love flowers."

Morel seems satisfied with my words and smiles brightly. Still, his smile is radiant, the opposite of what I got used to with Winter. Faeries are radiant in the way that they give you strange feelings, feelings I was unaware I was capable of mustering. Morel and Winter both. But somehow... although those feelings are similar, they are different.

"Showing him around the garden? Did he not wish to remain in his room?"

Morel spins around, and I turn to follow his gaze. There stands Winter, in his brilliant glory and radiant icy glow. His amber eyes are harsh and a contrast to the chilly white surroundings, and they send shivers up my spine.

"Oh- no, I just wanted to show him some of the garden before he disappeared," Morel says. I sense a tense energy to him now. I look at him, but he does not look back at me. His eyes are all for Winter. All for my faerie.

Winter walks closer, and Morel visibly stiffens up. His shoulders square and his throats tightens, and his breathing sounds a bit more difficult. Winter doesn't show that he notices, but I know he has. I can see it in the shift of his eyes, the lingering gazes on all things tight in Morel's exterior. "Thank you for showing him around, Morel. I'll take it from here."

"But, I-" Morel protests, then breaks off as Winter throws him an icy but still burning glance. He nods, and he stares at the icy faerie before him for a few seconds. Then leaves, and he doesn't look at me.

But he does stop at the marble steps to look back at Winter. Just once.

"Did you enjoy his company?" Winter asks me. The question is forced, I can tell. He doesn't wish to linger on the subject. But that's alright, because I don't want to irritate him unnecessarily.

"I did," I say, brushing my fingers along another icy rose petal. "He's happy. Cheerful. It's a welcome relief from living with a family that was rarely so warm."

Although it hurts to talk about them, I know I need to. So I don't let the hurt build up inside of me, fester, grow bad, and create feelings I could have dealt with earlier. So I can talk about it for now, letting my tight chest slowly ease with each mention. I will miss them, but I will not miss how I lived with them.

"I suppose he is." Winter's voice is short, cutting, harsh. As always. But when I look at his eyes, they are harsh too - as expected - but they are also pained. Hurting. Winter feels upset, hurt, painful, from whatever I have said. Or perhaps it is what he said.

I choose not to mention it. Winter and I aren't that close, and I'm not going to go poking my nose into business that is not mine to deal with. Faerie business. I don't know anything about that, anyway, and I would never pretend to. But I do wish I knew enough to help solve Winter's pain. All I can do now is distract him.

"Thank you for the room," I say with a cheerful smile. "It's beautiful. And... well, I didn't expect such nice residence." This is true. I didn't think about it during our short trip here, or when I made my impulsive decision to leave Tahthian.

Winter smiles a little at that. Without teeth, but a smile nonetheless. "I'm glad you like it. I was unsure which room you would prefer."

I smile in response. "It's perfect, thank you."

We walk among the garden for some time, until Winter turns to me. "Adras. I must... I must speak with you."

I frown. "Of course."

Winter runs his hands across the petals of frost covered white roses. His just as milky fingers brush them gently, and the frost scatters the snowy ground. His feet are bare, I suddenly notice, which I hadn't realised before. Bare despite the dark blue clothes he wears, clothes that look that they are designed for warmth.

"It is different here to your home," he says, his voice gentle but with its usual harsh, prickly edge. "There are things you'll need help with. Things you need to be careful of. You aren't in danger, but... you will need help. And I've chosen Morel to help you, specifically."

His eyes are clouded as he says this, and then swallows. "I am... I am sorry, Adras. Forgive me. Sometimes it is difficult..." he frowns, shaking his head and retracting his hand from the petals. A few of them fall, and he steps on them.

"Difficult?" I repeat, moving a hand to comfort, but retract it. We aren't exactly on an... incredibly comforting basis. I don't know how Winter would take to me touching his shoulder. "Do you mean Morel?"

Winter's expression confirms my suspicions. He huffs, a wolf-like sound that is almost funny when he is in a form that is so clearly not a canine. "Yes. It is difficult for me to talk about Morel."

His words are laced with bitter harshness, and I nearly flinch back from the tone in his voice. I nod gently. "That's alright. I won't pry."

"I know you won't." Winter smiles a little at me, tilting his head. "Morel can tell you why. I will not be the one to do so. But; trust me when I say this, Adras."

He leans closer, his breath tickling my face. It makes the hair along my whole body stand up and my stomach do flips. His breath smells faintly of cherry blossoms and sandalwood. Every time I am close enough to smell it, it is different. But it always has the faint tone of wolf fur.

"Do not bring him to me."