Bear

      Ashe watched as her mother worked in the house at her desk, the quill in her hands swaying and twirling as the tip scratched its mark onto the paper.  Accompanying it was the crackle and pop of the fire place.  The fire cast its warm glow on the room, causing strange shadows to dance while making all that basked in its light all the more beautiful and welcoming as snow fell to the ground outside.  The red of her mother’s unrestrained hair became more vibrant in the light, and her features more soft.  She sighed as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her left hand still writing, though slowing.  And then she stopped writing and raised the quill to her chin, her eyes distant as she seemed to stare into the great infinity as though she were trying to discern its origins as she nibbled on her lower lip.  Ashe couldn’t help but feel antsy as she watched her.  The tension was in the air, asking the unspoken question for them, punctuating the silence with the tick of each second of the clock that hung above the mantel.

Where?  Where?  Where?  The clock asked with each swing of the silver pendulum.

“Damn him,” he mother finally murmured as she dropped her quill.  “Where is that husband of mine?” she asked to none.  Ashe sat up more straight and looked to her mother anxiously.  She knew that her mother hated it just as much as she did when he was late.  The thought of him being captured again made her sick to her stomach and she turned her thoughts elsewhere.  

“Mommy?” another voice called out.  Ashe turned her head to see her enter the room.  She was small and had delicate features.  Long, black eyelashes framed her blue sleepy eyes as dark red hair fell into them.  She rubbed her eyes, letting her wild hair be.  Her mother looked at her with concern as she stood to her feet and hurried over to her.

“Emily,” she said gently as she cradled her close to her, “you should be in bed.”  Emily’s head fell against her mother’s breast while she blinked slowly.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied in a sleepy protest.  Her mother hefted her sister into her arms and returned to her desk where she sat down.  “Ashe is still awake,” Emily protested weakly as she looked over at her.

“Ashe is your older sister, dearest.  As you grow older as she has, you too will gain better benefits with it,” she replied.  “Now hush,” she told her gently as she began humming a lullaby.  Ashe turned away from them.  She couldn’t deny that there were times she was jealous of her little sister.  She turned her mind back to her drawing of her invention and noticed that there was a line that didn’t meet her standards of perfection.  She quickly fixed the error and then examined it again.  She was onto something, she knew it and she could not wait to show her father.

The door opened and both she and her mother looked anxiously to it.  Kestral, Ashe’s brother ran into the room.

“We got a puppy!” he beamed.  Her father stepped into the room just seconds behind him.  Ashe looked at him to see that in his hands, he cradled a small ball of fluff.

“A puppy?” her mother asked him.  He smiled brightly.  

“Yes.  He was the runt of the litter, and I thought that we could use a dog to protect us when I am away,” he explained as he knelt to the ground.  Ashe stood to her feet and went over to look at the puppy her father had brought home.  Emily and Kestral blocked her way, however.  

“I wanna see him,” Ashe stated.  Kestral merely rolled his eyes and bumped into Emily, who fell to the ground.  Ashe stepped back and watched as tears filled her little sister’s eyes as she let out a piercing wail.

“MUUUUUUUUUM!” she cried, “Haley pushed me over!” she accused.  Her mother ran over to her and picked her up.

“Go to your room, Ashe,” she told her.

“But I didn’t do anything!  Kes-!”

“No excuses, Asheal.  I gave you an order.”  Ashe sighed in disgust and then turned and left for her room, scooping up her drawings as she left.  Slamming the door behind her, she flung herself onto the bed and looked at her sketches as tears slipped down her face.  It wasn’t fair.  It never was.  

“I thought you might like to see your present,” her father said as he opened the door and stepped in.  Ashe turned and looked at him and snorted her snot back.  “Have you been crying, love?” he asked her as he made his way over to the bed and sat down beside her.  She said nothing but stared straight ahead at the wall.  “You can always tell me what bothers you, Ashe.”

“But I can’t when you are gone,” she whimpered as she looked over at him, her bottom lip trembling.  “What if you don’t come back again?  Then who could I talk to?” she asked him.  He smiled gently at her.

“Hold out your hands,” he told her.  She held them out to him and he placed the puppy into them.  “Cradle him gently, Ashe,” he instructed her.  She nodded as she brought the pup closer to her body.  His chest moved fast as he took small breaths in and out.  He was warm and fluffy and bore a resemblance to a fox- at least his facial features did, though his small body was plump to the point where his legs seemed too short for its body.  Her father scooted nearer to her.  “It’s amazing, isn’t it, that something so small and delicate, can one day grow to be big and strong to be a protector and a friend.”  Ashe nodded silently in agreement as she held the small pup gazing down at it in wonderment.  “He’s yours, Ashe.  Happy eighth birthday, dearest,” he smiled at her.

  “You remembered?” she looked at him in surprise.  He smiled at her.

“Of course I did.  The day you were born was the day I first met you, and the day my life felt complete,” he smiled proudly at her.  “I know that being the oldest child isn’t easy and that many unfair burdens as well as many great things are expected of you.  Much more is wanted of you since your sister, like this pup, is weak and very dependent on others to survive.  And with Kestral being the only boy, I know that there are times where you get over looked and feel as though no one else cares about you,” he said.

“Nobody else remembered my birthday,” she simpered.  Her father embraced her.

“The world is changing fast, my small lady, and right in the middle of it, pushing those changes, is your mother and I.  Soon, a new queen will rise to power and the world will change forever, and will hopefully be better and safer for it.  One day I hope to no longer fly the skies in fear on missions.  I hope to return to my home in Emporia and live there with my family in peace.  No more worries, just bliss.  But that dream must be fought for, and it’s a battle that I hope you never get dragged into again.

“So until the day comes when I am no longer being forced to leave home on missions, this little guy will watch over you and protect you.  As long as you are good to him and love him, he will never betray you and his loyalty will never sway,” he explained.  Ashe looked up at him and smiled.

“Thank you, papa,” she smiled at him, tears in her eyes.

“You’re welcome, small lady,” he smiled back down at her.  “What do you think you will name him?” he asked her as he stood up and made for the door.

“Bear,” she replied as she looked down at the pup in his arms.

“That’s a big name for a little guy,” he said.

“He’ll grow into it,” she smiled as she stroked his soft fur.