Frostbitten Past

X X X I I

SHE WATCHED as the two children stared at the baby with wide eyes. The baby in the crib had a full head of blonde hair and wide, blue eyes that blinked at the two boys with wonder. The boy closest to the crib had dark hair and pale skin. The other boy had white hair that was longer, reaching to his chin like a sheet of ice.

A woman entered the room, and Andorra recognized her as Noah's mother. "Boys, let's leave her be, shall we? Oberon, your mother is cleaning up in the kitchen, why don't you go help her?"

The boy with the white hair jumped to his feet and ran off, and Andorra let her eyes follow him out of the door. The other one, the one with dark hair, barely looked away from the crib.

"Mom, why is her skin so dark?"

Noah's mother chuckled, her hand resting on Noah's head. "Honey, she's a sun fae. They're tanner than us." As Andorra leaned to look at the baby, she did notice the child looked like she was kissed by the sun, her skin a healthy tan.

"Why is she here?" Noah's curiosity was endearing, and his mother felt the same as she lifted him into her arms. She pressed a kiss to her son's head, then leaned over the crib. "She's here because her parents need someone to watch over her. It's our job now. Soon it'll be yours."

"Mine?" Noah pointed to himself. "Why me?"

Noah's mother carried him from the room. "Because soon this will be your clan. And soon, she will be a part of it."

The room went dark, fading to nothing, and then another scene appeared and she was standing in the garden this time, outside during what looked like winter. She could see herself, a small girl with long blonde hair and then there was Noah, the shock of dark hair upon his head.

The two were building something that looked like it could be a snowman.

"Truth or dare?" Noah asked, rolling a ball of snow. Little Andorra was patting the snow on a lump of snow that was almost taller than she was. She didn't say anything for a moment, and then she turned towards Noah with a smile. "Dare."

"I dare you to kiss me!" Oberon said, popping out of the bushes. Andorra knew it was Oberon just by the white hair that fell to his shoulders. He bumped little Andorra's shoulders playfully, but Noah shoved him to the ground in anger.

"She isn't gonna kiss you, you toad!" Noah's voice sounded mean, but Oberon just laughed, sitting up in the snow.

"Ooh, Nohx is mad because Andorra won't kiss him!"

Noah shoved him again, and the both of them began wrestling in the snow. Little Andorra continued to pat snow on the lump, but she laughed at the two boys. "I won't kiss either of you, you're both toads! Especially Noah!"

Noah's head poked up from the wrestling. "Hey, I'm no toad!" At the same time, Oberon rolled his eyes and said, "I don't get why you can't just call him Nohx."

"You are too a toad!" Little Andorra yelled gleefully, giggling when Noah tried to grab her ankle. "And," she added, jumping out of the way, still giggling as Noah jumped up, chasing her around the snowman, "Nohx is a dumb name. I think Noah is a better name."

"You're gonna regret saying that!" Noah yelled, but there was a playfulness in his eyes that Andorra had never seen before. She wondered if he was saying that in response to little Andorra commenting on his name, or saying he was a toad.

"And why would I regret that?" Little Andorra asked, gasping when Noah tackled her to the ground. She let out a loud laugh as she squirmed underneath him, he hand grabbing the snow beside her.