Chapter 51: Grumpy Snow Mountain
The Aquiline Quarter, austere in its grandeur, forbade the presence of pets within its halls. Thus, Kyva, Liora and Selene turned away from the waterside paths and made their way toward the Bloom Quarter, intending to leave Snowpuff in its care.
The Bloom Quarter lay in the eastern reaches of the Sacred Order, where the air itself seemed softer and sweet with the scent of flowers. Arched gateways of pale stone stood draped in flowering vines, while moss-carpeted paths wound beneath showers of petals.
Towering trees, ancient and silver-barked, rose above elegant pavilions grown from living woods and twining ivy. Crystal streams wound between the gardens, feeding beds of moon lilies, jade reeds, and blossoms that shimmered faintly in the shade.
Liora’s breath caught at the sight. "It is as though the world itself has become a garden," she murmured, wonder in her voice. "Perhaps an earth affinity user is not so ill a fate."
Kyva thought Snowpuff was really lucky.
The little creature would spend its days in this sanctuary, idling away while she herself was bound for trial.
Snowpuff, she thought with a wry smile,
was living the lazy life she had dreamed of.
The Bloom Quarter was far from empty.
Ageless disciples in robes of green moved with quiet purpose along the mossy paths, with woven baskets cradled in their arms.
Some knelt beside the streams, guiding lotus buds to bloom with the gentlest touch of their fingertips, while others were busy honing their arts in the open courtyard. Beneath the oldest tree, elder cultivators sat in meditation, their lips moving in hushed communion.
As the three girls crossed a bridge of flowering branches, Snowpuff wriggled in Kyva’s arms, his eyes scouting for someone. A moment later, someone appeared from between the hanging willow boughs.
She was a girl, perhaps a year or two older than they were, dressed in layered robes of pale green embroidered with silver leaves. Her dark hair was braided with tiny white blossoms, and tucked behind one ear was a flower. In her hands she carried a wicker basket filled with herbs and bright red oranges.
She paused when she saw them, and smiled.
"My, what a beautiful little creature," she said, her gaze falling to Snowpuff. "You must be newly arrived?"
"This is Snowpuff," Selene said quickly. "We were hoping to leave him here. The Aquiline Quarter won’t allow pets."
"Then you’ve come to the right place," the girl replied, reaching out carefully so Snowpuff could sniff her hand."The Bloom Quarter shelters spirit beasts and many wandering creatures besides."
She straightened and bowed lightly.
"I am Iris, senior disciple of the Bloom Quarter. Come– I will take you to the Grove Hall. The keepers there will know how best to tend to him."
Kyva inclined her head. "Alright."
She was going to make sure Snowpuff was in good hands before leaving.
Iris led them deeper into the Bloom Quarter, along winding paths shaded by flowering trees.
At last, they reached the Grove Hall.
Inside, the hall was warm and bright.
Spirit-beasts wandered freely through the room. But as if sending an even stronger presence, the beasts in the hall looked up to see the majestic fox cub that was brought into the hall.
Sitting at the stairs was a little girl.
She could not have been older than five or six. She wore a simple green robe far too large for her, the sleeves slipping over her hands, and her hair had come loose from its braid so that the curls framed her round face. Flower petals and a bit of grass clung stubbornly to her clothes.
She was trying very seriously to braid flowers into the mane of a tiny deer-like spirit beast, though most of the flowers kept falling out.
The moment she saw Snowpuff, her large eyes widened in surprise.
She gasped.
Before anyone could stop her, she scrambled to her feet and ran across the hall, nearly tripping over the hem of her robe. Calhoun saw her coming and braced himself for disaster.
"Elin," Iris said with the weary fondness of someone who had said that name far too many times, "slow down."
But Elin was already before the three girls.
"Hello, my name is Elin!" She declared brightly, beaming up at them. "The keeper is meditating, so please give the fox to me. I shall be careful!"
"Oh," Kyva blinked, momentarily taken aback by the small girl before her.
"You may trust her to hold him," Iris reassured Kyva. "She may be small, but she is very gentle with the creatures here. She can keep Snowpuff company until the keeper ends his meditation."
Kyva glanced uncertainly towards Snowpuff. But knowing they had wasted enough time, she could not keep Lady Mia waiting for long. At that, she smiled and carefully placed Snowpuff into Elin’s waiting arms.
The little girl’s face lit at once, bright as a lantern in spring time. Snowpuff gave a small chirp and settled into the girl’s arms. The fact that he did not struggle surprised Kyva, and it eased her heart even more.
"We need to hurry back," Liora reminded them.
But before rising, Kyva crouched before Elin and gently brushed a strand of hair from the little girl’s face. She wondered to herself what someone so young was looking for in the Sacred Order.
"I shall return this evening for Snowpuff," she said. "And if Elin takes good care of him, then I shall bring her sweets when I come back."
"Sweets?" Elin’s eyes widened as though Kyva had promised her a mountain of treasure.
"Okay!" she said at once, clutching the snow fox carefully against her arms.
Seeing that neither seemed likely to come to harm in the other’s care, Kyva straightened. She bowed once more to Iris and took her leave with Selene and Liora.
When Iris also left to resume her morning routines, Elin took the fox to the library. She set Snowpuff down, and watched as the fox immediately took the form of the man she recognized.
"Big brother!"
Elin threw herself at him at once and wrapped both her arms around one of his legs.
"I remembered," she said proudly, looking up at him with bright eyes. "I remembered what you said the last time you brought me here!"
Calhoun scowled down at her. With an annoyed sound, he lifted his leg slightly, trying to shake her loose, but Elin only clung tighter.
"Get down."
"No," she said immediately.
"Big brother, you didn’t come to see me after." Her lower lip pushed out into a pout. "You said maybe you would, but then you didn’t. Big brother, I made more animal friends!"
"How nice," he said flatly, finally shaking her off.
Ever since he helped her by bringing her to this sanctuary, the child had insisted on calling him big brother.
He had stopped correcting her, as it made her forget to refer to him as Mr Fox demon.
Calhoun had once thought, in some distant and foolish corner of his childhood, that having a little sister might have been pleasant.
But he knew better now.
This one was troublesome enough.
She moved on rather too quickly after he started treating her kindly.
Still, she was useful.
The child possessed a rare gift.
She could speak with animals as easily as other people spoke to one another, and the creatures of the Bloom Quarter obeyed her with eager devotion.
Every now and then, when Calhoun required information, Elin would gather her little companions and return with secrets. She was also surprisingly smart when it came to certain things.
Like what happened earlier.
She remembered the instructions he gave about not uttering his name, and she acted on it.
She played her part too well for someone her age.
"Big brother?" Elin tugged on the sleeve of his robe.
"What."
"Why is your name Snowpuff?" she blinked. "The pretty lady said it was. Oh! Is it a pet name?"
"What do you know?"
Elin studied him for another long moment.
"I think Snowpuff is a very nice name," she said earnestly. "It sounds fluffy and tiny and squishy! You do not look fluffy,or tiny, or squishy."
She stared him up and down.
"You look like a grumpy snow mountain."
