[1515 words]
Crack!
The noise was sharp in the still quiet of the morning, almost rudely loud. Even more rude was the bright sunlight that peeked through waking greenery above the mare's head. Isruna was not a fan of mornings, especially early mornings. She curled her long tail over her head, covering herself from the light for a moment longer.
Another crack.
A loud exasperated sigh left the mare as she rolled over, her wings spreading and flapping, sending bits of snow and bits of ice flying in all directions. For once, she really just wanted to sleep in, but clearly, today was not going to be the day for that. The weather was changing; that was obvious. She could smell the sharp freshness of the new grass as she pushed her paws under her to pull herself up. Now, she didn't mind the shifting of the weather, but she did not care much for the weak ice that caked every surface as snow fought to stay alive. Alive? Is snow alive? Isruna found herself quirking her head to the side. Was snow alive? It did seem to have a mind of its own at times.
Isruna finally let out another sigh before she looked up through the bits of leaves that were beginning to show themselves upon the branches. The world was awakening from its deep winter slumber. But Isruna? She wanted to go back to bed. Just five more minutes would be perfect. Then five more minutes after that.
A laugh broke the morning silence, and suddenly Isruna found her face full of fur and feathers. "Good moooooorning!" Ilmaruna screeched.
Isruna scrunched up her face at the intrusive voice. "Can you be any louder?" She murmured, staring at her twin sister in annoyance.
"I mean, yes? Could you not hear me?" Ilmaruna made a face and took a deep breath as if to shout.
"That - that won't be necessary, sister. I heard you." She hissed, slapping her sister with a wing before backing away.
Ilmaruna grinned - she knew that her sister was not a fan of waking from hibernation. On the other hand, she absolutely loved the transition of seasons and made it her mission to enjoy it. Shaking her mussed fur, she pushed her large frame forward into the sunlight of the morning, which was becoming more brilliant in the perfectly blue sky. It was going to be a radiant day. Now to figure out a way to get her sister to join her...
Isruna knew the morning would not be as peaceful as she wanted. Not with her sister wakened and giving her the side-eye that spoke of mischief. She resigned herself to whatever cruelty the Fates had planned to ruin any modicum of peace she thought she would receive today.
Ilmaruna spread her wings, casting a large swath of shadow on the sparkling patches of snow beneath her. With a mighty leap, she pushed off from the ground and into the chilly air, her eyes closing as she felt the delicious mixture of warm and cold air fill her lungs. This was the perfection of in-between seasons. Not too hot, not too cold. Sun blazing above. Chill snow below. It was enough to make the mare giddy. With so much fur, winter was almost the only time of year that didn't leave her feeling like a stinking rag of matted hair and sweat. She leaned the tip of a wing downward, sharply changing her movement toward the ground below. It came up quickly, and she dragged her paws gingerly along the snow before taking off again into the air.
Isruna watched her sister for a moment, pale blue eyes taking in her sister's merry flight. Okay, yes. Isruna did enjoy being awake sometimes. She stepped from the shadows of the trees into the sunlight, feeling the heat dig into her dark fur to warm her. Closing her eyes, she found herself missing the deep winter already, if only for the coolness of deep snow. And sleep. She missed sleep. But the mare knew that hibernation was unfortunately behind her now.
Ilmaruna watched her sister's form leave the shade and let out a loud cry of delight as she retracted her wings slightly to allow herself to descend at a quick pace. "See? See? See? Lovely, is it not? Come! Fly!" She shouted.
Isruna squinted her eyes at her sister's shout. So loud! Isruna had no doubt that her sister would bring the mountains down upon them if she were any louder. As if on cue, flocks of ravens flew from the nearby trees in a burst of blackness and noise, harrying her sister, scolding her with their sharp cawing. "It seems I'm not the only one in a complaining mood for your volume, sister!" Isruna called, careful to keep her voice level to keep herself from being the next target.
Ilmaruna yelped as the swarm of birds flew at her, their mission clearly to get her away from their area. At her sister's call, she scoffed and flapped her wings sharply at the ravens, sending a flash of wind at them and causing them to tumble harmlessly away from her. They scolded her swiftly for the action but seemed wiser to not venture near her again. After a moment, they reined in their group and returned to nest in the trees, though their loud cawing betrayed their locations. They were clearly not happy.
Isruna laughed - it was unusual for her sister to be the one getting annoyed at the antics of others around her. "Now now, sister dearest, your face is a case of sour grapes." She said, her voice full of amusement.
Ilmaruna rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You're not the one who clearly had the Olfattir's wrath. Damnable birds!" She fumed, flying down to land near her sister with a thud of paws to packed earth. "Did you send them after me?"
"Me? No. Do you really think I have that ability?" Isruna raised a brow.
"Mayhaps! You're the one relishing in Aunt Saga's training. Tis not for me." Ilmaruna shook her head.
"If I had the ability to summon a swarm of angry ravens, I think I would have done so long ago when you decided waking me during a nap was a prideful thing to do." Isruna laughed. "I think you just disturbed their nesting. It is spring, or very close to it. You know what that means."
It was Ilmaruna's turn to laugh, "Ah yes! All the little eggs and babbins."
Babbins? Isruna smirked. Her sister really was quite silly. "Babies, yes. Tiny ones are full of energy. Like you."
Ilmaruna narrowed her eyes playfully at her sibling. "Are you calling me a baby?"
Isruna feigned shock. "Me? Call you a baby? Noooooo. I would never, dear sister."
Yes, she was. Ilmaruna held in a laugh. She was never tired of her more serious sister's attempts at sarcasm. It was terrible. And funny. She brandished it like a butter knife - all bark, no bite.
Isruna was amused. She was now rather happy that she had decided to wake. Or rather, pleased the gods had awakened her from her otherwise very comfortable slumber to allow her to enjoy a refreshing day with her silly sister.
Ilmaruna padded closer to her sister and flicked one wing out to wrap over her sibling's neck. "You, dearest mine, are sharp-tongued today! Has Loki blessed you with a mischievous spirit today, pray tell?"
Isruna side-eyed her sister and gave her a small toothy smile. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it is just an effort to see if I can reward you poking me after a nap with a witted tongue full of barbs to poke you back. Tis only fair, no?" She said, radiating a happy feeling despite the apparent mischief in her tone.
Ilmaruna could only laugh. She removed her wing to turn to look more carefully at her sibling. Isruna had their mother's wit and their aunt's calmly killer spirit. It always filled her with a sense of pride when she watched her brandish it as sharply as a warrior would wield a sword. "You're rotten, sister. Like a fermented fruit."
"Hmm... Does that make me good for mead? Or wine?" Isruna responded in turn, her expression adoring. The two of them were as thick as thieves. Or bears. Yes, bears were thicker.
"Okay, perhaps mead. Though your comedy needs work, sister. Especially if you want to use it on mother."
"Perhaps by Beltane. I have all spring to build up my killer routine, no?"
"Wait... Comedy? Sister, please don't." Ilmaruna feigned shock and fear. "You will surely murder us all."
Isruna held in a laugh, but only barely. "Spring brings growth, no? Maybe my skill of words will grow, and I will be a warrior of wit."
Ilmaruna grinned at her sister, "I'll be your trusty sidekick of muscle, no?" She said in return, brushing the side of her face against her sister's in a feline gesture of closeness.
"Perhaps! But... firstly, you owe me a nap."