The crisp air frolicked past Luna’s small nose, making her head turn ever so slightly toward the breeze.

Likewise, the sounds of awakening nature snuck into her igloo, her ears and wings twitching in synchronization. 

She briefly opened her eyes just enough to take in the golden light, then shut them again in hopes of continuing her rest.

However, a deep, low noise stopped her. 

Her stomach had other plans.

She swallowed with a muffled groan, rubbing her eyes sluggishly. 

Just before leaving, something caught her eye—a dress hanging from a rope with a small note attached. 

For you, Your Majesty. From us.

With a light chuckle, still half asleep, she grabbed it and put it over her old rags.

With a fur ruff lining the lapel and sleeves, Luna was already fond of it, but the blue hues made her instantly attached. 

Her fingers traced around the soft fur and smooth buttons, her smile growing.

She pushed aside the curtains, the most recent addition to the igloo, excited to show her Sisters. 

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she braced herself for a new day with a smile.

To her surprise, half of her Sisters were around a floating fire, only supported by a few small logs. 

Kayla sat before them, carefully guiding a needle through the fabric. Her fingers moved with practiced precision.

“You then keep repeating this process until the desired size,” Kayla instructed, her tone composed.

Luna stopped, appreciating the sight, and turned her head to the approaching Sisters. The two hopped over to her excitedly, showing her pamphlets featuring a few dishes.

“Your Majesty,” one of them said as the other slowly flipped through the options. "What should we all eat today?” 

Luna’s eyes remained fixed on each dish.

And with a defeated sigh, she stood back up straight. “I can’t choose again, my apologies.”

“Understood, we’ll go ask Neoma.” They replied, scurrying off into the forest.

Luna looked at them contentedly, then turned back to Kayla and stepped forward.

“Kayla! Dear Sisters!” She waved her hand as she grew closer to the flame. “Good morning to you all.”
“Good morning, Your Majesty.” They all answered, all turning to face her.

A second later, a few stood up and sprinted across their campsite; a few more ran into the forest, and the rest remained focused on their sewing. 

“Happy one-month birthday, Luna.” Kayla closed the distance, offering her a handshake. 

“Thank you for the gift.” Luna cheered, shaking her hand. “I can tell you all worked really hard on it.”

“By the time I was back, your Sisters had already completed it.” Kayla crossed her arms in defeat, tilting her head. “They were kind enough to leave the buttons to me.”

The remaining Sisters retreated into other duties as Kayla’s brother approached the floating fire, dropping a rusty grill over it. 

Luna and Kayla waved at him as he fixed his gloves and headed toward the wooden hut on the side.

“We should help him.” 

The two followed him into the small building, helping him drag out a ginormous round table pan, one so big that it took up half the space in the hut.

“Let me handle this.” Luna flapped her hand across the pan as if telling them to let go.

She glanced at the grill, then straightened, tightened her grip, and lifted the inset into the air.

Clank!

The metal collision echoed throughout the forest, scaring off a few nearby birds. 

“My apologies, it was heavier than last time.” Luna sighed, pressing her foot against the snow.

As Kayla and her brother groaned, large stairs rose from the snow below, reaching high enough to serve as platforms for the pot—stairrails included for safety.

“Lady Neoma’s gonna come here running, isn’t she?” The brother nudged against Kayla.

“Yep.” She replied as she began to retreat alongside him.

Luna paused, glancing towards the deep blue forest. 

With foliage that whispered and leaves that hummed, the dense woods appeared to be their grand supervisor.

But as the faint echoes of bursting snow grew closer and closer, she realized something too late.

“There’s still something I need to talk to you about.” Luna frantically exclaimed, waving her hand rapidly.

“Another time!” Kayla shouted, disappearing into the hut with her brother.

Then, the noise stopped. 

She could feel the gazes of a few dozen Sisters on her. 

Luna’s wings peeked out, reaching for one another and covering her eyes.

“Your Majesty!” Neoma said from behind, her foot tapping against the snow in disappointment. “That is the third time this week.”

“I genuinely forgot this time.” Luna slowly turned around, chuckling nervously. “I swear upon the moon.”

“For the hundredth time, we are still a vulnerable community.” She lightly flicked her on the forehead. “You said so yourself that even you can’t break your own rules either.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Luna lowered her head a bit more, knotting her hands together in embarrassment. “I won’t make this mistake again.”

“You said that the last eight times, Your Majesty.” She shook her head, her arms crossed. 

“But you know how much I like helping,” Luna exclaimed, her wings drifting back into her hair, now with a few strands braided across the back of her head.

“There are times when not helping is more helpful to us.” She extended her open hand as if she were giving a class lecture. “Not to mention, you’re still our queen. You shouldn’t be doing everyone’s work for them.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Luna scoffed lightly, turning her gaze somewhere else.

“Okay, please remember this time.” Neoma bowed before her, placing her hands together before walking away. “I have to go back to helping the cooks.”

Luna watched as Neoma ran back from where she came, stuck between relief and a bit of regret. 

She went back to the campfire, noticing that Ray and Kayla had already begun setting the table nearby.

She stood silent, hesitant. 

But not for long.

“Do you guys need anything? I’m available.” Luna asked, walking over to them quickly.

“We’re doing good, thank you.” Kayla smiled, placing down the last of the plastic utensils. “But you did tell me you had something important to discuss a minute ago?”

“Right, I wanted to ask what you were planning on teaching my Sisters next?”

“Writing or medicine, unless you have any other suggestions?” 

“I think we should begin with infrastructure instead.”

Kayla and Ray stood silent, exchanging confused glances.

“Are you sure about that?” Ray hummed mildly as if he wanted to object. “Seems a little too much for all of us to handle.”

“I don’t think I’m going to stop making Sisters, so yes, I think we should begin with making more houses.”

“But every Sister sleeps in the snow.” Kayla interrupted, her hand reaching for her neck. “Sure, there are almost thirty, but they have no need for cover.”

As they spoke, the Sisters around them grew faster, pacing between stacks of beverages and chairs.

“Yeah, the houses are for you two and any more humans to come.” Luna rubbed her nose, looking at them with a worried look. “Even in the present tense, I doubt the cramped storage hut is comfortable for you two.”

“That makes sense. I’ll see who I can get on board.” Kayla bowed, her head reaching her height.

Despite the siblings' height, Luna and her Sisters were already nearing their shoulders at one month. The siblings still couldn’t get used to the Sisters' strange biology; from their ability to merge with snow to their nerve-wracking speed and strength, it never got any less shocking. 

All but Luna herself. 

No one knew why.

Not even Luna herself.

“Thank you,” Luna added before leaving to search for other areas to be of use.

“Are you sure about this, Kayla?” Ray pulled Kayla aside, whispering. “Neoma told us last week exactly why it isn’t a good idea.”

“This settlement is going to be discovered eventually, so what’s the matter?”

“Remember those two campers that happened to witness Luna’s hatching or whathcamacallit?” Ray took a seat, gazing at the plate before him.

“Yes?” Kayla squinted, taking a seat as well.

“They live in a village not too far from here that’s set on finding her.” Ray lowered his tone a bit more, turning around and pointing past the proud trees.

“That doesn’t seem like too much of a problem.”

“Before I accepted your invitation here,” He paused, returning to the comfort of facing forward. “I heard that there are a few people there working under the Crimson Blood.”

“And they are?”

The atmosphere grew thicker, and the sounds dulled.

“They’re not human, just like Luna.” He dragged his hands, resting them on his lap with a deep breath. “However, they’re not good people. Not in the slightest.”

Kayla thought for a moment, a nervous expression taking over.

“Paradigm?”

“Exactly.” He looked up at the towering trees, his half-dyed hair swaying with the cold breeze. “It’s thanks to these trees and the snowy environment that keep us safe. We can’t afford to lose either.”

“You do have a point there.” She glanced around the campsite with a smile, each sight adding a tint of gratitude. “We can’t afford to lose this new life.”

“I get that she keeps us from being sick, offers us safety, and a good life. But what’s the point of that when you factor assassins and terrorists into the equation?”

“If you knew this, why didn’t you tell Luna?”

“We have to tell all her Sisters first, so if it comes to a vote or anything of the sort, we’ll have an advantage,” Ray said, leaning back in his chair, shrugging slightly.

“Dinner’s in an hour!” Two Sisters exclaimed from the other side of the settlement, having returned from the forest with a bunch of vegetables. Neoma followed, carrying a cutting board and a few knives.

“Well, that’s our cue.” Ray stood up, stretching his hands over his head.

“Alright then, good luck,” Kayla said, going the other way before stopping by a nearby Sister.

And before they knew it, that hour soared by.

Everyone gathered around the table and ate at their leisure.