Adna blossoms beneath all of the attention, her sage-green eyes brightening as they swing from Magnus to Chaol, clearly pleased to be at the center of it all. When Chaol’s wings shift, mimicking the magic that she was so used to watching her mother command, she grins—but when he changes his own size, growing massive and then shrinking to hover near her nose, she laughs with delight. “Oh, that is wonderful!” she squeals, dancing in place. “I want to do that! Teach me how to do that!”
But such joy, as wondrous as it is, is eclipsed when she sees her father.
Relief floods through her, although she wouldn’t know to name it that. It has been so long since she has been able to see him and although her mother has been insistent that he was just busy, it was difficult to not let doubt play in the back of her mind. It was difficult to not second guess the stories that Leliana had woven to keep fears at bay. “Daddy!” Her thin voice rises as she rushes to crash into his shoulder, eyes closing tight. “I was so worried that you wouldn’t come home,” she confesses, spilling out her secrets before him. “I was so scared that I would never see you again.”
He brushes her forelock from her eyes and she looks up, her smile a little watery. “My new sister?” she echoes, eyes widening. “I have a sister!” Her grins splits open, fangs on display as she laughs. “Can we go right now?” She wants to push him for more—but his attention is turned toward Chaos and Magnus so she grows quiet, content to curl into his shoulder, to feel the warmth and familiar feel of his scales.
“This is Chaol!” she pipes up, grinning. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she answers the purple stallion. “Are you going to come too? Mama will be so happy to have all of us there!” Something like regret touches her features when realization sets in and she turns back to Magnus who is clearly not following them. Stepping away from her father, she walks up to press into his chest, letting him hold her close. “Thank you,” she whispers, just for him. “I’ll come visit soon, and you come visit me, okay?”
She pulls back, a surprising maturity coloring her features before she turns back to her dad.
“Let’s go!”
howl at the half moon, radio queen. she's all smoke. she's all nicotine.