Adelaida noted the delayed reaction in Alexey, but Pickles was as quick as ever. Looking down at the chinchilla, Adelaida lightly touched her large nose to the smaller creature, a gentle greeting she used often with her sister’s companion. She rarely spoke to the chinchilla, unlike Lexey, as she wasn’t always sure that she understood the chinchilla’s noises or that the chinchilla understood her when she spoke, but the silence suited them. Adelaida found that even if terror overtook her and she could not read the body language of coyotes, they were so strange in her mind that she made them hard to understand strangers in reality as well, she could understand the thoughts and basic feelings of other animals. And Pickles was one of the few of another species that she delighted in communicating silently with.
The greeting with Pickles was short and brief, and then Ade turned her eyes back onto her sister. He’s gone. Spoken out loud what Adelaida had neglected to remember, what she did not want to remember. Still, it was no surprise. They had all known it was coming, whatever illness had taken hold of his body wasn’t going to let it go but through death. Fyodor was gone and where was Katanka? "So mother stayed there?" It would be like their mother to stick by their father’s side, even if one of them died while the other lived. Adelaida did not resent that their mother’s loyalty still lied with their father, her children were well grown and could handle themselves and Adelaida knew that Kata had loved their father above all else. If anyone was missing it was Sankor. If their brother did return, and perhaps he never would, they would all have to have this same conversation all over again. Despite the fact they knew his death was coming, Adelaida did not want to face it. It was part of the reason she couldn’t beat to stay with them while he was dying. Her head hung and her voice was soft. "I’m glad you’re back though."
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