She is thrilled when mother finally agrees, reluctantly, to let her come to the playground.
Adna has been insistent—and if there is anything the little girl is good at, it is being insistent. She has a stubborn streak a mile wild (some might call it resistant or rebellious or something less flattering, but her mother doesn’t have the heart to deny her precious daughter anything and thus it is labeled just stubborn).
Sometimes, Adna is so stubborn that her mother finally just sighs, the soft breath the only sign that the girl has finally worn the winged healer down. (The sigh is always quickly followed by a kiss to forehead.)
Like today.
Today, her stubborn will means Leliana—and her hero of a scaled father—finally agree that she can leave the safety of Loess to venture toward the playground. With the understanding that Leliana will accompany her and be nearby in the meadow (no doubt fretting) and that her time here will come to an end as soon as the afternoon sun begins to make its descent. Which is fine. At least it is a few hours.
As soon as her mother finally leaves, Adna grins, the look mischievous and delightful.
She is finally alone.
ALONE!
Laughing, she spins on her thin hocks and begins to make her way toward the center of the playground. Or, at least, she had thought that she would except the sudden appearance of the bright red boy in front of her. Her nostrils flare, dark green eyes blinking rapidly. “Oh!” Her voice is still thin and girly, pretty enough despite her harsh appearance, and she takes a quick step back. “I didn’t see you there!”
The surprise fades quickly though, replaced by a childlike curiosity.
“Hi, Maertin!”
She doesn’t stop to think that her appearance may surprise him. After all, she has grown up with the constant mirror of her father—and Vulgaris was perfect to the little girl. So she doesn’t look at her mahogany scales as anything but perfect. Her fangs are small, now but someday they would be powerful like her dad’s. Her reptilian eyes mirror his perfectly and are therefore a point of pride for her.
She doesn’t stop to think that maybe to someone else, it may not be the same.
So she just stretches her small fanged mouth into a grin, fluffy tail swishing behind her.
“My name is Adna. Want to play?”