Chastity - A Timberwolf's Dove by Alicia

A Timberwolf's Dove

Sometimes in the winter snows a pale snow rabbit dashes across the terrace. Its timberwolf fur, dusted with frozen icing, brushes the snowman's bodice before he disappears into the bushes. Emilia will sit in the window of her home with a hot mug of chocolate, feet tucked in woollen socks, and wait for him to come back. 

On winter nights, the moon frolics on her neighbour's roof, but the stars flicker reproachfully, distant and unyielding. Emilia clutches the thick novel, balancing a glass of mellifluous milk. Her mother is upstairs, rearranging the photo frames and touching the languid curtains. Reminiscent. 

When the spring returns, Emilia finds it difficult not to notice the silver band, singing. It is a long forgiven promise, not forgotten. The grass is simple smaragdine. But the sky is albicant with a flourish of pheasant and pigeon...where are the doves? One of the last sits in the window of her house with a Wordsworth. Emilia has a promise to a lionhearted timberwolf rabbit.

Sometimes in the spring which follows winter, Emilia will see the pale snow rabbit, alone. He is waiting.

Winter is coming, his ears say, before he dashes across the terrace.

I promise, her silver band heralds to the approaching summer. They warn of the endless colour that will flower. They warn Emilia. To stay inside. Summer is for those who go unescorted, for those who do not make promises that cannot be broken. Many times in the summer heat, Emilia will sit on the lawn, and watch the pedestrians parading by; hand in hand, ear to shoulder and heart to heart. She will sit aside and wait for the rabbit, because surviving winter is what matters, until her everlasting summer arrives.

Always, the autumn will tease. The trees shed their layers to shame the name of winter. All the animals hurry away, but not Emilia. She is waiting.

One snowfall winter a pale snow rabbit stops on her terrace. He is a much faded charcoal grey. His ears twitch to say, I have come. 

Emilia is a white dove, the silver band sings.

'Let me lead you into summer, my white dove.'

'I am your white dove.'

~OvO~   END   ~OvO~

Author's Notes: 364 words! :) And I just realised that "lionhearted timberwolf rabbit" sounds like a mash of three animals haha. A few definitions:

• Timberwolf, smaragdine and albicant are all colours; a pale grey, emerald green and white, respectively
• Mellifluous (which I just learnt whilst writing this) means smooth, sweet ...mellifluous milk...?