Author's Notes: For the Writer's Month prompt "Snow."
"It still looks like regolith to me."
Winter gasped indignantly, slapping Jacin lightly on the arm. "How can you say that?! Have you ever seen regolith so white?"
He shrugged. "Gray. Lighter shade of gray. Close enough."
"It's not always this clean," Scarlet added. "It gets dirty most of the time. Especially in town. It only looks this nice when it's new, and nobody's stepped in it yet."
Winter didn't seem to hear her. She bent down, collecting a handful of snow carefully in her hands. She moved it experimentally between her fingers, closing a fist so that most of it fell back onto the ground. Her face shone, and she bent down to pick up some more.
Wolf eyed the white field suspiciously. Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a jacket, just his normal clothes. The cold didn't seem to bother him.
"I don't see what the big deal is," Jacin continued. "I mean...it's frozen water. What's so impressive? It's not like you can use it for—hey!"
Winter had smashed her handful of snow into his face. He jumped back, sputtering as he swiped the crystals from his nose.
Winter descended into a chorus of giggles, which only increased as Jacin glared at her.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Stars above, Winter! That is not appropriate behavior." She crouched down. "You do it like—this!"
"Hey!" Jacin yelled, now swiping with both hands as Winter gasped with delight. Behind them, Wolf failed to suppress a snort.
Scarlet rose calmly to her feet. "That's called a snowball. Make it nice and round, or it won't throw properly."
"Like this?" Winter asked, already collecting snow again.
"Do not—throw your stupid weather at me! You look like a child playing in the mud! WInter—Winter—!"
This time he managed to jump aside, so that the snowball flew past and splattered against Wolf's leg instead. He scowled. Winter laughed and bent down again.
"Don't take it lying down," Scarlet said to Jacin. "You're a royal guard. Defend yourself."
"A royal guard's job—" Jacin let out a roar of frustration as he dodged again. "—is to not defend yourself. And this is—okay, that's it!"
Jacin grabbed a handful of snow from his face and tossed it back toward Winter. "No, make it a ball first." Scarlet said, rolling her eyes as the loose snow scattered harmlessly in the air.
Winter ran away, laughing. Jacin hesitated for half a second before he followed, sweeping down to grab a handful of snow and then straightening into a run.
Scarlet turned to Wolf. "Want to join in?"
He shrugged. "Maybe later."
"Yeah. Let's enjoy some hot chocolate while the kids are occupied?"
His lupine face brightened into a smile, and the two walked back through the snowy field to the farmhouse. Winter's chorus of laughter rang out behind them. Scarlet might have imagined it, but she could have sworn that she heard Jacin join in.