The Empress Penguin
The Empress always had a talent for cutting an impressive silhouette. Unusually tall amongst the penguins, she was always easy to spot amongst her followers. Sometimes this was to her detriment, such as during an embarrassing incident involving a certain squirrel and the Boy's Cows. Today though, she is easily spotted by the diminutive penguin making their way along the beach towards her.
“Hello Glacia.”
At the sound of her name, the Empress' head whips around and she turns to face the offending party. Her visage relaxes slightly, into slight exasperation, when she sees who it is who addressed her.
“Hello Adelie. Have you had enough of wandering?”
“No, but I thought I'd wander back to see my sister again.”
“Very kind of you, dear sibling…”
“Where's Seashell?”
The Empress exhales softly. “She went to the funeral of a wolf friend of hers.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.”
There's an awkward silence between the two of them.
“Are you still doing the Empress thing?”
Glacia makes a clicking noise with her beak, irritated. “That “Empress thing” is what makes the Shore what it is. It's a tradition going back years now, a tradition you are technically part of.”
Adelie fixes Glacia with their slightly unnerving gaze.
“Is it like, a metaphor for insecurity?”
“Are you insulting me?”
“No.”
Glacia doesn't have a response to that. The two stare each other down, the tension between them palpable. The Empress' attendants stand ready to move on her order.
“You could be nicer to people. Isn't there a deal to be nice to that water spirit? That's on you now. Also a lot of animals did a lot of things to give you the Shore back. Also Lorah worked really hard to give you those rocks.”
“I know, Adelie…”
Glacia stares off over the water.
“Perhaps there is something to be said for… making more diplomatic overtures. As an exchange for their work in getting the Shore back.”
“That's nice.”
“Hmph.”
The two penguins stand together a while longer.
“Will you stay to meet Seashell when she comes back? She should be done by now”
“I'll go find her.”
“Good.”
“You could come with me you know. Is the Shore going to explode if you leave it?”
“I suppose not…”
“Then come with me.”
A large penguin steps up.
“I wish to come too- if the Empress is ok with that?”
The Empress blinks, surprised. “Of course, Iceberg.”
Adelie smiles. Glacia seems surprised.
“So… where do we go, where does this start?”
“Well, we'll walk, and we'll find it. We might cross some metaphysical boundaries to do it.”
“Some what?”
But Adelie, Glacia and Iceberg have wandered on, leaving the hubbub of the Shore behind, at least for a while.