My sisters and I had our quarrels- that was a given as siblings- and though Feria and I were the closest, we were also the most prone to vain bickering, albeit it was rare.

   Feria had just turned ten, one of the four major milestones one could obtain in age. We didn't celebrate too elaborately, but maman did bake a cake and papa bought her a new, handcrafted hairbrush. She loved that hairbrush, cherished it.

   Every night before we went to bed, she'd pull out that treasured brush and go through her hair. She'd repeat it in the morning, waking up, slowing down the chores which meant I had to stay longer and do them before departing to Minryn.

   There was no denying the brushing improved her hair, though. Already she was born with naturally thick, long hair that shone like pure gold in any lightning; in the sun is shimmered, by candlelight it glimmered, and in firelight it gleamed.

    Some nights, I'd watch her run the brush through her hair, sometimes watching as maman did it for her and I envied such things and thought possessing a brush like her own would improve my hair as well, so I asked to use it one morning and was shocked by her overwhelming answer.

   "Of course not!" She clutched the brush tightly to her chest, leaning away from me.

   We didn't have much, but what we did have we usually shared with one another, especially us as sisters, so I couldn't understand why she would so strongly refuse to lend me it.

   "Why not?" I whined. "I promise to be careful with it. Only a few strokes?"

   "No, Aelita, papa gave this brush to me."

   I grew bitter then.

   "I share my things with you."

   "No you don't."

   "Yes I do!"

   She clutched the brush closer then stood up from the stool.

   "You cannot borrow my brush, Aelita. You can't even touch it."

    Crossing my arms, I glared back at her, angered by her selfishness.

   For the rest of the morning, our squabble weighed heavily over us. We avoided each other as best we could in such a small house. I went outside to do the chores while she stayed inside with Erinna who remained oblivious to our quarrel. Once I finished with my chores, I returned inside to collect my things and run off to Minryn; it would allow for our sisterly squabble to settle.

    As I went into our room to fetch my book, something glistened in the sunlight underneath one of the pillows. Curious, I approached the bed, reached under the pillow to retrieve Feria's treasured brush. The little crystals on the back were the source of the glittering. Most other times, I would have slipped the item back under her pillow, but staring at the goodly thing, the same envious feelings swelled in me.

    Papa would have never gotten me such a fine brush like hers. She was being selfish by withholding it from me. The thoughts ran around in my head until I quickly shoved the brush in my satchel and hastily headed out the house on the way to town. I gave Erinna a terse, brisk farewell on my way out- Feria was out with the chickens.

   I quickly hurried out of sight of the house, worried I'd be caught once the object was noticed missing, but I safely made it out of sight with no interference.

   Stopping on the road, not yet nearing town, I wandered off to the side into the forest. I traveled further in the forest where I quickly lost sight of the road behind me and the trees became thicker, enclosing around me. When I was satisfied with where I had journeyed, I took out the valued brush of beauty, staring up at it as I held it up to the sun so it glistened again.

   I could finally do what I wanted from the start: smooth it through my hair with ease. But the feeling had dried up when Feria so selfishly denied me the chance.

   In my hand, a thin ice began coating over the brush, small crystals of ice forming over the precious crystals on the back. Soon, the brush was entirely encrusted in ice, but I continued to embalm it. With one light squeeze of my hand, the brush shattered like glass, slipping from my hand onto the forest floor. I threw the remaining pieces out further into the forest.

   That was the first time I had ever used my gift on something that wasn't practice. I didn't destroy it out of anger, I didn't feel anything at all as it grew brittle in my icy grasp.

   With the task finished, I hurried out from the forest back onto the road towards town. I didn't want to be lectured by Minryn for being late.

   That night, returning home with maman from town, we were met by a frantic, visibly upset Feria. She scrambled around, searching everything. I already knew what she was searching for, but maman didn't and questioned what was wrong.

   "My brush!" Feria cried, tears brimming. "I've lost the brush papa got me."

   "When did you lose it," Maman asked, taking her into her embrace.

   "I placed it under my pillow after brushing this morning, but now it's not there."

    She suddenly looked over to where I stood not saying anything. A flash of accusation lit up her eyes as she pointed adamantly at me.

   "Aelita stole it!"

   "No I didn't."

   "She did! She wanted to borrow it this morning and when I said no, she got mad and hid it."

   "I did not." My replies were calm yet firm, never did I raise my voice like Feria did.

   "Aelita," Maman began. "Answer truthfully now. Did you take Feria's brush?"

    I looked into her deep nutmeg eyes, my voice steady and sure.

   "No, I did not take Feria's brush."

   She stared right back into my gray eyes, a blank expression on her face before she looked away and over at Feria.

   "I'm sure if we all look hard enough we'll be able to find it."

   So we all went to work searching our small house and the surrounding area. Sunlight was quickly racing away so we couldn't look for too long. At the beginning of our search, Feria kept looking at me with narrowed eyes, accusation ringing loud from her expression, but as time passed and she saw my genuine- or at least my facade of genuineness- in locating her lost brush, her beliefs about my guilt lifted.

   By the time papa arrived home, we had given up our search for the brush. Feria, then, sorrowfully explained the situation to him. She felt awful for losing something so dear and given to her with such thought. Papa comforted her, telling her it was fine, that he could always make her a new brush. Because it was being made by papa, it wouldn't be as fine as the brush he had bought for her.

   That night for stories, papa let her pick the story and allowed her to sit on his knee as he read to us. She began to have her spirits lifted, and by bed, she was feeling all the more better. We all crawled into bed, maman and papa in the room beyond the curtain as we laid close to each other.

    "Aelita," Feria whispered, trying to get my attention.

   Erinna laid between us, snuggled and drifting to sleep.

   "What?" I kept my voice low as well but turned to face her.

   The moon illuminated half her face so I could tell she was looking straight at me, a relaxed expression on her face.

   Her eyes flickered down at the pillow briefly then back up at me in a sheepish way.

   "I'm sorry I blamed you for losing my brush. I know you didn't take it."

   I stared back at her. She must have taken my response as a silent rejection of her apology.

   "You can be mad at me for blaming you and I'm also sorry about not sharing my brush."

   Finally, a small smile broke out on my face and I softly replied.

   "It's okay. I'm sorry that your brush is lost. We'll both search for it tomorrow, all day if we have to."

   To that, a small, relieved smile spread across her face as well. Our feud was over.

   "I'd like that. Let's go to sleep now before maman or papa catch us."

   I giggled, nodding in agreement. She closed her eyes and soon enough she began to slip into her dreams.

   Shifting to a new position, I stared up at the ceiling, satisfied.

   We never found the brush, I knew we wouldn't. Eventually, papa crafted her a new one, a very nice one by all standards, and she let me and Erinna use it whenever we liked, though it was rare we did. No one but me knew the truth of the matter, but I was fine keeping such a secret- I would take it to my grave.

   In my mind, all was fixed when I shattered that brush. I broke our quarrel. I made Feria realize the value of sharing, I kept our sisterhood together- that was all that mattered, that was the goal. I would strive to achieve that goal. No matter the cost.