Darkened Secrets [BEING REWRITTEN]

Chapter Four

Avrae paced by the tree, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. Nitsu glided down beside her, landing with such a grace that not even a leaf was disturbed. "Everything okay? I didn't make you wait too long did I?" Nitsu asked gently.

Avrae stopped, slowly turning to look at her. "No, not at all," she answered as calmly as she could. Her heart raced in her chest as she fidgeted with her claws. How was she going to bring up the topic of Whiplash? If what Petal said was true, then she needed to time this right.

Nitsu gestured towards her den with a wing. "Please, do enter and we may speak." Avrae obeyed, each step feeling even heavier than the last.

Avrae's eyes adjusted to the dark as she looked around. The dirt underneath her claws felt rather soft and surprisingly warm. The walls were incredibly smooth and, to her surprise, the den itself was rather barren. Well, apart from a moss nest in the back.

"You like what you see?" Nitsu rasped. Avrae blinked, looking back at Nitsu almost in surprise. Luckily, she whiped it from her face as quickly as it had appeared.

"Yeah! I love it! I think I'll redesign my cave to be just like this!" Avrae hurriedly replied. Nope. Not in a thousand years. But, she didn't want to offend the leader of the Cletin, or else she may just blow her chance at being accepted.

Nitsu frowned. In what sounded like annoyance, she snapped, "stop with the tail kissing! The sooner you quit kissing the tails of your elders like a lost hatchling, the better!"

Avrae jumped, her quills prickling. Where did that come from? Did she do something wrong? Perhaps she should've complimented the smoothness of the walls...

"What do you mean?" Avrae cautiously asked. She hoped she hadn't just blown her chance at joining the Cletin.

Nitsu scoffed, as if she didn't believe what she was clearly hearing. "You know exactly what I mean. I'm not taking you under my wing just for you to preen my feathers for me!" Avrae inhaled sharply.

Nitsu wanted to take her under her wing? She would be learning directly from Nitsu? Was that why she had been told to meet Nitsu here?

"You're going to... mentor me?" Avrae asked in disbelief. Nitsu rolled her eyes as she walked past the shadow dragoness.

"That's only if you want it. If you accept, you won't have to take the trials but you won't be a candidate. You'll be training directly under me as my replacement. However you won't be going out into the field anytime soon like the rookies will," Nitsu replied. "If you want more field assignments then the training I offer will not be for you."

Eagerly, Avrae pounced on the opportunity. Replacement? Future leader of the Cletin? This was even better than her original goals had been!

"Yes! Yes! I'll accept! You won't be disappointed!" Avrae cried, bouncing on her toes.

Nitsu raised a claw, pointing at Avrae. "Meet here tomorrow at sun high sharp. I hold high standards, so for every minute you are late you will be flying half a mile. I don't care what the weather is, you show up unless I specifically say not to," Nitsu stated.

Avrae nodded eagerly. "Yes ma'am!" She turned on her heel and ran out of the den, a smile plastered out of her face. However, before she got too far she stopped outside and turned around, her smile vanishing. "Might I ask you something?"

Nitsu waved a claw. "Ask away," she replied. Sapphire blue eyes were trained on Avrae as she shuffled her wings.

Avrae inhaled slowly, finding herself suddenly nervous. Perhaps Petal was right? Would Nitsu react negatively? Or was Petal lying? "Who is Whiplash?" Finally, she popped the question.