ᗪᗩᗯᑎ Oᖴ ᖇEᐯEᑎGE - Discontinued

Chapter 6

Marigold blinked open her eyes. She was laying comfortably in her tightly woven hammock and it was just after sun time, but she suspected something was wrong. Marigold turned her bright yellow gaze to Quartz's hammock. It was empty.

Quartz's sister jumped up frantically and rummaged through Quartz's belongings. The were all still there, but Quartz wasn't. And his lucky pendant. Marigold looks up fearfully. Quartz took his pendant necklace everywhere. He believed that it as from is mother, who had left him in the rainforest when he was a small dragonet.

Marigold followed Quartz's scent trail, and stopped in horror when she reached a small clearing. The unmistakable metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. She gasped, horrified as she saw a bleeding IceWing lying on the cool grass under a bush, a gaping wound on his neck. But there was something strange about him. It was like there was a blanket over his mind, and the mind reader couldn't read his thoughts. Marigold strode up to the IceWing angrily. "Was Quartz here?" Marigold spat, waving her talons at the blood spattered clearing. "And why can't I read your thoughts?" The IceWing cocked his head at her, waving to his snout, which was tied up with a tight knotted vine. Marigold snapped the vine. "Well?" Marigold demanded. "Quartz? Is that a copper coloured NightWing who tried to kill me?" The IceWing warrior gasped for breath. Marigold took a deep breath, trying to hide her shaking talons. "What?!" Marigold exclaimed. "Quartz would never do that! Who are you anyway?"

The IceWing was gasping for breath. "My name... is... Floe." He jerked violently, his head lolled back and he fell limp. Marigold stared at the dead IceWing in dismay. The IceWing was so limp, lifeless, it was unimaginable that he had been alive and talking just a heartbeat before. She didn't know why, but she felt a little sad at Floe's death. She wasn't used to seeing dragons die.

Anyway, not important, right now. She reprimanded herself. The real question was, why did Quartz hurt Floe so badly? It must have been for a good reason. Quartz would never kill another dragon on purpose, she hoped with all her heart.

Suddenly, a question popped into her mind. Where was Quartz? And why didn't he come back to the rainforest. By the looks of it, Floe had been suffering for a long time. Please, don't tell me Quartz is dead, she thought silently. Marigold kept following the scent trail, only to stop as she almost collided with some polished white scales after running through a thick bush. The huge IceWing was standing near another dragon, and her heart leaped. It was Quartz! The hybrid was in front of the IceWing, and before she could do anything, the white IceWing warrior breathed frostbreath on Quartz's neck. Quartz screamed in agony, and Marigold had to use all of her willpower not to slash at the huge IceWing. But she knew, if she did, she would end up with the same fate as Quartz. Just before he fell to the ground, Quartz saw her. His golden eyes locked on hers for a heartbeat, and Quartz fell limp like the IceWing. 

Marigold's heart thumped wildly in her chest as the IceWing, turned towards her. She sank into his dark thoughts and read his mind. Did that young RainWing see me? Well, Nova should be pleased then. I killed that nosy hybrid like Nova ordered us to kill anyone that got in our way. I'll go check those bushes if there is anyone still lurking in there.

The RainWing-NightWing hybrid jerked out of his thoughts in panic. The IceWing was heading straight towards her. She quickly camouflaged herself, making her look like part of the bush. She willed herself to think about the bush and it's prickly thorns. She was already fully camouflaged when the IceWing pulled the bushes to seperate them. The IceWing was almost nose to nose with her face now. She held her breath, staying perfectly still until he growled frustratedly when he didn't find anyone there.

The huge IceWing walked away, his talonsteps fading slowly into the distance. Marigold sobbed and raced over to where Quartz's body lay sprawled out. She felt an uneven heartbeat, but it was quiet, and it might stop any minute. I could still take him back to the tribe, so the healers could have a look at him. Marigold doubted that he could survive that long, but, still she had to try, for the sake of her brother that she had only known for 3 years.

Marigold cried all the way back to the healers hut. The hut had been there since the time of Queen Glory, maybe before. One of the healers, Berry, smiled gently at Marigold and carefully lay Quartz down on the springy vines that the patients lie on. "Will he survive?" whispered Marigold. Berry answered her. "Only time will tell. And we need something hot to cure his frostbreath on his neck.

Oh Quartz, why did you leave me during sun time. This wouldn't have happened if you didn't. Marigold's lip trembled. Will I ever hear your voice again?

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Thank you so much for reading all the way up to chapter 4, I hope you enjoy the rest. I didn't update for a while because I was drawing the front cover of the book. 

See you in the next chapter!

~Dragongirl~