For Peace

Traitor

Asha lay by the fire, the warmth soothing her wounds, as Egret tended to Bramble.

Squelch crawled over and snuggled onto her back in the space between her wings.

She was thinking hard. How can I protect my siblings from this war? What can I do?

She had a sudden thought and abruptly sat up, tumbling Squelch onto the floor. What if we left?

"Asha," Squelch protested.

"Oh, sorry, Squirt," she said, momentarily losing her train of thought. She turned around, picked him up off of the floor and tucked him next to her, under her wing. 

"Oh, look. Cattail's back," Bramble said.

With a whoosh of wings, Cattail landed by the fire, balanced on her hind legs. In her talons she held two goats, and in her mouth a third. She plopped them all on the ground.

"Here you go," she said gruffly. She split each goat into two halves, and handed one to each of them. Squelch munched on his noisily, splattering bits on Asha's wing, but she didn't mind.

Cattail silently took the sixth half goat and set it by the river. They all knew, without any words spoken, that that serving was for Gator. Bramble's head drooped, and Egret rested her tail on top of his, a silent reassurance.

Cattail broke the silence after taking a large bite. "Found an Icewing by the camp." Everyone bristled, and she went on, "No, not a soldier, just some Talons of Peace traitor. Should be long gone by now, seeing that I threatened him pretty good." She grinned, revealing a strand of goat meat stuck in her teeth.

"Good going, Cattail," Egret said, her tail still on top of Bramble's.

Asha wasn't paying attention anymore. She wasn't even eating her goat. Talons of Peace...

That's the perfect solution! We could stop the war, instead of help fight it! Her wings snapped in excitement. We wouldn't get attacked anymore!

"What- what did he want?" she asked.

"Who? The Icewing? I dunno. He shouted something about recruits as I was flying away. Why? What does it matter?"

"Um..." All of her siblings were looking at her. Now was her chance. "What if we joined them?" she blurted.

They all sat silent, blinking in shock.

"What?" Egret finally asked.

"If we joined the Talons of Peace, we could help end the war, and we wouldn't have to hurt dragons to do it! Don't you see? We wouldn't get hurt anymore!"

"Asha..." Egret began, reluctantly. "Asha, dragons who join the Talons of Peace are traitors."

"They're cowardly," Cattail spat. "Hiding from the war instead of fighting in it."

"They're fugitives. They get hunted by all of the tribes, including their allies," Bramble put in.

"It's too dangerous, Asha," Egret finished. "We can't do that. We can't abandon our tribe."

"But- the prophecy-"

"The prophecy's fake, Asha," Cattail snorted. "The only way to win this war is with our own claws."

"No. You have to believe in the prophecy!" She looked at Bramble and Egret. "Don't you?"

"Of course I believe in it," Bramble said, and she was hopeful until he continued, "but the prophecy will fulfill itself. It doesn't need an underground organization's help."