Abandoned: A Wings of Fire Fanfic

Hatching

Kestrel crept back through the palace. If she was caught with the egg, Queen Scarlet would know about it, and guards would come, and Kestrel wouldn't even get a chance to try to escape.

There were a few close calls, but Kestrel eventually made it to the outside gates, where her next challenge awaited her.

How was she going to get over (or through) those walls with watchful guards posted in a way so that they could see everything?

Would I be able to sneak through? Kestrel watched the gates for a while, then decided that she didn't think it was possible.

Then could I fight my way out? That option was immediately dismissed. Though Kestrel was a formidable fighter, she wouldn't be able to fight her way through so many guards. Some of them she respected, and wouldn't want to fight. And she was carrying her egg. She had made a makeshift sling, but even so, it was too easy to break an egg.

So... Do I have to just go for it? Fly as fast as I can? 

That looks like my only choice that has remotely a chance of success. Three moons, I hope this works.

Should I wait until night comes? Flee under the cover of darkness?

No. Night is too far away. I'll most likely be found by then.

Kestrel readied herself, positioning the sling in a way that it wouldn't bother her. Then she looked up, and launched herself in the air.

~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~

Kestrel beat her wings.

I need to go faster! 

But I can't! 

And yet, I need to.

Most of the lookout guards were fast fliers. That was done on purpose, to make sure dragons didn't get away.

I can't outfly them... but I know these mountains like the back of my talon. I think I can lose them in the peaks. Maybe. Especially if I go to that valley.

'That valley' was one of Kestrel's favorite spots in the Sky Kingdom. It was also the spot she visited the most. She hunted there, trained for battle there. Sometimes she went just because she needed to be alone before she bit everyone's heads off. Kestrel had a bit of an anger issue. The Hidden Valley also had a cold winding river going through it that Kestrel had used more than once to cool herself off.

She knew the place.

Then again, I'd think the guards know that place too.

But not as much as I do.

Kestrel suddenly banked right, putting a mountain between her and the lookouts. She continued twisting and turning, staying low to the ground and never going in a straight path.

After around half an hour of twisting and turning around the peaks, it seemed as if Kestrel had lost the guards. 

Time to go to the Hidden Valley.

She turned left, around a mountain, then straight, then right, and, after a bit more flying, she reached the Hidden Valley.

The first thing you would notice about the Hidden Valley was that it was green. Next to the river swirling through the middle of the valley, bushes grew, trees were everywhere, and the grass was soft and comfortable.

The river came from a lake near Queen Scarlet's palace. That was actually how she had first discovered this indent in the land. She had followed the river.

Kestrel didn't know where the stream went. She had never followed it much farther than the Hidden Valley. She hadn't ever felt the need.

The sky dragon touched down in a spot she didn't think she'd be seen in from the sky, and checked on her egg.

It had cracks on it, and Kestrel had a moment to think, Oh no! I cracked it! before realizing that it had started to hatch.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The cracks were starting to get bigger.

Tap. Tap, tap. CRACK.

Little 'lines' appeared in a starburst pattern from where the dragonets pushed against their shell.

CRACK. CRA-CRACK.

The eggshell fell down, revealing the dragonets inside.

Kestrel looked at them with unusual warmth for her personality, and the two dragonets looked up, up, up at their mother.

"I'm going to keep you safe. No matter what I have to do, I will keep you two safe. We will live together, a family, and I can teach you to hunt and fight. We'll be alone, without the rest of our tribe, but we'll be together, and that's all that matters," Kestrel promised her dragonets in a whisper, again, very much against her personality.

But... Where will we stay? These dragonets are too young to fly, and I can't carry the one with firescales. And having a dragonet with too much fire will make it hard to stay secret. She might set the trees we're trying to hide in on fire. And a cave will give out smoke.

It doesn't matter. I'll make sure this works.

But even as she thought that, dragons poured from the sky, wings beating, diving down toward her.

And at the head of them was the dragon who wanted to break Kestrel's egg, had told her that horrid piece of information, all in a careless shrug of her wings.

Queen Scarlet, who Kestrel now despised.