The Dark Hope ~Darkness rising~

Chapter three

She woke up to thunderclaps and snoring. She turned her head to See the three dragonets huddled together, shivering. She got up and stretched and saw that the food bowl was empty. She walked to the entrance boulder and opened it a crack. There were voices coming from the main cave but she couldn't hear what they were saying over the storm, in their head or with her ears. Curious she crouched down and silently stalked to the main cave. She gingerly poked her head around and flicked her ears in the direction of the voices. "Are you sure she'll let us in?" A voice murmured. She realized his voice as Shadow the blind Eclipsewing. "Maybe." Another sighed. That voice was Sinon's. "How are you sure she will let us in? I mean Moon is calm but she can be prickly." They are talking about me? Moonreader's head spun, What are they talking about. She then realized if they came back they would see her eavesdropping. She quietly slipped to a shadow and crept to the prey tunnel hoping her black scales would hide her. Finally she made it to the flight ledge and leapt down. All the animals were running around in panic as the storm raged on. She landed and weaved though the animals. She spotted a wild boar running in her direction. As quick as a hawk she dove for it and slammed a talon down on it. She swiftly snapped its neck and it fell limp. She hauled it in her talons and flew up to the flight ledge again. Sinon and Shadow were gone, but she did not ponder on it and went back to her cave. To her bewilderment Magma was standing there tapping his claws impatiently. "Moon!" He snarled. "I know you're in there come out and fight me for all the help you were in the raid attack!" Dragons were curiously poking their heads out to watch him. She bit back a snappy retort and walked over to him as quiet at a feather falling. She whacked her tail over his head and kicked him hard making him fall onto his chin. "And don't come back unless you want me to throttle you!" She bellowed and opened her entrance boulder. She slipped inside with the boar and closed it. Asteroid, Dawn and Singe were huddled together now sleeping. She dropped the boar in the food bowl and went to her desk. She pulled out a book and flipped it open to the first page and hesitated. Then dipped her claw in black ink and wrote. What were Sinon and Shadow talking about just now? Ink appeared below it and read. They were discussing about, asking you if they should move into your cave after their caves were destroyed in the attack.  She thought for a moment. Then wrote, What would happen if i said yes? The ink shifted and changed into her answer, but as she read it it looked more like a cryptic rhyme .You will find adventure and secrets but will pay a price, a great price. She tapped her snout thoughtfully then turned to the cave entrance hearing some distress at her door. she rolled the stone out off the way to see Magma pinning Sinon down. "Go back to where ever you crawled from while I go talk to her!" He snarled. Moon blinked searching his mind frantically. Damn Moon will pay for nearly letting me get killed the other day! His mind growled "Hey! I'm right here! You got the wrong dragon. Your as blind as a bat outside in the middle of the day." Moon snapped back. All heads snapped to her and she noticed Sinon's claws were twitching closer to a leather belt around her waist and Moon saw a pistol poking out from under her wing. Moon's eyes widened as she got a flash of the trauma, pain and grief she felt when she first met Sinon. She barrelled into Magma and flicked her tail managing to bat Sinon's talons away from the gun. She whirled on magma and raked her claws across his face. "Accept the fact that you don't intimidate me and i won't gravel in fear under that pathetic attempt of a death glare." Moon sighed and turned to Sinon lifting her up with her shoulder. "You ok?" Moon asked and Sinon looked at her flustered. "Yes." She answered quickly pulling away. "Oh!" Sinon suddenly said turning back to Moon quickly. "Me and Shadow wanted to ask you something." Moon nodded and beckoned to her cave. She noticed Shadow following them carefully to her cave. Moon sat and waited for Shadow to get into the cave before she followed. She closed the boulder behind her and realized that the dragonets where still asleep. "So what do you want to talk about?" She said looking at Shadow and Sinon. They looked at each other then Sinon said. "After the Eclipsewings attacked our caves got destroyed, so we were wondering if we could move into your cave." He said carefully. Moon tapped the ground thoughtfully thinking about the message the scroll gave. "Alright." She said with a shrug "You can move in, but" She added quickly as Sinon and Shadow got excited. "Waring i have three dragonets under my care and they love to play with new dragons until they get used to them." Sinon shuffled her talons slightly. "Very well." she said with a shrug. "Alright then." Moon said with a nod. "I'd recommend you get something to make a comfy nest. The area i designated for sleeping is on the far side of the cave." She said flicking her tail to a small patch of ferns and moss. "The dragonets can sleep wherever, whenever if you're wondering why they're sleeping there." She said seeing Sinon's eyes dart to the dragonets and opened her mouth. Sinon went around the cave looking around. Shadow had sunk to the ground laying down with his tail coiled like a snake. Moon walked over to her desk to see her answer book was open but blank. She picked it up and walked over to her trunk and fished out a small, black leather pouch. She placed the book in the pouch and slung it around her chest before she turned to where Sinon was scanning the cave, clumps of moss in her talons. "I'll go outside and find some ferns." She called over her shoulder as she moved the boulder aside. She quickly moved to the main cave and darted to the large double wood doors at the front. She glanced sideways and found one of the extra exits. She darted through the small gap, big enough to let a dragon like her through. She walked out into a heavy down pour that weighed down her wings and made her neck heavy but she pushed forward going to her stash of dry ferns. She crouched down and clawed away some rocks. A stack of dry ferns lied there, flat and soft. She yanked them out and covered them with her wing.
She walked back to her cave, rain water streaming off her scales. she shook herself and ducked inside the cave where she was greeted by three dragonets chasing Sinon in circles around the cave. She snorted a small laugh and walked to the end of the cave where the sleeping corner was. She laid the dry ferns around where moss had been laid out presumably by Sinon. Shadow was laying down staring into space. "Moon!" Sinon called leaping over Moon and crouched behind her. "Get your dragonets under control." She panted as Dawn, Asteroid and Singe skittered to a halt in front of Moon. "Are you chasing our new den mates?" She questioned scooting them to the bigger nest that was made. "Well we're bored and they are staying with us right?" Singe said looking hopefully at Sinon and Shadow. Moon sighed "Yes they are." She said with a nod. Singe bounced on his talons. "But, its time for bed you three." Moon said sternly. Dawn and Asteroid grumbled as they settled in and Singe whined. "If you go to sleep and shut your mouths right now i might take you outside tomorrow." Moon growled, slowly getting irritated. The wails and grumbles stopped immediately and a few heartbeats later they were out. Satisfied Moon walked over to Sinon. "Sorry if they're annoying you." She apologised. Sinon blinked warmly at here. "There's no need to say sorry but by all the shining stars there fast!" She said with a small laugh and Moon could tell she was tired. "There's enough room in the nest now for the three of us.' Moon said with a small nod then bustled over to her desk waiting for no answer. She opened a small compartment in her desk and tugged out a sheet of paper. She tapped a claw on the smooth  wood of the desk then sighed as tiredness weighed her mind. She got up and curled up near the dragonets her tail wrapped around them. She felt another pair of scales slide in beside her and she lifted her head to see Sinon's tail brushing her side. Too tired to feel her usual prickliness. She closed her eyes and slipped into an uneasy sleep.