WoF Ficlets

Happy Place (Blaze x Glacier)

Blaze trudged along in the snow behind Glacier, trying her best to not freeze to death.

"It will just be a short flight, Blaze" Glacier had promised, "You won't be out in the cold for very long."

And it had been a short flight, but Glacier had failed to mention the short walk that followed. Blaze was finding it more and more difficult to convince her claws to move. As the needling pain in her talons grew, she fantasized about the warm fluffy mittens she had stupidly left at the Fortress.

A tail brushed her shoulder and she glanced up, squinting against the bitter wind, so see the blurry outline of Glacier. "Almost there," she pressed but didn't wait for Blaze to answer. She carried on forward with Blaze literally following in her talon steps, stretching her shorter limps to match the imprints that Glacier had made in the snow.

Rather suddenly, the crisp smell of pine was overpowered with the scent of smoke. A few heartbeats later, a warm light flickered through the pine needles of the dense evergreen forest and a small clearing opened up before them. At the center, protected from the wind by the surrounding forest, was a homely wooden cabin. Warm light glowed through the windows and a puffy cloud of smoke billowed from the chimney.

Glacier opened the door and Blaze didn't hesitate. She hurried in, her body giving a massive shudder as it passed from the brutal cold and into the warm interior.

"Oh, thank the Moons!" Blaze rushed towards the hearth where an enormous fire crackled happily. Her body screamed for the heat so loudly that Blaze had to stop herself from jumping right in. She brought her face close to the flames, thawing out the tips of her ears and snout. "Ahh, that's better. Honestly Glacier, how is it that every time you suggest we go somewhere I end up nearly dying?"

"Don't you think that's a bit dramatic?" the IceWing asked as she firmly shut the door.

"No!"

This got a smile from Glacier, as small and delicate as a snowflake. She approached Blaze, and the SandWing's stomach did a flipped in anticipation. Now that her senses were warming up, she remembered why she had agreed to this ludicrous idea. Because now she was finally alone with Glacier.

Glacier came to stand before her. Blaze's heart thundered as Glacier reached out a talon and ran it along Blaze's cheek. She was wiping away the melting snow that dripped down her golden scales. Carefully, keeping her sharp serrated talons angled back, Glacier brushed the soft pads of her talons over Blaze's snout, eyes, temples, chin, and throat. The coolness of her touch wasn't a problem. Blaze's face was burning all on its own.

"I would never do anything that would put you in danger," she said softly and used the fabric from her own cloak to dab Blaze's chest and arms. "Besides, you're always complaining about being cooped up in the Fortress. I thought this would be a nice change of pace."

Blaze snorted. "Yes, but when I said that I meant for you to take me to a jewelry market or a nice restaurant, or even a diplomatic meeting. Instead you take me to – to – where are we?"

For the first time Blaze actually took a moment to look around. The inside of the cabin was simple and cozy. There were some polar bear rugs in the middle of the room; a large pillow was slumped close to one of the large windows with a messy stack of scrolls lying nearby on the floor. On a shelf near the fireplace sat a tea kettle, some cups, and a bag of what Blaze assumed was jasmine tea, Glacier's favourite.

"This is where I come for a moment of peace; a place to escape it all." Weariness flickered across Glacier's face, but by the time she turned to face Blaze it was gone. "I suppose one could call it my escape room."

Blaze closed the already small distance between them, and Glacier's wings automatically wrap themselves around her. "Why do IceWings have to give everything such dismal names? Why not just call it your happy place?"

"I am not calling it that."

"And since we're on the topic, I'd like to take this moment to point out how much you teased me about MY happy place in the Fortress and called it the frumpy frilly room."

The IceWing turned her face away, but not as a sign of remorse or guilt. No. She was trying, and failing, to hide the amused smile that pulled at her mouth and made the corners of her eyes crinkle beautifully.

"I just...don't understand how a dragon could have so many pillows..."

"Don't you talk about my pillows," Blaze insisted, and was going to argue some more but was made silent when Glacier pulled her in close.

"I may not have hundreds of pillows, but I suppose you did inspire me to make this place." Glacier glanced around her little haven, looking over it fondly...and a little sadly. "I admit, at first it seemed ridiculous to create a space dedicated to things I enjoyed, but the longer this war goes on, the more I realized that having a place like this has made me a better leader. It's made me... happier."

Blaze glanced up at Glacier and batted her eyelashes. She held a talon up to her ear and said, "What was that? Was I right about something? Does Queen Glacier of the IceWings admit that Princess Blaze is a genius?"

"Be silent," Glacier said and pressed her snout into Blaze's neck. Blaze was laughing too hard to continue teasing, and for a moment she forgot about the war and her sisters and the freezing cold outside. It was just the two of them right now, like it used to be in the time when they had both just been princesses.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying?" Glacier asked, her smooth voice humming through the scales of Blaze's throat.

"Has anyone ever told YOU that you're infuriating?" Blaze retorted, and couldn't help the shiver that travelled along her wings when Glacier put a talon on her arm.

This was disastrously misinterpreted by Glacier.

"Are you cold?" she asked, quickly pulling away. As usual, she didn't wait for an answer. Near the wall opposite to the windows was a large wooden chest ornamented with carvings owls and whales. Glacier went to it and pulled out several heavy woolen blankets and animal pelts. She piled them on top of Blaze, and when she couldn't pile any more she arranged them around the SandWing like a nest. "I had these brought up the other day, but I wasn't sure if they'd be enough. Are you comfortable?"

Blaze missed Glacier's touch, but she had to admit that these blankets were sublime. She had been living in the Ice Kingdom for so long now that she sometimes didn't even notice she was cold. "Yes," she sighed contentedly, "very comfortable."

Glacier looked please about this, like she had gotten a perfect score on a test in which the only question had been "How many blankets does a SandWing need?"

"I'll put on some tea," she said and took down the kettle from the shelf. "That will warm you up as well."

Joy bubbled from Blaze's chest and out to every part of her body as she watched Glacier go to fetch some snow to fill the kettle, the IceWing smiling as she went. She was more at ease here, relaxed. Like an unclenched fist that had been holding itself tight for ages, ready to strike at any moment.

When Glacier came back inside Blaze asked, "So you admit it, then?"

Glacier looked at her, one of her perfectly sharp eyebrows raised. "Admit what?"

"That this is your happy place."

Glacier hooked the kettle over the fire, her gentle laugh dancing in the air. As the snow in the kettle melted she returned to Blaze's side and they leaned into each other. Blaze closed her eyes, focusing on the smoothness of Glacier's scales; her smell of pine and jasmine.

Glacier pressed their foreheads together and whispered, "It is – now that you're here." 

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A.N. I wrote this fic in dedication to the poll I made on Tumblr in which I asked people to choose between Blacier and Qinter. The people chose Blacier and so here we are :3