Robin and The Case of The Kidnappers

Chapter 2

Robin's POV

A few days later, Robin's mother received a letter.

Dear Brittlebush, it said.

I have written to the academy, and Starflight has informed me of The Jade Winglet graduating in just a week. Well, I have to say, lucky Robin! Although he had also told me of several essential equipment each dragonet has to bring. Below is a list:

1. One wooden ruler measuring up to around 30 claw-lengths. Even though the academy stores spares, it is still the best for students to bring their own.

2. A few miniature glass tubes with cork tops (4-6 of these) for experiments in science and herbs & healing classes.

3. Small sealable bag/sack where students can put their library stamps, for example.

4. 'The Scavenger Languages' a scroll written by Winter of the icewings and Smolder of the sandwings with help from Wren the scavenger. Also used in the class of understanding scavengers. This item is not as essential, but still recommended, seeing as the school library has a few copies.

5. A small ink pot. Do NOT fill with ink beforehand.

Above items are to be put into a traveling sack.

-Queen Thorn

"The class of understanding scavengers, herbs & healing, science, and a library!" Robin held the letter in her talons, joy in her voice as she read it out loud. "It all sounds so cool!" Suddenly she sighed. "And I have to wait until next week? That is so-" Robin fumbled for a word appropriate to describe the situation. "So...Unfair!"

Her mother laughed and patted her head. "Be patient, Robin. The time will come eventually,"

Robin made a face. "I hate having to be patient," she retorted. Then headed off to her room to start packing, taking the letter with her. Robin then pulled out the top drawer in her bedside cabinet, took out her straw-sewn rucksack and dumped it on the floor against the leg of the bed.

"Wooden ruler, a small bag..." Robin muttered under her breath, reading off the list as she stuffed the items into her sack. She was going to take the green wool bag her aunt had made for her birthday last year. It had a piece of string attached from one end to the other, allowing the wearer to hang it over their shoulder or neck. Then she took her dim-cyan coloured ink pot to wash in the sink in the bathroom. After cleaning the ink splotches away, Robin packed it in her rucksack and made a mental note to get the rest of the things from the market with her mother later.

Then they had lunch, which was a combination of mainly cows and mangos for dessert. After that, Robin brought out a pack of UNO cards from her room and distributed them between her and her family. The first round her father had won, the next two rounds Robin, and the last round her mother. Then Robin got a board game and they played another two rounds, before becoming bored and going to chill out in the living room. Robin sat on the sofa, playing tunes on her bamboo flute. Normally she would be out with her friends at this time of the day.

Birds tweeted on a tree outside the window, cheerily and without a care in the world. "Mum, can we go to the market now? I need to get some things for the academy," Robin slid off the sofa.

"Sure,"

They walked out onto the streets and turned right into the markets section. Shopkeepers called out to passing dragons, advertising their stores and trade. A few dragonets ran around, sharing sweets and traditional honey drops from Pantala. Others smudged cement on Possibility walls, stablizing and covering up the cracks. Some pushed wagons filled with everything that ranged from bottles of fresh milk and chicken eggs to hand-made crochet animals and jewelry.

Robin and her mother first walked into a scroll store. The exterior was adorned with a few trails of ivy and moss, a nice match with the dark oak walls. The inside was dimly lit by a few fancy-looking globes containing a few curls of warm flamesilk. Robin went along the shelves one by one, scanning for a scroll with the name of The Scavenger Languages. Abruptly her eye caught sight of a lable that went by the intriguing name 'Border of Eternity". Even though Robin wasn't really a scrollworm, sometimes she'd read to distract herself from other things, like for example a few days earlier. Although usually she would only pick the scrolls that interested her the most.

Robin collected it from its slot and kept on searching. After a bit she found what she was looking for. The Scavenger Languages were lettered in black ink and surrounded by a golden minimalistic pattern. Taking it out, she brushed her talons across the title and admired the creativity for a moment. Then she brought both scrolls to her mother, and, after explaining why she wanted the other one, paid.

They thanked the owner of the shop before walking out, then Robin led the way to a well-known shop selling all things related to science. It was called 'The Galaxy of a Thousand Wonders'. That was a big company owned by a hivewing named Cricket and a silkwing named Blue. They had shops all over the two continents that sold everything, and a research team aiming to discover and uncover mysteries of nature. But undeniably, the most famous thing owned by the company was a library, possibly the largest in history. The library was rumored to have over a million scrolls and books, and it was said that you could find every single existing scroll there.

The bell tingled on the door as Robin entered, bringing her back from her thoughts. Placed near the sides, light mint coloured tables displayed weird-looking experiments. Robin flinched at the vapor that rose suddenly from one as she passed. More towards the centre were tables and shelves in darker hues of blues, and at the front was a little white counter.

Robin saw what she needed and picked five glass tubes from a small selection. At the counter, the cashier gave her a paper bag of which she put her scrolls in with the tubes. It was nearing sunset when they walked out again, and the sky was a combination of oranges and shimmering yellows, much like Robin's scales. The last light of the day cast gold onto the clouds, making them seem like they were painted with fine, long strokes.

For most, Robin and her mother went in silence, until a certain question popped into Robin's head. "Have you ever felt as much excitement for something like the enthusiasm I now feel for Jade Mountain?" Robin piped up out of nowhere, catching the dragon beside her by surprise.

Her mother thought for a moment, her snout tilted skywards, perhaps remembering her own dragonethood. "Yes, I think so," She replied. "I recall a time when I was your age and was about to embark on a journey that would change my life forever." She smiled, a nostalgic glint in her eyes. "I was chosen to be part of the first group of dragonets to attend an academy founded by the sandwings, a school near the sandwing palace itself. It was a place where sandwing dragonets could learn and live together, in harmony and friendship."

Robin gasped, her eyes wide with wonder. "You went to an academy? I never knew that! What was it like? Did you meet any famous dragons? Did you have any adventures?" She bombarded her mother with questions, eager to hear more.

Her mother chuckled, amused by her daughter's curiosity. "It was a wonderful experience, Robin. I met many dragons, some of whom became my closest friends. I learned a lot about the history, culture and traditions of the sandwings, and the challenges and opportunities that we faced as a new generation. And yes, I did have some adventures, some of which were quite dangerous and thrilling." She paused, a mischievous grin on her face. "But those are stories for another time, my dear. You are going to Jade Mountain in just a few days, and I wouldn't wish to spoil your own adventure before it begins."

Ignore the scavenger leash bit in the image of the letter. I created it before deciding that I didn't actually want them to leash scavengers and was too lazy to change it. Sorry about the wait. This is so short compared to the first chapter but I'm quite busy right now. :p