Wings of Fire: Overcast

Chapter Twelve

To get to the Ice Kingdom, Eclipse needed a new disguise. She couldn't make herself flawless again; that had attracted far too much attention. She wouldn't be surprised if Fire and Rory were boasting to all their SkyWing friends about the pretty new SkyWing they'd met at work, Sienna.

She made herself a completely boring IceWing, with unblemished milky white scales and pale blue eyes. She looked like any ordinary IceWing, and her appearance itched at her, but she didn't have a choice. She wasn't going with Darkstalker like she'd originally planned; she was going on her own, with only herself to rely on.

She made it to the Ice Kingdom without many problems. But she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get over the Great Ice Cliff, so she enchanted a rock to enable her to cross it. Once she'd crossed, she tucked the rock into her small sling bag hidden in her milky white scales.

She didn't meet any guards, although some did look at her. One of them finally approached.

"I haven't seen you before," he snapped.

She gave him a flat look. "Don't tell me you know every single IceWing in the Ice Kingdom."

"I know all those who've crossed the Cliff! We're you even authorized to do that?"

She shrugged, and remained unresponsive.

"What's your name?" he demanded frighteningly.

Well, to any other dragon. She simply winked, undeterred, not even shaking beneath his harsh stare. "I'm Aurora," she introduced herself with a charming smile.

"Well, Aurora, I, as Commander Stalactite, command you to-"

"Yes, quite amusing, isn't it? A commander commanding me to do something," Eclipse responded and feigned a yawn.

"Are you disobeying authorities?" he demanded.

"Authorities? I only see one; that would make it authority, singular, wouldn't it?"

"You shouldn't be telling me off for my grammar, you should be actually paying attention!" he snarled, looking frustrated. Eclipse gave a delicate laugh that she supposed suited her IceWing disguise.

"Your empty threats?" she asked, and whistled innocently when the soldiers around Stalactite gasped.

Stalactite looked like he was ready to burst with anger, and when Eclipse gave another delicate laugh, he finally exploded.

"Iceshard, take her to the Queen's dungeon!" he snapped. "We do NOT tolerate misbehaving IceWings."

"But they tolerate you? How completely ridiculous," Eclipse responded.

"With all due respect, Aurora - you should probably stop talking. Now," Iceshard said quietly, in a soft tone that didn't match his name.

"And what makes you think I'll listen to you?" She really needed to get herself in the Queen's dungeon. That would bring her a step closer to Foeslayer.

"I'm not commanding you. It's a suggestion I rather hope you'll keep in mind," Iceshard responded respectfully and calmly. She found herself liking this levelheaded IceWing who was unlike most of his tribe.

"Fine. To the dungeons it is, I suppose."

He looked surprised, maybe because no one willingly went to the dungeons, but exchanged a glance with his commander. Stalactite shook his head.

"It - ah - seems we'll just take you back to our camp first," Iceshard said. He looked like he might stammer, but his eyes had resolve in them, and he spoke confidently.

"Iceshard will look after you," Stalactite ordered. 

For the first time, Iceshard showed some true hints of emotion, and there was a slight edge to his voice when he asked, "And who will take my place as sergeant, Commander?"

"Oh, perhaps Seal would be eager to; he's been awaiting a promotion for years, darling," Stalactite drawled.

Iceshard stiffened when Stalactite called him darling but didn't question his commander's actions any further, instead telling Eclipse, "Come with me."

"Of course I would," Eclipse drawled, in the exact same tone and voice of Commander Stalactite.

Stalactite hadn't been listening anymore, but Iceshard's eyes widened. "That... Wasn't wise," he said. "The commander will have your head for imitating him."

"Of course he would. He's an authority - no, my bad - authorities figure."

Iceshard looked like he might be smothering a laugh, but he didn't say so and there was no laughter in his voice when he answered.

"This isn't a time for jokes, Aurora. We're at war with the NightWings."

"That itself is a joke," Eclipse said quietly. 

"Aurora... Please be serious."

"Nothing cracks your mask, does it?" she asked. "You're Mr Stern-faced Seal-eater who doesn't know how to smile."

"I do know how to smile. It's just unnecessary."

"Alright, what makes you smile?"

"I don't know why you'd care," Iceshard said indifferently.

"Let's just say I'm the nosy type."

He almost - almost cracked a smile. But he didn't. "You're snarky, aren't you?" he asked instead with a completely straight, emotionless face.

"What's the point in asking that if you're not going to smile?"

"Many points, Aurora."

"That's not even an answer," Eclipse said flatly. "Are you going to tell me or do I need to charm it out of you?"

"You're... Not like an ordinary IceWing," he said, studying her closely.

"Of course not. Ordinary IceWings are stupid and boring and have their everyday routine and never smile - much like you, actually."

He gave her the briefest of smiles. "So, you're calling me stupid and boring?"

"Why, of course. What else would I call you? Your name is two whole syllables - such a mouthful," Eclipse said innocently.

"Yours is three," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, there's a reason I don't flaunt my own name and call myself all the time."

He gave her a slightly more real smile that time, and she smiled back at him.

"A good reason, I suppose."

"Yes. My poor teeth can't handle all these syllables. Or-ror-ah. Sooooo looooooooooooong. Longer than yours. And yours is pretty dumb, by the way. Is Iceshard even a word?"

"Back with the insulting, I see."

"Of course. It appears to be the only thing I know how to do."

Eclipse didn't know where all these words were coming from, and she felt slightly different talking to Iceshard. She wasn't as irritable as she was when it came to her dear old uncle, Darkstalker, and ... She didn't know what she was doing. Was she flirting?

Nonsense. She was only four years old, although, by the looks of him, he might only be six.

But she had coaxed another smile out of him. Out of an emotionless IceWing who lived to bore.

"Well," he said, "Maybe this won't be a complete waste of my time after all."