The Claws of Night And Rain

Chapter 6

It turns out the nervous skywing was called Pyrite and the bigger one was called Avalanche. 'I'm not good at anything. I'm clumsy and very bright and generally useless. I'm completely loyal to queen scarlet' Pyrite thought again and again, over and over. 'Why does she think like that?' Rainwatcher thought 'Is she... enchanted to think like that? I never knew animus dragons can do that.' 'Rainwatcher!' Moon yelled in her mind 'If Scarlet has an animus dragon in her claws, she can kill you and your family!'

Rainwatcher didn't think about that. He glanced anxiously at Firefly, then at Moon. '...Scarlet doesn't know we exist.' Rainy looked at his claws. The SkyWings were looking at Moon's drawing and Cirrus had managed to peer over Moon's shoulder, making her shudder 'But- If she kills mother, Firefly would be queen and she doesn't want to do that.' Moon's mind was black for a minute, but her facial expressions looked like she was having a conversation with someone. 

"Before we send Pyrite with you" Riptide said, and Rainwatcher realised Moon was talking to Riptide, and then realised Pyrite knew where that place was. Which moaned she was the dragon taking them. A dragon loyal to Scarlet. "We need to know why you're going there."

Qibli looked at Winter like he was waiting for him to decide wether we should tell the truth or not. Then Firefly ruined Winter's moment of joy "We- we think that's where Scarlet is hiding.-"

"SCARLET?" Pyrite burst out, hitting Kinkijou with her wing. "OH! You mean she's alive? That awful Rainwing didn't kill her? Then I'll go! ANYTHING for HER MAJESTY!"

Firefly growled "That 'awful raining' is my mother." 'What?' Cirrus thought 'Glory has a daughter?' "And you'll want to refer to her as Queen Glory with my invisible guards around, who are loyal to her." she waved her talon around in the air, and Rainwatcher saw Jambu was one of her guards, and he was growling. "They'll be happy to do the same thing to you as mother did to Scarlet."

Pyrite flinched away from the Rainwing guards "And me," Swiftclaws added from behind. Rainwatcher forgot he was there. "Her personal bodyguard. The one the queen chose." 'Is he trying to... show off? INFRONT OF FIREFLY?' Rainwatcher's scales turned red, then quickly back to deep blue, his original colour. 'Oh god. Mother and Father better not put a female bodyguard on me. IF HE TRIES TO FLIRT WITH FIREFLY AGAIN I WILL-'

"Eep!" Pyrite yelped and hid behind Cirrus "Uhm, does the killer's daughter have to come along?"

"And son" Rainwatcher growled and his friends looked shocked "The Nightwing who can read minds, remember? Mother had that distributed over Pyrrhia." 'Try and fight me and I'll know your next move.' He thought fiercely 

"Uhm, there's no need to get violent" Riptide interjected as a smaller blue seawing creeped up from behind him. He looked smaller than Rainwatcher, but he was scrawny. 'OH!' Rainwatcher thought 'I'm a papaya head, that's Riptide and Tsunami's son! The one who was hidden from Coral.' "I think Pyrite's safe with the guards around, Rainy? Could you make sure they don't attack her?" Riptide asked 

"Sure" Rainwatcher put on his 'happy' face 'Unless she tries to hurt Firefly' Rainwatcher remembered his first fight, it was with a nightwing who'd called Firelfy a lay Rainwing, but she couldn't fight because she hurt her talon. Rainwatcher blew fire on him and he ran back into his tent, calling for his mother.

"She may go" Cirrus said, waving his talon "I'm going hunting." He twisted the pouch around his neck, and Rainwatcher saw Pyrite had a matching one. 'Were they... dating? I never could imagine a skywing and an Icewing hybrid.'

Pyrite passed the drawing to Rainwatcher quite aggresively, and he felt a weird tingling feeling. It felt like an.... animus touched object.

Were they going to fly to Scarlet with a completely loyal follower who hates my family and is an animus? Rainwatcher looked anxiously at Firefly, who started flying after everyone else. 'What if...' He paused his thoughts, picturing life without her. Rainwatcher couldn't stand up for himself, but he could stand up for his friends. What would he do without Firefly? 'What if Pyrite kills Mother and Firefly?'