The Silver Scales

The Silver Scales CH 18

Time for a Change of Pace

(A/N Alright I think that I've focused enough on Spirit for the time being, so in the next few chapters (at least 2 chapters each) I will be focusing more on the other characters in my series, it's time for some more formal intros, dossiers and some character building for them rather than focusing on one character and her view on others. I hope you enjoy learning about my characters as much as I have enjoyed creating them!)

(A/N: Apologies for the delay in posting this chapter, my college classes both decided to assign me an essay to write. But one of them is finally done so now it's time to finish this chapter before returning to college work lol)

Alligator stretched his large, scarred form in his sleeping cave, a heavy sigh leaving him as he glanced at Treefrog, his clawmate, sleeping soundly in his hammock, his scales shifting between yellow, orange, and red as he dreamed. Alligator walked out of the cave, heading to the library. ".... Alligator?" The voice of the blind Librarian, Starflight, called from behind his desk, his black-scaled head popping out from underneath.

Alligator chuckled, walking over to his desk. "You need to teach me how you do that." Alligator grinned, earning a chuckle from Starflight. "Let's hope you'll never have to use such a skill. You're here rather early, something wrong?" Starlight asked, having gotten used to sensing the time of day or night through his internal intuition.

"Yeah, just.... Wanted some peace and quiet before the majority of the school woke up." Alligator said, fibbing slightly, but not wanting to go into his issues with Starflight. Starflight tilted his head slightly as if he could hear Alligator's lie in his voice. "Alright, if you ever need to speak to anyone," Starflight said, letting the offer hang in the air, but not pressuring Alligator.

"Yeah, I know." Alligator agreed, heading to the alls of scrolls to pick one to read and potentially check out if it was good enough. Alligator knew that he needed to talk about what was bugging him, he had been in enough battles to see those soldiers who bottle everything up eventually break down with the weight of it. But Alligator didn't even know what his problem was, to begin with. It wasn't an overbearing presence, it was only when he hung around his classmates, specifically the ones in his winglet. But he didn't know what or who was causing it. 'Maybe Starflight or Sunny can help narrow it down.' A small voice in his head said.

Alligator shook his head hard. 'Yeah, right, and I'll just open up and tell them some weird feeling happens around my winglet, that's not vague at all.' Alligator criticized himself, he needed to figure out what this feeling was before he could even think about asking for advice... Alligator just wasn't sure how he would figure out what it was....

It was infuriating to the normally stoic mudwing, even though he was only a year or two older than most of his clawmates, he had been in enough battles to last all of their lifetimes put together. Remnants of the sandwings who were loyal to Blister or Blaze hoping to stoke up the fires of war again, some Seawings who held a grudge for the bombing of their Summer Palace, or just some icewings who didn't want to admit they had lost the war, despite Blaze being the one sister who had survived it, they had not gotten their promised land if Blaze had been successful in becoming queen.

As a result, Alligator had been in head-on battles with the aforementioned groups of interest. Alligator unconsciously lifted his talon, tracing the long claw mark that went through his left eye, which rendered it a milky white, and then the large three gashes on his chest from a particularly Irate Icewing, healed, but leaving scars deep enough to prevent any new scales from growing. It wasn't just the mudwings who were getting this treatment, according to some reports he had read, There had been similar skirmishes and fights all along each tribe's borders.