"Night and Ice Do Not Mix" *Winterwatcher*

Chapter 10

Why I didn't update: one word: SCHOOL. *not edited*

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Winter was blown backwards, Qibli landing on top of him.

Three moons, how much does this dragon weigh?

He looked toward the history cave. There was billowing black smoke that was pouring out of the history cave. He watched a burning scroll roll, landing just before Moon's talons. Shards of glass from the broken light globes were scattered all over the floor. Winter raced toward Moon, Qibli right on his heels.

"Moon!" Winter skidded to a halt in front of her, reaching for her shoulders and then pulling back as she flinched from his touch. "What was that?"

"We have to get her out of here," Qibli said, sliding his wing under one of Moon's and helping her up. "The smoke —" He broke off, coughing.

"But Tamarin — Carnelian —" Moon gasped.

"What do we do?" Kinkajou yelled. "What do we do?"

Qibli and Moon staggered a few steps forward and two dragons came into focus.

"I'm going to get help!" Umber shouted. He charged off the tunnel.

"Is anyone hurt?" Sora squeaked. "Where's Icicle?" Yeah, where is she?

"She's all right, she wasn't inside," Moon said. "At least two dragons were in there," Winter said.

"Stand clear," a voice shouted, footsteps thumping toward them. Peril charged through the smoke, running into the burning cave.

"Three moons," Kinkajou whispered nervously.

A minute later, Peril's smoking wings appeared, and she backed out of the cave, dragging someone behind her. She pulled the burned dragonet level with Winter and the others, then laid her in the stone floor and ran back into the cave.

Kinkajou gasped and buried her face in her talons.

"Oh, no," Moon said softly, barely audible. Winter watched as Moon let go of Qibli and crouched beside the body. Carnelian was badly burned, scales smoking.

"Maybe I can —" Winter hesitated, then crouched and breathed a small amount of frostbreath on Carnelian's neck. The smoking stopped, but stayed black. He shook his head in frustration. That could make it worse. I don't know.

Clay stopped briefly beside Carnelian and grief flooded his eyes. Turtle wailed and buried his snout into Carnelian's burnt scales, muttering something inaudible.

"How many are in there?" Clay asked.

"We don't know for sure," Kinkajou replied. "At least Tamarin. Peril went back in too." 

Clay didn't ask anymore questions and ran into the fire, limping in his scarred leg. Flames licked hungrily across his fireproof brown scales.

Sora let out a choked sob and fled the other direction.

"What's happening?" Onyx demanded from behind Moon. She and Pike stared, bewilderment written across their faces as they looked at the roaring flames.

"Tamarin —" was all Kinkajou could whisper out.

Onyx narrowed her dark eyes at the fire while Pike flared his wings.

"We shouldn't be breathing in this," Qibli said, trying to steer Moon away from the fire. "This smoke is as bad as the fire, if we breathe too much."

"I'm not leaving until I know Tamarin's alright." Kinkajou said stubbornly.

Moon shook her head in agreement and Qibli gave up. Weakling. I would never give up that fast!

A movement in the smoke, and then Clay emerged, carrying a dragonet slung across his back. Behind him was Peril with another dragonet.

Winter tried to breathe and calm down. Who is the third dragonet? Who did this? 

"Is it all clear?" Winter asked Clay.

Clay nodded to tiredly. "We swept the entire place. No one else is in there."

Winter ran toward the cave, opened his jaw, and poured out a blast of icy air. He advanced on the fire, putting it out with his frostbreath as he stepped through the smoke, and into the cave.

Wow. The cave is really burned badly. I wonder if they will cancel history class now? Winter looked around, looking at his now done job. Frostbreath covered every inch of the cave, leaving no space untouched.

"I'm all right," Winter heard Moon speak.

"Let's get you to the infirmary," Kinkajou said.

"Wait," Winter said, emerging from the cave. Behind him, the fire was hissing out. The wrecked cave was covered in ice crystals, a gleaming layer of silver over black, frost over soot. Scraps of burnt scrolls littered the ground, and he ashes of the maps on the walls were still drifting down.

Winter clamped his claws around Moon's forearm and heard Moon yelp, probably from his cold scales.

"Hey!" Kinkajou protested.

"Don't —" Qibli started.

But Winter ignored them and didn't stop. He dragged.  Moon down the tunnel, away from the smoke. He could hear Qibli and Kinkajou and another pair of claws scrambling to follow them.

"What are you doing?" Moon asked him. He did not answer, or loosen his grip.

"Here," Winter said, pushing her into a tall narrow cave where the air was clear enough to breathe. They were out sight if re fire damage, but close that you could still sense the dragons gathering there.

Qibli, Kinkajou, and Turtle burst into the cavern behind them, bristling with outrage. Humph. As if I care about your opinions.

Qibli had apparently grabbed a torch along the way and shoved it into a crack in the wall, adding another circle of firelight to the space.

"You can't just push your friends around like that," Kinkajou said, hurrying over to Moon. "Especially when she's hurt. Moon, there's something in this wound." She reached out, but didn't touch it.

Qibli lifted his venomous tail and glared at Winter. But before he could say anything, Winter took a menacing step toward Moon and pointed one silver claw toward her.

"You knew," he snarled. "That's why you tried to stop us from going in. You knew about the explosion and the fire before it happened." He took another step, until all Winter could see was the fear and confusion in Moon's eyes.

"So," he hissed. "Exactly how did you know?"

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Okay. I am kinda losing interest in this book, but I will continue to write it. If you have any ideas for future updates, comment or PM me. I really appreciate it. Thanks for waiting this long!

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