Little Small Horns

Broken News

   Lizard got treated. They told his classes to stay with him for now, though. Nobody knew about his and Stem's relationship yet. Although it still wasn't official. Stem wished he could speak, she wanted it so badly. Though no words were said, she had faith in the healers. She believed they would heal him, as they promised.
   Stem hadn't written a journal entry in a while. Her blood soaked pages worried her. Worried her about the— whatever they saw. Banana and Stem had made it far without the worry. Except now she had other things to worry about.
   Tsunami visited her the day the IceWing stabbed Lizard. She said her name was Frost. That they captured her, and had an animus lock her up, like a dragon named Flame. It sounded unsafe. Like she'd escape. Like Stem's world would crumble again.
   Lizard could move, he'd sit up, and sometimes turn in his sleep. But the healers said that the IceWing could have damaged part of his spinal cord, and if he moved too much... he could become paralyzed. They said it's because, if she did damage it, it was only slightly. And if he moved too much, it could twist and break apart.
   They tranquilized him sometimes, when he tried to get up, because they still didn't fully know if he was, in fact, injured in that way. Please recover! Please please please!!! She would pray.
   Banana brought her some berries, and she brought Dirt. Dirt snuggled up against the warmth of her scales.
   "Umm. Stem?" Banana asked. "Yeah, well. The healers are busy with another patient who was attacked during one of those attack things. It wasn't one that you were involved in, though. It happened right after the Lizard thing."
   "What. Are. You. Saying." Stem asked, more worried than anything.
   "Are you familiar with a dragon—a NightWing—named MidNight?"
   "WHAT? ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT A DRAGON WHO WAS INSIDE MY HEAD GOT ATTACKED? WELL WHY IN THREE MOONS SHOULD I CARE!?"
   "Uhhh... because she claimed to be your cousin?"
   "WHAT? WHY THAT LOONEY SLIME BREATHING BLUBBERING FROG BREATH!"
   "What?"
   "I'm not in ANY way, shape, or form... A HYBRID!"
   "But she wishes to speak with you." Said a voice down the hall, recognizable as Sunny.
   "But I've been over this time, and time again with my mother." Stem acknowledged.
   "But if you were—"
   "But. I'm. Not." Stem said as she grabbed her things and left the room.
   But then an IceWing jumped in front of her. Teeth gnashing, and claws broken. She broke free. She thought, but it didn't sound like her own thought. It wasn't her voice inside her head right then...
   It was Sunny's.