Ice at Midnight: A Winterwatcher Fanfic

🌑Chapter 2: Clawmates🌑

  Forgot to mention that Winter doesn't have his scavenger in this story. Also, I didn't put a picture of a crocodile up there for no reason...😉. I bet a few of you will figure it out.

No way, Moon thought. I pray to the moons that this IceWing just made a wrong turn or something.

  The ice blue dragon standing at the doorway to the cave double checked the letter next to it, muttering something under his breath as he did so. Then, without a word, he entered, walking over the opposite side of the cave to where a large rocky ledge was carved into the stone wall. He used his frostbreath to coat the surface in a sheet of glittering ice, then layed down on his side and turning so he was facing the wall instead of her.

  Well, looks like this is my clawmate. Not exactly the talkative type, but neither am I. That's good. Probably. He looks so familiar though...wait! That's the IceWing I saw at the entrance to the school! 

  When they'd locked eyes earlier, she had quickly hissed and broken their gazes, hoping it told him that she wasn't afraid of him. Which was not exactly the truth. Her mother had reminded her after that to stay safe, and although she didn't specifically mention IceWings, Moon knew that like the rest of her tribe, she wasn't fond of the icy beings.

  I wish I could've stayed just one more year in the rainforest; I miss Mom already. We were only able to spend a couple of years together before this academy opened, and now I'm stuck here, in a cold cave, in a school full of rambunctious, noisy dragons. It doesn't help that I have these stupid powers to hide...

  Instead of focusing on the negatives about this situation, Moonwatcher went back to reading the scroll she had been paying attention to before her clawmate arrived. Some good news was that there was a nice little scroll rack in the corner, five scrolls set on each of its two shelves. Several minutes ago, she had been looking through the titles, and had found ones about military strategy and other things that she now realized were obvious hints that she was partnered with an IceWing. Those ones were pretty sophisticated, even for someone at her reading level. She was only four, but had probably read more scrolls than the rest of the NightWings in the rainforest combined.

  She was resting on a pile of moss and leaves that had been here when she entered, having created a makeshift bed. It felt just like the forest floor, where she had stayed secretly hidden for many months during the times when Secretkeeper had to be at the volcano with the rest of her tribe. It felt like home.

  Moon tried to remain intently focused on her reading, and not the minds of the other dragons nearby, however with someone else only a few feet away, their thoughts were strong and spiky, and easily caught the attention of her mind.

  ...can't believe I have to share a cave with a NightWing. I can't ask for my own cave either; there's only three here, and the other two are almost certainly occupied by now. Stupid Dragonets of Destiny, coming up with the idea of merging dragons from different tribes...

  Clearly this newcomer wasn't very excited about being here, either. A few silent minutes passed before one of them finally spoke.

  "Where did you get that map?" the IceWing asked gruffly.

  Moon quickly looked up from her scroll. "W-what?"

  "The map that you have," he replied. "The one right next to you."

  "Oh. Fatespeaker gave it to me. You know, the NightWing at the-"

  "I know who she is," he interrupted. "Never met someone more obnoxiously talkative than her. I'm just wondering why I didn't get one." He walked over to pick it up, unfolding it to examine the layout of the school that was sketched on it.