Ice at Midnight: A Winterwatcher Fanfic

❄️Chapter 8: Thoughts🌑

  Winter knew something was wrong as soon as Moonwatcher came back to class. There was a different look in her eyes, possibly fear, if not anxiety. And if his eyes weren't deceiving him, he saw a small spot on her left arm where the light reflected off her scales differently, almost unnaturally. He had sharp eyesight, so he was sure he wasn't mistaken. Now wouldn't be a good time to talk about it though, not in the middle of class. He decided it would be better to wait until passing period, even if not knowing what had happened was killing him.

  When the three gongs finally rang and everyone flocked out of the room like geese heading south for the winter, he caught up with Moon and pulled her aside in the hallway. They continued walking to their next class, but he focused more on the talking.

  "What happened?" he asked, not wasting any time building up to the question.

  The NightWing looked bewildered, but also slightly relieved. "You know?"

  "I'm good at observation," he replied. "So spill it; what happened when you were gone?"

  She looked away for a moment. "I'll tell you, but you have to swear you won't tell anybody else. I'm not even supposed to tell you."

  He didn't reply, simply staring at her, hoping she would get on with it. He had to admit, he was concerned by how shaken she had looked before.

  "This SkyWing, Flame, I think..." she started. "I ran into him by accident when I was going to our cave. He was painting his claws black, and he said the polish he was using was made with dragonbite viper venom. It must've been illegal, because he immediately told me not to tell anyone."

  Despite the raging inferno inside him after hearing what she'd said, Winter was able to keep his voice steady. "Or what?"

  "Well, he put some of the polish on my arm, sort of as a threat, saying he would use more if he found out I told anybody. It was only a little, but it hurt so bad...it's like touching a hot pan or something, but it stings too, and lasts for at least a minute."

  Winter realized he was grinding his teeth a little. He didn't know why, but hearing Moon's story made him angrier than he'd been in a long time. He wasn't even this angry when he'd had a run-in with that notorious SkyWing. So why did he feel like this now?

  "I won't tell," he said. Moon immediately relaxed. "But I have a couple other questions."

  Two gong strikes.

  "You should probably make it quick, then," she said, but not in a hostile or threatening tone. Rather as more of an advisement. 

  "First, where were you last night?" He hadn't seen her at all throughout the evening the previous day, and he couldn't be sure, but he suspected it had something to do with the scuffle in Qibli's cave.

  Moon shrugged. "I found a vacant cave and decided to spend the night there. What's the other question?"

  Winter wanted to know why exactly she'd been absent last night, but had a more personal question he wanted answered. Personal for him, not so much her. 

  One gong. Luckily, they had arrived at history, but were standing outside the doorway.

  "Why did you tell me what happened, if you weren't supposed to tell anyone?" he questioned, his tone growing soft. Partly so nobody would overhear; he didn't know the other reason.

  Instead of looking away or pretending to be distracted by something else, the NightWing stared right into his cold blue eyes. He almost wanted to shift his gaze for once, but something made him unable to break it. And surprise, surprise, his idiot brain couldn't figure out what it was.