Ice at Midnight: A Winterwatcher Fanfic

🌑Chapter 13: Cold Snap🌑

  Not to brag, but I feel like I've been rocking these titles lately! Idk why I feel like sharing this, but I just heard some obnoxious sound that reminded me of a goose honking, a small dog barking, and one of those squeaking chicken toys all at once outside my window. Ok, I'll get on with the chapter now. Also I just put the picture above because of cold snap in the title; it isn't freezing where I live, thank god. We had a brutal winter. But unfortunately, I believe I'm getting the flu again. I Googled the early symptoms, which include runny nose, sore throat, and fatigue; all of which I've been feeling for the past couple days. It seems influenza isn't done with me yet. NOW onto the story!

  Moon sat in a dark, cozy corner in the school library, curled up on a pile of soft leaves with a scroll clutched in her claws. Like many mornings already, she had come to the library in search of a new scroll to replace one she'd recently finished. Normally she would've gone to the fantasy section, but today was different. She had felt some urge to take a look at the nonfiction scrolls, seeking something related to the topic of NightWing powers. There weren't many, since her tribe's powers were supposed to be a big ruse, but eventually she'd found one about the War of SandWing Succession - as it was being called - that would hopefully have some information about NightWing powers. Moon had always thought the name for the war that had plagued the continent for so long was stupid; it sounded too sophisticated. Why couldn't they name it something shorter, less tongue-twisting?

  Moonwatcher scanned the scroll, disheartened to not find anything specific about NightWing powers other than the fact that they'd 'never existed in the first place'. However, there was one sentence that told her where she might be able to learn more about them, if she could find the right item.

 "For more about the supposed powers of NightWings, read 'The Biggest Lie in History' by Stargazer the NightWing," she read aloud softly. "Funny that a NightWing would write about that."

  Moon put the scroll back where she'd found it, satisfied with this new information. She then walked over to Starflight, who was somehow folding an origami bird at the counter despite his blindness. 

  "Hey Starflight?" she asked.

  The librarian set down the folded paper and looked right at her. It was more than a little unnerving, but he'd gotten much better at locating things based on what he could hear or feel. Fatespeaker was still by his side most of the time though. Either she still didn't believe he could fully function on his own without any major problems, she had nothing better to do, or she had underlying feelings for him and just wanted to spend more time with him. It could be a combination of all three, but she didn't dawdle.

  "Morning," he greeted her. "Need help with something?"

  She almost said no, but forced herself to mutter "Yes." Moon knew she had trouble socializing with dragons she wasn't super familiar with, especially if she needed their help. She always thought she would be inconveniencing them in some way, but it was his job to help students. "Do you know if there's a scroll here anywhere called 'The Biggest Lie in History'? I think it's about the powers that the NightWings made up during the war."

  He tilted his head curiously. "Yeah, it should be over in the realistic fiction section. Can I ask why you're looking for it since none of it is true?"

  Now she found herself getting a bit flustered. "It's for...a personal project. Thanks!" she said, hurriedly ending the conversation and walking over to the realistic fiction shelves before he could ask any other questions.

  Why didn't I think of realistic fiction?! I know I'm usually smart, but sometimes I just don't use my head...

  After less than a minute of searching, she found it. Removing the scroll from the shelf, she noticed the parchment was slightly yellowed. That made sense: after all, the war concluded less than a decade ago, but that was still long enough for the paper to yellow. A thin layer of dust covered it, which she dusted off. It seemed this hadn't been touched at all so far.