Shattered Souls

Ermine, Ringlet, And A New Home

As the sun rose, Skye, Calico, and Bullet walked in the doors. There was no guards, which was stupid, but good for them.

Following the signs, they made their way to Lady Yellowjacket's throne room. A small SilkWing without wings stumbled across their path, and Skye almost stepped on her. The tiny dragon found her footing on the slippery marble floor and gazed at Skye with large orange eyes.

"You look cool," she said. "Likes a Distant Kingdom dragon."

"Ringlet!" another SilkWing scooped the dragonet into his arms. "Sorry about my little sister," he said. "She tends to get too excited about new dragons." 

There was silence, until Skye spoke. "No, it's ok. I'm Skye," he held out his talon. The SilkWing took it.

"I'm Ermine. And may I ask why you are here?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ringlet enthusiastically led them through the kitchens. "This is where Ermie works! For Lady Yellowjacket!"

"We need to see her actually. Can you take us to her?" Bullet interrupted. 

"Yes you alreadys told me that! We has to go though the kitchens, or else Lady Yellowjacket will be mad. She doesn't like visitor dragons in the mornings."

Ringlet threw open the doors parting the kitchen from the throne room, and ran up to Lady Yellowjacket, who smiled.

"Hello Ringlet," she said. "Who have you brought to me today?"

Ringlet pointed to where they were all standing. "Theys come to talk to you but I knows you don't like visits in the morning so I takes them through the kitchens!"

"That's ok Ringlet, I'll talk to them. You didn't have to take them through."

Ringlet still smiled. "But the kitchens is cool!"

"Well then maybe do you want to cook something up with Ermine for our guests?"

"Yay!" Ringlet dashed back into the kitchens, and Skye could hear her talking with Ermine. Yellowjacket turned to them.

"So, what have you come to talk to me about?"

They hadn't thought this far ahead, and Skye could see his friends lost as well.

"Uh, sorry, we haven't thought this far ahead," Skye repeated what he had thought to Lady Yellowjacket.

"That's ok, take your time."

Skye was a little surprised at the kind tone Lady Yellowjacket spoke in, and given his experience with Hive rulers, he expected a little more gruffness. He turned to Calico and Bullet.

"So...we tell her about Rove, and possibly have her try not to arrest Bullet...what else?"

"I made copies of the pictures and letters you gave me," Calico said. "So we have evidence."

"I have copies too," Skye said, sliding his blanket off his back and taking out the frame.

They all faced Lady Yellowjacket again. Skye spoke.

"Well, I don't know how much control you would have over this, but a HiveWing named Rove has kept me as a pet for the past eight years. We were hoping you might be able to arrest him, or do something..."

"I've heard of Rove," she said. "And I knew right away you weren't a SilkWing, HiveWing, or LeafWing. How old are you? Because you said eight years he kept you."

"I'm ten years old at the moment. My hatching day is coming up soon though."

"So you had only two years of your life free. Yes I can try to arrest Rove. Is he in this Hive?"

"Um, we don't know exactly," Calico said. "When Skye attacked him, he was on his way to Mantis Hive."

"Hang on, Rove was attacked? Because that complicates things a bit."

Skye shuffled his feet. "Yeah...I, kind of snapped and tried to kill him. He is still alive though."

"What made you get so angry?"

"He broke the bracelet I wore, the only thing I got from my parents before Rove killed them."

"Rove killed your parents?"

"Yes," Skye held out the frame and the evidence. "This shows who my parents were, how and when Rove killed them, and his plans to use me."

"Well from what I've seen, Rove is guilty as charged. I will speak to the other Hive rulers and possibly Queen Wasp as well to try and locate him."

Skye bowed and walked out the door, Calico and Bullet following him. Ermine was waiting for them at the exit. He stopped them before they could leave.

"I listened in on your meeting, which I shouldn't have, but I wanted to say I'm sorry. My parents were also killed by a HiveWing, and I know how it feels to be lost," he said.

Skye heard Calico sigh and mutter under her breath, "What is it with so many dragon's parents dying? Skye's parents, Bullet's parents, now Ermine's parents..."

Ringlet's pitter patter of talonsteps interrupted the silence. "Don't leave yet!" she said. "I never had any friends but Ermie and you guys are so cool!" she gave them each a sugary dough, hot from the kitchens.

Calico melted from cuteness, and turned to Skye and Bullet. "I mean, there's no harm in us staying here for a while is there? We have nowhere else to go."

Ringlet cheered, grabbing their talons and pulling them back to Lady Yellowjacket's room. Yellowjacket looked up.

"You're back?"

"Theys wants to stay!" Ringlet said happily.

"I'm guessing Ringlet got you to agree to stay. She can be very persuasive. Of course you can stay, but I would like to have a word with Bullet first."

Skye remembered Bullet was a wanted murderer and nodded.

"Meanwhile, Ringlet, you can lead them to the empty room beside yours. It has enough space to fit these three."

Ringlet pulled them towards a room, leaving Bullet with Yellowjacket. She stopped at a door marked 'Empty'. She engraved in wobbly handwriting 'Skye Calico Bullet'. The door opened to a large room, with different rooms attached. Skye and Calico placed their sugar doughs into a bowl and sat down in their new temporary home.