Dragonscales

Chapter 43|A Mother's Love... Not

Silence filled the air around me. Footfalls echoed near my cell. The burns from the iron had healed slightly, as the pain was almost bearable. The worst part, I couldn't feel my magic. The familiar energy that encompassed my body was gone. Metal groaned as the door to my cell opened. There stood my mother, her blank eyes as hateful as always. Her iridescent wings drooped. 

"I brought some salve, to help with your wounds. I... I'm sorry they used iron." She produced a small ceramic jar from her cloak. "My court makes it all the time, in case of emergencies." She set the jar next to me. I raised my eyebrow, raising up my hands that were bound together. Realization dawned on her. "I'll help, then." Mother knelt down and began rubbing the salve on my legs. Before I could stop, memories came flooding back.

Snowdrop watched helplessly as tears formed in my eyes. Blood bubbled up from the scrape, crimson with a metallic sheen. I had tripped on a root growing between two cobblestones. Ave raced into the forest, my mother in tow. The elfling's mahogany skin was flushed, strands of her curly blue hair falling out of her braid. She was the fastest of us, so naturally she would be the one to send for help. "Thank you for collecting me, dear. I'll fix that injury right up, Thistle." Mother leaned down, grabbing things out of her leather satchel. First she cleaned the cut, then placed a bandage on my knee. "Will you be okay, This? I was reading this book about blood-borne illnesses-" Snowdrop fretted, before Mother interrupted. "She'll be just fine. Now go play." "If you say so, Aunt Jessamine." Snowdrop relented, dropping the two braids that framed her face. Mother pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before leaving the forest surrounding the village. "Hopefully I'll get a scar!" I exclaimed, grinning. "Bet you can't climb that tree faster than me." Ave said, taking off. I chased after her, Snowdrop following us. 

"Why did you leave us?" The words tumbled out of my mouth. "I didn't want to. But I had failed my mission with the fae and your family was starting to get suspicious, so I left to protect you." The fairy sighed. Her wings tightly folded against her back. "Then I couldn't run from my court, so I returned to Stardust Grove." "Only to kill my uncle." I said icily. Mother sighed. "I had no choice." "You had plenty of choice. Do you know how long I was ashamed of myself? How long I hid my horns under my hair because I was taught it was wrong to be who I am?" I snapped. "You seem to be fine displaying your horns now." "Only because I made them my own. They're the mark of a dragon rider, something you'll never have the honor to be!" Mother's face paled, her silver blood was probably boiling. She let out a shriek of frustration, then slammed the cell door. She took the ceramic jar with her. 

I laid on my scratchy blanket, seething. The burns that marred my body were much more bearable. They only hurt if the blanket touched them.  I wasn't wallowing in my anger and pain(both physical and emotional) for long. The metal door to my cell groaned as the man with the metal arm opened it. The ever-present aura of sadness surrounded him. "Come with me."

The man's metal arm was clamped onto my handcuffs. He dragged me down the cold, sterile hallway. "So, what's your name?" I said, trying to lighten the mood. "They call me the Winter Soldier." He said in a heavy Russian accent. I noticed that everyone in the Hydra facility had some variation of that accent. "That's not your actual name, is it?" He suddenly became extremely interested in the screws in the walls. "It's the only name they give me." He said sadly. "My name is Thistle." I said. The chains linking my arms together clanked as I bowed dramatically. The Winter Soldier let out a small chuckle. As we entered the meeting room he wiped all signs of mirth off of his face.