Chapter Text
Hvitur couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when he finally made it out of the desert. He couldn't bear to be in the blistering heat any longer. Despite it being nighttime, the desert still felt as hot and arid as it usually does during the daytime, although only being a little cool.
But that never helped as Hvitur still felt like his own scales were melting off. It didn't help the fact he had to fly through the desert not once but twice and usually spent a little less than a day there, if he flew the entire time.
His wings were sore from constantly flying, he could have sworn they were going to fall off any moment. Hvitur swears that once he gets back to the hideout he was going to rest for hundreds of years. It was the most he deserved after having to fly for a few days just to steal an egg from his own tribe. So sleeping for a bit wouldn't hurt. Maybe he could even cuddle up with Asha as well, that is if she successfully makes it back with the MudWing egg.
Just the thought of the kind and cheerful MudWing was enough to make Hvitur smile and feel some sort of warmth in his usual cold body. He had no doubt Asha would make it back with the egg. With her strength, big heart and determination, it was very likely she would make it back in one piece along with the egg.
Although, all thoughts of Asha almost immediately went away as soon as they appeared when Hvitur took notice of something coming up. It looked like some sort of strange lump with red liquid around it. It didn't take too long for Hvitur to realize what it was.
There were a dead dragon coming up, and their blood was all around them.
For most of his life, Hvitur had grown up within the walls of the IceWing kingdom, never once going out to see the world despite longing to see it. His mother and sister were insistent on keeping him safe within the kingdom while his brothers simply didn't care.
It wasn't until the war started and the IceWings sided with princess Blaze that Hvitur felt like this would be his chance to leave the kingdom. But of course, his sister refused to even allow him to be a soldier. So for years Hvitur felt useless doing nothing.
Then, there were rumors popping up about a prophecy that talked about how when the war has been going on for twenty year, six dragonets will rise to end the war and choose a queen while the other two sisters die.
This gave Hvitur some spark of hope. His hope grew even more when he heard about an organization called the Talons of Peace. He learned that they were an organization of dragons from different tribes working together to help bring peace to Pyrrhia.
Hvitur knew if he left and joined them he would be seen as a traitor to his own tribe. But this was his chance to actually help his tribe instead of just sitting around and talking to IceWings that were deemed as important. And plus, he could finally achieve his dream of seeing the world.
When he left, Pyrrhia wasn't how he imagined it. Sure it was beautiful, but seeing dragons slaughter one another and seeing the remains of battles was not what Hvitur was expecting. Not even less than a day he saw dead IceWings and SandWings somewhere in the desert. The sight made him sick.
But he had to grow use to it, he had been out of the kingdom for three years so he was use to seeing dead dragons.
And yet, something about this dead dragon was putting him on edge. He had to get a closer look.
He flew down and landed next to the body, still holding the egg close to him but with one palm this time. He was immediately hit with the smell of burned scales and copper. The dragon in front of him looked rough, with a horrible scorch mark on their snout. Their wings were torn to shreds and bent in an awkward position. There was a hole on the top of their head, almost like someone had stabbed them there. The area looked almost black, with blood still oozing out and some black liquid as well. Hvitur felt his heart stop when he noticed the familiar scorch mark on the dragon's cheek and the familiar burned palms.
Kestrel.
Hvitur felt sick to his stomach, the smell of copper and burnt scales almost acting as some sort of poison towards him. Hvitur didn't like Kestrel too much due to how she acted, especially towards others like Asha. But Hvitur couldn't help but feel guilty, almost like this was his fault.
"But it wasn't your fault," Hvitur thought to himself, his eyes never leaving the corpse. "If you had stuck with the original plan, both of you would be dead. You knew she would have never survived being in IceWing territory, much less survive the wall."
Hvitur held the egg closer to his chest, acting like some threat was going to pop out and take the egg from his talons.
From the corner of his eye, Hvitur could see something broken next to the body. He realized it was a fragment from an egg.
Hvitur felt his heart start to race, hoping that the fragment didn't belong to the SkyWing egg. He used his free hand to move the corpse, feeling almost sick just touching the body of his friend. Well, he knew Kestrel never saw him as a friend, but he knew underneath all that negative personality was a kind dragon.
He ignored how cold the body felt. He ignored the sickening feeling of having his friends blood literally on his talons, the light grey claws being coated in a sickening red, the liquid not even starting to dry.
When he finally moved the body, he felt the world suddenly stop. Or maybe it felt that way because he could have sworn he stopped breathing.
Next to Kestrel's body, hidden under one of her torn wings was a little SkyWing dragonet. Her small, delicate wings were mangled and bent the wrong way. Her neck was also twisted in the wrong way. Her scales were a dark shade of red, looking almost like she was covered in blood. Maybe she was and Hvitur didn't know.
His grip on the IceWing egg tightened, afraid of dropping it and the dragonet inside meeting the same fate as the poor SkyWing.
Hvitur knew this wasn't some freak accident, there were clear signs that Kestrel and the little dragonet were murdered, and it was most likely done by a SandWing.
"I wonder," Hvitur began in his head, only to be cut off by the sound of talons scrapping against stone. Hvitur turned around quicker than he thought was imaginable.
Instead of seeing the same SandWing that murdered Kestrel, he saw a familiar greenish-blue SeaWing, his usual expression of worry etched on his face.
"Hvitur, is that-" Webs spoke softly, pointing at the corpse behind the light grey IceWing.
Hvitur only lowered his head, not wanting to look at the dead dragons behind him nor the living one in front of him. "Kestrel's dead, and so is the SkyWing dragonet. They were most likely killed by a SandWing."
There was a bit of silence between the two. Hvitur had finally looked up and saw Webs' devastated expression. "You don't think Burn got to them, right? I heard rumors she was staying at the SkyWing Kingdom for a few days."
Hvitur didn't answer the question, instead he just frowned. "It should have been me. If only Kestrel and I had agreed to the original plan Morrowseer had given to us, then maybe someway she would have survived."
"Don't you hear yourself? You literally told us there was no way any of us could survive the journey there, and I doubt if you went to retrieve the SkyWing egg you would have survived." Webs spoke, wanting to reassure the upset IceWing.
Hvitur wanted to think about something else, he wanted some good news to at least distract him from this moment. "How's Asha, did she make it back with the MudWing egg?"
A small smile crossed Hvitur's face before quickly disappearing. He noticed how the devastated expression returned to Webs, his ears drooping down as he couldn't even bear to look at Hvitur.
"Please Webs, don't say it," Hvitur thought to himself, fearing the worse. "Not Asha..."
"She was caught in the crossfire of a fight between Burn and Blaze's armies. She returned with the egg in one piece, there was barely a scratch on it. But Asha...she was in horrible condition. She passed away shortly after giving us the egg."
Hvitur...didn't know what to say. He knew he shouldn't care, Asha was a MudWing and Kestrel was a SkyWing, they were both supposed to be his enemies, yet he cared about them. Especially Asha.
Maybe it was his kind nature that made him feel horrible about their deaths. His brothers had always ridiculed him due to how kind and caring he was.
But Asha...Hvitur knew very well she didn't deserve to die. After getting so close to her, he never believed such a kind and gentle dragon like her would ever perish in this war. He believed that once the war was over the two would settle down somewhere and maybe have a family to call their own. But now that dream seems so distant.
The IceWing knew he shouldn't have been so foolish to believe that Asha was free from the consequences of war.
He wants to war to be over as soon as possible, but they only had eight years left. Eight years too late for poor Asha.
"What are we gonna do now?" Hvitur asked, feeling a tear starting to roll down his face. He frowned, he knew better than to show weakness infront of other dragons, especially those from other tribes. He knew he could trust Webs, but still. If his mother was still alive or if his brothers were here they would berate him for even shedding a tear in front of a SeaWing. A SeaWing that was supposed to be his enemy. But he doesn't care, or at least he shouldn't care. He did his part, he got the wings of ice. Now all they need is another wings of sky. But Hvitur doubts they can even get a new one in time or even get in and out safely.
"I have an idea, but I don't know how you'll react to it." Webs spoke softly, worried that if he said anything wrong he would have to endure the wrath of a usually calm IceWing.
"Well, what is it?" Hvitur asked, not even bothering to look at the SeaWing.
"I'll grab a RainWing egg. I can be in and out of there as quick as possible. It shouldn't take too long."
Hvitur thought about it. It didn't seem like that bad of a plan, but Hvitur had a feeling Morrowseer wouldn't like this idea. "Stop thinking about what that NightWing thinks. He already despises you because of your tribe. Maybe having a RainWing instead of a SkyWing is the perfect way to show just how little you care about him."
"You know Webs, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. A RainWing is better than nothing. Beside, maybe having a RainWing as a dragonet could help in the future." Hvitur looked up at the sky, the pale moons illuminating the dark, starlit sky. "I think you should go now so you can get the egg and get back here as quickly as possible."
Hvitur didn't need to look away to know Webs had left, hearing the SeaWing lift himself into the air and fly off.
When Webs was gone, Hvitur looked down at the egg, a small smile found its way back towards Hviturs face. He had already come this far, he wouldn't let Kestrel and Asha's sacrifice be in vain. He remembered the reason he joined the Talons. He wanted to protect others, mainly his sister, from the horrors of the war.
Plus, Hvitur had a feeling, prophecy or not, this little dragonet is destined for greatness.
"Now, I just hope I'll be alive when this war finally ends."
