The Only RainWing in the War

Four Old Friends

     (Pretend that's Zircon instead of Kestrel)

     Glory's POV:

     Kestrel's old hiding place looked just as it did when I found it all those weeks ago, looking for the idiotic NightWing beside me. A few things were still turned over, and Kestrel's note was fluttering on the floor, flipped to the back where I had written my warning about the NightWings. Nothing else seemed to be different.

     Death was pacing nervously, and my eyes were darting everywhere. Peril was looking sadly at the only reminders of her mother, and her gaze was so upsetting even Jambu knew not to do or say anything cheerful as she mourned.

     I wondered quietly what I was going to do next. Death and I were cut off from the NightWings and had no missions or easy access to news about the war. We would be the World's Worst Assassins if we kept this up, and as much as the idea of being a coward and hiding this war out was bouncing around in my skull, I refused to give in.

     Deathbringer looked a little lost too, and just watching him being upset sank my mood further. I desperately wanted to reach out and snatch his talons into mine to comfort him, but a few things held me back. My pride, my fear, and my discomfort. What if I acted like a complete idiot just from his touch or whatever? I didn't need to melt into him like a strawberry ice cream on a sunny day, no thank you. No mushy-gushy Glory would ever present herself around someone as handsome - and stupid and arrogant - as Deathbringer.

     I realized I was spacing out with my eyes still on Deathbringer and snapped out of it, narrowly avoiding turning as scarlet and hot as Peril's scales. I looked away with a red face, internally scolding myself for staring too long, and then getting embarrassed for staring too long, and then thinking so much about my reaction to staring at Deathbringer when it really wasn't my fault he caught my eye-

     "Glory?" asked the NightWing himself with a strange look on his face. "You okay?"

     "What - uh, yeah. Why?"

     "You were staring at me with like a lopsided... hope?.. and also like you wanted to kill someone..."

     Oh no. Please tell me he didn't catch on he totally caught-

     "...should I be scared?"

     "What?" I asked.

     "You looked like you wanted to kill someone." Deathbringer repeated. "Was it me? Should I be running?"

     I almost sighed in relief. Oh. He's an idiot, we're good.

     "Why are you grinning at me like that?" asked my friend, seeming genuinely alarmed. "That's your 'you just said something stupid' face-"

     "C'MERE, DEATH!" I yelled suddenly, taking of at my highest speed towards him.

     "ACK! WHAT DID I EVER DO!?" yelped Death as he scrambled away.

     "Oh nothing, you're just an idiot."

     "Great. Justified reason for murdering an innocent soul-"

     "INNOCENT? You make me laugh." I said dryly. "And you also prove my point."

     "Glad I could serve you, My Queen."

     "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

     "So stop me."

     Screaming curses, I ran after my crush and caught a bewildered look on my brother's face as I sped away.