Wings Of Honor: Heart of Ice

Chapter 10: Into The Wild

We followed Moon and Grace to find Deathbringer again. He didn't recognize the mountains Moon had drawn, but he knew who might.
"The Talons of Peace." He said. Breathing out another small flame to study the drawing. "Find them — or what's left of them — and ask one of their SkyWings to help you."
We found him on guard outside the royal treehouse where Glory slept, as expected from her personal guard. The darkness was not quite as thick up here, close to the treetops, where more moonlight could filter through the leaves and brambles. The small glowing lights of strange phosphorescent insects trailed up and down the branches, and I even spotted a few eerie glow-in-the-dark moths nestled in the pale night orchids, occasionally freaking me out and nearly making me tumble off Grace.
"All right, then," said Qibli. "We'll go ahead and track down a shadowy underground group who move every few weeks and weren't caught for the entire war. Easy."
Deathbringer swatted at him and Qibli jumped out of the way with a grin. "They're not all that shadowy now." Deathbringer said.
"And nobody said you were coming." Winter said to Qibli. "I don't know what this 'we' business is all about."
Me and Grace huffed.
"Ignore him," Qibli said to Deathbringer. "We're growing on him, I'm pretty sure. Why do the Talons of Peace even still exist, now that the war is over?"
"Many of them aren't welcome back in their tribes, so they have nowhere else to go." Deathbringer explained. "Their goals are shifting, though. I know the dragon who's taken over the group. I can help you find them, if Glory doesn't mind you leaving."
"Oh, how nice of you to check." Glory said, suddenly materializing out of the darkness. Winter jumped, obviously wondering how long the RainWing queen had been there. Exactly the moment Deathbringer started talking again, I noticed the disturbance behind him, even in the dark. I was close enough, about 15 feet, on top of Grace.
"As it happens," Queen Glory went on, "I don't mind what Qibli and Prince Winter choose to do — I'm not their queen. But I do have a few reservations about allowing two of my favorite subjects to gallivant around the continent chasing Pyrrhia's most dangerous dragon."
Me and Grace looked towards Moon and Kinkajou.
"Did you hear that?" Kinkajou said, nudging Moon so vigorously she nearly knocked her over. "Favorite."
"The part you were supposed to hear is 'dangerous,' " Glory said. "With Blister and Burn both dead, Scarlet is probably the scariest dragon left alive — and she certainly hates us the most. Explain to me how it is a good idea to send a quintet of young dragonets after her." She looked up at Grace.
"No quintet necessary," Winter said. "Just the one. That's me. IceWing prince over here. Going to save my brother. Without the entourage. Please order them to stay here; it would make my life a lot simpler."
"Not a chance." Grace fought for me.
"We're not going after Scarlet." Moon said to Glory. "We're going to find Winter's brother."
"WE are doing no such thing," Winter said firmly. "I am going to find him. JUST ME."
"That's right," Qibli said. "Just him and the four of us, his best friends in the world."
"I can't even dignify that with a snort," Winter said, looking down his nose at the SandWing. Grace chuckled.
"If we can figure out where she's got him locked up, maybe we can set Hailstorm free without Scarlet even seeing us." Moon said.
"Definitely." Grace stepped up and ran rainbows over her wings, completely disregarding Glory's stunned expression.
"Besides," Kinkajou started, "we're not that much younger than you and your friends were when you set out to save Pyrrhia from all the bad dragons." I nodded sideways.
"We'll be careful," Moon said. "We promise." Grace nodded.
"Don't listen to them," Winter said. "I don't want them to come with me. In fact, if you could stick this SandWing in some quicksand while I get away from him, I will personally bring you a walrus to express my gratitude."
Grace lost it.
"Ew." said Kinkajou.
"His very best friends," Qibli said sincerely.
In the moonlight, it was hard to tell what the colors were that were shifting across Glory's scales. She curled her tail around the branch underneath her and sighed deeply. "Deathbringer?"
"I think you should let them go." Deathbringer answered. "I went on my first mission when I was four, and I turned out fine."
"Well, that's debatable." Glory said. "And if I wanted to go, you'd have an absolute heart attack."
"Yes, because you're the most important queen in Pyrrhia," said Deathbringer. "And also because I couldn't live without you, not that you care, torturing me with your recklessness all the time."
"That's true." Glory said. "You'd be an absolute mess, the way you were before you met me."
"I was only half a dragon before I met you," he declared. "And I would be even less if I lost you now."
"All right, settle down." She said affectionately. She turned to Kinkajou and Moon. "You may go, but here are my orders: Do not interact with Scarlet. Stay as far out of her way as you can. Don't let her know you're there. Don't fight with anyone, don't make any queens mad, and most importantly, don't you dare die. Understood?"
The two dragons nodded, and Kinkajou clapped her front talons together with excitement. Grace was smiling, looking us over.
"Am I speaking a language only IceWings understand?" Winter asked in a loud, annoyed voice.
"Listen," Glory said, fixing her green-eyed gaze on Winter. "I used to think I could do everything by myself, too. I didn't want help from anyone. But I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for my friends, and I have a feeling you'll be saying the same thing a year from now."
"That might apply if these dragons were my friends," Winter objected, "but they're actually strangers who happened to get thrown into a group with me. They're not even IceWings. Why should they care what happens to Hailstorm?"
"They care what happens to you," Glory said.
"For some reason." Added Deathbringer.
"Entertainment value." Offered Qibli.
"Because we worry about everyone." Grace took the words right out of my mouth.
"So," Glory said, shooting a "hush" look at the SandWing's comment. "I strongly suggest you stop fighting and take them along. You might be surprised to find how useful dragons from other tribes can be."
Winter growled softly. He didn't want to give in. He wanted to prove something. He wanted save Hailstorm alone for some reason. But... I think even he knew combined arms warfare is the best kind of warfare out there.
I always felt safer when I had Infantry beside me, Snipers watching over me, Tanks rumbling alongside me, artillery in my back pocket, planes guarding the skies, and a good officer leading us. Moon's mind reading, Kinkajou and her camouflage, and Qibli's smartness and tail barb, and the many abilities Grace was packing... why wouldn't he take us all where he could. We could handle literally everything.
Winter looked conflicted, as if he was running things through his head. Maybe trying to figure out a way to say no softly, or maybe finding a way to loose us if he said yes. He promptly answered.
"Very well." He answered finally. "Tell me how to find the Talons of Peace."