A Vision of Happiness: A New Life (Book 2)

Chapter 9

TAMARIN

Tamarin wasn't sure what to think of her new clawmate. 

Sunny had told her that she'd have to wait for a few days, maybe more, to share the cave she had been using alone with another female NightWing dragonet. Tamarin hadn't thought much about it, but now, with this strange, silent dragon standing just in front (Or was it behind?) of her, she was slightly nervous when she found out that her new clawmate was mute.

For her entire life, Tamarin had relied on her sense of sound since she couldn't see, but now, her most important sense had been wiped out completely. 

Not really completely, since the dragonet made a few occasional sounds, like soft talonsteps or the rustling of paper. 

But still. And she didn't even know her clawmate's name. How old was she? Was she even a dragonet at all? Why did she come late?

But questions had to be answered with words, or a couple rounds of Charades, and they couldn't do either of that.

Tamarin let out an inward sigh, unrolled the scroll Starflight had made for her, and began reading with her claws. 

BRIGHTNESS

Of all the other dragonets she could've been paired with, Brightness had to share a cave with someone who only had voices and sounds to guide her. 

And she had none of that. 

Brightness stared at Tamarin as she ran gentle claws across a scroll. She cautiously sidled up to the RainWing, and peered over her shoulder to see that small, raised bumps dotted the paper. Tamarin looked up, her snout twitching slightly. She smiled. 

"Starflight made this scroll for me," She explained, quiet pride rolling off her colorful scales in gentle waves. "It took me an entire year to learn which bumps meant what, but I can read now."

Brightness touched the scroll, feeling the strange bumps under her talon.

"What's your name?" Tamarin asked. "Could you...draw it out for me? I can guess with touch. Here." She pushed an empty scroll forward. "Just press kind of hard. When I guess wrong, draw an 'x' on my palm. If I'm right, draw a circle. If I'm partially right, draw a triangle."

Brightness thought for a moment, and began to lightly etch a circle into the thin paper, and drew a few lines bursting from it. Tamarin felt the scroll, thinking for a moment. 

"Sun?" She guessed. Brightness traced an 'x' on her palm. "Hm. Okay...The sun is bright. Is it Bright?"

Brightness drew a triangle on Tamarin's palm. 

"Bright...ness?" 

A circle.

"Brightness." A smile split Tamarin's snout in two. "Well, then, hi, Brightness. It's nice to know you."