Wings of Fire: The Forbidden Dragonet | ✔️

~ The Forbidden Dragonet: Chapter 2 ~

Hare was woken by a loud, thundering crash coming from the central cave. She instantly sat up. Rose was already gone.

Hare scrambled to her talons and rushed over to poke her head out of the entrance of the cave.

Something's going on.

She hesitated for a moment, then began racing through the caves. I have to find out.

Hare stuck to the walls, using the shadows and her size to hide her. She made her way to the guardians' cave. She was soon met with the distant sound of snarling and yelling. They grew louder and louder as Hare got closer. She was surprised to find Glory and Starflight hiding in the passageway outside.

Hare could clearly hear the guardians from out here, so she crouched down beside her friends.

"Where are the others?" Hare whispered.

"Clay and Tsunami are hiding in the river," Glory replied quietly. "Sunny accidentally fell asleep in the study cave."

"I don't see why we couldn't have told her we were coming here," Starflight grumbled.

"You know Sunny is horrible at keeping secrets," Glory said.

"She doesn't mean it," Starflight protested.

"Nobody said she does," Glory told him. "But that doesn't change the fact that she is. Now quiet down."

Hare pressed herself closer to the cave floor as she listened to the angry hisses of the guardians coming from the cave.

"Coming here? With no warning?" Kestrel hissed. "Why is he suddenly so interested after six years?"

"Maybe he wants to make sure they're ready to stop the war," Webs suggested.

"Of course they're not ready!" Rose cried. "They still have two more years."

"I don't understand why he's coming now," Asha commented. "If he's so eager to make sure they're ready to stop the war, why not visit every year? Wouldn't that make more sense?"

"NightWings have never made sense," Hvitur growled. "They hide themselves away from everyone and act all mysterious. You can only expect the unexpected from them."

"What do you think he'll say?" Dune asked.

"About what?" Hvitur snapped. "The defective SandWing? The lazy RainWing? Or that useless hybrid that has no purpose being here?"

"He knows about Hare," Dune growled. "He's the one who brought her and told me Six-Claws wanted us to care for her."

They must be talking about Morrowseer.

Hare had heard the story about how the big NightWing had brought her to the cave. He'd given her egg to Dune, claiming that Dune's old friend, Six-Claws, was trusting him and the Talons to care for Burn's dragonet.

She didn't want anyone to know she had a dragonet, let alone a hybrid. Hare forced herself not to wince as a glimmer of doubt sparked inside her. Was she ashamed of me?

No, Hare reminded herself. She just wanted to keep me safe. She didn't want anyone to know so I wouldn't be in danger.

How that plan backfired horribly.

Shortly after Hare learned how to read, she read some of the news scrolls Asha and Dune had brought back for them. Almost the whole continent knew of Hare's existence. The scrolls never said how, but there were multiple stories sharing the shocking news.

At least she hid me before anyone said anything.

"We've done our best to raise these dragonets," Webs said. "They're shaping into the dragons the prophecy called for. He won't have much to criticize."

"I think you missed the part where we have a RainWing instead of a SkyWing," Asha said.

"He won't be happy about that at all," Dune murmured.

"The prophecy called for wings of sky, not wings of rain," Kestrel agreed.

"So it's one inconvenience," Rose said. "We still have five dragonets who are fully capable of ending the war. Glory didn't disappoint us, none of them did. He won't be disappointed."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Dune grumbled.

"Perhaps we should let him take the other dragonet when he comes," Hvitur rasped. "It'll take some responsibility off our claws."

Hare heard a frustrated growl and the sound of someone's tail hitting something. "You only say that because you want to get rid of Hare!" Rose snapped.

"And so should the rest of you," Hvitur growled. "She's nothing more than extra work. She doesn't belong here. If Burn's so worried about her precious dragonet, she should've just kept her guarded."

Hare felt her heart drop down to her stomach. Must he always be so hurtful?

"Burn didn't know who she could trust," Kestrel reminded him. "How could she know one of the guards wouldn't turn on her and kill Hare?"

"Then she could kill the criminal," Hvitur replied. "It's simple."

Kestrel hissed and her voice suddenly grew angrier. "But she'd still be without a dragonet!"

"Enough."

Asha's voice rang around the cave, instantly ending the argument.

"Morrowseer's not coming here to see Hare," she said. "He's coming to see the dragonets of the prophecy. We can't guess what he'll say about them, so there's no point in arguing about it. What's done is done, all we can do is wait until he arrives."

"Asha's right," Rose said.

Hare heard Hvitur huff and Dune sigh.

"When is he supposed to be coming?" Dune asked.

"Tomorrow night," Webs replied. "I'm supposed to meet him and bring him here."

"Very well," Dune said. "As Asha said, all we can do is wait until his arrival. Until then, I want to hear no more arguing about the matter." Dune looked over at Hvitur. "And I want to hear no more mentions of Hare leaving."

Hvitur scoffed. "Fine, but don't be surprised if she does. Perhaps that's the purpose behind his visit."

Hare felt a wave of horror crash over her. Is he right? Is Morrowseer coming here to take me away?

"We won't let him take you," Glory promised Hare, but she took no comfort in her friend's words.

Hare backed into the cave wall, suddenly feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

I don't want to leave! I can't leave! Not while my friends are still here!

Hare was hit with another realization that put her a little at ease. Will he take me to meet my mother? Did she send him to bring me to her?

There's no point in worrying myself sick about it. Like Asha said, we just have to wait and see.