It was lovely. Her and her favorite dragon in all of Pyrrhia, together out on the ice. She was teaching her how to swim and capture polar bears. Everything was perfect, but… she wished that she could wrap her wings around her every time she shivered or her breath fogged in the air. Yet, she was an IceWing, she ran just as cold as the air around her. It would only make things worse. She was never one to wish that she was a different tribe- IceWings were objectively the best, after all, have some pride in your tribe, Icicle!- but she just wished that she was as warm as the other tribes, that’s all. To protect her from the frigid cold, from the harsh wind. Blanket her wings around her, shield her from the rest of the world.
Icicle watched as Sora stamped her feet, trying to warm up before diving back into the water. Even the way she braved the cold was captivating. Icicle has never felt this at ease with another dragon. Everybody always expected so much from her, being a First Circle next in line for the throne and all. Nobody has ever treated her with kindness like Sora did. All soft around the edges and shy smiles. She was quiet and expected nothing from her. Back at home everything was sharp, orders and expectations weighed heavily on the spines along her back.
Icicle never expected to like it as much as she did at Jade Mountain, especially after finding out that she would be roomed with a Mudwing of all tribes. But after getting to know her more, Sora made everything worth it. She didn’t know it was possible for dragons to show her so much kindness before this.
She was so lucky to have her as a clawmate.
“A MudWing, seriously?”
The vision melted away.
Icicle did not respond.
“I mean, really, how many MudWings have you killed in the war?”
Icicle remained silent. The scene changed around Scarlet and her. A field of dead dragons, MudWings and IceWings alike. A mosaic of blue and red painted the turf. Smoke and decay permeated her nostrils. The smell was impossible to forget, even all these years later.
Red MudWing blood stained her claws.