Chapter Text
To say that Winter was unhappy with the living arrangements he now found himself in would be an understatement.
Out of pure chance, it seemed he, Prince Winter, had landed the most obnoxious, idiotic ‘clawmate’ the academy had to offer.
Even if I haven’t met most of the dragons here yet, I don’t see it getting any worse than this dragon. I’ll fend him off as best I can. Give it a week and he’ll stop trying to be my ‘friend’. I don’t intend to converse with anyone outside of other IceWings, anyways.
Fortunately, Qibli had left the cave not long after they spoke. This was good– Winter liked his privacy.
Maybe he won’t come back, Winter mused. Then I’ll have the room all to myself.
It was a nice thought, but it seemed unlikely.
Now that he wouldn’t be distracted by any bothersome SandWings, Winter began to inspect his new living quarters a bit more closely.
Their sleeping cave was about five tail lengths in diameter, leaving it so that each dragon could have a solid quantity of space from the other– thankfully.
On the left edge of the cave lay a blue nest with white pillows, presumably his, and a matching yellow nest with yellow pillows had been placed on the opposite side. That was for his ‘clawmate’.
It was no Ice Palace, but not having to sleep on the hard stone floor was a start.
Winter decided it was time for him to stretch his wings, too. Remembering that he would be out in public, he easily slipped into his most haughty, disapproving IceWing glare– a technique he’d honed over the years.
Upon his exit from the cave, he took another glance at the sign next to the entrance. It read:
“J-3
Winter
Qibli”
On his way in, he’d assumed that the inclusion of a second name on the sign was some sort of clerical error. Alas, this was not the case.
At least my name is at the top. Can’t say the same for back home, can I?
That wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now. Allowing his scowl to deepen, he pushed the thought aside and stalked into the winglet atrium.
The circular area was lined with several brilliant jades around its perimeter. Fitting for the Jade Winglet, of course.
Realizing that he had not eaten in quite a while, Winter began to make his way towards the prey center to grab a quick bite to eat.
As he walked, he kept his eyes focused straight ahead, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone but other IceWings.
In the hallway, he heard a voice he recognized as his new clawmate’s. From his periphery, he could tell that Qibli was conversing with a female SandWing. Upon spotting Winter, he pointed the IceWing out to his SandWing accomplice, and gave a wave of his talon. Winter ignored him, and walked past the two without averting his gaze.
As he approached the prey center, sounds of other dragons began to slowly grow louder. As he stepped into the gargantuan room, he found himself almost overwhelmed by the noise level. He gritted his teeth and continued forth in search of food.
Fortunately, the area held a surprisingly diverse array of options. After surveying the spread carefully, he picked out the most desirable fish he could find. There were fruit options, but eating fish was the most familiar to him, as they were a staple of an IceWing’s diet.
Winter ate alone and in silence, finishing his meal as quickly as he could so he could leave as soon as possible. The IceWing was used to noise, but things were far more raucous here than in the Ice Kingdom. The prey center, especially. To make the clamor more bearable, he focused as hard as he could on the simple action of eating his fish. He left just as quickly as he’d arrived.
On his way out, he nearly collided with a blue-and-yellow RainWing as he turned the corner. The dragon stumbled and fell.
“Stupid RainWing,” he growled, straightening out his wings. “Watch where you’re going.”
She was accompanied by a yellow-and-pink RainWing, who gasped (rather dramatically, in his opinion). “Oh my gosh, Tamarin, are you okay?”
“I’ll be alright. Thanks, Kinkajou.”
Winter just rolled his eyes and walked past them. Any dragon would know the RainWings had no social rules, so there was no point in trying to teach them proper etiquette.
Back in his cave, Winter thought about what to do next. It was orientation day, so students weren’t expected to stick to a strict schedule. That meant he could do as he pleased. Especially since Qibli hadn’t come back yet.
Maybe he would check on his sister, Icicle.
She doesn’t need you.
Although Winter knew it wasn’t true, the thought paralyzed him, nailing him to his nest.
Did anyone in his family really need him?
Mother and Father were perfectly capable of fending for themselves- they had more than proved that. Icicle took after them, as she was strong and independent. And Hailstorm… Well, Hailstorm…
Winter decided he’d had enough of these thoughts for today.
Icicle might realize his evening absence, or not. He didn’t really care. He was done talking to other dragons for the day.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
With that, Winter raised an icy wall around his thoughts, and let the silence pull him into a deep slumber.