Chapter Text
The full week of perfect peace worked like a charm. Winter's silver scales had finally stopped radiating a sub-zero aura of pure paranoia, and he had entirely given up on trying to scrape the glued sign off their door. His guard was officially down.
It was late afternoon, and the Jade Mountain library was dead quiet. The late-day sun streamed through the high stone windows, casting long, dusty shadows across rows of ancient scrolls.
Winter was sitting at a far corner table, completely absorbed in a massive scroll about historical IceWing battle tactics. Qibli was sitting directly across from him, lazily carving a piece of wood into a small lizard, occasionally glancing up to grin at his roommate. The library was mostly empty, save for Starflight organizing scrolls near the back and Kinkajou hiding behind a nearby bookshelf, her scales a nervous excited shade of lime green as she watched Nightshade.
Nightshade had the perfect opening. She leaned toward Kinkajou, keeping her voice as quiet as a rustling leaf, “as Qibli asked, I decided to warn him this time,” she whispered, her eyes flashing with a bright, wicked spark of yellow. “But, he only knows the time and place, not what.”
Kinkajou's eyes went huge, her scales briefly rippling with sudden, ecstatic waves of neon pink and purple. She jammed a talon over her mouth to stifle a massive giggle, nodding furiously. “Three moons, that is so much better. He's going to be bracing for impact, and he still won't see it coming!”
Across the quiet library, Qibli was sitting a little straighter than usual. His dark eyes flicked toward the door, then the bookshelves. He casually adjusted his amber teardrop earring, his sand-colored wings twitching with a mixture of nervous anticipation and pure amusement. He knew something was coming right now, but had absolutely no idea what Nightshade had cooked up.
Right across from him, Winter was completely oblivious. He turned a page of his massive history scrolls, his silver snout resting in his talons, totally relaxed for the first time in seven days.
“Okay Kinkajou, camouflage time,” Nightshade whispered.
Kinkajou nodded furiously, her scales instantly dissolving from a bright, excited pink into the exact dusty brown and gray textures of the stone bookshelf behind them. Nightshade did the same, her scales melting into the perfect camouflage until both RainWings were invisible to the naked eye.
Moving like twin ghosts, they crept silently across the library floor. They slide past Starflight, who was blindly counting scrolls, and positioned themselves perfectly in the shadows just a few feet away from the boys’ table.
Qibli’s ears twitched. He knew Nightshade was close. His dark eyes scanned the empty air, a tiny thrilled smirk tugging on the corner of his snout. His sandy scales shifted slightly with anticipation.
Winter, completely unaware, let out a soft sigh and turned another page of his IceWing history scroll. He took a slow breath, totally relaxed.