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Winter hummed softly in time to the cheery music as he draped sheep fluff along the windowsill. He breathed a soft bit of frost breath over it, causing it to glitter like snow, before nodding happily at his work. He glanced back at Moon, catching her eye as she smiled back at him. She was busy decorating the evergreen sapling that his brother had gifted him from the ice kingdom. A little bit of home in Sanctuary. Small glass balls glittered in the torch bulb light, while a single moonglobe floated at the top of the tree.
Moon wasn’t as familiar with the icewing tradition of the ‘Gifting Night’, but she was trying her best. It was something Winter had learned while spending time in the outer villages, and had fallen in love with immediately. Once a year, on the day Carribou gave her Gift of Sustenance, icewings below the circles would share gifts and presents. They would decorate their homes in bright colours and winter chill. They would invite friends and family to share in their bounty and spread joy among them.
Something the palace dragons never concerned themselves with, at least until Mink visited last year and begged Queen Snowfall to make it a true holiday. Winter let out a snort, trying to imagine his mother’s face as she was required to give a gift to some ‘lesser’ icewing.
Moon broke into a laugh, seeing the image of her twisted, confused, and disapproving face in his mind. To add a little bit of silliness, he put one of Sky’s tiny hats on her head as well. His nightwing mate fell over backwards, almost knocking over the tree with her giggles. “Winter! Cut it out!” she said between gasps of air.
“Maybe you should stop sneaking a peek to see what your gift is, then.” He said with a small smirk. The white dragon stepped over and leaned down to peck Moon on the cheek with a kiss. “Maybe it’s a tiny hat.”
Moon pushed his muzzle away with a talon, rolling over to right herself. She tried to glare at him, but the look was ruined by the smile in her eyes. As well as the image she was seeing in his mind of herself in a tiny hat. “You loon! You wouldn’t!”
“True. I’m horrible at working with cloth.” Winter said with a small smile on his snout. Moon leaned into his side with a tired sigh. “Are you okay? Do you need to rest?” He asked quickly. The nightwing gave him that same annoyed, loving look she always did when he worried over her.
“I’m fine, Winter. Just a little tired lately. You’ll see why when you get your gift.” She chided softly. Moon pushed off his side, causing him to stumble a bit in surprise. “Now, are you going to help me clean up for our guests, or is that beneath you?” She gave him another very familiar look, one that said ‘I’m teasing you, so stop worrying, you handsome idiot’.
“My ‘look’ does not say ‘handsome’ in it.” Moon shook her head, whapping his side with her tail. “But yes, you are handsome. And intelligent. And incredibly adorable when it snows.”
Winter’s steadily growing ego shriveled at that last point, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “I am an icewing prince! Trained for battle and regimen! I do not do adorable!”
“Not even for me?” Moon blinked her eyes, tilting her head in that so insufferably teasing manner she picked up from Qibli. She knew what she was doing.
Winter let out a sigh, lowering his head. “Okay, maybe a little bit of adorable every once in a while.” He breathed out, sounding disappointed in himself for giving in so easily. But he wasn’t disappointed, and Moon knew it. He knew it.
A knock on the door pulled both dragons’ attentions. “That’s mine!” Moon quickly said, rushing to the door with an even bigger grin on her face. Winter walked over to the gramophone. An ingenious human invention he could never figure out. But after Dafodil caught him listening outside her human house one too many times, she tasked Turtle with making a dragon-sized one for him. The seawing was incredibly adept in these human-made moving objects, even without his animus.
Winter lifted the needle off the flat disc of music, halting the music with a small scratching noise as Moon opened the door. They had decided on a small celebration for their first year of marriage. Only one guest each, and Moon had chosen Secretkeeper. The large nightwing squeezed her way into the cave with a cheery smile.
“Moon! You look wonderful! Plump even. Are you overeating?” Secretkeeper asked, starting a worrying tirade that could put Winter to shame any day of the week.
“Miss Secretkeeper.” Winter interrupted, bowing low. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”
“Winter! You’re still sparkly as always. Treating my little Moon well, I trust?” The larger nightwing asked, sitting up and looking over her son-in-law as she awaited his response.
“Mother! You said you would behave!” Moon let out a soft groan before sitting beside Winter, pressing into his side, her head in the crook of his neck. The cold drake leaned over her, wrapping one wing around her back.
“Of course, Miss Secretkeeper. I wouldn’t dream of upsetting your daughter.” He murmured. Secrekeeper’s eyes softened, and she fell back to all fours, wrapping her wings around the two smaller dragons.
“I know, dears. I’m just a worrywart of a mother.” Secretkeeper smiled down at the two dragons, the contrasting white’s and blacks of their scales seeming to perfectly blend beneath her wings. Like a full moon in a night sky. She leaned down to whisper in Winter’s ear. “But if you ever do hurt my dragonet. Well…Qibli can tell you stories.”
“Mother!” Moon cried, swatting the larger nightwing with her wings.
“That will never be a problem, Miss Secretkeeper.” Winter declared loyalty. “I’ve heard the stories.” He said with a small shudder. Another knock on the door caused every dragon to turn as one.
“That must be Qibli!…. He doesn’t usually knock. Maybe he has grown up a little.” Winter muttered softly, breaking out of the tangle of wings to head to the door.
“That’s n-” Moon started to say, only to be interrupted.
“You invited your ex to your Gifting Night?” Secretkeeper asked quickly, pushing the problem foremost.
“No, Winter invited our best friend to the Gifting Night,” Moon replied, with all the patience of a dragon who’s had this conversation many times. “There are no hard feelings between Qibli and me. We just didn’t work out. I’ve told you this before. DO NOT harm him.”
Secretkeeper let out a loud harrumph, which didn’t sound very much like agreement. “I thought you said you wanted a quiet year.”
“It will be. Qibli promised to tone it down tonight,” her daughter assured her. “He’s not that bad, and he knows how to read a room.”
“He will be quiet when I tie his muzzle shut.” Moon’s mother muttered under her breath. Moon scowled at Secretkeeper.
“Mother…”
Winter opened the door, and Moon’s words died in her throat. The air seemed to grow colder, freezing even the icewing in place. On instinct, he lowered his head, his eyes down to his claws, his body adapting that scared, insecure stance Moon hadn’t seen in years.
“You’re…not Qibli.” Winter managed to mutter out in staggered breaths.
“Is that any way to talk to an Icewing of the royal court?” Tundra hissed. “As I feared. Living outside of our kingdom degraded you even further. You should have returned as soon as your exile was revoked and reclaimed your place in the palace. You should never have gotten with-” Tundra stopped, biting her tongue as if an order was just remembered.
“Are you going to let me in, or just stand in the way, as usual?” She finished after a heartbeat. Winter wanted to say no. He wanted to close the door and go back to Moon. He wanted to tell Tundra how much she hurt him and how much happier he was without her on his mind.
Winter stepped aside, letting the large icewing into their home. Her skywing tooth necklace still jangled on her scales, and her frosty exterior seemed to dim the room. Even the little fire in the corner for cooking flickered and sank a little further into the ashes.
Tundra took a look around, then let out a snort of contempt. As if the very idea of decorations or mundane objects were inconceivable. Her eyes lingered on Moon for a few too many moments, and Secretkeeper took a step in front of her daughter protectively. Acting on the instinct of a mother faced with a predator.
“Moon. Miss Secretkeeper. This is my mother, Tundra.” Winter started in a shaky voice. A sharp spike slashed across his snout as Tundra flicked her tail at him. Winter held himself back from flinching. That would show weakness. “And advisor to Queen Snowfall.” He finished after a moment, realising what irritated his mother.
The larger Icewing let out an annoyed snort before stepping further into the home. She seemed to be inspecting every crevice and finding flaws in each one.
Moon stood up suddenly, ignoring Tundra’s eyes as they snapped onto her, and walked over to Winter. She gently placed a cloth on his cheek. “You’re bleeding.” She said in a hushed tone, the warmth of her scales helping slow Winter’s rabbit-speed heart.
“It’s nothing…” Winter replied quietly, but he didn’t stop his mate from cleaning his snout of the blue liquid.
“You are Winter’s mother?” Secretkeeper asked, a note of tension in her voice. Tundra didn’t look up, too busy poking a claw into one of Winter’s scroll shelves filled with notes. “I don’t recall seeing you at the wedding.”
“I believed it to be a farce. Winter was clearly acting out to upset me. I didn’t expect him to go through with it.” Tundra lowered her claw, raising her gaze to meet Secretkeeper’s. “I thought Nightwings had higher expectations than this. An Icewing should never have been allowed to live in this….squallor.”
Please don’t say anything, Moon. Winter pleaded in his mind. She’ll lose interest soon and leave.
Moon tilted her head at him and gave a slow nod. She placed a talon over his, wreathing her claws between his own.
“I care more about my daughter’s happiness than Icewing standards, Miss Tundra.” The large nightwing hissed Tundra’s name with as much venom as a Sandwing’s tail barb.
“Let’s all calm down.” Moon started to speak. Secretkeeper’s eyes softened, while Tundra’s seemed to glare icicles at the smaller nightwing. “Please, Miss Tundra, it’s….a pleasure to meet you.”
“The feeling is not mutual.” She spat with a growl. Winter pressed into his mate’s side gently, wrapping a wing around her as the older Icewing narrowed her eyes at them both.
“Mother….why are you here?” Winter managed to squeak out under her oppressive gaze.
“I’ve come to bring you home. I require a dragon with ties to the outer villages.” She said, almost nonchalantly. As if Winter was just an object she could come to collect any time. “Your cousin is destroying the Icekingdom, so it's about time we had a new queen. But her support of the lesser-ranked dragons keeps us from simply deposing her by force. If I had the dragon who made sure every Icewing, no matter how insignificant, managed to get a cure from that plague, then my rule is assured.” Tundra squeezed her talons into a fist.
Winter spluttered after a moment, shaking his head vigorously. “I-I can’t do that! Queen Snowfall is a good ruler!”
The air around Tundra seemed to grow colder, and Secretkeeper moved closer to the young dragons under her icy gaze, as if she could protect them.
“You owe me.” She hissed in a cold voice. “For keeping you alive. For letting your father die. For ruining our Diamond trial.” Her voice grew louder with every word, causing Winter to flinch back. Moon pressed into him this time, trying to keep him steady, while turning her fierce eyes on the Icewing menace in front of her.
“Winter can’t go with you. We are married, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Moon started with a growl.
“Moon wai-”
“He doesn’t owe you anything! He is a kind, wonderful dragon who works hard at everything he does. And he will be a much better parent than you ever were!” Her words echoed in the small room before spilling into an awkward silence.
“What….did you…” Winter started, stumbling over his words as Moon turned to look into his eyes.
“YOU’RE WITH EGG?!” Secretkeeper gasped, wrapping her wings around her daughter and son-in-law. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier! Oh dear, we’ll have to start prepping your house! I will come over every day to help out, don’t you worry!”
The smaller nightwing gave Winter a sheepish look, trailing a circle on the ground with a claw. "I was going to tell you tonight at a happier moment, I just got a little heated, and it came out. Surprise? Happy Gifting Night?"
The icewing shook his head, wrapping Moon with his wings, pressing a talon gently on her stomach as if cradling the egg inside. "Do you...really think I'll be a good father?"
Moon leaned against him comfortingly, pressing her head under his. "I know so."
"No, he will not." Tundra snapped. She stepped closer to the trio of dragons, glaring down at Moon. "Get rid of it."
Secretkeeper moved to place herself between the angry icewing and the two younger dragons, but Winter stopped her with a wing, raising his head for the first time since Tundra entered.
"Why?" He asked, his voice shaking with anger instead of fear now.
"I will not have my bloodline tainted by evil and darkness!" She hissed, glaring directly at Moon. The young drake stepped in front of his mate, meeting his mother's eyes now, recognizing the shock flicker momentarily in her gaze.
"There is no evil in Moon nor our egg," Winter said defensively, a growl present in the undertone of his words.
"She is one of the dragons who killed your father! Who stole our animus! Nightwings ruin everything! They ruined all of my plans! All of our plans! They killed Glacier too early! They tainted Snowfall, made her weak. They would have made you weak if you weren't so insufferably useless already! No true Icewing would ever mate with a Nightwing!" She howled, her tirade coming to an end with heavy panting.
Winter started to shake uncontrollably. Like a human in snow without a covering. His claws dug into the soft wood of their floor, and he raised his voice, wavering with rage. "Get out."
Tundra froze for a moment, then recoiled in shock. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. For the first time in his life, Winter had left his mother speechless. After a moment, her muzzle decided on anger, shifting into a ferocious snarl. She stalked right up to her son, muzzle to muzzle with him, her wings spread threateningly, and her claws leaving gashes in their floor. She bared her teeth, with a mist of frostbreath escaping her jaws.
“What. Did. You. Say. To. Me?” She hissed out every word, boring them into Winter’s ears like spears of ice. Yet he stood firmly between Moon and his mother, not giving an inch.
“I said….GET OUT!” He roared, causing Tundra to take a step backwards at his fury. “Get out of my house! Get out of my life! You will not lay a claw on a single scale of Moon’s, or so help me, I will freeze you solid, and break you apart, piece by bloody piece! Do you hear me?”
“Y-y-you would talk to the queen’s advisor like that? To your own mother?! Have you lost all Icewing pride?!” Tundra stammered out, stuck somewhere between anger and shock, losing all of her icewing composure.
“I never had any pride in who you made me. A lump of seal blubber would have made a better parent!” Winter hissed, chilling the air between them. For a moment, it looked as if Tundra might leave, the confusion on her muzzle, and the shock at her mild son’s rejection.
And then the tears Winter had been holding back started to fall, dripping down his fierce muzzle. His angry eyes glistened with water even as he held his mother’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, she stepped closer. “You’re just a mistake! You don’t get to roar at me!”
Tundra raised a talon, one which the younger icewing bravely did not flinch away from, yet it never landed. Secretkeeper’s claws gripped the icewing’s arm before twisting it sharply. “You will NOT touch my son-in-law!” With a sharp yank, she tumbled Tundra off her talons, the large icewing falling clumsily onto her side with a yowl of pain. She raised her muzzle, a frosty mist building between her teeth, but Sceretkeeper slammed her muzzle shut with a talon. Bits of ice formed on her claws and stung painfully as frostbreath escaped around them, but she did not relent.
The Nightwing mother leaned low, growling deep in her throat. “Get out of my daughter’s house, or I will be sending you back to the ice kingdom dead and rotting as our old volcano prey.”
Tundra had a new emotion in her eyes, one that Winter had never seen. It could have been how blurry his vision was from his tears, or how the ground seemed to sway under him with every word he spoke, breaking down centuries of Icewing ethics and years of conditioning. But Tundra looked….fearful.
Secretkeeper let go of Tundra, but kept herself between the icewing and the two younger dragons, her wings spread menacingly. The icewing backed away slowly, covering the fear on her muzzle with more anger.
“This isn’t over. The moment I’m Queen, you’ll both pay.” She snarled before whipping around and heading for the door. Her tail lashed, leaving a neat groove in the wood as she disappeared outside, and the door slammed closed.
At the sound of the door, Winter sat with a thump. The adrenaline fueling his rage left like a herd of snowhare running from an avalanche. He tried to stifle the tears that continued to fall.
“I’m sorry….” He managed to say after a moment, his mind still reeling with the repercussions of his mother’s visit.
My mother wants Moon dead. She wants our EGG destroyed…I’m going to be a father. I have to be strong. Don’t cry, Icewings don’t cry. I have to be strong to protect them.
“Don’t do that. You’re allowed your moment to cry. I won’t think any less of you, Winter. I’ll sit here with you until you can stand on your own again, okay?” Moon smiled down at him before lying next to him, her wing over him once again, and her claws threaded between his own.
Winter gave her one look through bleary eyes before leaning into her side and letting the tears flow. “I’m so happy…and so scared.” He whispered into her ear. She simply hummed back, holding her mate close.
“I know. But we’ll be okay. I believe in our future together.” Then Moon smiled at him, a teasing smile. “And I have the kindest, strongest, and bravest dragon who has shown more loyalty than any dragon on any continent. Not to mention how handsome and smart you are.” Winter managed a small chuckle between sobs, sitting up to try to wipe tears from his eyes. Moon stopped his claws, bringing her own talons up to wipe the salty feelings away from him. “See. It’s not all so bad.”
“You called me handsome,” he said after a bit. “Even when I’m being an emotional wreck?”
“Especially when you’re an emotional wreck. You’re handsome when you’re being you, nothing held back.” She returned, before kissing his snout, long and deep.. Both dragons tried to ignore the looming nightwing in the room, happily tapping her talons together like an eager dragonet watching a romance play.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tundra made it exactly three steps from the house of her disappointment of a son, before something flexible and scaly wrapped around her throat. She raised a talon to grip it, only stopping when something sharp and curved pressed against her soft scales, between the coils. A sandwing tail barb.
“Who are you? I am the advisor of the Icewing Queen, and I will have your head for this!” She hissed into the dark, unable to turn her head to look at her assailant.
“I couldn’t give a camel dropping about who you are.” The voice hissed. Male, with a striking back-alley sandwing accent. “What I care about is what you’re going to do to prevent me from killing you right now.”
“Don’t try to scare me. You’re not-” She was cut off as the tail tightened around her throat, and the barb pricked her, leaking its toxin into her blood.
“Shut up. Your voice annoys me,” the sandwing hissed. “The only reason you’re not dead right now is because I don’t want to trouble Winter with the cleanup.”
“You know my son?” She managed to weeze out. The barb pushed in further, cutting a line of blue across her throat.
“I know the crown prince. He has no relation to you. Not anymore.” He said with a finality that shook her.
“Wh-” The coils cut off her words with a choked squawk.
“I said, your voice annoys me.” The assailant said once more. “Here is what is going to happen. You are going to leave and never come back. You will never contact Winter again. You will never interact with Winter or his family again. You will never even think of hurting Winter again.”
“Or what?” Tundra managed to squeak out between the coils. The darkness around her seemed to smile back at her in a chilling deepness that ice never touched.
“Or Snowfall will hear all about your attempts to contact Cobra and dethrone her…violently. And if that isn’t enough of a threat, I’ll kill you.” The namedrop of the sandwing assassin caused the icewing to freeze up like an ice sculpture. “Oh yes, I know all about your dealings with my mother. Luckily, Thorn has much more coin than you. So, do you understand? Nod if you do.”
Tundra struggled with her own pride, wanting to bite the tail off and kill this upstart. But in her position, she didn’t have a chance. She nodded slowly, and the tail released her throat, leaving a long blue slash under her chin.
The icewing whirled around to find….nothing. Only darkness. “Better hurry and get some cactus on that. Or at least die outside of Sanctuary.” The shadows said, echoing around her. Tundra took a step back, then another, before fleeing into the night.
Qibli let out a low sigh before stepping out of the shadow of a tree. He hated this part of his job, but for Moon and Winter….
He flicked his tail, scattering the blue blood across the ground, then picked up his small box, brushing off dirt. A snowflake fell from the sky, landing on the two crossed scars of his muzzle. Hopefully, Winter would let him stay the night…and Secretkeeper wouldn’t hurt him too badly again.
With a deep breath, the sandwing composed himself. Tilting his head in that teasing manner he always used, and smiling widely, before pushing open Winter’s door without knocking.
“Guess who’s here!” He said boisterously. “Did I miss anything ‘cool’? I’m not ‘snowing’ on your night, right?”
“I’m going to muzzle him,” Secretkeeper growled instantly, her words being silenced as the door closed behind the sandwing.