Falling for you - Qinter Fic

6. The Great Chase

Moon and Qibli saw Carnelian speed away, and shrugged. "Let's try over there, shall we?"Qibli pointed to a grassy area where there were flowers.

"Great idea."Moon nodded, leading the way over there.Qibli watched curiously as the grass moved, and they both froze.

"What do you think that was?"Moon whispered to him, the trembling grass settling again.

"Mabye a bird?"Qibli suggested. "Or perhaps a rabbit."

"Let's check it out."Moon walked over and pushed the grass apart.In the tall, bushy grass lay an egg, and Moon gasped loudly.
"Three moons, Qibli, look!"

Qibli gaped at it. "What kind of dragon would leave their egg in the grass?"Qibli frowned.

"Mabye they were keeping it hidden why they were gone?"Moon tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We should leave it."

"But what if the parent doesn't return?"Qibli argued. "We should take it and keep it safe."

"But that's wrong,"Moon shook her head. "We'll come back tomorrow and if it's still here, we'll take it.Okay?"

Qibli sighed. "Fine."
They then turned and walked back to the others.

***

Qibli shivered, the inside of the Mountain cool and quiet.For a school, he didn't expect either of those.As he and the others entered, dragonets started poking their heads out of the rooms, curiously.Qibli smiled at them, until Ashes whisked them away toward the prey center.

"Teacher, wait,"Winter tapped her shoulder. "Can I go check on Bandit first? I left him in my cave and I'm worried about him."he frowned.Ashes nodded and he immediately took off.

They put their food in the prey center and Ashes left, telling them to find a spot and wait for dinner to start.Qibli was shocked that it was so empty, a few other random dragons sitting silently in the room apart from the Jade Winglet.

Suddenly a gong shattered the blissful peace, and mere moments later, dragonets came barging in, laughter, chatting and arguing filling the entire room.Clay, the large MudWing,  lumbered in and unleashed the live prey, a few pigs, a goat, a cow and three sheep.That only excited everyone more, and they started screaming as they flew after them.

Kinkajou and Moon were standing in the corner by the fruit pile chatting.Moon looked like she was scared, and she was clenching her temples with a talon.Kinkajou looked slightly worried, and was gazing around at everything.

Qibli was about to go over and see what was up, when sudden someone led out a loud, shrill cry.

"SCAVENGER!"

All heads snapped toward the door where a poor tiny scavenger with fluffy black hair stood.It darted into the room, and all the meat-eaters immediately leapt for it.

Bandit.

No, it can't be.Winter would never let him out.

Seconds later a raging white and blue IceWing came rushing in the room, eyes lit with panic and fury. "Everyone out of the way! Give me my scavenger!"he roared.

No one stopped trying to grab it, though, and Winter got more upset, smashing into dragons and tripping over tails.He almost reached bandit, but was hit by a MudWing and fell over.

Qibli joined the chase as it continued for minutes and minutes, no one I giving up.Dragons watched, shouting a few things once in a while, and Winter and Qibli were racing side by side with the scavenger in sight.

Right when Flame went to reach for it, and Winter's eyes widened to saucers,
a flash of black scales zoomed by and Moon scooped up the scavenger, flaring her wings out around her to keep everyone away. She carefully huddled Bandit between her talons, glaring at dragons who got to close.

"Thank the moons, Moon got Bandit."Qibli let out a huge sigh of relief.Winter let out a growl, stomping over to her and holding out his icy talons.

"Give me MY scavenger, Moon."he demanded.Apparently, he'd never heard of the word, 'please'.

"Yeah, sure."Moon held out her shaky claws and placed the scavenger in Winter's outstretched talon.She shivered as her scales brushed his, and quickly pulled back.

Winter whirled around and stormed out do the room, Qibli following him seconds later.As they both walked in silence, Winter spared him a glance.

"Why are you following me? Aren't you hungry?"Winter mumbled.Qibli wanted to believe a part of Winter was happy he was being followed by the SandWing.

"I thought you might want some friendly company, after all those dragons tried to...you know."Qibli offered, a warm smile spreading across his snout like wildfire.

Winter let out a weird snort noise, and his face contorted in a strange way. "Well, I guess you can stay."
His hypnotizing blue eyes lit up in a way that only made Qibli smile harder, till his face hurt.

"Wait a second, are you, prince salty of the IceWings, smiling?"Qibli grinned, finally recognizing the look on Winter's face as happiness.

"What? No.The last place I would want to smile is anywhere next to you."Winter huffed, his face immediately forming into a scowl.

"You should smile more, though.It makes your eyes light up."Qibli nudged him with a wing, then stopped and then turned around.Their room was just up ahead. "Meet you back at the prey-center for food."

"Yeah, yeah."

***

Qibli crawled up in his bed of camel skins, letting out a tired sigh.
He was exhausted from a long day of fun.His mind was still churning, and the most reappearing thought was about the egg he and Moon had found.

If it's still there tomorrow, we'll have to smuggle it into Moon's room.
Then let's hope that the egg is gone.

Winter walked in, his wings splayed to his sides and his eyes full of tiredness.
He didn't mumble a word to Qibli as he slumped on his polar bear rug and closed his eyes.

"Busy day, huh, buddy?"Qibli yawned.
He felt the need to say something, despite not knowing why.

"Mhm."Winter sighed, turning around so he was facing Qibli.His talons were stained from dirt from where he'd helped Clay dig a hole in the ground to store stuff in.They must be extremely sore, as every time Winter flexed them slightly, he winced.

"C...Can I try something?"Qibli asked softly, sitting up.

Winter raised a brow, silently asking him to say what it was.

"Can I try something to help your talons.I see that they are sore.Back when I was an Outclaw, I learned to massage sore talons till they felt better.Can I try?"

"Go ahead."Winter narrowed his eyes, also sitting up.Qibli approached him and he held out a talon.

Qibli sat in front of him and placed both his talons on Winter's one talon.
The IceWing immediately shivered at the sudden warmth.He started massaging, pressing his claws down lightly on Winter's paw.He ignored the cold, pressing down until at last Winter gasped, pulling his talon back and staring at it.

"It doesn't hurt nearly as bad now..."
he breathed, awe filling his gentle tone. "Thank you..."

"No problem.Next one?"

He proceded to do the same thing to Winter's other talon, and the IceWing reacted the exact same way.Except he gave Qibli a hug, shocking them both.

"You're welcome."Qibli grinned, at the same time that Winter said, "You have magic talons."

Qibli hesitated, before wrapping his arms around Winter's neck and deepening the hug.They sat there for a few minutes, till Qibli realized Winter had fallen asleep in his chest.
He felt his face warm up, and rubbed it to stop from blushing.He then gently set Winter down and pulled a polar bear skin over his now warm body.

He then bent down and pressed a kiss to Winter's forehead, then hurried over to his own bed and climbed in.His eyes drooped as he gazed at Winter, then they closed and blackness indulged him.