Falling for you - Qinter Fic

8. Dragon-napped

Winter blinked his eyes open, a splitting pain throbbing inside his head.A piercing light shone in front of his face, and he jerked backwards.
But he couldn't, as he was tied up with chains, and they rattled as he collapsed on the ground.

"I see you're awake,"a ghostly voice spoke, and the light was averted from his eyes.Winter gazed around for whoever was speaking, but saw none.
"It took you long enough."

Winter squinted.Amongst the shadows, a form perched on a rock, wings splayed to their sides regally.Their head was raised, and dark red eyes gazed at Winter sharply, mischief bubbling inside them.As the dragon stepped out of the shadow, Winter recognized it as a....NightWing.Of course.Her scales were a shiny black, with a shimmery gray underbelly, dark red claws and eery snow-white teeth.
"What? Aren't you shocked?"she giggled, crimson eyes glaring at him.

"Not even mildly, no,"Winter rasped, his throat dreadfully dry. "Who else could it be?"his voice cracked at the end, and the NightWing sighed, snapping her claws.Another dragon, this one some sort of a hybrid, rushed in with a bowl full of water.He placed it down before Winter, then hurried out of the room.

Winter eyed it carefully.He doubted it was safe, probably full of poison or something. "What is this? Acid? If I drink it, will my insides rip me apart?"

"It's water, Winter.It won't harm you.I'm not that stupid."Mysterious NightWing rolled her eyes.

"Fine- wait, how do you know my name?"Winter scowled, his lip flicking out to lap up the water thirstily.

She didn't answer. "What were you doing outside of that mountain so late at night?"she stepped a bit closer, claws scraping against the ground and worsening Winter's headache.

"I couldn't sleep,"Winter frowned, finishing the drink and pushing the bowl away. "I went for a walk and thought if I watched the stars, I'd get tired."

"Ah, yes.'Cause that always work."she rolled her eyes."Anyways, my name is Shadowlurker.I dragon-napped you because I want information."

"About what?"Winter frowned. "And couldn't you have just asked? You kind of knocked me unconscious.Which, for the record, wasn't cool.Oh great, I just made a pun, Qibli can't hear about this...."

"Ummm, I'm going to ignore what you just said, because I don't know who Qibli is.Anyways, what is that mountain?"Shadowlurker demanded.

"Jade Mountain Academy? It's where I go to school."Winter sat up, sighing as the wing-binds dug into into the skin of his wings.

"Jade Mountain Acad- Great.Who is the founder of this so-called school?"
Shadowlurker waved her talon.

"That would be the dragonets of destiny, minus Queen Glory, of course."Winter answered, his scales feeling so dirty he nearly gagged up.
He couldn't wait until he was out of this place and could find a cool river to bathe in.Who knows what kind of diseases there could be just floating around.

"They're still alive?"Shadowlurker scowled, picking up a scroll and crossing something off.Winter tried to get a glance at the paper, but she had whisked it away from sight before he could.

"Yes.They are.They aren't very old...Why wouldn't they be alive?"
Winter stared at her, wondering what she was getting at.

"Do you have any friends?"
Shadowlurker changed the subject, fanning herself with a palm leaf she picked up off the ground.He didn't quite realize where she'd gotten it from, as they appeared to be in a large and deep hole in the ground.

"Ummm, I wouldn't necessarily call them friends..."Winter fought back tears as he thought of his Winglet.They were probably wondering where he was right now.

Or not.Because they don't care about me.

"Answer.The.Question."Shadowlurker hissed ominously, snapping the leaf in half and dropping it on the ground.

Anger issues?

"Fine.I have a few.They're mostly just my Winglet."Winter sighed, slightly embarrassed.So what if I have friends? Mother and Father can't think I'm any more of a disappointment.

"Names and tribes.Quickly, now."Shadowlurker said swiftly.

"Uhhh- Moonwatcher NightWing, Turtle SeaWing, Qibli SandWing, Carnelian SkyWing....and Kinkajou RainWing."Winter forced out, closing his eyes. Umber doesn't deserve to be named my friend.

Shadowlurker opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a
joy-filled voice.

"See, guys? I told you I'm his friend!"Qibli called merrily, flying down towards them, a huge grin on his snout.Five forms following swiftly behind him.

Shadowlurker hissed loudly, leaping in front of Winter and snarling at the newcomers. "Who are you, and how did you find me?!"

"We're Winter's friends, we're here to save him!"Kinkajou cheered, startling Moon, who crashed sideways into Turtle.

Winter's eyes narrowed when he saw the last member of their party.Peril.
The smoky SkyWing was standing awkwardly beside Turtle, who was still flopped over on the ground.Her wings were folded tightly into her sides, and her talons were pushed together.
She was obviously trying to avoiding hurting someone or catching something on fire.

"Leave and don't return,"Qibli threatened darkly. "And if you ever lay another claw on Winter, you're dead."
He puffed out his chest, and Winter just wanted to give him a huge hug.

But then Qibli would get too smug, and we can't have that.

Shadowlurker gave Moon a weird look, before flying high and out of the hole.
Her black tail disappeared into the darkness, and silence indulged them all.

Qibli sighed, moving to Winter's side and picking up the chain latches.He stuck a claw in and started fiddling around, grunting in frustration when nothing worked. "Peril, can you burn the chains off, please? Without hurting him."

Peril nodded, walking swiftly over to them and standing in front of Winter, who flinched.She looked anxious; worried. "Look, if I burn you, I didn't mean it."

"Just do it,"Winter sighed, closing his eyes.He heard a rattle, and felt slight heat as Peril melted the chains.They dropped onto the ground and Winter stretched, arching his back and flaring out his wings.

"Thanks guys, I don't think I could of gotten out safely without you.Especially you, Peril."Winter thanked them gratefully.

Qibli leaned into him. "No problem, buddy.You'd do the same for us."he smiled easily, flying up out of the hole, everyone following.

Winter frowned, following after the SandWing and his rescue team.
Those words rang through his head many, many times.

Would I really? Would Prince Winter care enough to go gather up a party and save Kinkajou?

No.

Yes.

Mabye.

Hopefully.

"Oh, and, Winter?"Qibli flew to his side and glanced at him.Winter let out a grunt, telling him to continue.
"I have a surprise for you in our room.
Moon and I found it yesterday."

Winter didn't like the sound of that.
His suspicions came true when he walked into the cave and saw the most terrifying thing ever.

"Qibli!? Three moons! Why do we have an EGG in our room!?"