The Claws of Night And Rain

Chapter 7

The flight to where scarlet supposedly camped, was longer that Rainwatcher thought. He and his friends made a fire and camped between two openings in the forest. He couldn't fall asleep, he couldn't stop worrying about Pyrite. Swiftclaws was keeping watch and standing behind Firefly, which made Rainwatcher mad. He didn't want Firelfy to date a Nightwing, even though she was half one.

"Moon" Winter whispered "Moon, wake up"

Moon opened her eyes slowly "Yeah?"

"Is Pyrite really asleep?" Winter walked over to Moon, who was rested underneath a tree.

"Yes. What's wrong?" Moon looked worried. Rainwatcher's Rainwings scales turned green, what could Pyrite have done? While (At least) ten invisible guards were watching Firefly and Rainwatcher. What did she do?

"I think Pyrite's an animus" Winter snarled in her direction "When she touched me, I felt a weird tingling feeling. I think Rainwatcher felt that as well. He gave her a weird look after she gave him the scroll"

Moon's mind felt unsure what to say here. "Oh... really? I mean, if she is, she doesn't know yet." Moon looked towards Rainwatcher, who immediately  shut his eyes, so she couldn't tell he was awake. 'Rainy, I know you're awake.' Moon thought 

"What do you mean?" Winter asked "How can you have the most dangerous power on Pyrrhia and not know?"

'Dangerous' Rainwatcher thought 'The most dangerous power on Pyrrhia.' 

"I mean, if she does know, she doesn't think about it" Moon explained as Rainwatcher opened his eyes. Winter stepped closer to Moon, which Rainy didn't like. It wasn't because he liked Moon, it was because he didn't think Winter was right for Moon. He was always so aggressive towards her and always bossed her around. Qibli was nicer to Moon and was more affectionate towards her. "Pyrite's thoughts are weird, they're all the same: I'm completely loyal to Queen Scarlet. I'm not good at anything. I'm very clumsy and insecure and very bad at everything. Then back to: I'm completely loyal to scarlet"

"Hmm" Winter looked up at the three moons up in the sky. Tonight was one of the nights where three of the Moons were full. Moon's mind was blank again, and her face lit up. 'What's happening? Her mind is just blank. No fuzz like Kinkijou's or Qibli's. Just blank' Rainwatcher wondered. 

"We should ask Qibli about it. He probably be able to figure it out." Moon offered and Winter looked hurt. They stayed in silence for a minute, Moon's wing brushed Winter's by accident and she immediately flinched away. 'Sorry!' She thought even quicker than she flinched. Winter made a dismissive wave with his talon, like he didn't notice. 'He did know' Rainwatcher thought musingly 'He wanted it it to be for longer'

'Rainwatcher! STOP THAT' Moon yelled in her mind 'Qibli and Winter are both great friends. AND THAT'S IT!'

'And great boyfriends' Rainwatcher tried (again) to do his dad's smirk. But failed (again). 'Well, Qibli is. Firefly thinks you and Winter would go well together! I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT!'

"I don't agree with both of you" Moon whispered as she walked past Rainwatcher and laid  beside Firefly and Kinkijou. 

"Ooooh" Firelfy whispered in a not-so-whisper voice. "You and Winter!" Qibli, Kinkijou and Pyrite were the only ones truely asleep, so Firelfy decided to have some fun "Moon and Winter sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G-" Firefly said even louder, and Rainwatcher saw Winter blush and quickly covered his snout with his wing. Moon shut Firelfy's snout with her talons

"STOP!" She whisper-yelled "Your brother is trying to make me be with Qibli, and now you're trying to make me be with Winter! What if I don't like either of them?"

Rainwatcher felt Winter twitch at that statement, but he glared at Qibli, then, Rainwatcher felt a cold glare from behind. 'Uhm, Moon?' He thought 'Is Winter glaring at me?'

Moon didn't have to respond "OooOooOooh!!" Firefly mused "Somebody's JEALOUS!"

Winter snarled from behind Rainwatcher and whispered something in his ear "Can you and Moon communicate through your minds?" He asked 

Rainwatcher turned around, and saw Winter looked genuinely curious "Well, umm, I guess we do-"

"Tell me what she thinks.  Moon has been acting weird." Winter asked quickly "And I'll uhhh... I won't reveal your secret."

'He knows?' Rainwatcher thought worriedly 'How does he know? I've never done it around him- I've only done it once! How does he know-' "Uhhh, what secret?"

"That you talk to each other. In your mind. I don't think Kinkijou or Firefly will like that. Or Qibli" Winter turned around and the yellow sandwing was curled up in a ball, with his tail neatly coiled up. 'Wait. THAT SECRET! Oh, he doesn't know about the other one. Good.' Rainwatcher sighed with massive relief  "Okay..." he  said awkwardly 'Uhm, this is the weirdest deal I've ever done'

"Good" Winter snapped back into his normal, harsh, cold voice "And don't tell anyone. Or else."

"Mhhmm" Rainwatcher mumbled as his eyes shut. He looked like a Nightwing, but he was the one with a Rainwing brain. It was almost midnight! He'd stayed up this late once: When he hatched.

"Not even Firefly." Winter warned but Rainwatcher was already fast asleep.

"Waakee UUUpppPPPPpp" Kinkijou said in a singsong voice. Was it morning already? It felt like it was only five minutes since midnight. Kinkijou was dancing around the fire pit with Moon who looked like she needed help. Pyrite looked annoyed at Kinkijou, but she didn't notice the cold glare she was getting by Winter and Pyrite. "FIREFLYYYYYYY WAKEY WAKY! OPEN YOUR EYYYYYEEEEESSSS AND.... uhhh.... TAKEE IINNNNN THHHEHHEEE SUUUUNNNNNNNNN!"

"Auurrghhh" Firelfy groaned and rolled over onto her stomach "Kinkijou, how are you so energetic?"

"Because, unlike SOME DRAGONS I actually DO SUNTIME! And that makes me more jumpy and hippity dippity!"

"That's not a word" Moon laughed "And Rainwatcher does suntime."

"Any sane dragon would sleep in, in the morning " Firelfy mumbled and Qibli barked a laugh 

"And what makes you sane?" He snorted and Firefly shot him a glare, but she laughed from the look on his face. "Miss 'I'm Three years old and I've gone on four assassination trips!"

"I'm FOUR years old and I've gone on FIVE assassination trips." Firefly corrected "And that impression of me is absolutely awful, I do not speak in a SCAVENGER'S TONE!"

Firefly was right, Qibli's squeaking impression was very inaccurate... More like Kinkijou's voice. Rainwatcher slowly stepped out of his sleeping position and started stretching his wings. The sun was so high in the sky, it was midday already? Rainwatcher thought it was only the first hour of the day, but it was the sixth hour!

"Can we all stop being lazy and actually get a move on?" Winter hissed at Firefly and Rainwatcher "My brother could be half a world away by now. Pyrite. How far?"

"Eep- uhh well, I think it's that way-" She stuttered

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THINK?" Winter yelled and Moon ran over to stop him 

"WE WENT ALL THIS WAY AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE WAY?" Firefly outraged. Rainwatcher was mad too, but her mind clearly remembered this place. Some invisible guards held her back from attacking Pyrite. She ran behind a tree, but she was too big to hide. 

"EEEP!" Pyrite yelped "I'm sorry! I just- I know- It's only- We'll be there in an hour- if we don't rest- Can the yellow Rainwing handle that?"

"Of course!" Kinkijou looked mad that Pyrite thought she couldn't handle it "I'm a Rainwing! We always do tree gliding contests and we are AMAZING at flying!-"

"Enough with the bragging can we just go?" Winter rolled his eyes at Kinkijou, who gave him a sharp glare. "Pyrite come on."