Shadow Falling

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Shade froze, mouth agape as he locked eyes with the ones that were staring at him from the foliage. Deep, dark brown eyes that seemed to be solely locked on him. They seemed to approach just a little, and Shade could hardly manage to squeak in terror. Limbs heavy, he stumbled back as the eyes edged closer.

Then there was a wicked hiss as something shot by Shade, brushing up against him and filling his mind's eye with images of dashing through the rainforest before flashing away. There was a terrible snarl as what Shade assumed was Passion hurled herself at the eyes that he had seen in the trees. There was a low grunt as Passion made contact with the owner of those eyes and they seemed to stumble back.

"What are you doing?" the owner of the eyes asked, unperturbed by the bristling, angry Passion. He didn't even sound like her attack was doing much of anything to him.

"Stay away from him!" she spat, voice dropping slightly. Shade could just barely see her, her ruff fanned out, turning a bright, brilliant blood red.

"I'm not going to do anything, don't worry. But, please, get off."

Passion slunk out of the shadows a moment later, belly low to the ground and wings spread in a defensive position. The dragon that she had attacked followed, a hulking beast of a Mudwing, his head tilted in amusement. The other dragonets gasped slightly at the sudden appearance, having been drawn in by the scuffle between Passion and this Mudwing. Passion looked angry, possibly because it didn't seem like this newcomer was even slightly intimidated by her sudden attack.

"Why were you stalking my friend?" she demanded, scales still flushed with boiling reds and oranges.

"I wasn't, I noticed them and came over to look. That's all."

"Right," she replied sarcastically. "And you were just looming in the darkness at my friend, weren't you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say looming." the Mudwing laughed amiably. "It's not my fault you're both so small."

"I'm not small!" Passion shot back, bristling slightly. "I'm a Rainwing, and I'm actually larger than most Rainwings the same age as me!"

"Whatever you say," the big Mudwing said, flashing bright teeth in a smile. "I'm Caiman."

Passion narrowed her eyes, but slowly the angry colors drained from her scales. "Passion," she said at last. "I want to know why you were watching us."

"I saw your friend here and I thought I would investigate. All your friends here are an interesting lot, I must say."

"That still isn't very polite. In some places, I'm sure that's considered downright rude," Passion responded, turning her snout up slightly as she spoke with this Mudwing.

The other dragonets gasped slightly, as though expecting the Mudwing would attack, but he only laughed.

"Well, I think I'm pretty rude then, but I'm sure you don't mind too much, do you, little Rainwing?"

"I'm not little."

"Sure, like you aren't the smallest one that I'm looking at right now."

Passion rolled her eyes, standing and strolling away from the Mudwing. "I'm sorry that you think that, but you're wrong."

"Is he really?" Hurricane piped up from behind them, which earned her a dangerous, quelling look from Passion. The Seawing immediately quieted down, looking away in discomfort.

"I do have a question," Caiman said as Passion started toward Jewel, who was sitting and silently watching the Mudwing with suspicion. "What is a group of Seawings, Rainwings, and a Skywing and Nightwing doing out here? Aren't you all a little far from home?"