Ordinary - Wings of Fire

IceWing - Prologue

The night was perfectly still, almost silent. A soft breeze rippled through the air, blowing tiny shards of ice around. One full moon filled the sky, shining on the snow with its pale light. The squeaking of scavengers could be heard faintly, though the sound didn't penetrate the icy walls of one of the IceWing hatcheries.

A white building almost blended in completely with the snow. There was one window, carved perfectly out of ice. Light poured into the night from it, coming from four Moon Globes, hovering on the inside.

Four snow coloured dragons were inside, gazing at the large white eggs that were waiting to hatch. Two of them were curled around a dragonet that wasn't quite ready to crack out of its shell yet. They had their backs turned away and one of them was singing softly to the egg.

The other two ignored their presence. Their attention was on a different egg, their own egg, that was due to hatch any minute. The father, Polar, was becoming increasingly anxious. His tail swept from one side to the other and his wings kept twitching, even though they were folded.

The mother, Purity, watched him, slightly amused. She had never seen him in a such a tizzy before. She had never actually seen him nervous at all. Polar had always been big, bold and brave, fighting for what he believed was right. "Worried?" She inquired softly.

Polar looked as if he was about to deny it. He raised his head and stared fiercely at the egg, and she knew him so well she could almost hear the thoughts running through his head. Don't be so foolish. It's just a an egg. I've fought SkyWings and SandWings and MudWings before, talons and tails, it's just an egg!

Purity gave him one of her looks, smiling ever so slightly at the expression on his face. He dropped his bold look and his wings drooped. "A little bit," he said quietly.

The breeze began to pick up outside, but none of the dragons took notice.

"Why?" She asked. She knew why he was scared, but he had to admit it to himself. He would never admit his true feelings, especially not fear or pain.

Purity remembered a time a SkyWing had burned one of his hind legs so terribly that it was scarred for life. She felt sick at the memory of seeing him, barely an adult at the time, falling through the air, his talon blackening and curling with pain. And yet he had flown back up again to continue to fight, roaring his fury to the sky.

Polar had never accepted help though, telling the healers to tend to everyone else first. He had never even complained about the pain one bit. She risked a glance at the scars it had left.

He followed her gaze and sighed. "It's. . ." he hesitated, and then the words came tumbling out. "What if I fail? What if the dragonet doesn't like me? What if it gets sick, and I don't know how to heal it or care for it? What if..." his voice broke slightly. "What if I'm not a good father?"

She gazed into his eyes, seeing the pain in their stormy grey depths. His father had failed him. He had never had time for him. She knew he didn't want to be the same sort of parent to his dragonet. And she understood.

The wind howled loudly. Perhaps it was a storm. But it didn't matter.

Purity grasped his talons in hers. "You will never be like him. You care already about your dragonet, and you're worried." She leaned closer towards him, taking in his dazzling white scales and nervous grey eyes. "You'll be a great father. I know it."

He exhaled softly, smiling at her. Frost hovered in the air between them. And the egg started to crack.

Neither of them let go of the other's talons. Purity let out a little gasp as a tiny, spiked tail poked out of the egg. Sharp claws tore at the shell and a tiny dragonet tumbled out.

She was beautiful. Her scales were a silvery moon colour, just like Purity's. Her wings were wide and strong like her father's. Her ruff sparkled like crystals as her wings splayed out.

She was nothing extraordinary. She was just perfect.

Purity freed her talons and scooped her dragonet into her arms. Polar gazed down at her as she opened her eyes and gazed curiously at her parents. Her eyes were the same shade of grey as her father's.

"I was thinking," Polar said softly. "Of naming her Shiver." He reached over to her and tickled her under the chin. The dragonet squealed a giggle.

"That," Purity murmured, "fits her perfectly." She hoped that Queen Glacier would approve.

Shiver stretched out her talon and batted at the hovering Moon Globe. Polar chuckled and moved it out of the way before joining into the hug. Shiver squeaked again and leaned into the embrace of her family.