Frigid Shadows: A Winterwatcher Fanfic

Chapter 4: Recovering

  (Slaughter's POV really quick)

  "But sir," Shadow protested. "I could've ended that IceWing without even trying. Why did you stop me?"

  Slaughter stopped mid flight, shooting his seargeant a glare. "Are you questioning my orders?" he snarled, immediately shutting up the NightWing flying next to him. They continued the flight in silence, before he decided to tell him the reason why a few minutes later.

  "I sense a powerful aura in that IceWing, Shadow. It was...Winter, right? I believe that's what that small NightWing called him," Slaughter said. "Anyway, I watched him toss you right off of him, and even though it was clearly a challenge, he still managed to do it, which is remarkable. No one has been able to fight back against you once you attack for years, and the fact that he did...it disturbs me. We need to keep him on our radar for now; I have a feeling he will turn out to be a strong enemy...but he would make an even stronger ally..."

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  (The next morning)

  Moonwatcher sat nervously in the hospital room, attempting to distract herself from thinking about the events that had unfolded several hours ago in Possibility by reading a scroll, but it wasn't helping. She was reading the words on the paper, but right now, that was all that her brain thought about it: just words on paper. That was highly unusual for her; she loved to read, it was one of her favorite hobbies. However, under certain circumstances, she couldn't care less about the story. And one of those circumstances included her boyfriend - well, she wasn't sure if it was exactly official yet, but they had kissed just last night and admitted their love for each other, so she was going with it for now - being attacked by a dragon who was involved in the mass murder at Possibility and passing out from blood loss.

  The room she and her friends were in wasn't bleak and depressing like many would expect; the walls were painted a soft beige color and the trim at the bottom was a dark brown, and combined with the orange-yellow lighting, it gave the room a warm and comfortable feeling. There were a few colorful rugs on the floor, and there was a large window on the wall furthest from the door, stripes of sunlight streaming in through the blinds.

  Wishing she could feel as happy as this space looked, she glanced around the room at her three friends, who were faring just the same as her in the tense situation: terribly. Qibli was pacing back and forth out in the hallway, muttering to himself. Turtle was biting the tips of his claws, a habit he had developed over time when he felt anxious; and Kinkajou was fidgeting in her seat, her scales shifting between cloudy grays, dark blues, the occasional pattern of white dots and/or splotches, and a lime green. They were all frequently stealing looks at Winter, who was just as unconscious as he had been when he'd passed out in Possibility, laying in the hospital bed and barely moving a muscle, the rising and falling of his chest the only visible sign that he was still alive. Even while multiple doctors and nurses had been poking and prodding to inspect his wound, bandaging certain areas, and checking his vital signs, he had shown no sign of waking.

  "Do you guys think Winter will be okay?" Kinkajou quietly asked, her scales turning a deep purple with blue stripes.

  Qibli stuck his head into the room from the hallway. "Don't worry, Kink, I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

  Moon gave a slight smile at the SandWing's comment. That was probably one of the only reasons why she was still wondering if he or Winter was the better one for her; Qibli always put a grin on his face and acted optimistic, even when the situation was grim.