Art Book

Oreganling One Shot

Oregano scanned the hive warily, a talon clutching at her pouch of dangerous wildlife. Or, as Skipperling liked to call them, 'Killer Bug Weapons'. She threw a heavy black cloak over her wings, concealing the telltale leaf-like shapes beneath the dense folds. 

"Alright." She whispered to herself. "Lets go."

The sky was as dark as a raven's wing, and just and foreboding. Don't go...

She could swear she heard his voice hissing into her ear. But he never hissed. She padded over a dragon's discarded satchel, and wrinkled her snout in disgust as a poster depicting a red-eyed LeafWing wearing  a maniacal grin. Making sure to trample it overfoot, she hurried to the shelter of the hive. It towered over her smugly, emitting a strong you don't belong here aura. 

Oregano plucked a rather large thorn from her bag and started hacking away at the hard, woodpulp-like substance that made the hive so insufferably sturdy. Treestuff, Skipperling had said. She felt a rush of anger and sorrow. Clearsight knew how many trees had died to make this mostrous structure. 

Hacking fiercer than ever, she couldn't focus. What was she doing here, against Yew's orders? What if something bad happened? WHAT IF SKIPPERLING WAS CAUGHT TRYING TO SNEAK OUT THROUGH THE HIVE? She flinched as splinters of treestuff broke off and lodged themselves in the chinks of her scales. She could swear she felt something lurking over her shoulder.

Oregano turned, but it was nothing but the wind. Wincing she went back to carving the hole in the hive. It would have been so much faster, if only Skipperling were a flamesilk. Alas all he had given her was a pot of sticky, silvery thread, that looked like spun moonbeams. A ray of light suddenly beamed through the Hive wall, and she knew she had made it through. Hastily covering up the tiny hole, she began sawing away, tracing a square shape roughly across it.

And then she felt an icy talon on her shoulder. It was a tall HiveWing with black scales that blended into the shadows, only betrayed by a bright orange underbelly and wings. His glare cut into her, but even as her heart threatened to escape from her chest, she refused to be daunted. 

"Going to see someone, are we?" He leered, and for a moment she thought he could read her mind. Then she realised that he must think she was a SilkWing. If that was the case, then she would have to act like one. "Ummm... Yes. My brother..." She lied swiftly, and he hissed. "If there were any other guard on duty, you would be in the Misbehavor's Way. But I know what it feels like to be separated. Who are you?" 

"Olivewing" 

Skippering's sister was an emerald green SilkWing. He'd talked about her the first day they met. Oregano prayed quietly that he wouldn't discern the difference. 

He took one glance at her green scales and nodded languidly. "You're going to Mantid Hive Prison." 

Her heart sunk, but what had she expected? She allowed him to march her up the hive stairs and noticed to her dismay, that Skipperling was making his way down towards them. She tried frantically to ward him away with a rapid flurry of silent gestures, but the SilkWing was completely oblivious to them. 

The HiveWing's dark eyes narrowed. 

"Roach!" Skipperling squeaked, his tangerine-coloured scales flashing in the dim torchlight. 

"You." Roach's tone was flat, as though he knew what array of excuses were to soon be used. He seized Skipperling's forearm, and she saw his eyes widen as he saw her. "Oregano!" He whispered, in a tone of both joy and despair.

A/N should I continue this? I might make it a super short book!