"It's not true!" Sunny cried. "You must've misheard. They'd never hurt us."
"Hvitur would," Tsunami snarled. "He's never liked us. He's looked like he wanted to kill us from the moment we hatched."
"He can't be a murderer," Hare said, still trying to convince herself.
"You're the one who heard it," Clay pointed out. "You heard him say it himself."
"Maybe he was just trying to impress Morrowseer," Hare said. "He's no killer. He can't be."
"What makes you so sure?" Tsunami demanded.
"Use your heads," Hare snapped. "If Hvitur was a murderer, I wouldn't be alive."
"Or maybe he just hasn't had the chance to act on any plans yet," Tsunami growled quietly.
"He's had plenty of chances!" Hare said.
"I don't think that tells us anything," Clay said, brushing Hare's tail with his own. "You're the daughter and niece of extremely important dragons."
"He's right," Starflight said. "Nobody would dare lay a claw on you. It's not a risk any sensible dragon would take." He glanced over at the RainWing, who was pacing nearby, Her scales were shifting between different shades of light green. "Glory however..."
"I'm nothing," Glory finished, pausing and looking at the others.
"I wasn't going to say that," Starflight protested.
"Yes you were," Glory snapped. "You were just going to sugarcoat it." She shook out her scales and sat down with her tail curled over her talons. "It's alright, you don't have to get involved. This is my issue, not yours."
"We're not going to just sit by and let you get killed," Clay said, his expression filled with concern.
"I'll fight him," Tsunami said, snarling. "I'll be able to take him on easily."
"I'll help," Hare offered.
"No," Starflight said instantly. "He'll use it as an opportunity to kill you. He'll be able to easily brush it off as self-defense."
"I can't just do nothing!" Hare snapped.
"She'll have Tsunami to help her," Clay said, stepping between Hare and Starflight. "You saw how she fought against Morrowseer. He barely had a moment to fight back. She may be useful."
"May?" Hare hissed.
The others ignored her and continued discussing what to do.
"We only have until morning," Tsunami said, beginning to pace the way Glory had before. "We have to be ready for him to attack at any moment."
"We don't even know what he's planning," Sunny said worriedly. "How will you know how to fight?"
"She's right," Starflight said, pressing a little closer to her. "We don't know if he'll be bringing a weapon, or if his attack will even shed blood. He might try poisoning or drowning."
Tsunami growled in frustration. "Then what do you suggest we do?" she hissed at him.
Hare hopped forward, suddenly hit with an idea. "I can go back and find Hvitur. He must be putting together his plan right now. I'll be able to find something."
"That's a risky idea," Starflight said. "What if he catches you?"
"It's the best idea we have right now," Tsunami said, exchanging a look with Clay. "It's a risk we'll have to take."
"No one has to take any risks," Glory hissed. "I can handle this by myself. Don't go throwing yourselves into trouble for me."
"We can't let you get hurt," Sunny said.
"So you'll get yourselves hurt?"
"We don't know if anyone will get hurt," Tsunami told her.
Glory shook her head. "Don't bother. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."
"Good luck saying that when you're dead!" Tsunami snapped.
"Do you really have such little faith in me?" Glory snarled, bristling.
"Enough." Hare snapped. "We don't have time to argue. We're going through with the plan."
"Hare-"
"We're doing it," Hare said, quickly silencing Glory as she tried to protest.
"Good luck," Sunny said, bounding up to Hare and placing her face against her shoulder. "Don't get caught."
"I won't," Hare promised, resting her head on top of Sunny's.
"Move quickly," Tsunami advised.
Hare nodded and pulled herself away from Sunny. The little SandWing shifted her talons nervously. Starflight stepped forward and wrapped his wing over her back to offer comfort.
"I'll be back," Hare promised them, then looked over at Glory. "Nobody's going to hurt you."
Glory sighed and gave a small nod. "Thank you."
Hare nodded back in response, then turned and hurried out of the cave. She did her best to keep herself hidden in the shadows as she rushed along the rocky walls. She kept every one of her senses alert.
I can't even begin to imagine what'll happen if I get caught.
Hare moved as quickly and quietly as she could. She made her way through the winding halls, rocks scraping beneath her talons as she ran. As she made her way further into the caves, she picked up the sound of voices.
Hvitur.
Hare picked up her pace. She slowed as she approached the entrance of a dark cave. It was a cave she spied on often when she was younger.
Hvitur's sleeping cave.
To her relief, the hole she used to hide in while she was spying was still the way she left it three years ago. She carefully pushed aside the rocks she had piled in front of it. That was the way she kept the hole hidden.
Not that it needed hiding. It apparently was unknown for two years before I showed up. I guess being extra careful never hurts though.
Hare squeezed into the hole, curling her tail in and pressing her wings close to her body. It was smaller and a much tighter fit than she remembered.
I've grown, she reminded herself.
She pushed out her talon and knocked aside some of the rocks she'd piled up, hoping it'd be enough to keep her hidden.
"We can't delay any longer." That was Hvitur's raspy snarl. "The sun will be up before we know it. We must move quickly."
We? I thought it was only Hvitur.
"Must I be the one to go?"
Hare felt a wave of horror as she recognized Webs's voice. Hvitur must've got him involved, too.
"Coward!" Dune! "You can't just hide here forever."
She almost became lightheaded once she heard Dune's voice. She could hardly believe the kind dragon who'd spent so much time with her and made sure all the dragonets were treated well was the same dragon that was clearly joining in on the plan to kill Glory.
"He's right," Hvitur growled. "Some of us are in far more danger than you, but we don't hide in here like scared mice."
"I just don't want to risk anything," Webs murmured.
Hare heard a sinister hiss come from Hvitur. "If you keep whining and hiding in here like some kind of newborn dragonet, I'll kill you too."
Webs whimpered. "R-right, my apologies. I'll leave right away."
"Good," Hvitur rasped.
"We've already got the plan laid out." Hare could hear Dune tapping on something. "Once she arrives, we'll quickly explain it to her."
"And then get the job done," Hvitur finished.
They must have it written out or something. What else could Dune have been tapping on?
I have to see what it is. This is why I came here after all, isn't it? I just need to figure out how to get in and look without getting caught.
The thought seemed next to impossible. Hvitur and Dune would notice her in a heartbeat. Maybe she could come up with some kind of excuse to be in there, then sneak a look at the plan. Or she could risk it and try to be extra sneaky, the way she always had been.
I've never taken a risk this big before, though.
She heard Webs leave the cave and head toward the central cave where the exit sat.
"Come on," Hvitur said to Dune. "We'll report back to the others."
Hare held her breath as she heard the two dragons leave the cave as well, watching as their talons passed by right in front of her hole. Once they were gone, she let out a breath of relief.
Well this makes my job much easier.
Hare quickly pushed the rocks covering her hole aside and crawled out. She stretched her wings, relieved to finally be out of the cramped space. She turned and knocked aside the rocks again so they'd keep the small hole hidden.
With a final glance over her shoulder, Hare walked into Hvitur's sleeping cave. She gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, then began her search. There were scrolls scattered here and there along with stone tablets. Hare stumbled over a couple, nearly losing her balance.
He seriously needs to be neater.
It got darker as she traveled to the back of the cave. She hissed with annoyance when she accidentally bumped into the rocky wall. She felt around a little, growling when she found nothing. Slowly, Hare made her way back to the center of the cave. She stuck out her talons every now and then to feel around. She brushed her claws along the carvings in the stone tablets, but nothing felt like a murder plan.
As she kept moving, she felt her tail brush against something. Hare turned around and ran her talon along it.
An open scroll, The only open scroll I've come across. This must be it.
Hare crouched down in front of it, staring at it until her eyes were adjusted enough to get a proper view of what was on it.
What it was couldn't have been any clearer if they'd written "Plan To Murder Glory" in massive letters at the top. What was sitting in front of Hare was very clearly a well thought out plan.
This can't have all been done in the amount of time since Morrowseer left. It's way too well planned. Hvitur must've been thinking about this for a while.
The thought sent chills down to the ends of her spikes. What else had the cruel IceWing been planning in this dark cave? How many other scrolls in here contained sinister plans?
There was a big spear drawn in the corner of the scroll. The plan was written out in steps and contained a small map of how the assassination would be carried out. Hare's eyes skimmed through it until they fell on one, the one she was sure was happening right now.
One of the beginning steps was: Contact Glider.
Who could that possibly be?
Hare had never heard any mentions of anyone named Glider before. Hvitur had never once said their name.
As Hare continued reading, things began to make sense. The spear drawn in the corner of the scroll was the weapon that was going to be used to kill Glory. Glider, whoever that was, would be providing this weapon. They were to bring it with them when Webs brought them back to the mountain. Multiple parts were crossed out and some were even rewritten.
Hvitur must've planned for her death to be much more slow and painful originally, but now he doesn't have time for that.
The modified version of his plan was to stab the spear through Glory's chest while she slept. That seemed to be the quickest way to kill her.
Hvitur must've decided that because he knows we'll fight back. Maybe that's why he's getting so many other dragons involved, too. He knows he's no match for all of us alone.
Hare's heart sank as she continued reading. Not only were they planning to kill Glory, they were also planning to chain up Tsunami so she couldn't intervene.
"SeaWing is far too strong to be left unleashed. Request Glider brings chains as well, they'll be needed if this plan is to work" was what was written on the scroll.
Hare dug her claws into the ground to steady herself. She couldn't ever recall feeling this dizzy.
How many of us are they going to hurt in order to kill Glory?
Hare shook her head. None of us. Nobody will get hurt, and we'll make sure of it. I'll make sure of it. We'll come up with a plan before time runs out.
"It's not very polite to snoop through someone else's things."
Hare sat up and whirled around at the sound of the voice. She grew stiff with terror as she saw the source of it. It was Hvitur.