I woke to the sound of snoring, that horrid, loud snoring. Everything was sore. I opened my eyes lazily, scanning the room. There! I narrowed my eyes. Of course Squelch was the culprit. Squelch was always the culprit! I shuffled around, trying to get comfortable again but bumping against cold scales. I peered under my wing, staring at the Icewing underneath. 

Then I remembered the events of the day before: Shard missing, then finding her being bullied by a gang of Icewings; her own tribe, then finally crawling back to the Dorm to rest. I yawned stiffly, my internal clock telling me that it was a few minutes till dawn; we had to get up soon.

Shard looked so peaceful when she was asleep; like a tiger finally lowering its guard. I wished I could let her sleep for longer but we had classes to attend. I nuzzled her shoulder gently and she let out a soft groan. 

'Shard? Come on, we have to get to class; its morning.' I said gently, my voice croaking after its lack of use.

'Its not morning.' Shard replied in a whisper, curling up against my side. I sighed softly. 

'Come on Shard. Otherwise I'll have to get Squelch to sit on you.'

'I shall do no such thing!' Squelch spat from the corner. So that was why his snoring had stopped. 

'Oh come off it Squelch, he was just kidding.' Beach surfaced, his eyes were bleary with sleep and his frill lay flat against his head. Squelch muttered to himself mutinously, getting out of the mud and shaking it off in all directions.

'Come on, lets go to our lessons already.' Cliff was up, tucking scrolls under his wing.

'Wait. Timeturner... dont. Move.' Beach was staring straight at me. I froze, staring back anxiously.

'There's an Icewing. Shh. Ill get it while it's asleep.' Beach crept closer, eyeing Shard warily,

'Wait. She's a friend.' I said quickly, standing in front of her,

'O- oh.' Beach sat on his haunches, tilting his head to the side.

'Er- why were you sleeping with her? Is she your mate?' Cliff asked, peering at me questioningly.

'AGH NO! We are just friends. Friends. Ok?' I said, shuddering. 

'Okay... one day I will say I told you so...' Cliff broke off. 

Shard lifted her head. I gasped, a large scar was imprinted across her face, slashing across one of her eyes. I hadn't realized it was this bad! 

'Er, what happened to your girlfriend and why are you limping?' Asked Beach, taking a step closer to examine me and Shard.

'She. Is. Not. My. Girlfriend!' I cried. 'And she just got into a fight last night. I was looking for her as she is my clawmate and therefore I have the right to be worried. There was this gang of Icewings bullying her, I found her in time though. It was brutal.' I shuddered from my wings to tail, turning to face Shard as she spoke:

'He saved me.' She said quietly, looking at me in a way that made me want to hide in hay for a year to hide my blushing. 

'Tell us what happened later; we are going to be late if we don't go soon!' Cliff said, ushering us out of the cave and into the hallway. Where a large large group of gossiping dragons clustered.

'Later huh.' I said, stunned at how fast the news had got round. Then the crowd noticed the half-winglet, jumping over. Ah well. I wanted to make lots of friends, didn't I?

Wow look! He's here!'

'Oh! Look at her face; its all scratched up!'

'I wonder what they will say happened?'

'I cant believe there was a fight!'

'Hey! Let us through!' I raised my head. I knew that voice...

'If you don't let me past I swear ill swipe your face off!'

'Dad?' Shard rushed into the crowd as a large, shiny blue Icewing stepped towards her.

'Shard!' He rapped her in his wings.

'Your mother couldn't come, she had work to do.' The blue Icewing said gently, any trace of anger gone from his voice.

'It's ok; I'm just glad you came.' Shard's voice was muffled by her dad's large wings.

'TIMETURNER!' I spun around.

'Dad? Mum?' I titled my head to the side; it was definitely them. My mother stepped towards me anxiously while my father watched; scanning the crowd warily. Her scales were black; like mine. She had long, majestic wings and silver scales by her eyes. Her tail swept in long arcs across the floor as she examined me from head to tail.

'Muummmm; im fine.' I complained; the crowd was staring at me now, giggling as my mum looked me over.

'You are not fine. Let me see your leg.' Mum said, lifting my wing to see the broken leg beneath.

I groaned, turning to my father as mum inspected my back leg anxiously. He had plunked himself down a few meters away, staring at the Icewing now letting go of Shard. His scarred nose was speckled with light brown spots, his wings were covered in them too. His venomous tail sat neatly in a tight ball; you had to be careful with so many dragons around.

'Winter?' He questioned, staring at the Icewing now looking over.

'Q-Qibli?' Winter took a step forwards 'What are you doing here?' He asked, wrinkling his brow in puzzlement.

'I came to see what trouble my son got into this time. He's just like his dad.' He turned and grinned at me. I smiled back, limping over as mum let go of my leg.

'Same. Except I came to see my daughter. A relation to the Queen should never get into fights!' He said, lifting his blue snout. The fathers both burst out laughing.

'I remember when you used to do that! All 'I'm the Queens nephew. I don't do fun. One day you shall probably bow before my sister you lazy... salamanders'!' Qibli said, wrinkling his snout in amusement.

'Except the son of the Queens brother would never say the word 'Salamander' we prefer- Whale.' Winter said, snorting. Shard came up beside him, squinting at my dad curiously.

'Winter?' Winter spun around. 'Moon.' He replied, staring at my mum.

'I thought you were never coming back-' Mum said, blinking as if she wasn't sure he was real.

'Well, here I am.' He replied, looking from my mum to me.

'Ah, you decided to have a dragonet. Congratulations.' He said in a way that made me think he didn't want to congratulate us.

'Oh Winter.' Moonwatcher walked up to him.

'You have your own love now; forget about me.' She said, putting a talon over his.

'I will never forget you.' Winter said fiercely. 'Not until the day I die.' He rapped his wings around her.

'You don't know how long I have wanted to do that.' He said, looking at his talons once they pulled away.

'Winter, you have your own love. Just like I do.' Mum turned to Qibli, who looked up quickly from eyeing a snail rolling across the floor.

'Huh?' He said, going back to the snail. Mum laughed.

'You love Lynx. Be with her. You have a beautiful dragonet too; aren't you happy you had her?' Winter nodded, pulling Shard closer to himself.

'I will always be your friend Winter; nothing more.' She said, turning back to me. Ugh. Romance.

'Come on, I want to go see the founders of the school again; its been such a long time, what was it? 6 years since we were at school! We are old, aren't we Qibli?' She turned back to dad who stood up quickly.

'My spirit shall never die!' He replied eagerly.

'Keep telling yourself that.' Winter muttered, grinning. Qibli snorted:

'Have a look at yourself!' And so went the conversation.

'Dad, I know you guys are worried about us. But we really need to get to class.' Shard saved me at the perfect time.

'Ok, go ahead. Me and-' He looked at me.

'Timeturner.' I said.

'Timeturner's parents are going to catch up. We will come say goodbye when we leave.' Winter said, already turning back to insult Qibli. Shard turned to look at me and I shrugged.

'Lets get to class.' She said, smiling.

It was a bit random but I had to, HAD TO get that in there. It works for both Winterwatcher fans and Moonbli fans! Peace! End the war! -Secretly tucks knife in pouch under wing- just in case.

Sorry, that was a little mush-i-er then I'd expected. Sorry bout that. Thanks for 30 ppl! It doesn't seem like much but it means a lot. Thanks for reading! I'll release the next chapter soon. Starcatcher out!