Wolf's PoV
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I spotted Ghost in the mob and tried to make my way towards him, floundering through the sea of irritated IceWings. "Ghost!" I shouted at him. "Hey! Ghost!"

I knew he heard me because an ear twitched back, but without a glance backwards he dove into the crowd. He quickly disappeared from my view.

I cussed quietly before I attempted to follow him, but to no avail. For a hybrid who sticks out like a pink polar bear in the desert, it sure is hard to see him in a mass of IceWings. I shrugged it off and turned around to head to roll call.

I was shoved roughly from the side by a massive shoulder slamming into me. I staggered, but on my other side there was another dragon who pushed me back without hesitation.

I stumbled and fell to the ground, rolling onto my side. I winced, knowing that my shoulder was bruised. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that the cruel quartet stood above me, grinning evilly.

"Hey Foxy," sneered Narwhal, a scowl on her snout. I remained silent, hoping I wouldn't get beat up too bad. It was never as bad as Ghost, but I'd always have plenty of bruises and a cut or two.

"She said hello to you!" snapped Ox as he kicked me. "Show some respect to your superiors!"

I blinked, before managing to groan out, "'Ello." Kodiak leaned down to me, eyes narrowed.

"What was that?" he growled, eyes dark. "Go to hell?"

I gulped. That definitely wasn't what I had said, but if I tried denying it, it would seem as if I had said that. So I merely looked down, away from him.

"You told us to go to hell?!" roared Wolverine, eyes flashing with anger. "I'll give you hell!"

He leapt on me, talons digging in, glaring furiously down at me. I yelped in pain, letting him know that it hurt, but since when do they care if I'm hurt or not? The only thing that they care about is that I'm bruised and bleeding when they're done with me.

The others stood back, perfectly content to watch Wolverine beat me to a pulp. They wouldn't lift a claw to help me, they'd only assist him in hurting me.

Wolverine raked his talons down my side, causing me to hiss in pain, arching my back. That was a bad idea, because he promptly attacked my underbelly, leaving an ugly gash and multiple bruises.

Finally he finished, stepping back and shaking my blood off his claws. Ox slaps him on the back, congratulating him on what a great job he did as he scans me over, taking note of all my dark bluish-red blood and purpley-blue bruises.

Kodiak nodded approvingly, but not before giving me one last bruise; he fisted his hefty paw and slammed it into my snout, driving it into the ice.

Narwhal smirked, giving me a few lashes with her tail to remember her by. She needn't have worried, I don't think I could forget her harsh brutality for as long as I live.

"C'mon guys," Narwhal announces. "He's done for today." Ox and Kodiak turn on on their heels to leave, but Wolverine leans down and whispers menacingly, "But we'll be back tomorrow."

I have no doubt that they will. After all, it is their little tradition to smash me into the ice every day, week after week.

I lifted my head, struggling to get up, and as I did, I noticed something. Or rather, someone. A pair of mismatched eyes--one a golden-yellow, the other icy blue--stared back at me, before disappearing.

Ghost.

Ghost's PoV
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I decided to fly back to where the huts are, on the mainland. It's been a good few weeks since I've been there, and my hut is the furthest from the rest of the tribe.

I leapt into the sky, wind rushing around me as I began winging my way back west. I don't encounter any dragons, which was just as well.

Diving downwards, I flared my wings to slow myself down, landing softly on the snow which poofed up gently between my toes.

I walked carefully towards my hut, snow crunching beneath my feet. I noticed a small pile of bones, which shouldn't be there, considering the amount of time I've been gone for.

I reached down to go and throw them out, but as I picked them up, I felt grooves in them. They're too organized to be the regular tooth scrapes from being gnawed on.

I turned them over, studying them carefully. Scratchy yet delicately etched writing was engraved on the bones. Writing that I recognized; I would recognize it anywhere.

I'm not an animus.

I stared at the bones, the bones from a wolf. I knew who this message was from; who else would it be?

But he had to be an animus! There wasn't a way the he couldn't be! I sat down, my mind reeling, emotions everywhere.

Finally, I entered my hut and curled up on my meager furs, bones clutched in my talons.

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I wove carefully through the crowd, trying not to run into any dragon. It really wasn't all that hard, considering dragons parted like ice breaking before me.

If I'm being honest, I was trying to avoid one dragon. Wolf.

I spotted a flash of silvery-gray scales and I spun around, trying to get away. But it was too late.

"Ghost!" Wolf yelled at me. "Hey! Ghost!" I cursed under my breath and flicked an ear back, trying to tell him to leave me alone.

I shoved my way through the surging throng of dragonets, many glaring and growling insults after me. I called some "Sorry!"s over my shoulder as I went, but I mostly kept my head down and ducked my way around.

I reached a clearing and paused, aides heaving, to catch my breath. I was safe. No, wait. Wolf could've enchanted something to spy on me! I glanced upwards and looked all around, but saw nothing.

"I'll give you hell!" A voice shouted. My ears pricked up, that was Wolverine. What---?

My question was answered by the sound of talons ripping into flesh, whimpers of pain, and cruel laughs. Apparently Wolverine's the one doing all the work.

I crept over to a snowbank, keeping myself low as to not attract any attention (or as little as I could get). I carefully reached up with a talon and poked a small hole through the snow, creating a peephole. I peered through it, wanting to know what was happening.

Surprise surprise. Wolverine backed up, flicking Wolf's blood off his claws. Ox grinned, hitting Wolverine on his shoulder, telling him something while looking over my friend. Kodiak let out a howl of glee, punching Wolf's head into the ice, cracks spreading outwards. I winced, that must've hurt a lot.

Narwhal simply smiled her lopsided smile and whipped Wolf a couple of times on the back, drawing blood. I heard her announce, "Guys, he's done for today," before turning her back on the IceWing who lay bleeding on the ice.

Wolverine stayed behind for a moment, leaning down and whispering something to Wolf. I don't know what it was, but my friend flinched away from the larger pale silvery-blue IceWing who got up and stalked away.

I dared peek my head over the snowbank, watching to see if the quartet really left. Which they have, I can tell by the bloody talonprints in the snow.

Wolf's head turned at stared at me, and I froze. There were emotions in his eyes, but they were unreadable. Remembering something, I grabbed one of the bones from outside my hut which I had hidden inside my wing, and threw it at him.

Spinning around, I launched myself into the sky. I wondered if he would notice my reply I had scratched in response to his note.

Liar.

**A/N: DRAMA IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE!! Sorry about that. Anyways. Guys, I cannot tell you all how sorry I am about the super late update! My life has just been crazy, chaotic mayhem with school coming up and all whatnot. As for a schedule, I've abondoned all hopes of having one and following it--I have a system, but not a schedule. So I apologize deeply for the late chapter, and I hope you will please forgive me. Love you guys!!! ❤️❤️ -cycriss**