Foreword to this chapter:

uhhh... yeah, i gots nothing

Let's start!

Scorpion wiped of her bloodstained clothes on a rag. The sun was setting over the dunes, and the sandstorm had cleared. She looked out on the garden, where she had buried cobra. 

Grass was already beginning to grow over the mound where Cobra's body lay.

"Alright! This marks the beginning of my new life."

Scorpion had already tacked up a sign in the market saying that she had quit being an assasin so it was no use to come find her. Nearly everybody passed through the market, so she was hoping Drizzle might come and visit, maybe want to send Cobra off, but it appeared no one cared.
Qibli stopped by  last night for awhile, sat vigil then left.

Scorpion was troubled over her bowl of capybara.
She had thought she was doing the right thing.. but someone how felt empty inside, like there was a piece missing.

Scorpion heard a noise and her head whipped around like a scorpion's tail. 
"Huh." Scorpion craned her neck to see but nobody had come. Then, in the corner of her eyes, she saw a dragon shadow on the wall, smaller than hers.

Nobody was there.

Well, no use in troubling over it since there's nobody here.It couldn't have been my imagination though. That shadow was real! Or am I too tired?

Scorpion left the bowl of capybara and dragged herself to a pile of blankets and collapsed into sleep.

***

The morning came quick and drove away Scorpion's haunting nightmares.

She had the same terrors every night, the souls of the dragons she killed coming back for revenge. She saw their wide un-blinking eyes, and ghastly wounds.

Did I cause that? She would think everytime.

They howled with anger at her and the once fear some assasin cowered. The light rose and Scorpion blinked awake.
"Huh?!" she looked around her. The blanket's were gone. 

"Did I just imagine blankets last night?"

Scorpion shook dust off herself, trying to not obsess over stupid blankets. She walked into the next room. 
"Huh, the capybara's gone but didn't I NOT finish it..? AH!!"

She turned to find a strange dragon sitting iagainst the wall, wrapped in SCORPION's blankets. 
"HEY! How did you get in here?! Those are mine!"

"Uh, I walked in here, duh."

The new comer was sandy yellow with a kind of spiky frill. Her voice was pretty high the newcomer had a weird pattern on her face and body that remind Scorpion of something that she just couldn't put her talon on..

"Hmm, you're pretty small for a Sandwing, huh?"

"Hey!" snarled the Sandwing. "Don't insult me, Scorpion!"

"Hmm." Scorpion looked over the dragon with suspicion and snatched away the blankets. "So you know me. Who are you and why are you in MY house?"

The sandwing had, surprise surprise! Worn a shawl under the blankets. Scorpion's neck pricked just imagining how hot it was. The dragon growled at Scorpion, picking her claws. "I dont have to tell you."
Scorpion raised her eyeridge at the Sandwing. "But the name's Lion."

"And you're coming with me."

Lion seized Scorpion's tail avoiding the barb and unsuccessfully tried to pull Scorpion out. 
And snarl escaped Scorpion.
"I am not. Who are you working for?"

"Scorpion, if you resist, look I'll have to take you by force."
This earned Lion a high laugh from Scorpion. Scorpion had never heard a more camel-brained thing. 

"You think you can FORCE me to go?"

"Yes, I do!"

Scorpion snorted. Maybe this dragon was taught to fight, but she clearly had NO idea who she was dealing with. Before she taught the insolent young Sandwing a lesson, Scorpion decided to tell her off first.
"Listen, spy. I have a row of 10 knives under each of my arms, my tail is so close to your face right now I could just twitch and stab you, there's  knife in the pouch on my neck, serrated fake claws on my wings, and my legs have swords attached to them so i could literally just kick you in the face, and you'd get stabbed at the same time."

Lion looked utterly bewildered, stumbling back she stuttered, "H-how did you, h-how did you.."

Scorpion's face was illuminated by the low sunlight and she looked deadly and evil. She was. 
"Don't ever underestimate me. Now, I thought you were going to take me by force little spy?"

Lion gasped. 
"How did you know?"

"Don't make me laugh. You obviously are self-taught, by the way you're standing, but no assasin would ever stand so openly, you're to small and lean to be one as well, and the way you've been trying to read me and the room this whole time, you're an emotions spy."
Lion sputtered.
"Too weak though."

"you're wrong I'm not!"

"You're entertaining little Sandwing. But I'm getting bored, and I could kill you right now if I wanted. So." Scorpion grabbed Lion's throught and pushed her to the wall. Lion sputtered and choked. "Tell me who your employer is. And.. did you kill Cobra?"

Scorpion's cactus green eyes flashed dangerously, checking for lies. Lion gasped and made and attempt to speak, so Scorpion let go, and Lion fell with a kalump to the ground.
Lion rose shakily.

"W-well what if I knew who did it?" she asked eyes gleaming with an idea. Scorpion frowned, flicking a knife casually open. 
"then I would force you to tell me."

"Do you want to know who my employer is first then?" grinned the Sandwing. Scorpion frowned again, unsure why the dragon she just choked was smiling. 

"You might know her as.. the Queen!"

Scorpion advanced deadlier towards Lion who suddenly looked apprehensive. 

"Um, and, her majesty Queen Cactus wants you to go to the palace immediately, she has a job for you." blubbered Lion quickly.
Scorpion almost stabbed the Sandwing, then fell back, sighing and remembering her  promise.

"no."

"No?"

"I'm not an assasin anymore."
"Ah but don't you want to know which dragon Queen Cactus hired to kill your precious Cobra?" cooed Lion.

Scopion's eyes flased with anger. "So it was the Queen then?"
Lion tutted. "She hired someone to do it. Besides it's no good getting worked up at her majesty, you won't be able to kill her."
"You don't know that." grumbled Scorpion.

"I proposed you come quietly with me to the palace, like you should. Then I'll tell you WHO did it. Until then- mum."

Scorpion was furious at the blackmail attempt. But what other choice did she have? And it wasn't like she was busy. Scorpion exhaled.

"Let's go."