Storm and Blizzard stood nervously in the front entrance to the throne room. Blizzard had argued her case on coming with Storm, and somehow, Storm managed to be a great fighter, but horrible at standing her ground when it came to her friends.

"What do you think she'll say?" Storm asked. The guards in front of her, big and broad, with placid expressions, stared at them. Currently, the queen was talking to Snowdrift and Avalanche.

Oh no. What if Snowdrift is telling Siberia about the StormWings? Oh please don't. I need to explain it myself, or she might not say yes.

"She's not the type of queen that holds her dragons back," Blizzard said quietly. Storm glanced at her.

Blizzard had been silent after she had talked to her parents about leaving, Glade and Leopard. They had just returned from a bloody battle, and Leopard had been badly injured. They had both yelled at her, commanding her not to leave. Blizzard's parents had always been so kind, but since Blizzard's younger brother, Beluga, had died in battle, they became so protective and irritable.

But Blizzard was not going to leave her friend because of a parent's order, (in her own words), so she disobeyed them. But breaking any rules made Blizzard feel small, and Storm wished she could do something to help her.

The guards suddenly moved apart, letting Avalanche and Snowdrift through. The biggest guard, the one with a diamond on his metal mask, said, "The queen is ready for her animus and librarian."

Why am I always represented by animus? Why not general, or soldier, or princess? She shook it off. Stop worrying about this Storm. It's probably nothing.

They walked forward. Queen Siberia was sitting at a newly placed desk in front of her throne, writing on a scroll. She didn't look up as they bowed deeply.

"You've seen the StormWings?" She asked, still writing. Storm and Blizzard exchanged glances.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Storm said. "That's what we were hoping to talk to you about-"

"I know why you are here." She slammed her talon on the desk, making her quill fall off the table. "And the answer is no. I will not risk my only animus dragon, who is also my general and my granddaughter. However I would not mind if Blizzard went, but she was not called for. Only you."

Siberia motioned for Storm to come closer with a flick of her tail, and sighed. "However, I will respect my mother's belief and send another dragon to help them. You and Blizzard will continue training and fighting. The NightWings are still relentless, don't forget."

"Your Majesty, with all due respect," Storm said, looking her queen in the eyes. Don't back down. Not now, not ever. Not when someone needs your help.

"I plan to only be gone for less than a month, and there are other armies and soldiers to fight. I will not use my magic, no matter what. You, Avalanche, and my tribe expect me to help anyone in need, but what's the point of having that destiny if you won't let me do it?"

Siberia finally glanced up. She inspected Storm for a moment, twitching her ears. "You are aware your gifting ceremony is in a month?"

Storm's breathing seemed to have shut off. I forgot about that. Oh no, what am I going to do?

She was approaching her hatching day of turning seven, with Blizzard's only a couple of days behind. I'll be moved to the adult rankings too. I may not be first anymore. That thought left her shivering. Who was she if she wasn't the best?

Blizzard poked her with her tail, and Storm realized the queen was waiting for an answer. "Uh, yes Your Majesty. I am aware."

"Do you know what you're going to do?" Siberia said. "If you have an idea, you must tell me before your ceremony."

Storm resisted the urge to fiddle with her talons. "I would rather not, yet, Your Majesty. There are still some things I need to figure out."

Siberia narrowed her eyes at Storm, and everyone was silent for a moment. Blizzard was twitching, Storm was staring at the queen, and Siberia had gone back to writing on her scroll.

Blizzard and Storm exchanged glances, and then suddenly Queen Siberia rose and handed her the scroll. It said:

This scroll is a signature by Queen Siberia that two StormWings, Storm, and Blizzard are allowed to pass through the IceWing air force, and must return in under a month. Failing to do so will lead to unmentioned consequences.

Signed,

                      𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔖𝔦𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔞

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Storm exclaimed. "I promise I will obey every order, and I will return to you." Siberia flicked her tail to excuse them, and Storm saw her smiling after them.

...

Storm spent the rest of the day packing for her trip and watching over Husky. Strike and Hurricane were allowed in the library, but nowhere else. IceWings who came to borrow books gawked at the StormWings, asking Blizzard a walrus weight of questions. So much, so that she decided to close the library for the day.

Blizzard is worried about leaving her home. Storm thought, glancing at her friend. Poor Blizzard.

Storm was in her chamber, packing. She knew she shouldn't bring much, but a couple of weapons would do. She plucked a white bag full of pouches that slung around her chest, and blended into her scales, then opened her weapons drawer.

Hmm... what should I bring? Storm didn't like using weapons as much as using her claws, but spears and stabbing knives were still useful. She grabbed four knives, a collapsible spear, and ten chakrams.

She glared at her jewelry box, thinking. Storm already wore lots of jewelry to signify her rank, but she hated wearing necklaces and bracelets just for fashion. 

She took off her ranking necklace, and her armband which signaled warrior rank, but left her choker which signaled she was royalty. She quite liked the choker. It was a thin line of metal with flat circles embedded into it. It wasn't anything pretty, but it was her first piece of jewelry.

Do I need anything else? She glanced at her compartment underneath the ice shelf she slept on, hidden by the icy bubbles and blue glaze. She opened the door so it swung to the side, and she reached in, pulling out the item she hadn't looked at in years.

It was a picture of her family. Frost, Blackstar, Husky, and Storm. She remembered posing for that picture, the smile she had to keep plastered on her face, standing in one spot for an agonizing amount of time while a professional artist drew this picture.

She had pinned this to her wall after her parents left, looking up at them every morning, until she realized they were never going to come back, and she was better off without them. Then Storm tucked the picture in her drawer and refused to ever pull it out again.

Storm gazed at it, brushing her claws across Frost's loving expression, Husky's funny smile, and her own face. The usual burst of anger she felt looking at her black scales was simmered, as if water had been poured over a big bonfire, only to leave embers.

But there was something she needed to do. She traced the line of Blackstar's part of the picture, and then easily tore it out, leaving white and blue whisps of the background clinging on to nothing.

Storm stood up and carefully folded it into her bag. She knew she should try to build a better relationship with Frost and wanted a picture of Husky, so she decided to bring it to inspire her. She threw Blackstar's piece in her trash, and sat up, heading back towards the library.

She greeted Hurricane and Strike, who were looking through scrolls. Blizzard was still in her champer packing, Storm assumed, so she made her way to the attic.

Husky had not moved from his position since she'd last seen him. His usual smiling face was expressionless, and his scales were still the soft sky-blue.

She sat down, holding onto his talon. "How are you, Husky?" She asked. "Do you think you're going to wake up soon? I mean, I know you probably don't have an agenda, but a scroll that said the exact time and date would be nice don't you think?"

He didn't respond. If he was awake, he would have started laughing so hard and made another joke about how I never make jokes.

Storm thought about that for a moment. What is changing me? Where's my IceWing warrior instinct? Aren't I supposed to growl at everyone and constantly exclaim how IceWings are the most superior tribe?

Maybe it's my parents arriving. Maybe it's the StormWings. Maybe it's Huksy.

Maybe it's because I realized how bad my life is. I'm almost an adult, and I haven't experienced any dragonethood at all. The first thing I knew when I hatched was rules. So now, I'm just a boring, angry placid dragon who hasn't lived at all.

She shook her wings as Hurricane came up the stairs and said, "Hi. Have everything packed?"

Storm nodded, taking deep breaths. Stay in the moment. I am okay. I am safe. Slowly, her anxiety settled into a puddle, and answered, "Yes. Is everyone ready to go?"

Hurricane nodded, walking over to her. "I think so. We're just waiting on Blizzard to get here. Strike and I don't have much to pack anyways." He chuckled, his gaze shifting to Husky. He frowned.

"I'm sorry about him." He said, spreading a wing towards her brother. "We only gave him one of our sleeping potions because we thought he was you, and we wanted an easy flight out of your kingdom."

According to Hurricane, the sleeping potion could not be fixed by some other liquid or food, it could only be worn off. Hurricane said it could last up to a week, but mostly likely only a few more days.

"I know," She said. "It's not your fault. I just want him to wake up. To say goodbye, to explain that I'm not leaving him and I'll be home soon." She wished so badly to hear his voice.

Hurricane put a talon on her shoulder, shifting closer to her. "He will. Trust me."

Storm turned her head towards him, looking into his dark blue, stormy eyes. "I do."

What am I doing? I don't want love, especially with a dragon from a different tribe!

But for some reason, Storm stayed still, letting their wings touch.

Then Strike came up, mumbling to himself. Storm pulled away quickly, grasping Husky's bed. "Strike, are you ready to travel back to the Storm Kingdom?"

Strike stared at them suspiciously, while Hurricane managed an innocent face, Storm turned back to Husky.

Can't we wait a little longer? He could wake up the second we leave. Maybe the sleeping spell won't work on him for long. I'm sorry Husky, I can't be here but I hope you can understand why. I have to save the tribe, it's what I was born to do. This is my purpose.

"I'm ready," He said. "Also there's a dragon with black stairs waiting for you downstairs." He peered over the edge of the railing.

Blizzard suddenly came up. She too had a bag filled with her things. Storm sat down on Husky's bed. "I'll be down in a minute." She said.

Blizzard shook her spikes at Hurricane. "You can go Hurricane, I got this. Go find some guards to get the dragon down there out of her.

Hurricane glanced at Storm, then nodded and followed Strike down the stairs. Blizzard came over and sat next to her. "How are you feeling?" When Storm didn't respond, she said, "I know you're feeling sad or whatever, and I'm sorry we have to leave. But you should be happy! He's going to wake up whether or not you're here. But you need to do this, we'll all be right there beside you."

She's right. I have to do this, and I can't let Husky stop me. That thought came harsher than she meant to.

"Alright, let's go," Blizzard said, grabbing Husky's wings. "I'll take him to the healing center so he can be looked after. Okay, okay, we'll take him to the healing center. Let's say goodbye to Avalanche too." Storm chuckled at her friend.

"What about Blackstar?" Storm asked, looking over the edge. He wasn't down there anymore. Hurricane and Strike must have found guards. She knew his execution ceremony would happen after she got back, so from now on he would be locked in a cell.

I wonder why that ugly fox was here in the first place. She shook it off. It doesn't matter now. He's probably locked up already.

Storm took Husky's upper body, hooking her arms under his while Blizzard carried his back and made sure his wings didn't drag.

Please wake up soon Husky. She thought. I need you.