Shadowfall emerged from the cave and stretched. The moonlight, as always, shone it's bright beams just beyond the highest place he could fly without losing himself to the elements. The stars stretched above like a tapestry upon which was depicted countless illustrations. He yawned. A day spent sleeping in the caves just waiting to fly at night was normal but that did not mean he appreciated it. Ice emerged next to him, tall and thin as always. The Icewing cocked his long head to the side and studied the night sky.
"When will you let me go?" Shadowfall asked.
"When you are ready." Ice answered. They both knew Shadowfall was not talking about letting him go flying. They were talking about the day when Ice would let Shadowfall leave and see the outside world. Ice spread his wings and Shadowfall followed suit. They took off soaring in the night sky. Of course, Shadowfall could not fly very far. There was a shackle attached to his foot that was attached to a chain a mile long. The chain ended back in their cave where a wall of bars prevented him from reaching the anchor and tugging it free. Also the shackle refused to slip off and their was not a weak link in the chain. However, he was deep in thought, concentrating on flying under cover in the few clouds there were that night and suddenly the chain ended with a jerk and he fell back before he managed to recover his wing beat. When he finally did, Ice swooped down beside him, eyes glittering, unweighted by the mile long chain.

"You forgot." the Icewing noted. Shadowfall scowled.
"What do you think happened?" he growled bitterly. His whole life was draped in manacles, not just his leg. His freedom was chained, his heart slowly turning to stone. Shadowfall dropped his head in the air and listened to the dragon's thoughts.
"He is not using his brain of course. Any dragon with half a mind would realize where I would put the keys to open his shackle and the barred wall. Any dragon would guess. My bed of course. Oh moons, if he is a Nightwing with mind-reading abilities, then I am in trouble, But who am I kidding, I could fight him off anyway." Shadowfall had figured out a long time ago how to block out this Icewing's mind. But now his stone heart thrummed with new meaning. He knew where the keys were now! But he still kept his head hanging low, kept on steadily beating his wings, never letting on how he could read this dragon's mind.
"I am tired." Shadowfall whispered and raised his head. "Can we go back to the cave?" He always felt clunky and awkward around this smooth Icewing, but he felt that way especially now as Ice swung around him in a low circle, talons tucked beneath as his white scales glittered in the moonlight. The chain clanked and the shackle squeezed him painfully.
"Where is your respect?" the older dragon demanded. Shadowfall unhappily lowered his head in deference.
"Permission to land?" he asked.
"Permission granted." the Icewing responded. Shadowfall's heart squeezed in rebellious anger at this Icewing who called himself his guardian. How dare he? Shadowfall thought over and over. How dare he do this to me? He had chained Shadowfall up since the day he could fly, yelled at him over and over how he meant nothing, gorged himself out of Shadowfall's reach while Shadowfall received the tiniest hare to satisfy is hunger. But that would be over soon. He knew where the key was. Freedom lay just beyond his reach. He landed and the shackle eased it's pull as he thundered towards the cave. He reached it just as Ice swooped down and Shadowfall leaped onto his ledge which served as a bed. Ice settled down onto his nest of furs and yawned elegantly. The Icewing turned the wheel and the bars came down over the entrance to the cave. Ice's bed was right beside that wheel. Shadowfall closed his eyes and ignored his thudding heart.
I am a cold dragon of ice and snow, he thought, willing himself not to move. I am a dragon of gold and stone. I am a dragon of rain and tears. I am a dragon of sleep... gradually his mind slowed as he fell asleep.