Author's Notes: Hello fellow readers and writers! Welcome to Frostbitten Hearts! Like traditional Wings of Fire stories, this book will be divided into three parts. I will try my hardest to upload a new chapter once every two weeks- usually on a Friday. For more information, please visit my profile. By the way, I mark transitions in the story with '(Transition)' because the old divider I used made of dashes wasn't showing up (Probably to prevent character spam.) Just thought I would mention this because some people do not know, but you can change which chapter you are on by clicking 'Next' (Located to the right and slightly above this message in Desktop Mode or right below the prologue on Mobile.) Without further ado, please enjoy the story!

~ PROLOGUE ~

7 Years Before the Great War Ends. . .

Amber was flying gracefully through the cloudless sky. The gentle, warm sun brilliantly reflected the clementine scales on her long, slender body, giving them a golden gleam. A cold wind blew harshly on her face, whooshing over her ears and carrying the scent of fresh pine.

Off in the distance, she spied the grand outline of her home, the Sky Palace, accompanied by its heavily fortified walls. Many of its towers pierced the atmosphere with their surreal height and pointed tips, like mountains, only thinner.

As she tilted her head downward, she gazed upon the lush green hills far below, admiring the simplicity of the humble mounds before returning her focus to the open air.

Days like these were best spent flying free with no burdens weighing down upon one's enormous wings… except that there should be, for Amber, at least. She was tasked with spotting out dangers and threats to the kingdom of the sky, namely dragons from rival tribes. How ruefully dull. Why Captain Canary had selected her of all dragons, especially over her brave, strong husband, Nimbus, or any other fierce SkyWing for the matter, she could not comprehend.

The SkyWing tribe was both fearless and powerful, but Amber herself was not as confident as many of her colleges positioned themselves to be. She could never picture herself filling any heroic role within the words of incredibly valiant war tales relayed to her by old veterans, who now tried to live peaceful lives away from war and fighting. Yes, Amber had been taken through and pondered many exciting stories, her personal favorite being…

Focus! She reminded herself. Amber knew she had to stay focused, lest she meet a fate similar to that of her airheaded brother, Falcon.

Poor Falcon. He never even had a fighting chance! Why, he was even younger than I am! Or was he… Arrgh! I'm drifting again!

She descended swiftly to a nearby clearing along the Diamond Spray River. After landing on the grass with her front claws submerged in the stream, Amber scooped up some of the freezing water, cupped it within her talons, and repeatedly splashed it over her face. She let the cold liquid run in between her scales and sharpen her mind as she folded her wings.

The slightly frustrated SkyWing turned herself toward the woods and looked around to survey the area, shivering slightly from the quickly spreading chill.

The ground was moist, soft, and grassy with a few patches of mud splotched here and there. The river's water was returning to the ocean with great haste, running above many smooth pebbles of gray and brown, splashing over the edges of its canal with small droplets as the sunlight peered through the tree branches above to cast the illusions of several small rainbows dancing throughout the loud stream. Healthy vegetation flourished in all directions as far as the eye could see within the forest east of the Sky Palace. There were many trees, standing tall and mighty as cheerful, tiny birds chattered noisily upon their firm branches, perhaps discussing where the best worms may be lurking. Lesser bushes sprouted at the roots, brandishing many colorful fruits as well as leaves possessing many shades of green.

How dreadfully boring this is, Amber thought to herself, to be stuck out here with no one to talk to and nothing to do except look out for danger that definitely is NOT here. Maybe I'll take a nap… No, there are several other SkyWings patrolling today. If I am caught, Canary will have my head.

Captain Canary had acquired quite a reputation of being strict and bossy in her years of guard captaining. She often threatened to do dreadful things to disobedient soldiers. Amber was not completely confident how true each statement was, although she had not seen lazy, little Cinnabar lately. Better safe than sorry!

After standing around for a few brief moments, Amber soon decided that there was nothing worth inspecting further. She shifted her wings with a satisfying crack and was about to take to the skies once more, when she heard a rustling, almost like a whisper, coming from the dense forest behind her.

The SkyWing's ears twitched as she stopped in her tracks. With a startled look she quickly whirled around to stare at where the disturbance seemed to have come from: a large bush. Her cloudy orange eyes narrowed into slits as she scanned the dark green leaves of the shrubbery, searching for movement.

The plant was quite sizeable indeed, and could easily conceal a fully grown dragon within its dense figure. Amber realized this, and wanted to believe the noise had come from a rabbit, squirrel, or even the slow wind, but her experience as a hunter told her otherwise. The disturbance was much too great. It must be if she could hear it over the raging waters. She could feel that whatever was concealed within was watching her, and might want her dead. It was more likely than not.

Amber slowly took a few light steps toward the shrubbery, feeling her claws sink into a pool of mud. She decided not to tread any closer. It was vital to keep her distance, for the hidden being was likely to spring out at her and end her life in a brief moment if it was dangerous enough.

Her heart began to race like lightning as she gritted her teeth so hard she could feel a sharp pain in her jaw. The timid SkyWing wistfully desired to spread her wings and escape far, far away from the supposed danger, back to the refuge that was the open sky, but she knew it was her duty to her tribe to investigate, and fleeing was likely to get her in more trouble than whoever she was facing right now.

Although she had often scoured through these woods for prey, never had she truly been in a fight with another dragon (other than practice, of course).

Amber gathered her courage, or, what little she could accumulate of the thing, and cleared her throat.

"Step out where I can see you," she ordered in a voice a tad too feeble for her liking, for it seemed to have faltered in the middle.

As Amber announced the command, all the surrounding noises seemed to end abruptly. It was as if the whole world had been muted by an unseen force. It even seemed as though the river's aggressive tone died down for the event, which did nothing to boost Amber's failing confidence.

Silence. Nothing happened. No one moved. There was only the voice in her head, which shrieked, "Run away! Be safe! Stay alive!"

Amber quickly dismissed its frightful tone. She was not in any immediate danger. This was to be her moment of bravery, her moment to prove to herself that she was not wholly a coward; however, she might also prove herself a fool if there indeed was no danger. No realistic outcome was utterly ideal.

After a few unsettling (and a little awkward) moments, Amber coughed and spat on the ground in front of her, trying to make herself seem more intimidating as she stood up straighter.

She attempted to deepen her voice and spoke again, this time with confidence.

"Reveal yourself this instant, or I'm scorching your hiding spot, along with your sorry scales."

It was at this point that she was reasonably sure she was talking to another dragon or something huge waiting in the overgrowth. Any fox, squirrel, or even bear would have fled already.

Amber could feel the ominous quiet creeping on her back. She shivered quickly before the tingling feeling caused her to lose her nerve. It seemed to Amber that every being nearby waited breathlessly in anticipation to see what would happen next.

As the time she allotted ticked away, Amber opened her mouth, smoke curling through her nostrils and around her snout, light flaring in her throat, ready to ignite the giant plant. Suddenly, there was a hissing noise, like the sound of freezing water being poured on blazing coals.

Leaves brushed aside as an IceWing with scales of brightest blue crept out of the bush in a crouched position, scraping the ground with her sharp talons with each step, and still hissing, glared at Amber, who snapped her snout shut.

The ice dragon's scales sparkled in the sunlight like aquamarine and diamond gemstones that had just been polished, then rubbed in the dirt to scuff their surfaces, however still bright enough to make Amber squint. The IceWing looked as if she had been in the forest for a while, for there was dry mud speckled across her thin legs and slim snout.

Amber had never seen an IceWing up close before, apart from the sad ones kept in the sky dungeon, draped in chains.

There was only one thing that Amber noticed shining brighter than the IceWing's scales. There was a distinct, little sapphire earring dangling from her left ear. The piece of jewelry was in the shape of a teardrop with several flat edges on the surface as well as a silver lining that outlined the gemstone's configuration.

Amber took her eyes off of the sparkling treasure and returned her focus to the IceWing, hoping that it was not inherently obvious what she was looking at.

The IceWing appeared small, and fast too, Amber guessed. Although she was even tinier than Amber, the many spikes standing tall all over her neck, spine, and tail, like icicles forming in a frozen cavern made her seem like a formidable opponent.

Amber suddenly wished she had chosen to wear her armor today, or brought her spear, or took anything a sensible guard was required to carry. She tried desperately to hold her posture and intimidate the smaller dragon with her size, but she could feel her legs shaking, revealing her weakness.

For a moment, the two dragons were locked in each other's gaze, keeping a fair distance from each other. The newcomer's eyes were a glossy black, white light reflecting off of where the sun shone. Although the small eyes did not seem particularly menacing, they certainly did not appear friendly either.

Amber's legs were stuck to the ground, secured tighter as her claws clenched the earth.

She knew that IceWings were supposed to be quick and dangerous. However, her panicked thoughts prevented her from recalling more information. Nothing revealed itself to her except stories upon stories about how awful IceWings were, as well as the dreadful voice repeating, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…"

The SkyWing stood motionless, trapped inside of her own head when the IceWing lunged forward with a sharp claw and talons outstretched.

Amber snapped out of the daze she had been imprisoned within and recoiled, pushing her front claws off of the ground, but lacking the agility to avoid the strike entirely. Cold talons grazed the side of her neck like frozen razor blades, even colder than the river, causing a small stream of crimson red to leak.

Upon landing, Amber's back legs dropped into the river, one of them being punctured while brushing against a sharp rock that protruded from the mud. She slammed her front talons back onto the ground and roared in agony as her back claws became engulfed in the mire.

Smoke now pouring from her nostrils, the injured SkyWing made an attempt to leap out of the river toward the IceWing. However, the combination of sludge holding her down in the water and the pain erupting from her leg did not grant her the force she needed to reach her opponent.

Amber came down flat upon the ground, flapping her wings wildly in a desperate attempt to return to her feet as the IceWing hunched over, preparing to tackle her in her ruefully weakened state.

As Amber finally managed to pick herself up, she felt something cold slam into her side and knock her off balance once more. She fell onto her back, one of her wings landing awkwardly beneath her. The tiny IceWing jumped up on top of her and opened her mouth wide as she dug her claws into Amber's shoulders, causing the SkyWing to wince.

At first, Amber thought the IceWing was going to bite her with its many whitened teeth, but then she noticed the buildup of brilliant light in the IceWing's blue throat. It was then Amber knew that the IceWing was going to use its frost breath on her.

Amber had seen many SkyWing soldiers being treated for gruesome war wounds and much greater more significant inflicted by IceWing frost. She did not intend to be the next victim.

Amber could feel a new strength growing within her. The overwhelming burst of power caused her to roar at her adversary with such ferocity she had not at first believed the cry to have come from her.

The noise pushed her attacker off balance, loosening her grip on Amber's shoulders. With force she did not know she had possessed, Amber shoved the IceWing off of her and back onto the dirt.

The SkyWing felt an intense burning in her chest as she rolled back onto her feet. With blood dripping from neck and leg, Amber growled fiercely as smoke shot out from her nostrils. Black vapor engulfed her face as the ice dragon grunted and lunged again, however, this time too slow. With a furious roar, Amber shot a small inferno directly into the hapless IceWing's side.

Sparks of flame flew astray as the IceWing fell back into the forest, setting small ferns ablaze. She screeched in agony as scorch marks marched quickly up her silvery scales, darkening them and slithering up like black snakes of death painted by the growing flame.

The IceWing sprang back onto her feet and made a desperate dash to the river. Amber sprang into her path and turned instantaneously, smacking the blazing dragon in the chest with her tail, knocking the wind from her lungs. Any mercy Amber might have spared in a better time was gone, replaced with pure rage.

With a loud thump, the IceWing slammed onto the floor, her wings flailing helplessly as she writhed in pain, unable to gather herself. Amber pounced on top of the wounded dragon with great speed and pinned her to the ground. The sheer cold of the IceWing's scales mixed with the intensity of Amber's flame almost made her lose her balance. She wrapped her claws tightly around the blue, scorched neck, and with a sickening snap, ended her enemy's suffering. The sound sent shivers running down her spine. Shivers even colder than the IceWing's scales.

The IceWing's motion ceased as Amber stepped aside, panting with exhilaration. The flesh of the dead dragon's still burning body blistered and peeled up, revealing flesh and blood of deep blue as its eyes began to cover with a glossy film. An aroma emitted from the carcass, much like the scent of freshly killed prey, a smell Amber was much familiar with, yet it made her stomach churn.

She stared at the body with a pitiful look as she calmed down from her enraged state. Amber had wanted to feel pride for finally facing one of her fears; however, She hated everything about the violence. The pain, injury, and death, all things that could have been avoided if it were not for the SandWing war. She despised the claws of conflict that were taking hold of Pyrrhia, for they turned everyone into killers, even herself, she realized with a frightened shudder. Amber hoped never to have to murder another dragon again, but she knew she would have to, eventually. It was either that, or she would end up dead herself. Amber could sense the hopeless feeling of remorse creeping up inside of her.

No, she told herself, suppressing the feeling, do not pity the enemy. But she did. She felt pity for all of those whose lives were stripped from them by the claws of the everpresent violence.

Amber placed a claw onto her neck to examine the wound and was given a sharp shock.

Painful, but not life-threatening. However, it will leave a scar... She knew she would need to clean it before it got infected, along with her leg, so The SkyWing trudged over to the running river and dipped her talons inside of the clear blue liquid. She lowered her claws far enough to pick up one of the smooth gray or beige pebbles. She did not want to move into the water entirely, for it was still quite frigid as well as fast flowing.

As she gently scrubbed the hardened blood from herself, Amber thought of how lovely it would be to be resting back at her home in the Sky Palace, calmly stretching on top of soft animal furs as the small torch on the stone wall glowed softly. Nimbus' large red figure would be lying by her side, tending to her wounds as he talked about fighting, for he was into that sort of thing. In fact, Nimbus was on his way to becoming a commander in the army. His duties could range from him being gone for a few weeks at a time to several years; however, he was to receive quite a lengthy break in just two more.

Nimbus, the only SkyWing who sees anything more than a pathetic, cowardice spirit residing within me, although he can be a bit tempered at times. Yes, sometimes he can be quite rude, like that one time when I… Enough daydreaming.

After thoroughly washing the cuts on her neck and leg, Amber turned her head and noticed a white light bouncing off of the dead IceWing's ear, reflecting a silver sparkle. The source of the gleaming light was none other than the earring. It was indeed a stunning artifact, and it might be worth a thing or two, so Amber slowly turned and walked toward it. She reached down and gently removed the dazzling piece of jewelry from the deceased IceWing's ear. The SkyWing then carefully fitted it upon her own, puncturing a new hole in the process. She did not feel completely comfortable with taking it, and it made her head feel lopsided, but the eye-catching gem was too beautiful a treasure pass up.

(Transition)

Amber advanced into the woods, to the east, and away from the river, and away from the carcass. She traveled deeper until she could no longer smell the wretched stench, then sat in a grassy patch between the mighty pines. The healthy trees blocked some of the sunlight with their leaves, allowing only small beams through to cast small, star-like lights upon the forest floor. Amber did not notice the pure beauty of the surrounding forest, for she was thinking about the severity of the situation she had gotten herself into. It was unlikely that her attacker had come alone unless she was a spy, and even then, spies usually carried scrolls for writing important information on.

As Amber pondered the position she was in, she fiddled with her new earring, rubbing it between two talons. However, she still sat on high alert. She did not intend to be caught off guard. As far as she knew, half of the IceWing army could be nearby, planning an attack on the Sky Palace, or even the small settlement along the east of the Diamond Spray River where the unwealthy, dishonorable SkyWings lived. That second thought was quite unlikely, for the dragons who lived there were barely even a part of the war. In fact, most of the town's inhabitants were not considered to be "real" SkyWings by the SkyWings who lived further north. Still, the thought of an attack did not comfort Amber in the slightest. She knew she would have to report the IceWing assault to Captain Canary as soon as night fell, and her task was over.

(Transition)

When the sun reached the center of the sky above, there was another noise, resonating from deeper within the woods. The sound seemed like some sort of like a roar, but strangely high pitched, almost like a chirp. It stood out amongst all the other buzz in the forest, which had picked up again quickly after the small battle. The new sound seemed different than that of most animals Amber had heard, and yet it was familiar, and in some strange way, nostalgic. Amber turned and headed toward the sound with little hesitation.

She marched stealthily through the pine-smelling overgrowth, which was not too difficult. Amber had a lot of experience sneaking around, and not just for prey. There were plenty of trees providing cover from the sky and many plants that could give shelter if she needed to hide.

After traveling for less than a minute, she heard the cry once more, a bit louder this time, to her left, in another small clearing. She stood behind a large-trunked tree and peered into the area.

Waiting in the middle of the clearing, laying on its side in the patch of grass surrounded by dirt and stones, was a small dragonet. An IceWing dragonet. Amber's eyes narrowed as she stared at it suspiciously.

As she was close enough to get a good look, she realized that it had a striking resemblance to the one she had previously slain. His scales were the same glistening colors with the same patterns, and he had similar eyes (or maybe all IceWings have similar eyes), but the dragonet's eyes did not seem the least bit threatening. They looked like little black beads, shiny and smooth. Amber eyed it once more and realized that he could not have been more than a few days of age. Even then, it seemed smaller than most hatchlings. The infant IceWing was just laying there, flicking its spiked tail back and forth, crying out weakly.

Crying out for its mother, Amber realized with a stab of guilt, and I killed her. Oh, moons! The poor thing.

Amber was unsure of what to do. She wanted to go closer and interact with the dragonet, but she also knew that it could be a trap, or ultimately lead to her demise.

Eventually, the SkyWing's morbid curiosity got the best of her, and she stepped out of the trees. She took little care to be stealthy as she rustled and crunched many leaves as well as snapping several twigs while she approached the IceWing.

Upon Amber's arrival, the dragonet chirped in surprise but did not seem frightened in the slightest. As a matter of fact, he seemed highly delighted to see another face, as he smiled excitedly at her. Amber thought it was unusual how the dragonet showed no fear toward a dragon much more extensive than himself. Amber believed that SkyWing dragonets remained timid for a time after hatching. She had not willing walked to meet her father until she was at least one year old.

Amber did not know how long the little dragon had been there, all alone. The IceWing dragonet stood up and chirped at Amber once more, staring her dead in the eyes. His legs were shaking, as he seemed to be having a hard time keeping himself upright. Amber smiled back at him and slowly extended a claw. The dragonet stumbled over and rubbed his spiked head affectionately against Amber's talons. His scales were cold, as to be expected with IceWings.

Nothing catastrophic has happened yet, Amber thought with a small sense of relief, maybe this isn't a sort of devious scheme.

As Amber played with the dragonet for a short while, she thought of how he and his mother ended up in sky territory.

Surely the mother wasn't some sort of spy, or she wouldn't have brought her dragonet to such dangerous territory. Perhaps she was fleeing from something… I have no idea what. Gracious, I do feel so terribly awful for this poor fellow. Every dragonet should have a mother and… and a father.

Amber jumped back in realization, her wings spread outward and up in a defensive position, causing the young IceWing to chirp loudly once more and falter, rolling backward in the dirt. Amber's head darted left and right. Of course the father had to be nearby if the mother had been over by the river. No parent would leave such a young dragonet alone for long. She shot back into the cover of the woods, startling some nearby birds and causing quite a racket in her wake.

The dragonet attempted to follow her but tripped on a large pebble and hit the ground softly as Amber hid behind another tree and waited.

How could I have been so foolish? I may have gotten myself into a whole length of trouble again already.

The father did not appear within the next few minutes, so Amber decided to watch the young dragonet for just a while longer, just to make sure its father did come back to it. She really had no plan for if the father came back or not.

(Transition)

Nothing particularly exciting happened while Amber kept an eye on the young IceWing. He wandered the clearing for a while, supposedly searching for his parents, before collapsing on top of a smooth gray rock, frowning as he closed his eyes.

Amber felt her whole body vibrate as her stomach roared fiercely, demanding a morsel of nothing but the most excellent rabbit in the woods. She was unmistakably hungry, famished even. She realized that the dragonet would likely be starving too.

Why do I feel sorrow for this IceWing? It is the enemy, it would kill me if it were bigger and stronger. However, as she studied the innocent blue heap on the rock, she could not help but feel remorse.

Soon, the darkness came, but tragically, the dragonet's father did not. The dragonet looked up, lifting his head towards the twinkling stars and three moons in the sky. Two of which were full, bathing him in gentle blue light, making his scales shine. As for the third moon, it was only a sliver. Although it was very late into the night, the moons granted enough light for clear vision.

Despite her better judgment, Amber chose to wait even longer, even past the time she was to return at the end of her task. She knew that Canary would be furious when she would not show up for roll call. However, this would not be the first time she was late. Perhaps by now this behavior was to be expected of her and would even be accepted, or punished harshly by the infamous Captain Canary.

How pathetic she must seem to the other SkyWings. She was never on time, terribly unorganized, and pitying the descendant of an IceWing. For her entire life, she, and every other SkyWing had been raised to believe that all IceWings, no matter how serene or stable they seemed, are awful and ruthless creatures with no morals. However, seeing the young IceWing here now, Amber did not believe a word of what she was told. She even dared to think that maybe it was the SkyWings who were truly awful all along. After all, it was the SkyWing tribe who chose to ally with Burn, the most savage of the three SandWing princesses in the great war.

(Transition)

Eventually, after waiting around for several more hours, Amber had reached the conclusion that the IceWing's father was not coming back for him. No one was. As the night grew cold, she started shivering.

Amber knew she had to return home soon, or else the SkyWing guard would assume that she had been killed and send out a search party to look for her, and once they found her here, she would be severely punished.

Amber had almost made the decision to take off and rush for the guard tower when she looked at the dragonet. He was sad, hungry, and lonely, but not freezing, at least. Amber was heartbroken. She wanted to go wrap her wings around him, and provide comfort, or even just let him know he was not alone, but he really was. He was an IceWing stranded in the kingdom of the sky, like a mouse surrounded by hawks in an empty field. No chance, no hope.

Amber knew what she could do, should do, maybe, but was not sure it was the best idea.

How would my tribe react? I certainly would no longer be allowed to live in the Sky Palace. Why, I might even be executed! But what would happen if I leave him here? Will I lead him to his demise, or will I leave him to his death? Oh wow, that was quite poetic.

After some tense consideration, Amber decided she had made the best choice, although there were no good solutions to the ordeal.

Slowly and silently, she sauntered over to the rock in which the infant dragon was lying on, feeling her hopes for a bright future amongst the SkyWing ranks slowly sinking away. The dragonet perked up instantly when he saw Amber approaching. He slipped off the rock and staggered awkwardly over to her, greeting her as if already, he trusted her with his life.

Its scales shone brightly in the moonlight, like a firefly in a dark cave, a bright star in a blackened night sky, a diamond in pile of coal. He certainly made Amber feel humbled by her looks.

She laid down in front of the IceWing as he rubbed his face on Amber's. He reached a claw up and placed it on the wound on Amber's neck, causing her to wince until his cold talons numbed the wound.

She raised her claws and scooped the IceWing up in her talons. She held him close to her neck, which she was slowly lowering closer to the ground as the little IceWing made peaceful chirping sounds. He accidentally poked her with a few his many head spikes as he brushed his face against her neck. His scales felt even colder than the night air, yet on the inside, he was warmer than a gentle flame, providing light and security.

This is a bad idea.

"Hey there little guy," she said softly, as she affectionately poked her snout against his.

I can't take him home with me!

"I'll take you home with me."

Nimbus is going to kill me…

"And I'll call you," she noticed him bite down on the earring and tug gently, "Frostbite."