Sandstorm stretched his wings, almost bashing Frozen in the head.
"OI!" the younger dragonet bellowed. He glared at Sandstorm. "Get your stinking SandWing wings away from me."
"I don't stink," Sandstorm replied indignantly. "And I'm not a SandWing."
Polar ruffled her deep blue wings. "You are too."
"Yeah, what's this?" Glacier growled, poking his barb. "Not a normal IceWing tail, that's for sure."
Sandstorm flicked his tail away from her, curling up the barb protectively, the way Smolder had taught him.
"What's happening?"
Icecloud trotted up. She was larger than Sandstorm, and her black eyes always felt as if they were boring into him.
Frozen growled at her. "I don't have to answer to you."
Icecloud lifted her head. "You will soon." She turned to Sandstorm. "Come on, they called us for the ceremony."
Excitement flared through Sandstorm. The ceremony! Finally he would be an apprentice. Five years is way too long to wait.
"I'm coming," he said, shaking himself before exiting the hatchery.
Sandstorm could hear noises of protest behind him as Icecloud herded the four-year-old dragonets outside. A chilly wind buffeted him and he sank his claws into a layer of soft snow to stop himself from being blown sideways.
The camp was formed from a dip in the surrounding hills and tall spires of rock. Most of the camp was covered by a stone overhang, and the entrance was a narrow gap opposite. The hatchery extended deep under the overhang and was quite high, to help dragonets learn to fly. On the left side of the hatchery was the elder's den, currently empty, followed by the apprentice's den. On the right side of the hatchery was the healer's den, followed by the leader's den. The warriors slept in the shallow holes that riddled the overhang. The Highrock stood next to the entrance.
Sandstorm shivered slightly as he looked at it. Currently Snowfall stood on the Highrock's peak, staring down at her gathered Clan. Tundra stood on a lower ledge, his tail flicking impatiently. The rest of IceClan was gathered in a loose semicircle around them. They turned as Sandstorm and Icecloud emerged from the hatchery.
"Finally," Tundra growled. "We can start."
Sandstorm walked forward into the centre of the circle, trying to ignore the stares of disdain that burned his scales. He stood still, looking up at Snowfall.
The leader shuffled her silver wings. "IceClan, we gather here today to make new apprentices. Icecloud, your mentor will be Frost."
Frost stepped out of the crowd, her scales shimmering. Icecloud stepped forward and dipped her snout to the warrior.
"Sandstorm," Snowfall continued.
He flinched slightly, and Snowfall's keen eyes picked up the movement.
"Or Storm, if you wish. Your mentor will be Lynx."
The silver IceWing stepped forward to face him. Sandstorm bowed his head in the traditional way, before raising his head and looking into his mentor's pale blue eyes. They were blank, revealing no emotion. He couldn't tell what she thought of him, he'd never been able to.
"Icecloud! Storm! Icecloud! Storm!"
Sandstorm looked around, noticing that some dragons only cheered half-heartedly, while many didn't cheer at all. Frost and Lynx had both raised their voices in the chorus.
Snowfall and Tundra remained silent.
When the dragons had quieted down Snowfall spoke.
"That is all. Mentors please take your apprentices on a tour of the territory."
"Sandstorm," Lynx said quietly.
"I prefer Storm," Sandstorm said.
"Makes you feel like more of an IceWing?" Lynx questioned.
"Uh... um," he stuttered.
"Storm, then," she continued. "Lets see the territory."
"Uh, ok," he managed, still caught off guard from Lynx's question.
Lynx turned away from him, flicking her tail against his leg. Sandstorm headed towards the entrance of camp. He stepped through the entrance, his sides brushing the walls. Outside. Finally. He breathed in the crisp, cool air and looked. An open plain extended as far as he could see in any direction, covered with deep snow and layers of ice. Rocks jutted out of the ground, frosted with ice.
"Nice, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Sandstorm breathed.
"Stop blocking the entrance!" Tundra snarled, poking his snout out.
Sandstorm started, and stepped quickly out of the way. "Sorry."
Tundra growled, and exited camp at the head of a patrol.
First day, and I've already annoyed the deputy.
"Come on," Lynx urged.
She spread her silver-white wings and launched into the air, flapping them to hold herself aloft. The wind from her wings slammed into Sandstorm, forcing him lower.
"Fly," Lynx cried.
Sandstorm spread his wings and sprung upwards, flapping his golden wings madly.
"Calm your wings," Lynx advised. "Beat them evenly, and your flight will be easier and more controlled."
Sandstorm slowed the mad beat of his wings, and dipped lower in the air. He tried, frantically, to right himself, before remembering Lynx's words and slowing them again. Sandstorm forced more power into each wingbeat and lifted into the air again, hovering in front of Lynx.
The warrior nodded, and curved around to lead the way. Sandstorm powered after her, finding a rhythm in the even strokes.
"Where are we going?" he called.
Lynx sighed, slowing to allow him to catch her.
"We are touring the territory, which you would know if you'd been listening to Snowfall." Her words were icy.
"I was listening!" Sandstorm protested. "You're just not telling me anything."
"Then ask."
Sandstorm looked around, trying to find something of interest. Ice covered the ground almost as far as he could see in all directions, although he could see a distant expanse of greenish blue glittering in the pale sunlight ahead and to either side.
"What is that?" he asked.
"The ocean," Lynx explained. "It's water, but very salty, so I wouldn't drink it if I were you."
The warrior dipped down sharply, speeding ahead and diving into the vast expanse of water. She disappeared under the waves, before soaring back up, flinging glittering droplets off her scales. Sandstorm looked down warily at the water, which rose up in choppy waves, brushing his talons. He shivered slightly at the strange feeling, before diving in. The first thing he felt was the cold, shocking him and chilling him to the bone. Next was the bizzare feeling of water sliding across his scales, slightly rougher than the water he drank. Sandstorm flapped his wings, sending him soaring through the ocean. It was an odd feeling, similar to flying, but with more to push against. He rose up, out of the water, splashing droplets everywhere with his tail.
"It's amazing!" he cried, beaming.
Lynx nodded, looking pleased.
"This is one of our borders, but it's not another Clan's territory out there, so you can go out as far as you want, as long as you make it back. Understand?"
Sandstorm nodded. "Course."
"Most of our borders are water, like this one, but the one behind us is the border with SandClan. You can't cross that one."
This is a stab at me being half-SandWing. Or at Snow. Sandstorm felt anger boiling in him, but kept his expression calm. Lynx was watching him closely.
"I know," he forced out.
Lynx gave him an appraising look before setting off, following the line of the ocean.
"I'll show you around the borders, and then we'll head back to camp," she called over her shoulder.
"You can see past that narrow strip of ocean SkyClan territory."
Sandstorm followed Lynx's gaze and saw thickly forested shores across a channel of water. Mountains rose up from behind the trees, far taller than the ones in IceClan territory. Sandstorm couldn't stop staring at the trees. He'd seen trees before, but never this many, and never anything so green. The ice had disappeared a while back and they now stood on bare rock, with clumps of green grass poking up between the cracks. It was hotter here too, and the rock ended a few metres to his right, replaced by brown dirt. Lynx turned, facing the end of the rock.
"Beyond this is SandClan territory. The border is right here. SandClan territory starts on the other side of this rock. This and the SkyClan border are the only ones we regularly patrol and mark."
Lynx nodded at the rock edge, and Sandstorm looked to see a thick line of frostbreath he hadn't noticed before extending along the border. Beside it, on the SandClan side, was a burnt strip of dirt. Black, compared to the glittering white frostbreath.
"Why don't we patrol the ocean borders? SeaClan could attack from there," Sandstorm asked.
"That would be a lot of swimming for the SeaWings," Lynx said. "We're not worried about them."
"Ah, ok. Who are we worried about?"
Lynx raised her head. "No-one. We are IceClan, the strongest of all seven Clans. We don't fear anyone."
She dropped her gaze to look Sandstorm right in the eyes.
"You understand that, right Storm? WE are IceClan. That means you too. You are not SandClan. You are not a SandWing. You should have no loyalty to your father or his Clan. You are an IceWing, no matter what happens. Do you understand?"
Lynx's pale blue eyes bore into Sandstorm's. Lynx's speech had made him feel... he wasn't sure, really. Anger and annoyance from her thinking he'd had any loyalty to SandClan. Acceptance, she thought he was an IceWing. Frustration, happiness, shock. And above all, wanting to be an IceWing. An actual one, not a hybrid. His thoughts must have shown in his expression because Lynx nodded.
"You understand."
It was a statement this time, not a question.
"Yeah," Sandstorm breathed.
"Come on Storm, we're going back to camp."
Lynx raised her wings, and soared upward into the sky. Sandstorm watched her, feeling her acceptance settle inside him. It felt good. He felt needed. He felt wanted. He flapped his wings, gliding up to follow Lynx back to camp. Where he belonged. That was enough for now.
Yeah, you're gonna see a lot of Sandstorm's Clanmates not liking him very much, although yay for positive endings.
Question: What are your thoughts on Lynx?
~Skystorm