The rest of Winter's day was standard. Each new teacher practically repeated the same speech that the one before them had, but somehow making it seem more boring. The school day finally ended with the music class.
"I trust I'll see you tomorrow?" Winter asked Umber. He gathered his satchel and left to go to his dorm cave.
"Yep!" Umber said as they exited. They waved to each other as they went to their separate dorms. As soon as Winter entered his own cave, a sudden wave of sadness washed over him. He plopped himself onto his bed.
Why am I suddenly sad? Winter stared out his window. He saw a group of SkyWings taking flight in the school's courtyard. I have an excellent schedule, good classmates and teachers, and Umb- … I mean, a dragon to study with.
Winter opened his satchel and pulled out his quill. It was made of many long ostrich feathers, with their total size being no bigger than his forearm. It's tip, covered in ink. It was a perfectly normal quill.
Then why do I feel weird about it? Winter sighed. It must be the unexpected kindness. Nothing else.
After a few hours, the dinner bell rang. The surprise of Winter, the prey center was significantly less busy as it had been in the previous meal times. Only about half the dragons that could have gone to dinner appeared. Some of those who didn't return were the MudWing siblings and all royal SeaWings.
Winter grabbed two polar bear legs but did not return to his original table. He decided to join his friends at their table, mainly because Moon and Qibli were also not present.
"Winter!" Kinkajou's ears perked up as she saw him.
"Hello." Winter sat down at their table. Kinkajou immediately gave him a hug, which he tried to shrug off. Kinkajou wouldn't let go for what seemed like an eternity.
"So, you've decided to sit with us now?" Peril asked, with a slightly angry tone.
"Yes. I preferred to sit alone for the first two meals." Winter answered quickly.
"What about Umber?" Turtle bit into his tuna. "He sat with you during lunch."
"T- that's nothing. He simply wanted to get to know me slightly better, since we will be spending this school year right next to each other. It's better to know your peers than to sit in ignorance." Winter shoved a hunk of polar bear leg into his mouth.
"Or is it because the love birds were here?" Peril's voice dripped with sarcasm. Winter stared at her.
Does she know? Winter silently panicked. I thought I hid my emotions well. Moon may have known, Qibli too, but I never thought they would blab about me like that. Those traitors.
Peril sighed. "Don't act like you didn't notice them. They've been all over each other ever since Darkstalker was of us enjoy it when they start showing PDA."
"I happen to think it's cute." Kinkajou huffed. "Right Turtle?"
"Ok, everyone but Kinkajou dislikes it." Peril raised an eyebrow.
They just think I don't want to sit around the two because they're constantly expressing affection? Winter's rapid breathing slowed down. Fine, fine, that's good. They're still oblivious. Perfect.
"Yes, I never seem to enjoy when two dragons are practically drooling over each other in public." Winter said nobly. "They may be my friends, but I lose my appetite when I see that."
"Oh, Winter, we never told you. Turtle and I are dating!" Kinkajou grabbed Turtle's arm, causing Turtle's face to flush bright red.
"What?!" Winter almost spat out his food. "You are?"
"Oh, uhhh…. yes." Turtle forced out. "We started dating a while back, around the same time when Moon and Qibli did."
"Geez Winter," Peril said. "Are you ok?"
Winter coughed. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."
Kinkajou and Turtle are dating? So now it's not just Moon and Qibli, but Kinkajou and Turtle. Great, more PDA. More loneliness for me. Winter hung his head slightly.
"Tell him about you, Peril." Kinkajou nodded encouragingly. Now it was Peril's turn to flush red.
"Well, umm, …." She squeaked. "Clay and I just started dating, too."
"You, too?!" Winter clenched his talons.
Peril nodded. "Clay told me that he was ready to pursue a relationship about a week ago, so we just began."
"Well good for you three." Winter said with a harsh voice. So now all of my friends are in relationships. Even Peril, the flaming mess. I'm the only one all alone.
"What about you, Winter?" Kinkajou asked. "Do you have a significant other?"
"No." Winter didn't bother to sugar coat the truth.
"I'm sure you'll find someone." Turtle said reassuringly.
"Thanks Turtle." Winter forced himself to say.
But what if I don't? I don't want to be like Mother and Father, forced into a relationship for the sake of the First Circle. They ended up hating each other, even up to the day that Father died. I want to marry someone because I love them. Moon was the only dragon I ever loved.
Peril interrupted Winter's thoughts. "Cheer up, Winter. I'm not saying that any of us are going to break up, but many dragons our age do."
"Right, remember Pike and Anemone?" Turtle nodded.
"Can that even be counted as a relationship?" Kinkajou grimaced. "It fell apart so quickly, and we all now know that Anemone is a lesbian."
"Snail and Barracuda had a nasty break up." Peril interrupted. "They were so happy together, and then their relationship fell apart within a month. They won't even speak to each other anymore." She shuddered. "See Winter? Love isn't always what it's cracked up to be."
"I sure know that." Winter sighed and finished his meal. "Thanks guys, I'll see you tomorrow at dinner. I'm going back to my dorm." He left before he could hear their goodbyes.
Winter trudged to his dorm and threw himself onto his bed. Within moments, he had fallen asleep.
The next school days passed normally. Winter took notes during his classes, sat with Umber during lunch and his friends during dinner, and visited the library during his free time.
The library provided him with a quiet environment where he could think and learn on his own time. Not many dragons decided to spend time there, and Winter was the only dragon who came every day.
Other than Moonwatcher.
Winter tried to avoid her, but on Friday evening, she approached him.
"Hi Winter." She said cheerily.
"Oh, hello Moon." Winter looked up from his book.
"What brings you here?" She asked him.
"Peace and quiet." He said. "What about you?"
"The same thing. The only mind that I hear in this room is Starflight's, so its rather nice to not be bombarded by dragon's racing thoughts." She turned her head to Starflight's table and then back to Winter. Winter suddenly became very aware of the pouch on his arm that contained skyfire.
"Hmm, yes. That sounds logical." Winter nodded slightly.
"Well, I better get back to my reading and then my dorm. Bye Winter." Moon excused herself, giving Winter a wave of relief.
She didn't judge me, she didn't say anything to me about the past. Thank the three moons.
Winter looked at his book, ''Effective Habits of Successful Dragons."Winter had chosen this book since he had wanted to better himself for his scavenger sanctuary business. He stole a glance at the clock hanging above the entrance to the cave. The time was 8:30 PM, almost time for students to return to their dorms for the night.
He left the library after checking out his book. Winter's dorm room happened to be near the library in addition to his classroom.
Winter shoved the rock door in front of the dorm's entrance and entered. He placed his book onto his desk and yawned. Dusting off his bed, he sat down on it. Then he began to slip into sleep.
Sharp knocks from his door woke Winter up. He jolted out of bed and threw open the rock door. Standing behind the door was Umber, who tensed up slightly. He held his satchel and a few brown bags full of miscellaneous things.
"Umber?" Winter asked.
"Umm, hi." Umber waved slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Winter scanned Umber to make sure he hadn't come to stab him. "Isn't it after 'lights out'?"
"It is, but I … well…" Umber stuttered. "Well Clay had originally put me and Peril in a dorm room together, since we are in the same winglet. But since Peril has the whole fire thing going on," Umber gestured violently. "the headmasters wanted her to have a dorm room to herself so she wouldn't burn her roommates. And she already kinda did." Umber pointed to a burn mark on his tail.
"Clay looked around for an open dorm with a Jade Winglet member, and the only open one was….." He paused. "yours."
Winter said nothing.
"C… come inside then." Winter slid to the side of the door and Umber walked in.
So now I'm sharing a room with Umber? Winter cleared off the bed above his. The dragon that I share all of my classes with is now my roommate. My last roommate was Qibli, and we were constantly arguing.
"I'm sorry if I get in your way, Winter." Umber placed his brown bag on the desk next to Winters.
"You won't, I'm sure." Winter said, not entirely sure if this statement would be true or not. He finished moving his items off of Umber's bed. "Do you want some help?"
"Oh yes, that would be great!" Umber smiled. "Could you take this bag and put it's contents on my bed?" He handed Winter one of his brown bags. Winter nodded and flapped his wings enough to sit on the bed.
What are you, Winter, a slave? You shouldn't be doing another dragon's work for them. Winter grimaced at this thought. No, I'm helping Umber. It's what friends do.
Wait, friends? Are we friends? Winter turned to look at Umber. I guess we are. He caught himself smiling.
"I guess this means we can study for our tests better now." Umber said, breaking Winter's train of thought. Winter opened the bag and began to pull out a large blanket made of palm tree leaves.
"That's true." Winter pulled out a pillow made of a similar material. "We can provide assistance to each other with homework as well."
"Yep!" Umber said cheerily. "Say, don't we have a pre-test on history on Monday? Can you help me with that?"
"Of course." Winter replied. He quickly added "But you have to help me with the herbs and healing project on Tuesday." Umber nodded and returned to unpacking his bags.
The last item in Umber's bag was a smooth rock. Winter stared at it.
"Umber, why do you have a rock in your bag?" Winter asked with genuine curiosity.
"Oh that." Umber chuckled slightly. "Crane gave that to me the day before she died."
Winter paused.
"It's ok Winter, I like to keep it. It's not bad. I remember all the good moments I had with her when I look at it." Umber forced a small smile. Silence filled the dorm room.
I wish I had something to remember the good times I had with Icicle. If there even were enough.
"Where would you like it?" Winter broke the silence.
"On my desk, please." Umber moved his papers to leave a blank space for the rock. Winter joined Umber on the ground and placed the rock in that space.
"I think it looks good there." Winter told Umber.
"Thank you." Umber said quietly.
Then Winter did something he would never had thought he would do.
He gave Umber a hug.
"I…I know how you feel." Words escaped Winter's mouth. "It will get better, I swear."
Umber hugged back. Winter heard a sniffle from him. "T-…thank you, Winter. That means a lot."
Winter finished hugging Umber and nodded slowly.
"I suggest we should go to bed." He said. Umber returned the nod and flew up to his bed. Winter extinguished the torch illuminating their room and laid down in his own bed.
"Goodnight Winter." Umber said with a small yawn
Winter didn't say anything. In his old dorm last year, no one had said that to him. Qibli had always fallen asleep without saying anything. Just the night before, no one had said anything to him. It was only him and silence.
"erm.." Winter stuttered. "Goodnight, Umber." He could hear Umber shifting over to his other side in his bed.
There's a dragon in my room now. Winter thought as he closed his eyes. I see him during the day, now I see him at night. He's my roommate and fellow classmate.
He's my friend.
My last roommate was someone I didn't enjoy bunking with. We fought. We wanted the same girl. He won.
This roommate? I do like bunking with him. We haven't fought once yet. We've both been through so much. We've both practically lost a sister.
I enjoy his company. I like spending time with him. Unlike my old roommate,
I like him.
