Chapter 7

Some Terrible News

SANDCRAWLER

Sandcrawler heard voices outside his door. "Please, you have to let me in," Pleaded a voice. "I have to see my scavenger."

Winter. What's he doing here? It hit Sandcrawler like a brick over the head. No. It couldn't be. That dragon- the one I hit- that was Winter?

"I'm s-sorry, sir," Stuttered another voice. "There are so many p-patients that n-no one's allowed inside b-but the patient's immediate f-f-family."

"I'm the only family that scavenger has," Winter pleaded. "Please, you've got to let me in. Ask Queen Glory, she'll tell you! I need to go in!"

"No can do, IceWing," Rasped a third voice. "Queen Glory's busy. Besides, you don't look like the scavenger's family to me."

"An IceWing, related to a sc-scavenger," The stutterer guffawed. "How gullible do you th-think we are?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to go in there," Winter said, determined. The door swung open.

"Don't resist, IceWing!" The hoarse voice yelled. A NightWing appeared in the door, jabbing a spear an inch away from Winter's throat. He seized Winter's talons and dragged him away from the door.

"Stop! You can't do this! Please!" Winter begged, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked up to the sky. "I betrayed my family for Moon, and you took Moon away from me! This scavenger is all I have left! This scavenger is the only thing I have to love, and I won't let you take it away from me!"

Sandcrawler sat up in bed. "Winter!" He screamed. "The dreamvisitor!"

WINTER

Winter looked down at the dreamvisitor in his hand. He whispered who he desired to visit, and to his surprise, it wasn't Sandcrawler. It wasn't even Moon.

It was Qibli.

Qibli's dreams were surprisingly quiet compared to his son's. It was so dark, Winter didn't see him at first. But then, he noticed the SandWing sitting in a corner. His eyes were filled with tears, and here he looked a lot less monstrous than Winter made him in his head. "Winter?" Qibli's voice called out in surprise.

"Yeah," Winter responded. "I just... wanted to say hi."

Qibli caught sight of the dreamvisitor. "How'd you get that? I thought Sandcrawler-"

"He gave it to me," Winter broke in.

Qibli looked down. "I- I've missed you," He admitted.

Winter was silent.

"Now you say you missed me too?" Qibli prompted.

"OK, maybe I missed seeing your annoying face just a little bit."

"A lot."

"OK, a lot. I've missed you, and Turtle, and even Kinkajou and Peril. And... Moon."

Qibli looked startled at Winter's honesty. "Oh, Winter, I never meant for things to get so out of hand!" He blurted. "We let Moon turn us into fools. I'm ashamed of how we fought over her like a couple of dragonets."

"Me too," Winter sighed.

"Remember, before we knew Moon? Just you and me, and your little scavengers-"

"Well, you don't have to worry about them anymore," Winter said darkly.

"What?"

"I found a scavenger. Beautiful thing. Name was Clingy, courtesy of Kinkajou."

"Nice," Qibli grinned.

"She was more than nice. She was wonderful." Winter smiled sadly. "Until I went off flying with her, and had... an accident. We ran into Sandcrawler. I'm not hurt, but Clingy's unconscious. They won't even let me in to see her."

Qibli gasped. "Sandcrawler? Is he hurt?"

Winter hesitated. He didn't want to say anything that would make Qibli angry, but he couldn't lie. "I think he might've sprained his wing..."

"I have to go," Qibli blinked.

"No! Wait!" Winter cried, reaching out, as everything disappeared around him.