Flame and Umber collapsed onto a heap on the floor. They had done it. They had fed all the patients by working non-stop and making a complete mess of the kitchen. Usually Flame liked to clean up as he went along, but there had been no time. Fish scales coated everything, grains of rice were stuck all over his body and the counters were dirtier than the floor.

But perhaps the most surprising thing was that, despite not having time to eat, Umber hadn't even complained.

"Uhhh," Umber groaned on the floor. "I am so hungry."

Never mind.

"There might be some food left...somewhere," Flame offered unhelpfully. He really had no idea what was going on anymore.

"Well actually..." Umber spoke sheepishly. "You were kinda flying around the kitchen like a crazy guy so while you were busy I tucked away some food for us." Umber lumbered to his feet and basically crawled over to the dimming stove and pulled out two salmon. They were not cut up or anything, but they had been cooked all the way through and smelled great.

What the hell? How did I not notice two extra salmon in the stove? Flame questions but when he tried to recall the last hour it was just one giant blur. Instead he just weakly accepted the food Umber offered him and the two ate in silence until the kitchen door was slid open.

In came Sora and Jet.

"Holy blazes, it looks like murder scene in here!" Jet exclaimed.

"Umber? Are you in here?" Sora's quieter voice asked. Both Umber and Flame groaned to alert the others that they were lying behind the set out counters in the center of the kitchen. Soon enough they were found.

"Oh my gosh! Umber! Are you alright?" Sora ran up to her brother and helped him to his feet.

Umber gave a weak laugh. "We're fine. Just exhausted."

"Hey. Get up," Jet said to Flame while poking him in the foot with her tail. Flame didn't even have the energy to growl. Luckily Umber helped Flame onto his wobbly talons so he could properly see the chaos around them.

"Fuck. This is going to take forever to clean up." Flame rubbed his face in exhaustion but immediately regretted it as the fish scales that were once all over his talons were now all over his face. Fuck my life.

"Maybe not," Jet spoke and nudged Sora. "I'm sure if all four of us worked together it would be clean in no time!"

Even though it made his scales twitch to be in the presence of the loud female SkyWing and the brittle and possibly crazy sister of Umber, Flame knew better than to refuse their help.

"OK. Fine. Let's just get this cleaned up so I can go to bed," Flame growled.

Umber gave him a strange look. "But it's only a little after noontime. We just served lunch!"

"Do I look like I fucking care, Umber?"

"Wow, this is such a super fun friendship group. I can't wait to spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning with you all," Jet said with mock enthusiasm and Flame snorted at her.

What a cheeky piece of shit. He thought and with the diplomatic abilities of Umber they were able to split the tasks up. Flame grabbed the broom and began sweeping while Umber clean out the ashes in the stove and the two girls washed the pots, pans and grills.

While Flame and Umber worked in silence, Sora and Jet would NOT shut up. To make things INFINETILY worse, they were talking about the most stupid stuff.

"So have you actually SEEN the ghost?" Sora urgently asked Jet who gave a vague answer.

"Well no, not exactly BUT I know for a fact that she's there! I have collected the testimony of several guards and..."

"What the fuck are you two talking about?" Flame interrupted and leaned against the broom. Jet whipped around to fix him with her orange eyes.

"Mind your own business, I wasn't talking to you!" she retorted but Sora didn't seem to get the hint and answered.

"Jet thinks there's a ghost in the palace," she spoke with more excitement than Flame had ever heard from her.

"Oh, there is WAY more than just ONE ghost in the palace, but I was just telling Sora of a new one I found," Jet quickly added.

"Pfft." Flame let out a harsh laugh. "That's so stupid! There's no such thing as ghosts."

Jet had now turned around completely to face Flame. "Actually I have evidence that they do. I am an amateur ghost hunter after all." She puffed out her chest like it was something to be proud of. Meanwhile Sora was gazing up at Jet like she was some sort of superhero.

"Wow, I bet that's just as dumb as it sounds," Flame droned and was pleased when Jet let out a low growl.

"AHEM!" Ibis cleared her throat loudly and gave Flame and Jet a stern look. The SandWing was sitting in the corner reading a scroll. She had not offered to help clean.

Sora placed a talon on Jet's shoulder and the two got back to cleaning. Flame decided to go sweep near the oven where Umber was.

"Can you believe those two?" Flame demanded as he got within earshot of the MudWing. "Going on about ghosts and other bullshit."

Umber lifted his ash coated head out of the oven and looked to Flame before shifting his gaze towards Sora. A small smile spread on his face.

"I could care less what she's interested in. As long as she's happy."

Flame blinked, slightly taken aback as a weird, warm feeling spread in his chest. Holy crap this guy is nice...it's gross. "Jeez Umber, I didn't know you were such a big sap. How the hell did you survive the war by being so NICE?"

Umber blushed and let out a breathy laugh. "I really have no idea. I always had my sibs to watch my back so...I guess it's easier to hold onto hope when you have love close by."

Flame made a gagging sound and Umber laughed.

"OK. Yeah, that was pretty sappy," the MudWing agreed. "But I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to have faith in other dragons. In their goodness."

Once again Umber had struck Flame. He squinted and regarded the MudWing with new eyes. Just by looking at him Flame didn't think Umber was a fighter. He smiled too much, hummed while he worked, and was always thinking of others. How could someone who had fought in a war and killed, who had watched countless tribe-mates murdered, still innately think that dragons were good while at the same time you had dragons like Flame: dragons that had been protected from the war but could only see hatred in others.

It's easier to hold onto hope when you have love close by, Flame repeated in his head. Well maybe that's my problem. Mother was hardly around. It's not like I had much love in my life.

I wonder what I would have been like if I had had someone around to love me.

"I wish I could be more like you, Umber," Flame whispered and looked to the floor. He twisted the broom handle in his talons. "I wish I wasn't so angry all the time." It has done nothing but cause me trouble. But it's all I know.

Umber was staring at him now with his deep brown eyes and Flame finally noticed the golden flecks that spiralled around his iris. They flickered like fire, their warmth drawing Flame in.

"I know it's not easy for you either," Umber murmured and Flame was snapped out of his trance. "But I think it was really brave of you to come to the Healing Center in the first place to overcome whatever is bothering you."

Flame scoffed. "My mother made me come, actually."

Umber gave him a friendly nudge with his wing. "But you still CAME didn't you? That has to count for something!"

Flame shrugged but a small smile creeped onto the SkyWing's mouth. "Maybe," he agreed and the two dragons got back to cleaning.


They finished the cleaning in under an hour. Flame had managed to regain some energy despite the brutal few days he was having. The group of five walked loosely together with Jet and Sora in the front and Umber trailing behind with Flame. Finally, Ibis was walking behind the entire group.

From what he had gathered from the excited chatter of Jet, the group was going back to Sora and Umber's room for tea. Flame, however, was determined to crawl back into bed. Umber looked ready for a nap as well but appeared to be pushing though his exhaustion.

"You are always welcomed to join us," Umber said for the tenth time.

"Ugh. I keep telling you! Hot leaf juice is not my thing."

"Alright, I was just making sure." The two walked in silence for a little while longer until they approached the west-most building. FINALLY. Soon I can just lie in bed and forget about everything. Flame nodded a farewell to Umber before veering off to head back to his room.

Flame was therefore quite confused when Umber shouted a farewell to the others and ran up to join him.

"What gives? You better not think you're coming to my room to hang out."

"I left the graphicolls there. The one's you let me borrow," Umber reminded hesitantly, unsure whether Flame would still agree to their arrangement.

"Oh. Right. Fine, just don't stick around too long."

The MudWing nodded and the two walked together. Discretely Flame watched Umber as they walked through the gardens towards his room. Umber was smiling of course, his intelligent eyes jumped about observing the birds and flowers that filled the gardens. Flame quickly turned away when Umber noticed him staring. What the fuck is wrong with me? I must be tired or something.

When they reached their destination Flame unlocked the door and found Umber's bag of graphicolls on the small table in the sitting area. Umber took them in his talons and hugged them close.

"I can't wait to start reading these!" he confided, his eyes wild with excitement. "Then I will finally be able to talk to you about them."

Flame had to admit he was a little excited as well. "Yeah. I would like that too."

Umber would be the first dragon he had ever been able to share this interest with. Flame wrinkled his forehead as a thought struck him. Does that make Umber my friend?

If so, it would certainly be a first for that as well.

"So...Umber," Flame began, picking at a loose scale on his tail. "What you said before...about...well...when you said you thought of me as a friend...did you mean it?"

Umber blinked. "Of course I did!" His voice had a stern tone to it.

"And when you said my scar was cool...did you mean that too?"

Umber blushed but the fierce glint in his eyes stayed. "Yes. I meant that as well."

"Oh. Good," was the only thing Flame could respond with as a strange warmth crept along his face. They remained silent for a few moments while Flame was lost in thought.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have Umber as a friend...he gets on my nerves sometimes but then again everybody does.

Flame took a breath. "Well I was thinking that...I mean...well...from MY point of view, I wouldn't mind have you as a friend either." Flame's voice was quiet and he pretended to be more interested in the loose scale on his tail.

Umber jolted and gave Flame a wide grin. "Really? You want to be friends?" His voice bubbled with equal parts disbelief and joy.

"Yes. But on ONE condition." Flame stood before Umber and locked eyes with him. "You can't EVER lie to me. I hate liars and if I find out you lied to me I will hate you too."

"Oh." Umber gulped and tucked his wings in tight. Flame's stomach did an anxious flip as Umber turned away, obviously avoiding his gaze. The MudWing started nervously pulling at the straps on his knapsack. Finally he sighed.

"Then I guess I will have to tell you the truth."

Flame's eyes widened and his heart quickened. Umber has been lying to me about something? I thought I could trust him! What the fuck, Umber?

"What is it?" Flame hissed when Umber was taking too long.

Umber stuttered to answer. "It's nothing bad...I promise! It's just...I can't read," the MudWing admitted and stared at the floor with a forlorn expression.

Meanwhile Flame gawked at him. "That's it?" he breathed. "That's the secret you were keeping? I thought it was going to be something SERIOUS!" That's hardly a secret anyway. I would have been more surprised if he HAD of known how to read.

Umber turned his eyes upwards and raised a brow. "So...you're not angry? I thought you would be upset because I asked to borrow your graphicolls and can't read them."

Flame snorted. "I'm not mad. But it was a pretty dumb plan on your part."

Umber shrugged and gave a lopsided smile. He took out one of the graphicolls and opened them to a random place. "I was hoping maybe Sora could help me read them but she's been pretty busy." He sighed and put the scroll down. "But I am sure I could do it on my own! I know a few words so I could just...guess the rest?"

Flame let out a loud groan. What was the point in having a friend that couldn't even read the graphicolls you lent them?

"For fuck's sake. How about I teach you how to read them?" Flame offered and was properly offended by Umber's skeptical expression. "You have a problem with my teaching?" Flame snarled. Umber stumbled back and frantically shook his head.

"No. Of course not. Well, actually, I have no idea what you are like as a teacher," he admitted and sat down on one of the large floor cushions that had come with the room.

Flame sat down across from Umber and folded his arms over his chest. He threw Umber a hard look. "I'll have you know I am a GREAT teacher. I taught myself to cook, didn't I?"

Umber folded his own arms and hit Flame with an equally hard look. "Teaching yourself doesn't really count."

"Screw you! It does so!" Flame stood up and went toward the desk where he grabbed the bad of graphicolls lying on the floor. He would have to sleep later. Right now he had to defend his honor.

"Let's go, MudWing," Flame ordered as he headed for the door.

Umber furrowed his brow and remained seated, but when he realized Flame was leaving him he scrambled to collect his things. "Where are we going?" he called as he rushed to catch up with Flame, his brown wings fluttering with anticipation.

"We're going to the library. Lesson one starts today."