Mallow kept a close eye on Calcite despite the IceWing not doing anything suspicious. Mallow knew her way around this part of Pyrrhia well enough; it was close to both of her homes, after all. She'd know if Calcite were trying to trick them by leading them, say, into an oasis town that followed Blister.

The walk was silent. As they came closer to the rainforest, it started to rain a little; Mallow held out her wings partly to shield Jackal and Caldera and partly so then she could feel it more. While, due to her being a hybrid, she wasn't actually healed by mud like other MudWings (Flora had been the only one to inherit that trait, while Mallow had changing scales, Vervain had weak venom, and Frute had a slim and small form that resembled a RainWing's), rain felt like it did the same thing. Although she learned that it didn't, she enjoyed rain just as much as a RainWing enjoyed the sun—something she learned by spying on some RainWings when she was younger. She enjoyed sun as well, but it never felt the same anymore.

From underneath her wing, Caldera whimpered. Mallow brushed her wing against the wingless dragonet's head, a gesture she learned to do instead of a normal wing brush.

Reminded of both of her friend's handicaps, Mallow found a small bit of amusement and curiosity come to her mind. Did she have something she didn't want that she couldn't change, like Jackal's animus magic or Caldera's lack of wings? A valid answer, albeit an unoriginal one, would probably be her hybridism. But that wasn't much of a problem for her—sure, her parents might still be alive and she might still be bigwings, but being the unwanted sib of a troop of misfits came with benefits. For one, she didn't have to fight in any battles—the idea behind the thought was that if she could lose to her little brother, how was she supposed to win against adults?—and when she becomes an adult, she doesn't have to join in on the breeding schedule (although that could have something to do with her mother and aunt's statuses as well). If Mallow had to chose any one thing to be sad about, it would be the fact that none of her sibs listen to her anymore. Vervain just likes being a jerk, and Flora is scared of being on the wrong side of his claws. They stopped listening to her a while ago. Nothing she could do to change that.

Mallow wondered of Calcite had something she wanted to change, but couldn't. Why else would an IceWing be in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains? Just to take in the scenery? Most likely not. From what Mallow knew, it was too hot for most IceWings to not complain about it. But Calcite didn't exactly seem like a normal IceWing. Occasionally, she would repeat things under her breath, as if rehearsing. Her dramatic flair was present when she was speaking, but right now she just looked like any other dragon. She even lost the vague sense of being threatening; Mallow was being defensive now because it was a common rule (that, and she didn't always get along with adults, even if Calcite only looked about nine).

The rainforest was in sight—Mallow had the sudden want to feel the trees dangling around her, despite the fact that she never went very far into the kingdom—when Calcite decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, MudWing…Rose Mallow, was it?" Calcite said, looking back at her. The rain suddenly felt cold and unpleasant. It was an unspoken rule to never called Mallow by her full name. She hated it—the only dragon who ever used it was her aunt Russet (who she barely knew) and Vervain, usually with a venomous tinge or when they were yelling at her. However, Mallow didn't really want a stranger to use a nickname for her, either. "You're—well—a MudWing. You have siblings there, don't you?"

"What are you trying to get at?" Mallow asked, immediately suspicious. She felt Jackal shutter a little. That was another touchy subject most dragons didn't bother mentioning. Mallow was beginning to wonder if Calcite even knew basic decency.

"I'm just trying to get to know you," Calcite replied. Mallow wasn't convinced.

"I don't care," Mallow said. "Whatever sibs I have hate me."

"That's not very characteristic of MudWings." Calcite said, flicking her tail.

We're not normal MudWings, Mallow thought bitterly. She didn't have a chance to voice the thought, however, because Jackal spoke up:

"How do you know anything about MudWings?" He asked.

"I grew up with some," Calcite replied. She acted as if everyone did—Mallow wasn't sure if she was pretending or being honest. "A troop of eight, they moved to the little island I lived on when they were still young. I think a family member or a random stranger helped them. They tried to take their parents, who were in an unsibbed group together. Neither of them wanted to go, saying it was a suicide mission. I'm sure they died soon after. One of those dragonets was in my theater group."

Calcite paused for a moment, scolding herself under her breath. "Right…Pyrrhians don't do theater. In short, it's when five to twenty dragons come together to learn lines, and then they do a play—pretend to be a fictional character swept up in an elaborate plot for the enjoyment of others."

The four fell into silence. Mallow mentally overlooked what Calcite had said—maybe it would explain her odd behavior.