WREN

Crap crap crap crap-

Wren's gaze remained on the streets of the city as she continued cursing underneath her breath. Ivy had tried to keep both herself and Wren calm, but anyone could see that it wasn't working. Sky stared in the same direction as her, worried.

Leaf was gone. Wren was pretty sure he had fallen off Sky's back while they headed into the more crowded part of the town, but it remained that he was likely lost. If not dead, She added grimly.

Sky tapped his talons together nervously. "I think this is my fault," He mumbled. "I should've been more careful with him, especially since he was on my back."

Ivy shook her head, lightly patting his side. "Don't blame yourself, Sky. I probably shouldn't have suggested going here in the first place. Something was bound to happen and I should've known better…"

"It's no one's fault!" Wren argued. "None of us could've predicted it would happen. Instead of blaming ourselves, we need to find him before he gets himself killed!" I'm such a hypocrite for that, She thought. I could've told Ivy no and she would've accepted that as an answer, I'm sure.

Ivy sighed in defeat. "Okay then. Where should we start looking?"

For a moment, they all remained quiet. Maybe nearby that bridge? Then again, I think we would've heard something if he fell into the water… Wren let out a quiet groan, her head starting to hurt. Ivy gently rested her hand on Wren's shoulder, which almost caused Wren to yelp in surprise. She had an expression of concern on her face, though it was also wracked with worry for Leaf. Why is she so concerned for me right now? Is it that obvious that I'm in a mood?

She frowned. "Don't stress yourself out, either. It won't do you or anyone any good."

Wren wanted to make a retort, but instead settled for a sharp inhale. She's right, but…it also won't do us any good to remain completely unrelaxed about this. And seems practically impossible.

"Any ideas?" She asked after taking one last deep breath.

Sky pointed over in the area near the side of the town they had come in; before the bridge were several streets that sprawled into smaller pathways, the main one leading into the other side of town. A few stalls had been set up close by - would one of the dragons there have seen a small human fall off a pale coloured mountain dragon's back? And…have possibly eaten him? She hated the idea, but it wasn't implausible.

"We could try looking over there - I think that might be where he fell off, anyways," Sky explained.

Wren shrugged. "Better idea than mine, I'm sure. Ivy?"

Ivy stared at Wren, taken out of her brief daze. "…yeah?" Before Wren could repeat herself, Ivy blinked in sudden realisation. "Oh, yes! That sounds like a good plan, Sky!"

Just how much are you even paying attention to this? Wren wanted to ask out loud, but quickly decided it was for the best that she said nothing about Ivy's behaviour. She instead began to climb onto Sky's back, gesturing for Ivy to hop on. Ivy struggled for a while, but eventually managed to get on with both Wren and Sky's help. She's getting better, at the very least…

As Sky made his way through the significantly smaller crowd, Wren managed to tear her gaze away from Ivy. Her questions were pretty odd…but also kind of interesting, She thought, craning her neck to see if she could spot Leaf anywhere. I've never thought about it much, I guess.

Wren could feel Ivy unconsciously leaning onto her - Ivy herself didn't seem to notice. Is she just doing that for comfort? …does she really trust me that much? She didn't say anything to Ivy about it, and felt perfectly content with avoiding the topic. Besides…I really don't want to worry her even more.

Upon reaching the area, Wren's gaze darted across the bridge and river underneath it. I don't think he would've fallen into the river that easily. And even then, I'm pretty sure Rowan taught him how to swim…

Ivy hummed quietly. "I don't think we lost him over here. Maybe it was in the middle of the crowd?" She grimaced at the streets. "Ugh…I know you said this isn't my fault, but it certainly feels like it."

"I get that. I kind of feel the same way," Wren confessed, surprising Ivy. "But we need to focus on finding Leaf right now, okay? I'm certain that he doesn't blame any of us for this, either."

Her expression of surprise morphed into a small smile. "If you say so. I'll try." She crossed her arms, frowning. "Do you think we really lost him here, though? I can't spot him anywhere."

Wren shrugged. "Maybe he tried to find his way out of the city? It seems plausible enough." It's also likely, if you think about it…I don't think he would've stayed in one single spot after something like that.

She stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. "That would make sense, yeah. But where would he go?"

After another bout of silence, Wren could hear talon steps drawing near. That can't be Sky, obviously…why would another dragon approach us? She leaned in closer onto Sky's neck, while taking hold of Ivy's hand and lightly squeezing it. Ivy blushed upon noticing, but said nothing. As she turned around, she noticed an odd-looking desert dragon walking over to them, a confused look on her face. Could she be the dragon Ivy and Leaf are looking for? …No, probably not. Ivy said the dragon was more of a golden colour.

That didn't change the fact that Wren still thought she looked rather odd, however. The new arrival had mostly sandy, light brown scales, with dark brown scales topping them on her face, back, and tail. In between the dark brown and sandy scales was a light orange, similar to the colour of a mountain dragon's scales. Her underbelly and wings were a pale salmon pink, and her frill was a light yellowish-brown. The dragon's eyes matched a typical desert dragon's - though her tail didn't, as it had no barb.

Wren glanced briefly at Ivy. "I can assume that she isn't the golden dragon you mentioned, right?"

Ivy almost let out a snort of laughter. "I would hope not." She looked more serious for a moment. "What does she want with us? I don't think she saw us…"

Shrugging, Wren craned her neck to get a better glimpse. "We'll see."

The dragon tilted her head. "Hello there," She greeted. "I'm Gnatcatcher. Are you looking for something? I noticed you were just hanging around here, and well…that looks pretty suspicious."

Sky frowned. "I…yes. I'm looking for a human-"

"Scavenger," Wren reminded him, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Scavenger, I mean," He corrected himself. "Have you seen him?"

Gnatcatcher was silent for a moment - Wren had to guess she caught onto his slip up. Oh well, I suppose. As long as she didn't hear me, I guess. Ivy gently tapped Wren's shoulder, a questioning look on her face.

"What's she saying?"

Wren grimaced. "She's just asking what we were doing, and is trying to think if she saw Leaf anywhere."

Ivy exhaled softly. "That's something at least, but…are you sure she'll be able to tell it's Leaf specifically? Compared to dragons, we're-"

"Miniature? Yes, I know." Wren wanted to apologise to Ivy for her brisk tone upon seeing her face, but her attention was grabbed by Gnatcatcher.

Gnatcatcher grimaced. "Well, I'm not sure if it's the scavenger you're looking for, but I did come across one while I was minding the antique shop. Perhaps I might have found it?"

Wren had a plethora of problems with Gnatcatcher using the term 'it' in regards to humans, especially Leaf, but she knew it was best to just leave it alone. I don't want to ruin our only chance to find Leaf - even if I really, really want to snap at her for saying that…

"Really? Can w- I see, please?" Sky asked - Wren could tell he was hoping that Gnatcatcher had missed his second slip up, and she was too. Just how obvious is it that we aren't used to this sort of thing?

Gnatcatcher nodded, gesturing for him to walk by her side. Wren remained on Sky's back, still unsure of this whole idea. Better than nothing, I suppose. She glanced at Ivy, who seemed more focused on the newcomer if anything. Wren had to guess it was because of her odd appearance - the dusty orange scales and dark brown scales looked strange, on a desert dragon at least. Or maybe it's just because Ivy hasn't seen many dragons up close before. Upon taking another look at the wide-eyed expression on Ivy's face, Wren smothered a giggle. Probably both.

After some silence, Gnatcatcher spoke up. "So…the scavenger you're looking for is your pet, I'm guessing?"

Sky frowned - he was unsure how to answer, and Wren couldn't exactly blame him, either. "Well, um-" Before he could finish, Gnatcatcher's attention was elsewhere - namely, on Wren and Ivy.

"Oh! I didn't notice you had two others. So are they as well?" She asked. Wren wanted to scream. No, she was not a pet and any time she said anything about it with Sky, it was strictly a joke. And it made no sense to her, either - how would a pet be able to raise a baby dragon? They wouldn't, that's how!

Ivy took her hand out of Wren's own, placing it on Wren's shoulder. She grimaced. "Wren, I don't know what's going on since you aren't translating anything for me, but it looks like you want to shout at her or even stab her, so I'd like to ask if you could…avoid doing any of that? Please?"

Wren huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I won't be any less annoyed with being called a pet in an obviously non-joking manner. I mean, seriously! I look nothing like a pet!" Ivy only let out a quiet, mildly sympathetic laugh, gently rubbing Wren's shoulder.

"Uh…technically, yes?"

Gnatcatcher hummed to herself, her attention back on the streets. "That sounds like a lot of work. Taking care of scavengers, I mean."

"I suppose so," Sky replied, still sounding awkward. "I don't think it's that hard though. The three I'm travelling with are pretty good at taking care of themselves, I think."

Shrugging, Gnatcatcher's expression remained indifferent. "That would make sense, I guess. It would be odd if there was a dragon taking care of all the scavengers living in those dens I've seen on my work trips. Most dragons I've seen would eat them without a second thought."

Before Sky could ask more about that, Gnatcatcher turned to one of the huts on a less busy street - it was rather small, and seemed like it hadn't had a dragon living in it for years prior to Gnatcatcher's arrival. It was made of dried mud bricks, though Wren wasn't sure how long that would last. It seemed like Gnatcatcher had moved into it recently and didn't have that many options, as Wren felt certain that there would be better places in the city to live than a small, crumbling hut.

"This is where I put the scavenger, since I didn't want it to accidentally suffocate in my pouch." She sighed as she opened the door. "Apologies for the inside. I haven't gotten much time to properly clean up since moving in, and my job has kept me a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"I don't think it looks bad," Sky assured her after walking in. The inside was a little cramped and cluttered, but Wren didn't think it looked too bad. She probably cleaned up a bit when she placed Leaf here. Or whoever it is she found.

Gnatcatcher shrugged once again. "Thanks, I suppose." She looked around the room for a bit, her eyes narrowed. Looking at the ground, she gestured to the legs of a small table that had seen better days. "The scavenger should be hiding there. I'm guessing it didn't particularly like the table."

Soon enough, Leaf had appeared from behind one of the table's legs - his expression of fear had quickly morphed into one of pure relief. Oh, thank the moons he's alright- Sky also seemed similarly relieved, sighing deeply. Ivy said nothing, though Wren could tell Ivy was glad Leaf was alright. Leaf rushed over to them, letting Sky place him on his back, albeit being slightly wary.

Ivy smiled, hugging him. "You're okay!"

Leaf chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry if I made you guys worry."

"Of course you made us worry!" Wren snapped, also embracing him. She drew back, exhaling softly. "Did you mean to fall off of Sky's back? We lost you in the crowd and couldn't find you."

He crossed his arms. "I…didn't mean to fall. I guess the height just…" He looked away, frowning. Is he afraid of heights? Is that what caused this? Or was it a mixture of that and something else? Wren wanted to ask, but it was clear he wasn't going to answer.

Sky smiled at Gnatcatcher. "Thank you for helping! I'm not sure we would've found him without your help." He tilted his head slightly. "Though I have to ask…why didn't you eat him when you found him?" I hate to admit it, but…I was wondering that, too…

"I don't really think much of scavengers, but I don't eat them since my father was interested in studying them after the war ended since there was the whole…you know, them killing the SandWing queen thing," She explained, looking vaguely upset. "I didn't want to get in the way of that, so I didn't eat them. Even though I'm not sure where he is now or if he's even alive, it still feels like I'm respecting his wishes by not eating any, so I don't."

"Oh. I'm sorry about your dad," Sky said after she finished.

Gnatcatcher shrugged once more. "It's fine. I'm sure he's alive, wherever he is." As they began to leave Gnatcatcher's hut, she took one last glance at Leaf, then back at Sky. "Have safe travels. I do recommend keeping a closer eye on the one you were looking for, though. He really doesn't seem to do well when he's up too high."

Sky gave her one last nod, leaving the hut. Wren cast one last glance at Leaf as they made their way out of the city, frowning. He was sitting next to Ivy, leaning onto her slightly. He's clearly not okay.

…

It had been a few hours since they had left the dragon city, or Possibility, as it was called. They had made decent progress, even if they were just walking - they had made it across most of the river, which took longer than expected. Looking back, it seemed like the city also happened to be the same one Sky had gotten taken in, which didn't help Wren like Possibility any more. She guessed it was due to the size of how big the city was - she wasn't going to admit that she had thought wrong, though.

Wren was resting on Sky's back, while Leaf and Ivy walked alongside him at a relatively even pace. Ivy hadn't left Leaf's side since leaving the city, and Wren couldn't fault her for it - Wren was also pretty concerned about him.

Ivy grimaced. "Are you sure? You really don't look like you're okay."

He sighed. "I'll get over it."

"So…no, you aren't okay. Is there anything I can do to help, or…?"

"I said I'll get over it," He repeated, sounding more irritated. "Look, I don't want to talk about it any more, alright?"

Ivy looked away from him, her shoulders slumping. "I…alright, then."

Is his fear of heights really that bad? Wren wasn't particularly inclined to mind much, since she had her suspicions that he didn't like heights, especially after his near-death experience with Cereus. I can't blame him for it, but…I don't think it'd hurt for him to just admit that it makes him uncomfortable, either. She was mildly frustrated since this made flying somewhat harder than before, but she and Sky could probably figure something out. Probably.

Soon they had come to a stop at a decently sized oasis - the sun was already beginning to set and they all were growing tired from the amount of walking. Wren climbed off of Sky's back, yawning a little once reaching the ground.

Leaf gently placed his sword on the ground, grimacing. "I'm going fishing." Without waiting for a reply, he took off. Yeesh.

"Hey, um…Wren?" Ivy mumbled. Wren turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "I know you offered to teach me Dragon, but I think I'm going to go fishing with Leaf. I'm still worried and I kind of…need to talk to him."

Wren shrugged. "It's fine. I figured you two need the alone time, anyways."

Ivy scoffed, rolling her eyes as she headed off in Leaf's direction. What did I- oh. Wren groaned upon realising. Did she seriously think I was joking about her and Leaf again? I need to clarify that to her…

There wasn't much Wren could do about it at the moment, though. She glanced up at Sky, sighing. "Wanna see if those date palms are edible? I need help grabbing them, anyways."

"Sure!" Sky responded with a nod. Wren followed him over to one of the palm trees, folding her arms. I can't believe today happened.

reviews-

Dragonlover: aghhhh yes writing Lark and Brook's interactions in general is. very sweet- and yeah, i think Azalea's a really engaging character as well! and ty, i also really love the name Wintersweet! (and i saw the video and i really like it, i don't see that much Dragonslayer stuff in general tbh but i can somewhat see why)