And, I'm back! Time to continue Winter's adventure :)
Without further ado, let's take flight!
Everything was a blur for the rest of the meeting. Going around the table, the council members discussed the statuses of their districts (as always.) While Winter did his best to focus on the conversations, his brain was still spinning with excitement and relief!
The Outreach Project was still alive! It had a strong chance of succeeding. Above all else, it had unanimous support! Thank the moons. He felt like his dream of a safe place for humans to live could blossom.
His head was filling with ideas he could now pursue with the funding; that time seemed to pass by him with a blur because the next thing he knew was that Riptide was making closing comments on what would be discussed at the next meeting. The meeting was adjourned, and the council members started to leave.
Winter caught many of the dragons looking at him with varying expressions. Some, like the Pantalan representatives, gave him an encouraging smile. At the same time, he noticed Rutile giving him a judging gaze that reminded him of that ever-present scrutinizing stare his mother always gave him. But while he walked by, Winter felt a cold talon tap his shoulder. Turning, Winter saw Algid's expressionless face.
"A congratulations are in order, Your Highness," she said. On the outside, she sounded genuine, but Winter's time around IceWing nobility taught him that Algid's words were anything but genuine.
"Thank you," Winter answered, giving her a polite nod, playing the game of political niceties.
"I hope our faith in your project pays off," Algid continued. "Your arguments were logical, and we have funds to spare for it, so there is no harm in supporting you."
"I assure you, the result will outweigh the costs," Winter said, standing from his seat and meeting her gaze even if the adult towered over him. "After all, we would not be standing here without humans."
Algid did not respond. Instead, she silently stared him down like she was searching for any weakness to exploit in seeing that he was unwilling to back down. She found none. Winter refused to show any. Not after the victory he and Swan gained.
This stare down almost seemed to go on forever until Winter felt a big wing envelop him from the side.
"Alright, Winter, we have a lot to talk about." Swan loudly announced as she steered him away from Algid. Swan spoke her next words rather loudly. "Like what Riptide just talked about me being the project representative to the council while you work!"
Blinking, Winter looked at Swan with amazement at the sudden announcement. But from his peripheral vision, he saw Algid's expression shift from annoyance to shock. At that moment, Winter realized the volume of her statement wasn't just to convey her excitement. It was a message to Algid and any other who may agree with her: They would be seeing more of her in the future.
Like that, Swan led Winter out of the council hall, chatting away about her excitement and ideas for the project going forward. They continued well after leaving the hall and were on the Great Decagon streets. The crowd of dragons going about their businesses almost felt like a dream as Swan guided him down one of the main streets leading towards the eastern side of Sanctuary.
The moment Winter started to see dragons with scales as black as night, reality finally caught up with him.
"Why are we going into the NightWing district?" He asked, looking up at Swan as she guided him through the crowded streets of the budding home of NightWings, who had arrived in Sanctuary around the same time as he did.
"I have a friend who can help us ensure the project stays alive," she answered.
Wait, stay alive?
"But we convinced the council." Winter pointed out.
"Yes, but just because you convinced them to give funding and resources does not mean we are out of the woods yet," Swan said as she pushed her wing forward to touch a NightWing they were passing as a silent way of saying 'excuse me.' "Right now, we need help to ensure the Scavenger Outreach project can function without continuous support."
"And how will your friend make sure of that?" Winter raised a brow.
"Simple: He's a bookkeeper." Swan grinned. "He's a little silent, but his brain is always active. I think you'll like him."
I hope so. He thought while glancing at the NightWings, who passed both of them.
Some looked over at him, while others chose not to acknowledge him. The IceWing and NightWing populations in Sanctuary got along well, as their districts neighbored each other. But many of the NightWings in Sanctuary knew about Winter.
After all, he was the cousin of Queen Snowfall. A Queen that led the calls for war against the NightWings during Darkstalker's return. His had changed for the better, but six months was not enough time to mend tensions between two tribes whose history was one of conflict for many years.
While Winter was no longer an active member of the IceWing nobility, the fact he was related to Snowfall likely gave the NightWings suspicion. Especially when the NightWings here had either been outcasts of the NightWing tribe during the SandWing War of Succession or chose not to return to the rainforest after Darkstalker's defeat.
The latter Winter rarely stepped into the NightWing district. The knowledge that these dragons chose Darkstalker over Queen Glory and still refused her reign made him uncomfortable. After everything that happened, he wondered why they wouldn't return to where their tribe lived?
While the stares turned his way, Winter focused on the path he and Swan followed in an attempt to avoid them.
Swan slowed when they reached a two-story building that served as an inn.
"Why an inn?" Winter asked, looking at the decent craftsmanship. Judging by the fresh coat of paint and the structure of the building, this was probably built during the initial expansion of Sanctuary after the first SilkWing and LeafWing refugees arrived.
"Well, my friend does not have a house yet, so he's been working here until he can get a place of his own," Swan answered, pushing the front door to the inn open and offering to hold it open for him.
They walked up to the inn keeper's front desk when they were both in, a NightWing who seemed to be in his eighties. He looked up from a book he had been reading to greet them. For a moment, he looked at Winter, tilting his head in curiosity. Unlike some of the stares from outside, he appeared more curious than suspicious.
"And how might I help you both?" He asked in a soft voice, his attention turning to Swan.
"Silenttongue lives in one of the rooms. I hoped to catch him before he started work." Swan explained.
Winter had heard many peculiar NightWing names. But the name "Silenttongue" was a long one. He could only imagine what this dragon could have been like.
"Ah, yes," the innkeeper answered, frowning a bit at the name. "He's still here, room 20."
Just like that, the innkeeper looked back down at the book. As if the book had suddenly become an essential thing in his life.
"Why, thank you, kind sir," Swan replied before dragging Winter down a hall of doors rather quickly.
"What was that about?" Winter whispered, nodding his head back to the innkeeper.
"Don't mind him. He just really likes to read on a boring day." Swan explained as she looked for room 20, but how she responded almost sounded like she was intentionally avoiding the question.
He wanted to dig his talons into the floorboards, stop and force her to tell him. However, if this dragon was going to help keep the Outreach Project afloat, he would follow Swan along.
Winter spotted the desired "20" above a door about midway down the hall. Tapping Swan's shoulder, he gestured to the door. Grinning, Swan nodded at Winter, stepped to the door, and raised her talons.
What followed was a series of three hard knocks against the door. Knocks so loud that each knock sent a loud BOOM throughout the building. They were so loud, Winter covered his ears and could hear the faint sounds of dragons making startling noises or falling out of their seats inside their rooms.
"Oh, Silent! It's me!" Swan announced as if she were in a stadium.
"Hey! Quiet down out there!" Shouted one of the NightWings in the other rooms, followed by some other shouts of protest.
"Swan," Winter whispered, glancing nervously down the halls hoping the NightWings wouldn't come out and yell at them.
Just as Swan was about to say more, the door to Room 20 opened up, revealing a male NightWing who was about Swan's age. Compared to most NightWings Winter had met, he was surprised to notice that this one's black scales had a brighter tint than Moon's. Despite her loud announcement, he grinned at Swan and moved to embrace her with his wings. The MudWing did the same, her wings almost wholly enveloping him.
Winter expected Swan to start chatting away at him when they pulled away like she always did to him. Instead, he saw her raise her talons and start making signs with them. The NightWing did the same, but it seemed easier to him.
What were they doing? It was like the NightWing…couldn't talk…
Wait, Swan called him Silenttongue. Of course, not every NightWing name was accurate, but Winter understood that sometimes NightWings are named after a defining trait. Few are even renamed after a great victory or feat. Winter deduced Silenttongue was mute with that name, hence the talon signs.
It felt like an eternity watching the quiet exchanges between Swan and Silenttongue. During that time, Winter stood quietly while the two friends communicated with a blur of signs. A few of these signs seemed to be simple gestures meant to convey certain emotions. One sign Swan used a lot was placing her talons near her head and pulling them away, spreading them apart as if to say, "Mind blown."
Finally, this exchange ended when Silenttongue's grey eyes turned to Winter. When this happened, Winter realized he'd been leaning forward. Standing upright, he quickly gave Silenttongue one of the only talon signs he knew.
Greetings, Winter signed. Said sign consisted of only one gesture: a wave.
The NightWing smiled at Winter's gesture and waved back.
Greetings, Silenttongue signed. For the following few talon signs, Winter understood the general meaning. Silenttongue had placed his talons over his head and did a slight head bow, which Winter knew was the sign for royalty, reserved for those related to a king or queen. The rest he lost track of.
By the great ice dragon, he should have studied the language scrolls Sunny had given him this week…
"Forgive me," Winter said to Silenttongue after finishing his sentence. "My understanding of talon signs is limited to greetings and farewells…sorry…"
"No need to apologize," Swan answered, placing a wing on one of his shoulders. "I can translate. He said, 'Greetings, Prince Winter. Swan has told me a lot about your project. It is good to know that there are dragons like yourself who are making this area of study known.'"
Well, it looked like Swan had been busy this week, Winter realized. How much work had she been doing in between their meetings? The idea that other dragons respected humans made him feel more at ease.
"Thank you," Winter smiled softly. "And, please, just call me Winter."
There was another chuckle from Silenttongue as he smiled at his comment while signing.
"Well, Winter, please come in. Have a seat." Swan translated.
Ushered in by Silenttogue, he entered the two-room apartment after Swan. While the living space was a little bigger than Winter's residence, it felt much more crowded with the three.
"Swan told me your project survived," Silenttongue signed.
"Everyone voted in favor, yes." Winter nodded, smiling as he nudged Swan. "She helped me prepare."
"Don't sell yourself short," Swan said. "I simply helped with your proposal; you were the one who presented it in the end. But I am glad I was there to deter the councilmen from blindsiding you." Silenttongue laughed as he made some talon signs. "Well, yes, Silent, there are some habits us Big Wings do not grow out of."
It did not surprise Winter that Swan was a Big Wings, though learning this did make him wonder why she was here in Sanctuary alone. She never mentioned her younger siblings nor implied they were in the city. But how she stood up for Winter and encouraged him all pointed to her being a protective older sister.
Almost like Hailstorm.
"Hey, Winter." Swan nudged Winter causing him to snap out of the mental images of his brother. Blinking, Winter looked at her, who gestured back to Silenttongue. "He said, "What's your plan for the project now that it has funding?""
"I…uh…" Winter stuttered before finding his words and looking back at the NightWing. "Well, I'm going to need help with recording things. While the project itself is meant to give humans a safe and viable place to live, it is still a research project. How much this group of humans eats, how they tend to crops, and the population's rise or fall."
At the mention of his need for recording information, Winter noticed Silenttongue's grey eyes brighten from excitement. When Winter blinked, NightWing crossed the room and stood right in front of him, talons rapidly signing.
"He's excited." Swan laughed.
"I can see that." Winter chuckled, admiring Silenttongue's enthusiasm. "I take it you want in?"
Silenttongue lifted his talons and made them nod up and down three times. There was no doubt that that was a yes.
"Well," Winter said, standing to his feet and looking up at the older dragon. "If Swan is vouching for you, I would be happy to have you be our record keeper, Silenttongue."
Offering Silenttongue his talons, Winter smiled as he felt the NightWing's talons clasp his. Then, with a single shake, Winter realized that he wasn't doing this project alone. Slowly but surely, he was building a network of dragons like him in building the project up.
The task was starting to feel less daunting.
Shortly after telling Silenttongue where the valley the humans would be living in was located, Swan and Winter left the NightWing district and made their way towards the SkyWing district. It was around this time that Winter's school assignments would be delivered. With Swan insisting on discussing more of their plans to develop The Outreach Project further, they agreed it would be best if she came with him to the center to collect his mail and then head to his tiny home.
For most of the way to the SkyWing district, Winter walked in silence. While Swan talked about some of her ideas, he felt that his mind slowly drifted to other topics, not the Outreach Project. Instead, it drifted to the thought of what messages he would find for him.
Or, in the case of Moon and Qibli, what messages weren't there.
They were probably getting ready for final classes at the academy right about now. Having a wonderful time talking to each other, or…
These thoughts came to a halt when he walked right into Swan's arm, stopping him dead in his tracks. He was about to snarl at the MudWing for the abrupt action before noticing that he had almost walked into a pair of SeaWings carrying construction supplies.
If Swan hadn't stopped him…he'd have walked right into them as they walked across from them. Possibly injuring someone's foot with the heavy materials of stone and wood.
"Sorry," Winter said quickly.
"No worries, mate!" A SeaWing said as he and his partner moved to construct a building.
Looking back at Swan, he noticed that curious look on her face.
"Thanks," Winter said quickly before walking down the street, not waiting for Swan to catch up. The last thing he needed was to be questioned about that.
Thankfully, the Messaging center was not that far. Speed walking, so he was just ahead of Swan while trying to appear as professional as possible. Despite the thoughts of Moon and Qibli trying to worm their way into his mind, he put back up the walls to keep them out. Now was not the time to be weak and emotional.
Not in front of a coworker.
When they reached the Messaging Center, Winter entered quickly, not bothering to hold the door open for Swan.
"Oh, hello Winter!" Greeted Borealis, waving her wings at him from her desk. "I was just about to put your mail in! Guess you can take them now that they are sorted."
"Oh, thanks…" Winter said, veering away from his mail box's general direction and towards the pile of mail that belonged to him.
Taking his mail from Borealis, he went towards a reading area in the northeast corner of the building. Once he sat down, he started to go through the pile of envelopes and packages. He quickly read through the names one by one. Finally, halfway down the stack, he spotted the mail from the Jade Mountain Academy. His heart skipped a beat when the thoughts of Qibli and Moon once again filled his head.
Deeper he looked through the mail, he found none from Moon or Qibli. Finally, his breathing returned to normal, but that familiar feeling hurt so much and made him want to cry and scream in anger.
No. He had no right.
Sighing, Winter slowly looked back over the mail and looked at the names properly. Most of the Jade Mountain Academy was, of course, his assignments for this coming week.
And one other from…wait, was that Turtle's talonship?
Blinking away the few tears that managed to blur his vision, Winter slid his index claw down the envelope and pulled out the letter. The way the letters were scrawled was Turtle's. That professional yet equally casual talonship was unmistakable.
Winter,
I just wanted to check in on you. Stuff has been stressful up here in Jade Mountain. Assignments, new teachers, and classes. I'm sure you've been stressed dealing with Sanctuary, your outreach project, and the lessons the teachers are sending you.
I don't know how you can manage all of that. Well, you've always been a tough dragon. I can barely multitask between school work and my writing with the books I want to write. So maybe you could give me some tips since you seem to be the Prince of Multitasking?
Peril wanted me to say, "Tell the Frost Head that I liked the letter." Of course, she would write that herself, but…well…you know, paper and fire scales don't mix.
I hope all is well,
Turtle
It was weird. During his short time physically attending Jade Mountain Academy, of all the dragons in his Winglet, Turtle was the dragon he interacted with the least. At first, he thought the SeaWing prince was easy to pressure, but as time went on, Winter saw that the prince was indeed brave in his way, even if Winter did not admit it at the time.
Turtle wanted help with multitasking? Well, Winter would not say he was the best at doing that. But he would write back to Turtle with some tips.
Maybe even respond to Peril's comment, which managed to bring a smile to Winter's face.
Tucking the letter into his bag, Winter glanced at one other letter and recognized the seal of IceWing nobility. It was one of the lower nobility, but the house was still respected.
Lynx…she'd written to him again. But, dang it, he forgot to respond to her letter from last week. She must have thought he was an idiot for not replying to her.
"Lots of mail."
Winter felt like his soul jumped several feet out of his body as he spun to face Swan. She'd gotten behind him without making a sound.
"Find the one making you act like you wanted to rip my arm off out there?" Swan asked. She studied Winter with a gaze like she was trying to read his mind.
Winter felt that familiar weight of shame drop on him.
"I'm sorry…" Winter muttered. "I…there's…"
Three moons, he could not find the words. He wanted to tell Swan about Moon and Qibli, but something internally stopped him. Why should he burden Swan with things that were not her concern? Something that he, honestly, deserved to suffer?
"Hey," Swan said softly, placing a wing on his shoulder. Looking up at her, he did not see a judging glare that he felt he deserved; instead, there was this warm gaze of sympathy. "I'm on your side. I don't expect us to get along one hundred percent of the time, but I'm not going to judge you for anything that's going on in your life."
Somehow, those words felt refreshing to hear. They did not fix everything he was feeling, but they did not make him feel worse. Somehow that was enough to make him feel better.
With a smile, Winter nodded, wiping away the tears that were starting to blur his eyes.
"Thank you," He answered softly. "I…I'm not ready to talk about it yet. But think you."
"Okay." Swan patted his shoulder. "We'll worry about that later. Let's just get to your place, and we can talk more about what we need to do."
"Sure, let's do that," Winter said as he walked beside Swan to leave the messaging center.
When they reached his tiny house on the outskirts of Sanctuary, Winter could already tell Swan was surprised at its small size. She looked around his property like she was expecting something more.
"For a Prince, I thought you would have had a little bigger house, or at least had other dragons living nearby," Swan mused.
"I am a Prince in the Ice Kingdom, not of Sanctuary." Winter pointed out. Even thinking of using his title of Prince in his new home sounded wrong to him. "The house isn't big, but it's enough for me."
"Hmm…sounds lonely," he heard Swan whisper when they both came inside.
As Winter gestured Swan to one of the cushions in the living room, he took a moment to admire how well he had cleaned up his house in under a week. Thanks to Swan helping him with the statistics, he had managed to give his home a proper cleaning and organize his paperwork. It was still cramped, but not as much as it used to be.
It felt deserving of…well…a prince.
"So, what do we do now?" Winter said after taking a seat across from Swan.
"Well, for starters, I would like to hear more about the human you said you worked with. What was her name? Dandelion?"
"Daffodil." Winter corrected. Calling her "Dandelion" was not as bad as him calling her "Pumpkin." "The last time I saw her, we agreed to meet again in two months to see how many groups of humans would be willing to relocate. That's about four weeks away."
"Enough time for some LeafWings to tree speak some of the plants to populate the valley," Swan whispered while nodding. "How many humans do you think she can convince to come to the valley?"
That was the question of the year. Both Daffodil and Winter knew the challenges they faced when developing the Outreach project. While Winter's challenge was trying to breach centuries worth of misconceptions about humans rooted in myth, the human view of dragons as flying monsters was well founded in the many human societies that lived in near-constant fear.
Daffodil and her friends would be telling nomadic humans to settle in a valley close to a settlement filled with dragons from different corners of the world. Putting faith in a single dragon who supposedly believed humans were worthy of coexistence.
"Enough for a small settlement to grow," Winter answered.
"That is very vague, Winter," she said after a moment of silence. "But all we can do is take care of what we can while your human friend does her work."
"It's not ideal, I know, but believe me when I say your help has given this project a stable foundation," Winter said. He knew that there was still a chance this project could fail, but it was not dead in the water now that there would be supplies and funds for it to be self-sustaining. "I…I'm glad you and Silenttongue are going to be helping me."
"Well, I'm glad to be here." Swan smiled. "Silent and I will make sure the logistics go well, and you do what you can to get the valley set. Hopefully, we need other dragons with like-minded views on board."
Winter knew they were far from the only dragons in the world who knew about human potential and intelligence, but the question was whether said dragons would be willing to uproot their lives and do this work.
In the few days he visited with the HiveWing, Cricket was somebody Winter would love to have on the project. But months after the Pantalan War, she was still on her home continent with her mate, Blue. Asking her to uproot her new life was not something he had the right to do.
Then there was that strange SkyWing, named Sky. The dragon had grown up alongside Wren. But, unfortunately, the one dragon and human Winter could ask for help were nowhere to be seen.
"We'll have to recruit overtime then," Winter answered. "For now, we focus on what we can do."
"You're right," Swan said, standing up from the cushion she had been lounging on and looking out one of the house's windows. "You know, this is a nice property…plenty of land for expansion."
"What are you thinking?" Winter asked, raising a brow as he saw the gears turning in her head.
"Well…Silenttongue will need to move closer if he's going to be working on this project, and I need a place to live," She turned back to him. "I was wondering. Maybe we could build some houses here? A place for the rest of us to live while having quick access to the valley so we can work?"
That was something he never thought of. The land given to him was land none of the other dragons in Sanctuary wanted, and due to its proximity to the valley, the council gave it to him mostly to keep Winter out of their scales. But other dragons moving onto the land and living here?
Would he ruin his friendship with Swan as with Qibli and Moon?
That would be possible. But what if Winter didn't? What if having Silenttongue and Swan close by was beneficial? He'd get their feedback sooner.
"Well, what do you say?" Swan asked after Winter did not respond.
No looking back, Winter thought as he gave his answer.
"Sure, sure we can make that work." He nodded. "Well have to get construction done for you and Silenttongue's houses, but I would not mind the company."
"Well then," Swan said as she got up to her feet and walked over to his door. She continued. "I'll go get some things to pitch a tent. Then tomorrow, I will tell Silent that he will have better living arrangements."
As she opened the door to leave, Swan looked back at him and winked. "A pleasure to be living close by, neighbor."
Then she was gone. Leaving him alone with his thoughts.
By the moons, did he get not one but two neighbors? It was strange. He felt nervous. The feeling made him anxious that his nights would be interrupted.
Yet, he also felt excited. Maybe being able to talk to some dragons close by would be good? It would almost feel like being at the Academy again.
Thinking of the academy brought his thoughts back to the letter Turtle had written to him. Winter remembered how he'd asked for tips on "multitasking." Around this time, Winter would get started on his assignments for school. But that was when he usually had to balance calculations and school work. Now that he got caught up to date on his work…maybe replying to some of his mail would be good?
Picking up Turtle's letter, Winter was about to make his way over to his desk to write until he dropped one of the envelopes he'd yet to open. Then, the IceWing noble seal caught his eye, and he remembered he'd yet to open Lynx's letter.
Feeling like, as Peril called him in Turtle's letter, a "Frost Face" for having not read Lynx's letter or replied to her earlier letter Winter picked it up and placed it beside Turtle's letter.
Once he was at his writing desk, Winter opened Lynx's letter and looked over the contents.
Winter,
Riptide messaged Snowfall about what was happening in Sanctuary, and she told me about how the council was being jerks to you during the meeting you had been in about The Scavenger Outreach Project. Snowfall said that Riptide admired your composure even when the others tried to disregard your ideas.
I agree with Riptide, you know? When we were little, you were always fascinated with humans. But, in the end, you were right about their intelligence and potential. Humans who can understand and speak dragon languages? That's something I never saw coming.
It's been over five thousand years since the Scorching, and I know that what happened on Pantala is not enough to change the minds of dragons here on Pyrrhia. But I think Snowfall knew that, she thinks you are the best dragon for this task.
I certainly think you are the best dragon.
I'm in your corner Winter. Never forget that.
Sincerely,
Lynx.
Winter realized he had been holding his breath only at the end of the letter. As soon as he read Lynx's name, he allowed his breath to exhale that sounded more like a gasp. Tears had formed in his eyes while reading the letter.
Despite not writing back to her, she still reached out to him. In the end, he knew she was right.
He wasn't alone in this endeavor. But reading Lynx's words made him feel like that weight from earlier was slowly lifted from his shoulders. Of course, it was still there, but he was not the only one carrying it now.
He'd neglected writing to Lynx. But, after reading the letter, he could not let it go unanswered.
Reaching for a piece of parchment, Winter laid it out on his desk and dipped his index talon into the ink well.
Then, he wrote.
Lynx,
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote to you. But things have gotten better.
A MudWing named Swan helped me prepare for the meeting I attended later today. Because of her help, the project got unanimous support from the council members. Afterward, Swan introduced me to a friend of her's who will become The Outreach Project's record keeper.
Things are far from perfect, but they are looking up.
Also, I'm sorry for not replying to your previous letter. I promise I will answer more quickly from here on out.
Lynx, thank you for checking in on me.
Sincerely,
Winter.