Crossposted from Ao3. If there's any issues with formating please tell me
Winter was frozen still with shock, the spear he'd held clattering to the ground as he stared at the growing puddle of blue and red blood before him. "Well now," Foeslayer looked up at him, pulling out the spear she had stabbed into his brother's heart with a grim smile on her face, "Count your lucky stars icewing, you've won the dual without lifting a talon."
Winter couldn't respond, none of this felt real. Just a moment ago he and Foeslayer had been talking and then...
He glanced down at his brother's frozen figure and glazed over eyes. Hailstorm was dead, not captured, not imprisoned, and this time there was no one to blame except him. Well, maybe one other dragon.
He looked up and met Foeslayer's eyes. She didn't even look fazed, as if her face was saying, "Of course, I kill dragonets all the time, nothing unusual here." Perhaps there was something sorry about the way she was looking at him, not that she was sorry about what she did, but that she felt bad for him as if he was a young dragonet and she'd just broken his favourite toy.
"Well, you'd best be on your way then," She tossed Winter Hailstorm's spear and he caught it numbly, shrinking back from the metallic smell that coated its blue-stained tip. He picked up his own, turning solemnly to head back up the tunnel.
"Wait!" Foeslayer cried out, stepping forward. He turned back, his numbness replaced with faint irritation. "You've got to kill me first, don't you?" Of course, Winter had almost forgotten what Glacier had told them to do when they entered. "Right yes," He twisted to face her again, holding one of the spears carefully in his tail and gripping the other tightly in both talons. She rolled her shoulders back, leaving her chest wide open, "As quick and cleanly as you can please."
He was about to do just that when a wave of sudden fierce anger gripped him. She didn't give Hailstorm a quick death, why does she deserve one? Hailstorm is dead and it's all because of her. She stole our magic, stole everything our tribe was supposed to be, and now she's stolen my brother from me. She's going to pay for everything
Before Winter knew what he was doing, he threw his spear at her with all the force he could muster. It shot straight through Foeslayer's right forearm, knocking her backwards and plunging into the ice, trapping her in place. She screamed, tugging desperately to free herself. Winter advanced, spraying frost-breath on the spot, shards of ice leaping up to ensnare her scales and hold her down. He saw her ready her fire but he was quicker, spraying frost across her snout. She snapped her jaw shut, the ice freezing it in place and covering her nose. She scraped desperately at her face, and he realised she mustn't be able able to breathe.
He lifted the other spear, preparing to inflict more damage when Foeslayer's eyes met his. She looked terrified, tears beginning to bubble up and freeze on the side of her face. She was scared, she was scared, of him...
He breathed in sharply, stopping himself. What am I doing? He fumbled with the spear, levelling it at Foeslayer's heart and jabbing down sharply begging her to just die, die, die already! He pulled the spear back out, crimson shining all down the length of it. Foeslayer stopped moving, and ice leapt up from the shackles around her ankles to encircle her. He moved over to her right, wrestling with the spear in her arm to come loose. The frost around it cracked and broke apart and he dragged it out just as the ice reached her arms, swallowing her completely. Her wounds were smoothed away, leaving her scales clean and undamaged beneath the layer of blue
He stumbled back, breathing heavily as he stared from her to the spear that gleamed red in his talons. I, did I really just do that? He felt sick to his stomach, and he worried if he stayed down here a moment longer his heart might give out. He scooped up the spears, rushing for the tunnel and beginning the climb out of the Diamond caves
Several hours of walking in circles later he returned to the surface, greeting the Queen and her attendants with a solemn nod. His parents had never been the type to show emotion, but now they looked surprisingly shocked to see him leaving the cave's mouth instead of his brother. They probably just thought Hailstorm would win, although Winter still thought their reaction was a bit over the top. It was nightfall now, and the moons were high in the sky, glaring down as if judging him like the many eyes of the dragons behind the Queen.
"Prince Winter," Queen Glacier's voice rang out across the procession and Winter thought she may have been the only dragon there not surprised to see him return, "You have won the Diamond trial and will maintain your position at the top of the dragonet rankings. Congratulations."
"Thank you, your majesty." He bowed respectfully, and Glacier motioned for him to hand the spears off to two of the dragons behind him. He did so, talking up position beside her as they soared back to the palace. He couldn't help but glance back, shuddering at the memory of what he did down in the caves. At least it won't be permanent, was the only slightly reassuring thought he could come up with as he steeled his gaze, focusing on the moonlight that pierced the clouds and made the icewings shine like silver. suppose it's a good thing I'll never see her again. And with that the icewing cortège disappeared into the night.