Author's Note: My sincere apologies, dear reader, but I did have to go back and switch around Moon's prophecy in chapter 15. It just wasn't working for me, and what I have now is much better!

Without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Moon had forgotten how to breathe. The world had fallen away and her entire existence had been reduced to a single conflict: stay or flee.

The dragon in front of her was unlike anything she had ever seen. He looked like a NightWing, mostly, with ebony scales and stars on the underside of his wings. Yet here and there were oddities. His horns were long and twisted, and the spikes along his spine looked more IceWing in length than what was normal. As well as the very end of his tail was whip-thin, as an IceWing's would be, minus the tail spikes. And he was… huge, taller even than her father, though not as large as she was expecting. Moon had always been tall, but she only came to part-way up his neck. Just as she remembered from the brief glimpse she got of him before she fainted, he was painfully thin; ribs and wrist bones clearly visible.

After a moment, Moon realised that neither of them had said a word, hadn't moved. They were not even talking telepathically. They just stared at one another. Darkstalker's eyes were black, and the iris a brilliant silver-blue that shone in the dim light.

How often had she imagined what he would look like? All those months spent talking in their minds and she had always tried to picture him - but nothing had felt right. She never would've thought of an image that straddled the line between familiar and strange. A part of her was excited to see him, to hear his real voice. But she couldn't let herself forget that he'd taken her, that her vision upon his release from Agate Mountain pointed to him being her worst nightmare. She had to remember that she didn't know whether she could trust him...

As he began to walk towards her, ducking his head beneath the arch of the doorway to meet her in the hall, Moon found that she could not take her eyes off him. He moved with slow majesty, as though his whole body was informed by the rhythm of a music he alone could hear, and she was stunned by the breathless terror which seized her as he approached.*

A large, toothy grin spread across his long and handsome face. He had the same silver teardrop scales by his eyes as she did. "Oh come now, Moon." His voice was a beautiful baritone, with perfect articulation. There was still a slight rasp to it, but certainly much improved. "Don't stare at me like a fish, say something!"

She gulped. "H-Hello."

He threw his head back and laughed, making Moon jump. He clapped his talons together delightedly. "A-ha! This is wonderful! Moon, we're talking - at last! But my, you're taller than I thought you'd be."

"Well," she couldn't help the corner of her lip quirk upwards - he was beaming at her like a dragonet on their hatchingday. "You're smaller than I'd imagined a two-thousand year old to be."

He glanced back over his emaciated body, tutting critically. "Yes, well. Bones need fuel in order to grow properly; and after a few centuries with no food and breaking down my own body-fat, I suppose I had nothing left to give."

Moonlight filtered through the tall glass windows to her left, casting their two shadows, distorted and strange, down the staircase on their right. Thin and angular, with exaggerated teeth and claws, Darkstalker looked like a ghoul. Moon forced such thoughts out of her mind with a vigorous shake of her head. "I can't actually believe it's you, after all this time."

"I know!" he said. "It's strange, because I've been in your head for two years, so I know you, but meeting you in the flesh feels different, somehow. But I'm so happy! Now we get to do all the things we talked about, all our little plans, Moon - we can make them real now that I'm out!"

He reached a wing towards her, perhaps to sweep her up in his excitement. She ducked aside. "I-I don't..." She was so nervous, her heart was like a bird stuck in the back of a cave. Darkstalker's joy was infectious, and she was happy to meet him at last, but his enthusiasm was also a little unnerving right now. With so many questions running about in her head, she wasn't sure how to feel.

At her flinching away from him, Darkstalker paused, concerned. "Moon… what's the matter? After everything, I would've thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy - to see you, I mean, but…" She bit her lip. "I don't know. It's so much to process. Everything's changed so fast."

"Life is often like that. Look at me, life took a turn that not even I saw coming."

"But that's the thing, isn't it. You can see the future coming."

"You're wondering if I knew what would happen outside Jade Mountain and let it." He growled a sigh, casting a dark look out the window, his face illuminated in silver. "More bad faith planted by your little idiot, no doubt. Moon, do you know how many possible futures there are? Millions upon billions, each one taking into account each change of wind direction or which way sand falls. I can see them, but not even I can keep track of all of them. Clearsight used to - and she often lost sense of what was actually happening in the present because she was too absorbed in the future. I focus on a dozen most likely paths - and even then, I can be taken by surprise."

Guilt ate at her stomach. Was she being fair to him? He had been one of her oldest friends, and despite his deception in the past, she couldn't believe him capable of causing her such distress as leading her to that trap. If there was only one thing she knew to be true, it was that he cared for her. "I didn't mean…"

"I know," he said gently. He reached out a wing to brush hers, and this time she did not move away. "What happened today was a trial. But it's alright now. We're safe."

"Are we?" It was her turn to look out the window onto the darkened streets of the ruined city far below. "Darkstalker, I had a vision that I can't make sense of, then I've woken up in a strange place, for reasons that escape me. Why did you bring me here?"

He looked away, claws scratching at the opposite wrist sheepishly. "You see, you were hurt and I couldn't leave you like that - but I couldn't stay at Jade Mountain either. No one would've trusted us; we would've been made prisoners, most likely. And…" His pointed ears drooped. "I wanted a friendly face, so to speak. This world is all new to me - even my own home. I didn't want to be alone. Again."

Pity swelled in Moon's heart. It abruptly occurred to her how shocking this must all be for him. To her, this place was entirely alien, but to him, he recognised every part of this city, and yet it wasn't at all as he remembered. She imagined going back to the Rainforest or Jade Mountain to find it destroyed and in tatters - she'd be devastated. And she knew how he felt about his time trapped in the earth before he met her. He hardly spoke of it but when he did he made no secret of how much he'd despised it.

She didn't want to subject him to that again, but thinking about Jade Mountain reminded her of her friends and how she'd left them. Were they alright? Was the rebellion still safe? She had to make sure.

"Thank you, Darkstalker, for saving me and my friends." She reached out to touch his talon, giving his fingers a squeeze. "But I should go home."

"Already?"

"They need me. Especially after that vision… I've never had something happen like that, where it took over me and said things."

"Probably means it's important."

"Ha." She rolled her eyes with a smile. But then grew serious. "I need to figure this out. To stop this mysterious apocalypse."

She went to go down the stairs, when a wing blocked her path. Moon startled. When Darkstalker retracted his wing, she caught a brief glimpse of a line of white scales at the seam where his wing met his body.

"Moon, don't you realise where we are? We're in the City of Night! A key line in your prophecy: Hope lies amidst the broken fragments in the lost city of night." Darkstalker proclaimed in a haughty voice. "You and I can figure this out together, we could find our salvation and stop this terrible future from ever coming true."

"And what of you're the doom it speaks of?" she couldn't stop the words coming out of her mouth. "I did receive the vision as you escaped your prison, after all."

His immediate silence made her stomach want to swallow itself, to be anywhere but under those piercing blue eyes that looked so quietly scorned.

"That's a little hurtful, Moon." He rumbled. And then, abruptly, he smiled. "Need I remind you that I am hardly a threat. My magic is still leashed to your will. Unless you gave me permission to do so, I couldn't enchant a fig to float above my elbow. And you know it's true, otherwise I would've instantly healed your wounds, or made myself a little more presentable."

Moon looked chastely at the floor. He did have a point, and she felt awful again for continuing to have these niggling doubts.

"And further proof to clear my name: your prophecy says very clearly that a 'silver-tongue' is to be your doom. Something I don't have." And he proceeded to stick his long, black tongue out of his mouth like a petulant dragonet. "Thwee?"

A snort erupted from Moon's nose. And when she tried to hold it in, she outright laughed. Darkstalker grinned, tongue still poking out from between his lips, which made her laugh harder.

"Moon…" He said softly once she'd calmed. "All I want is to live my life, to not be stuck underground, rotting away. I want to be part of the world. I want to help save it."

"How?"

"With our powers and our smarts combined, Moon, I am certain we can accomplish anything." He took her talons in his, the scales of his palms rough and calloused from many a time trying to scrabble at unrelenting rock in vain. "Please stay, Moon? At least for a little while? I can help you, and then in the meantime, I could show you the old world - how our tribe used to be. There's so much for you to learn!"

He made several valid points. Moon's prophecy did say that the only way to stop this coming catastrophe was hidden somewhere in this city. Wouldn't it be wise to try and figure it all out? Who better to help her, Darkstalker had already taught her so much even when limited by their distance. Imagine what he could teach her now?

But still, she couldn't help but wonder: "What about my friends?"

"Kinkajou will be fine. I can see she will make a full recovery… though I'm puzzled as to how…" the larger NightWing frowned, eyes going distant as he searched the future. After a moment, he didn't seem to find the answer he was looking for, and shook it off. "And your father and his allies have left the rebellion alone for now. All is well."

The end of Moon's tail swished back and forth as she thought. Despite how much she wanted to go home, if everything was fine and she was needed here… "Perhaps I could stay for just a little while…"

"Excellent!" Darkstalker did a small jump for joy. "Now come. I don't know about you, but I am starving - literally."

The end of his tail darted out to wrap around the handle of the door of the room she'd found him in. He closed it firmly behind him. Sweeping a wing around her, Darkstalker led her to the stairs. Moon tried to look over their shoulders at the mysterious door. She'd only caught a small glimpse inside earlier. It hadn't looked all the large or special, nor was it located in the more prestigious parts of the castle. It might've once been a bedchamber, but surely for no one important as it was too small, the corridor too ordinary. She couldn't help but wonder why Darkstalker was even here?

And what did he not want her to see?

"I do hope you don't mind, but you've been asleep for hours, I might've already hunted." Darkstalker was telling her as they walked down the stairs. At the bottom, they crossed a grand foyer, with scones in the walls already lit to show them the way. "Don't worry though, I was sure to catch enough for both of us for when you did wake."

"Thank you."

It was clear to Moon that Darkstalker had not been idle whilst she'd been unconscious. As they passed the torches on the walls, the shifting shadows brought every harsh spike and tooth into hyper detail on his face. There was a brief moment where he looked frightening, like the monster Winter had whispered about on that snowy night. Though she tried to be rid of these suspicions, she couldn't help but point out to herself that if she were to stay here, it would be a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on him. She could discover his true intentions, could be sure he was not completely evil.

Surely you haven't forgotten that I can hear you in here?

Moon gasped, leaping away from Darkstalker's side. Her heart hammered inside her ribs. She had completely forgotten that he could read her mind. Her ears burned with shame at what he must've overheard. "Those thoughts were private."

He arched a brow. "You didn't seem to mind so much when we spoke telepathically every day."

"It's like you said earlier… it's strange. I'm not used to dragons I'm talking to also hearing my thoughts. There was always a separation between the real world and the world we created in my mind."

"Yes, I suppose so." He frowned. "I don't know if I could get used to being out of your mind."

"Me too." Truly, she didn't want him to stop being inside her mind. And maybe it was hypocritical of her to demand privacy now when she'd had no problem with it before. Yet now, he was in the real world, he was within reach, and that lack of privacy now felt perilous. "But I also don't think it's fair that you get to look through every single thing I'm thinking whilst I can only see what you want me to see."

He hummed thoughtfully, and then his ears perked up. "How about something to even the odds?"

Quickly, he led her on a detour, lighting a torch to guide them into the darker paths of the castle that he had not previously visited. Moon followed closely, curious as to what he planned this time. He brought her to another small room filled with old, moldy boxes on shelves. Opening them at random, the large NightWing rummaged through each one, muttering to himself. Moon waited on the threshold of the door, craning her neck to try and look at what he was searching for. What had this room once been? Obviously some kind of storage, but not for things such as cleaning supplies.

"Here we are!" Darkstalker proclaimed at last. He emerged from the room, triumphantly brandishing his find. Between his wicked claws dangled a single earring. A small bright disk of silver with a single diamond at its centre. It was beautiful, but Moon couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen it somewhere before. Darkstalker held it out to her. "How about you let me enchant this so that I cannot read your most inner thoughts. I will only hear what you let me."

"You would do that?" she gaped. "But… I mean, what about your soul? You shouldn't spend your magic on something so frivolous."

He snorted. "That whole superstition about magic eating away at a soul is just nonsense."

"But animus dragons have gone mad. Prince Albatross, Princess Orca…"

"Both of which were too mentally unstable for the powers of an animus. Think about it. One was a prince, abused and bullied into submission and made to feel worthless and afraid for every day of his life. The other, was a princess who was spoilt and given everything she ever wanted. The thing they had in common? They both came to a realisation that their power could let them do anything. They snapped under the weight of that knowledge and what it meant for their lives."

"So magic doesn't take your soul?"

"I don't believe so. I mean, I turned out fine." He splayed the claws of his other talon wide. Moon gave him a look and he shrugged. "Mostly."

"I would feel better about it if we knew for certain."

Plunging back into the room, Darkstalker went to one of the first boxes he'd opened. He returned with a silver band that would once have fit around a dragon's neck. It fit well enough on him as a wristband. "Then allow me to enchant this? I'll make it protect my soul from any magic. Just in case."

Moon deliberated. She was keenly aware that his magic was her responsibility. And she knew he would be asking for magical favours, it was inevitable. But if they had this kind of assurance, then she would not need to feel such guilt if she let him have the odd spell...

"Alright." She nodded. This would need to be worded carefully. She thought of Qibli and his quick mind that would think of every possible way things could go wrong and account for it. What would he say? "Darkstalker, I give you permission to enchant that band so that it will protect your soul from the side effects of casting animus magic."

He didn't say anything for a moment, only stared at her. Dagger shaped pupils within his bright eyes thinned. For a second, a secret instinct deep inside Moon told her to run. But then, he nodded, tapped the band with a claw and uttered the spell.

It was a little disappointing to see no grand spectacle of sparkles in the air or a shiver along some sixth sense. The band didn't even change in any way, visually.

"There." Darkstalker smiled. "Now for the earring."

"I give you permission to enchant this earring so that whoever wears it, only the thoughts they wish to project will be heard by mindreaders."

Uttering the spell she had allowed, he held out the jewelry to her. Moon took it carefully, but hesitated to do anything with it. At Darkstalker's confusion, she pinned her ears back and looked away shyly.

"I… I've never had jewellry before…" she murmured.

Darkstalker's smile was amused but patient. Taking the earring back, he sat on his haunches and bent over her. When he went to pinch her ear, she instinctively cringed away. She'd always liked the idea of owning her own treasure one day, but the thought of something actually piercing her flesh...

"I'll be gentle." He rumbled, brushing her tail with his to offer comfort. Moon took a steadying breath and obediently held still. True to his word, he carefully took hold of her ear in one talon and with a fast push, pierced it. Moon hissed, feeling blood trickle down the corner of her jaw. But it quickly dulled. His work done, Darkstalker stepped back. "There. It suits you. Now, let's have that dinner!"

They found their way back to their original path, and continued on towards the dining hall. Along the way, Darkstalker showed Moon everything there was to see, and even explained a few helpful tips to navigate the castle. As they walked, Moon thought of all sorts of things to see if he would react, but he never did until she willed him to hear her.

The dining hall was a little smaller than Moon had imagined, though it was still as large as the Prey Centre in Jade Mountain. Darkstalker explained that this wasn't the banquet hall used at parties, but was instead a more intimate setting the Queen might use for entertaining dignitaries or certain members of court. Marble pillars lined the walls and the floor was of the deepest black stone. A large fireplace on the far side of the room offered warmth from a good fire that Darkstalker had prepared earlier. On the walls were old paintings, discoloured and ripped, to the point that Moon did not even recognise the vague shape of the subject therein. When they entered, Darkstalker was excited to show her an old enchantment: that the chandelier in the centre of the room could light itself up as if with a hundred candles at the snap of his claws. It was mesmerising, each crystal twinkling like a captured star brought down to earth. He explained that Queen Vigilance had wanted proof that Prince Arctic would obey her when he first arrived, and so he enchanted these lights. There were only a few of them in the most important rooms, such as the throne room, ballroom, dining halls and royal quarters, where the Queen could impress.

"I hope you like venison," Darkstalker said as they sat at the table. It was made of stone but flawlessly smooth. In the centre of the table lay the bodies of two red deer bucks, their necks snapped cleanly.

She hadn't been aware that she was hungry before, but the smell of blood made her stomach growl noisily. "I do. Thank you."

They ate in relative silence. Darkstalker was too busy inhaling his food to be much for conversation. Living on the odd unlucky rodent for the past two years after two thousand in complete starvation would've likely made him more appreciative of food. Mood at least tried to be cleaner with her meal. She hadn't noticed before, but the table had small furrows at the quarter and centre lines where the blood from their kills was whisked away to be collected in a goblet at the end. Very efficient.

As she chewed her food, Moon couldn't help herself from looking around the room, inspecting the cracks in the walls or cobwebs all about the ceiling. At the opposite end of the table from her and Darkstalker, it was covered in dirt and dust and grime. Evidently, he'd chosen to only clean where they would sit.

"I promise," said Darkstalker, noticing her staring. "It never used to look this dreary. A little bit of work and it'll be as magnificent as it once was."

"Of that, I have no doubt. Even after all these years, it's beautiful," she said. Only half the deer filled her, so when she was done, she pushed the other half towards him. Gratefully, he accepted. Towards the end of his second meal, he finally began to slow, and Moon thought him now more likely to talk. "Did you dine at the palace often?"

"Often enough, but never in here," he snorted, pouring two cups of water from a jug and handing one to her. "This was the Queen's personal banquet hall, where only her most prestigious and honoured guests were allowed. My keepers would've never let me set one talon here."

"You're keepers?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

Darkstalker froze, his cup half way to his mouth. Moon tried to read anything from him, but his mind was as carefully made blank as if he were holding Skyfire.

"It is nothing. I merely meant to say that those of higher rank than I wouldn't allow it," he said evenly. Setting his cup down with a loud plock, he stood. "You'll have to forgive me, Moon. The sun is rising and so it is time for me to rest."

Moon's head whipped around towards the doorway they had entered through. The windows there indeed were allowing the first glimmers of sunlight to filter through. It must be dawn. Strange, she hadn't noticed the passing of time.

"I don't think I've stayed up this late since I was a dragonet," she admitted. "Everyone else in the mountain was awake during the day - I thought it fair that I acclimatized to their schedule."

"NightWing's are naturally nocturnal. By wanting to stay up during the night, you are only following what is right for your body."

She glanced at her bloodied talons. "I don't know if the modern NightWings would agree."

"Then that is their problem." He led her out, snapping his talons again and the chandelier instantly went dark. Moon let him escort her back towards her rooms. "Don't fret, Moon. By the time you see another NightWing, I'll have you acting as a true NightWing should. And them? They will beg to be like you."

It was meant to be a promise of education. She knew Darkstalker didn't mean anything by it. But as he left her outside the princess' chambers - now her chambers - Moon couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She touched her earring, hoping for any form of comfort from its cold, sterile touch.

Morning was slow to arrive in the rainforest, as the sun struggled to break through the trees until it reached above the canopy. In these suspended hours between night and morning on the forest floor, the NightWing settlement often took to calling it the 'between-time'. On a normal day, it would be in these hours that they would wake and get on with their duties. But on this particular morning, the village was already a flurry of activity.

Their soldiers had been arriving home through the night, exhausted and panicked to get home, to the only place they felt safe. Of course, they arrived and had to tell the first elder or neighbor who came to see them, and soon word of their encounter with a monster of myth spread like wildfire. Morrowseer attempted to keep on top of these whisperings, through bullying and ordering those troops he flew with to remain silent. But of course not even he could stop the rumour mill once it had begun to turn.

He had to admit, however, he was shaken by what he had witnessed. Though it seemed impossible, there was no other explanation for what had happened. But how? Well, he had a good guess as to how, but the circumstances were… extraordinary. And terrifying. Morrowseer never liked to be taken by surprise, and that had been one of the worst in his life. What's more, he could see the consequences of this event spiraling out of his control. The devil his tribe had whispered about for centuries had returned before their very eyes. Many were scared out of their minds, and frightened dragons were often prone to irrational displays of disobedience.

"Morrowseer!" shouted a voice across the clearing as he landed in the settlement's centre. Queen Greatness was storming towards him, her expression angry and clearly fake. Her eyes were wide with fear. "By the three moons, what has happened?!"

It had been a very long, very taxing two days on Morrowseer's patience, and it took the last strands of it to hold back his automatic retort and say politely: "Nothing that you need concern yourself with, Your Highness."

"I think it does concern me!" said Greatness shrilly. "As Queen, shouldn't I know if our plans, that you did not consult me on, should fail?"

"Our plan did not fail - there was merely an… unforeseen element."

"So I have heard from the soldiers who return half babbling about monsters and ancient legends." Her wings fluttered anxiously. "Is it true? Has the Darkstalker returned to our world?"

All NightWing parents told the story of the power-hungry evil animus who waited in the dark to gobble up misbehaving dragonets. Even adults believed in the phantom creature bent on revenge against the tribe he believed he should rule and send to the gates of damnation. Said to be a NightWing of unimaginable power with a thirst for blood, it was warned that should the Darkstalker ever rise again, the NightWing tribe would all be doomed. Though he had never been one to believe in all the fairytales, Morrowseer could not deny what his own eyes had witnessed. The Darkstalker, or a dragon much like him, it seemed, was very real.

"There appears to be no other plausible explanation," he said.

"Moons above…" Greatness whispered in horror. And then, loudly, she said: "We must gather everyone! Morrowseer, we must flee! If the Darkstalker has returned, then he will come for us. We must make haste and-"

He lunged at the would-be queen and wrapped his claws around her snout, forcing it shut. "You will be silent, lest you want your blabbering mouth to start a panic!" he hissed. Several NightWings were staring at them, unsure of what to think of their Queen being manhandled in such a manner. But their fear and respect of Morrowseer kept them still. After a moment, he released the cowed dragoness. "We are not going anywhere."

"But Morrowseer-"

"If you wish to believe in bedtime stories and run for the hills with your tail between your legs, then go, Queen Greatness," he spat scathingly. "Your mother would be ashamed."

"I...I…" she looked helplessly at the crowd. But they were watching her, waiting for her direction. Dejectedly, she looked at the floor. "I will not abandon my tribe."

"Then there is hope for you yet." But it would not do to have the Queen be at odds with him. He needed her to rely solely on him and to come to him should she have any ideas. So he bowed graciously. "Rest assured, Your Grace, that the Darkstalker is a threat but a modest one at present. Under my guidance, we will find a way to ensure the safety of our tribe. One way or another."

Embarrassed by the spectacle, Greatness did not stick around for long. With a sniff and head held high, she marched away. Morrowseer let her go with a roll of his eyes.

"You." He pointed a talon at the errand dragonet who always hung around his office-hut and acted as if he were officially Morrowseer's manservant. "Fetch me Mastermind and Deathbringer. Immediately."

The errand dragonet nodded and hurried away as fast as he could. Morrowseer slowly made his way across the settlement, taking his time with each step. It didn't take long for the errand to return with one of the dragons he requested.

"Morrowseer!" Mastermind said, flustered. His glasses bounced on his scarred snout. His bloodshot eyes were wide. "What is-"

"I can't believe the words are coming out of my mouth, scientist," Morrowseer grumbled, "but I am in need of your scrolls. All those that you rescued from the fortress when we escaped and those you have accumulated since - find me all the information you have on the Darkstalker. Make this your top priority."

The scientist knew better than to question Morrowseer when he was clearly in this mood. "Y-Yes sir." and he hurried away, the errand dragonet trailing after.

"You didn't need to scare the black out of his scales." said the drolling voice of Deathbringer as he seemed to appear from the shadows of an alley. If he was hoping to impress or frighten Morrowseer, he would be sorely disappointed on both accounts.

"Spare me your smart comments, assassin." Morrowseer curled his lip at the younger drake. "You are going hunting again. Fetch me Blister and Scarlet - wherever that slippery one has slunken off to. I want them here to plan our next move with all urgency."

"You're sending me after that one again?" Deathbringer protested. "Everyone's scared out of their minds, you think planning your next move for war is a good course of action?"

Morrowseer spun and leaned in closer to Deathbringer's face, baring his fangs. All he needed was one excuse to rip this whelp's throat out. Instead, he growled. "They'll do as they're told. As will you."

The assassin was silent, and nodded stiffly. Backing up, he spread his wings and leapt into the morning air.

Carrying on his journey, Morrowseer made it across the settlement, to the more darker and emptier corners of their new home. A strong building had been erected here, half dug into the floor, with two guards posted outside the doors. As he approached, they stood to attention, one handing over a single key. Ducking inside, Morrowseer closed the door behind him, and made his way over to one of three doors. The entire prison had taken a week to build, the carpenters and iron workers toiled day and night to make it as strong as they possibly could. Morrowseer stepped up to the cell door on the far right, and unlocked it.

Inside the cell lay a dragoness with dull dark green eyes and a scar on her left shoulder. Her wrists and ankles were bound by shackles chained to the wall, and her snout was covered by an iron muzzle. She might've once been beautiful, but misery had left her looking weary, with slight lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth. At the sight of her, Morrowseer felt his stomach do an old, familiar dance.

With the same key, he took hold of her muzzle and unlocked it. She worked her aching jaw for a moment, and then looked up at him tiredly. "And so he arrives, but with good news or ill has yet to be determined."

"You're talkative today," said Morrowseer.

She gestured to a scroll of poetry she had left to the side. "I have very little else to occupy my mind."

"I would allow you more stimulation if you would behave and eat when the guards are ordered to feed you."

"Starving myself on the odd occasion is the only way to get you to notice me in here." She smirked, and there was a piece of the Secretkeeper he married. "I was wondering when you'd deem me worthy of your precious time."

He sat with a heavy sigh. "I have been busy."

"So I've heard. Storming the mountain to win the war - only you've returned much quicker than anticipated." Her goading fell away as something very serious came over her eyes. In a quiet voice, she asked: "Did you see her? Is Moon alright?"

Images of his daughter falling to the ground with a cry of pain, clutching her head, filled Morrowseer's mind. Secretkeeper did not need to know those details. "Considering how your lack of judgement around her got you into this predicament, I would've thought you'd keep her as far from your mind as possible."

"Damn you, Morrowseer!" Secretkeeper roared, suddenly leaping to her feet. Her chains snapped taut, halting her mere inches before she could touch him. "She is my daughter!"

"And mine as well!" Morrowseer snapped back furiously. "A fact you forgot when you hid her away."

"Because of this very reason!" She grabbed hold of her chains and held them up for him to see. He saw instead the old chafing scars on her wrists where her shackles had rubbed over and over during her two year imprisonment. Secretkeeper's voice dropped, her eyes misty. "Once, you were a drake that I loved more than anything else. You laughed and you were passionate for life. But then something happened - right before Oasis died, and you have never been the same since."

"Life happened, Secretkeeper," he said tightly. "The cruel realities of this world became fully known to me and I knew I had to fight fire with fire."

"And yet, for all your fierceness, you never once noticed the misery around you-"

"Never noticed?" he echoed incredulously. "I watched you fall apart every time we lost an egg, I grieved for our lost hatchlings too! And with every one of them that we lost, it drove me harder to make our world better for them!"

"And still, you don't see how special Moonwatcher is!" Secretkeeper reached out, this time as if to take his talons in hers, but her chains stopped her just short. "She is our dragonet, Morrowseer. Our only living daughter. She is a gift that you never appreciated, because to you, the tribe always comes first."

"You're wrong." He said in a cold voice. "I do understand how special she is. I see in her everything our tribe could be, I see it and I know it is my daughter who shall stand head and shoulders above the rest. But as much as that may be true, the fact remains: Moon has a duty… Or should I say had."

"What do you mean?" panic in the mother's voice made his stomach constrict with foolish jealousy. "Is she alright? Did something happen to her?!"

"The last I saw, she was alive and I have reason to believe she will remain that way." His words had an immediate calming effect on his wife. "But you will be pleased to note that I no longer have need of Moonwatcher as a mere weapon."

"Then what…?"

"A bigger prize has entered the game, Secretkeeper." He snatched up her muzzle and captured her head in his talons, sliding it back into place and snapping the lock shut. All the while he pictured the Darkstalker erupting out of the ground, likely at his daughter's behest, and sweeping her away to save her from any harm. "The most powerful dragon in Pyrrhian history is a dog at the beck and call of our daughter, it seems. I will lure Moon to us, and thereby lure him. Two for the price of one. And you will help me accomplish that."

A/N: I want to thank each and every one of you lovely readers - for helping this story get 100+ reviews! Yay! I am so happy and so grateful! Thank you thank you *kiss*!

* = Susan Kay