Author's Note – This chapter is far more serious in nature than anything else in the story. It's still T, but is a much stronger T.
Consequences
Moon-Dancer froze and spun away from dam-mother's parents to stare into the distance without seeing anything. They were watching Night-Light and Moon-Pinner while talking to him about anything that flew into their thoughts.
So where did the fear flare to life from? Why did he feel like enemies were close around and threatening him? There was nothing there, but the fear only grew stronger. Fear and pain. More and more and more!
"Moon-Dancer?" Hope-In-His-Liver rumbled.
Terrified and alone.
Hurt and lost.
A familiar range.
There was nothing except a need to go, save, and protect, so he jumped and flew as fast as his wings would carry him.
Mist-Wings dipped to the side to glide through the mist from the waterfall marking the entrance to the shared-range. Covering her wings with mist always felt good, very appropriate, and liver-warming too!
Flight to the above was always pleasant. Being able to see another new-life season and the small, growing plants would help a lot with the boredom of normal life. This time only happened once a season-cycle.
She glided out from the long passageway and into the large range under the island. The ground dropped away into the range where mushroom-trees, other plants, and small animals grew and lived. There were not many kin usually living in this range, probably because this range connected to many others and had many kin flying through the range to go somewhere else.
Maybe this would be a range the ground-kin could try to live in if there were no other options. It would be difficult since so many paths touched this range, and they would need much protecting against ranging sky-kin, but they would also have chances to meet many-
Something struck her from above, knocking her from the sky.
Pained and confused, she recovered herself and realized what was happening. A pawful of Light Furies were flying very close to her, above and on every side. They were flying far too close for safety.
"Be careful!"
One of them dove and knocked into her again, forcing her lower and lower. What were these thought-twisted Light Furies doing? This was not fun at all!
She landed under a large mushroom-tree and barely scrambled to her paws when all the Light Furies landed around her, grumbling and growling.
This was very bad and chilling.
"What are you doing?" she growled back.
One of the Light Furies, a very big and yellow-eyed male, approached. Only then did recognition fly to her: this was the Alpha Light Fury who had recently visited the shared-range.
"What did we find here? A packless female dark wing!" he laughed.
How thought-twisted was he? He had to know she was not packless at all. And why did it matter that she was... that she...
Fear flared to life.
"I am not packless! I am part of New-Haven-Pack! You... you know that!"
He laughed again and stepped closer, "All I see is a female who is alone outside any pack territory. That makes you... fair hunting."
Fair hunting?
He and his fighters stalked closer, claws out and teeth bared. Too many to fight even if she knew how to fight well. Fear, wrong, threat, no! No way out. This could not be happening! No!
Where were sire-father and dam-mother? Where was anyone?
Alone. No escape. No way out.
"What... what do you... want?" she whined, fearfully curling in on herself.
The Alpha was so close she could feel his heavy breaths on her nose. His eyes were narrowed as he growled.
"You are lucky your sire is an Alpha, or I would enjoy this far more! Do not resist, and you will live! Fight, and you will die!"
His cruel eyes were a promise of death. Fight back? He said he would not kill her if she did nothing.
Living would be much better. Suffer and live. Do whatever was needed to survive. Do nothing. Do not resist or fight back. Survive. What was he-
His paw swung and struck her head, knocking her onto her side. Flashing lights, flaring pain, confusion, and spinning vision, everything unclear. Was he laughing? Someone was.
She whined and struggled to get to her paws, but there was another strike at her neck, claws cutting her hide and spilling life-water. Forced onto the ground, unable to fight as strike after strike hit her side and knocked the wind from her. Unable to breathe against the weight holding her down. Trying to ignore the stinging pain along her neck and side.
A paw was on her head, pushing down until it hurt. He breathed heavily, catching his breath.
"Tell your sire we are even! For the pack!"
The paw vanished, and wings were beating, fading away into nothing. With the weight gone, she gasped for breath.
There were no sounds except the distant waterfalls, frantic breaths, and someone or something whining.
She opened her eyes, whined, and fearfully looked around in every direction. The Light Furies were all gone. Hopefully. Was it safe? No. Nowhere was safe. Maybe they were waiting to attack again.
She struggled to her paws and whined at the pain in her neck and side. The ground where she had been was covered in drops of spilled life-water. She cautiously looked back at her side and shoulders where his claws cut her, but doing that hurt her neck where his claws cut hurt-marks.
Somewhere had to be safer than here. Deeper in the trees and bushes. Hide there where no one else could find her. Run and hide.
Run.
Was-Grounded continued onward as fast as he could fly. That deep liver-fear which flared to life and woke him from sleep was faintly familiar from long ago, though what he had recently felt had faded.
Dozing in the friend-valley cove, he had felt two-leg Hiccup's fear, and known his two-leg was in danger. He was not sure how that knowing of threat happened, but it did. That same knowing had roared that someone dear to his liver was in danger.
Mist-Wings had just flown off on her own. Everyone else was either together in the above or safe with their kin within the shared-range. Whatever happened had to involve her.
He started in surprise when a roar reached him from behind. It sounded like Moon-Dancer. Sure enough, Moon-Dancer caught up to him after he slowed down a little.
"Moon-Dancer, what is it?"
"Uncle, did you feel-"
"A danger? Yes, I did. Wait, did you?"
"Yes! Where is Mist-Wings?"
Moon-Dancer felt the same danger he did? That only further confirmed his suspicion. Moon-Dancer and Mist-Wings were very fond of each other as second-nestmates, having played and bonded from when they were young hatchlings. Of all Shadowwing's children, Moon-Dancer would most likely feel it if Mist-Wings were in danger.
"Stay close! We should search for her together!"
"I will!" Moon-Dancer barked.
Together, they continued down the long passage until they passed the waterfall and emerged in the first big range which dropped down. They continued over the trees and forest until they arrived at the cave that sloped higher to the island above.
Curiously, he could not scent her there, which meant she did not fly that way. She had for certain flown into this range, but she did not continue to the island.
Where are you?
"She did not fly up the cave. She must be in this range!" he shouted.
Together, they spun back for the rest of the range while keeping a watch on the range below. He checked with life-fire sight every few wingbeats to be sure he did not miss anything in thick underbrush. There was a rock-belly and several little-nibbler-terrors, but he did not see any other bigger sky-kin.
Further, there was another reason he was checking with life-fire sight. It was possible that Light Furies were still around here.
A very bad and chilling thought flew into his liver. What if that rotted Alpha Light Fury had attacked Mist-Wings out of revenge? What if he had killed her?
Memories of holding her after she hatched. Flying with her on her first flight.
They continued over a grove of mushroom-trees without seeing anything. Wherever Mist-Wings was, she was not out in the open. Maybe she was hiding somewhere. Hopefully. But she would know their calls and would show herself when she heard them.
Being hidden in the bushes was safe. Nothing would see her under the thick mushrooms and other trees that spread out above. But she still warily looked around the hidden skies, fearing any approaching wings.
The pain had stopped, mostly, after she ate a mouthful of pain-helping plants, though her neck and side still hurt a little. The deepest cuts stung since there was no way to lick them.
A brush rustled to her left, so she recoiled with a fearful bark and stared at the brush. But it was only a little-nibbler-terror dashing along on its own. Nothing to be afraid of. There were no other sky-kin in the skies, none that she could see anyway.
She continued on paw toward the nearest water to wash in. Finally at the edge of a small but deep enough stream, she paused and warily looked around. There were no other large sky-kin visible. It was safe, for the moment. What if the Light Furies came back to attack again?
Slowly and cautiously, she crept out from the safety of the trees to approach the gently flowing water. Slipping into the stream and completely submerging instantly helped as the stinging in the hurts was soothed. Further, the water also helped wash off the spilled life-water. But being in the water left her more out in the open where others could see her. Every wingbeat in the open left her vulnerable.
She crawled out onto shore to shake dry. Fly to the home-range and her kin? No, that would be too dangerous. There could be more Light Furies waiting to attack. All she could do was stay here and-
A roar sounded from above.
They came back to attack again! Run! Flee! Hide!
She turned for the deeper forest and ran as fast as her weak paws and trembling limbs would carry her. Flying would not help!
Leaping and bounding over rocks, vines, and small patches of mushrooms, nothing was as important as running. Fleeing. Frantic breaths and burning fear!
What was that shouting? Was it her name? How did they learn her name too? It did not matter. Hiding and running were all that mattered. Go faster and faster and-
But something big crashed down before her. Something big, angry, strong, and shouting.
Alone again. No one else was there to help.
Do whatever was needed to survive. Do nothing. Do not resist. No fighting.
She lay down on her belly, whined, and closed her eyes, not moving anything as the attacker approached. Alone. Helpless. Lost.
Was-Grounded stared in shock and alarm at his dear Mist-Wings. She was trembling, laying flat on her belly, and moving nothing as she whined. She did not even answer him after he shouted her name in relief after spotting her by the water. Instead, she had turned tail and run deeper into the trees without even looking at him.
Worse, she had visible hurt-marks on her neck, side, and shoulders. Something had attacked her.
He bounded toward her, "Mist-Wings, my little one!"
She did not move or acknowledge him at all beyond a slight and involuntary ear-flick.
He gently reached out and rested a paw on her shoulder, and she flinched and whined. She flinched at his gentle touch? His own daughter feared him?
Great lights, daughter.
Moon-Dancer, having probably heard him earlier, dove around the mushroom-trees and heavily landed, leaping beside him. Moon-Dancer stared with fear and concern at her.
"Mist! Sis!" Moon-Dancer barked.
She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes, staring at him and Moon-Dancer, though she slightly trembled. Moon-Dancer sat down before her and lay his chin on her shoulder while purring. Her eyes slowly widened.
"Moon... sire... father..." she gasped.
"Little one, you are safe. What happened? What was it?" he purred, gently nuzzling her head.
She whined, hanging her head and closing her eyes. He had never seen his dear daughter so chilled and afraid and trembling, not to mention with hurt-marks.
"I... was flying... to the above... they found me... they found me!"
"What? Who?"
"The... Light Furies... the Alpha."
His power-light flashed as he growled freely.
Why had he allowed her to fly alone to the above? Was this his fault for not offering to go with her? He should have known the rotted, waste-pile of a Light Fury would not take kindly to that meeting. But no one could have known that the Alpha would wait around a half waking-cycle just to find an opportunity to strike.
She frantically continued, "He... said he... would kill me... if I fought. He wanted... me to say... for the pack... and that he... got even with you. Packless females are... fair hunting."
Rage. Wrath. Fury.
Fear. Concern. Liver-pain.
"Did he do anything else to you?" he seethed.
She sniffled, "He… wanted to… but… he said I was… lucky you are… an Alpha."
"Hush now, you are safe. He cannot hurt you again," he whispered.
Fly to the Light Fury pack, challenge and kill the Alpha, kill all his followers, and kill all his kin! Shred their wings, tear their throats, and taste their life-water! Or bring her back to the New-Haven-Range where she would be safe. Two flights to choose from.
She was more important than revenge. For now.
He licked the closest hurts on her neck and shoulder, though some were unreachable. At least none of them were still dripping life-water or deep enough to be life-threats.
"Can you fly?" he purred.
"I... maybe."
"Good. We should fly to the home-range. Stay between us."
She took a deep breath and got up. They took flight with her flying between him and Moon-Dancer. She flew slowly and weakly while frantically glancing at every distant flash of motion. He also noticed every sign of any sky-kin nearby.
Anything that got in his way would regret it if it lived, which was unlikely.
They continued past the shared-ledge and to a clearing outside the shared-nest. Luna and Green-Wings were there with the youngest four fledglings, who it looked like were dozing. Luna's parents were also there, quietly whispering with Luna and Green-Wings.
He, Moon-Dancer, and Mist-Wings landed by them. Chillingly, Mist-Wings curled up and lay down right where she had landed and covered herself with a wing, so he lay down beside her and put a wing over her back.
"Moon-Dancer, will you find your sire-father and bring him? Do not tell anyone else what happened."
Moon-Dancer softly hummed before flying off, "I understand."
Green-Wings, Luna, and Luna's parents must have realized something had happened, as they quickly approached.
"Daughter, what happened? You were flying to the above." Green-Wings asked.
"Hope-In-His-Liver, Paws-At-Bright-Flowers, could you please let us talk on our own?" he asked.
They started in surprise but hummed in agreement as they turned for the resting fledglings.
With them out of hearing, he faced Green-Wings and Luna and stopped restraining his growl.
"The Alpha Light Fury was waiting outside our range. He attacked her!"
Green-Wings and Luna froze, their eyes turning to slits.
"My little one, let us see you," Green-Wings commanded.
Mist-Wings came out from under her wing. Green-Wings and Luna gasped when they saw the hurt-marks with a little dried life-water in them.
Green-Wings lunged closer and began nuzzling and licking her, "My little one, you are safe. Safe. Does it hurt anywhere?"
Mist-Wings took a deep breath, "Not anymore. I ate hurt-helping plants, and sire-father licked some of the hurts."
Green-Wings whined, "Good. Did that Alpha do anything else to you? Did he… force you?"
"No, only this. He wanted sire-father to know he did it."
He snarled, "That Alpha did this as revenge for us helping Flies-Bravely! He did not even care who he hurt, as long as he hurt one of our kin. Moon-Dancer knows what happened and will bring Shadowwing. We must decide what to do next!"
"What can we do?" Green-Wings asked, sounding worried.
"We must attack the Light Fury pack! Now!" he growled.
Luna started in surprise and grumbled, "That does not have lift. Attacking the other pack will end in death. Us and them."
"They deserve it! We must attack and-"
Mist-Wings whined, "No, sire-father! Do nothing. No attacking. Please."
Her liver-chilled words partially cooled his wrath. Fighting the Light Fury pack would end in his kin probably dying, and an immediate response would be openly breaking the pack-peace. But doing nothing was not an option either. Maybe she wanted him to do nothing, because she did not like conflict, but he was not her. She did not feel the flame that burned in his liver. She was not a sire-father whose dear daughter had been attacked. She would not take pleasure in killing someone who had hurt her.
"Fine. We should wait for Shadowwing before we say anything else," he huffed.
They all settled down with both Luna and Green-Wings nuzzling Mist-Wings, licking hurts, and purring to comfort her.
Finally, Shadowwing and Moon-Dancer arrived and landed by them. His brother did not look very chilled, more surprised than anything, so he could not know what had happened.
"Back so soon? What is... happening here?" Shadowwing warily asked.
He growled, "The Alpha Light Fury was waiting. He attacked Mist-Wings and hurt her. Look at her!"
Shadowwing immediately went to Mist-Wings after Luna and Green-Wings made space for him. Shadowwing paused and growled when he saw the hurt-marks on her side and neck.
"Oh, dear one, are you okay?" he asked, nuzzling her.
Twistedly, she laughed and leaned back from Shadowwing, "What do you think? Look at me!"
Shadowwing looked to him, visibly curious and worried, "Did he… hurt her any other way?"
"No. He did not do anything else. He said we were… even. What are we going to do about this?" he hissed.
Shadowwing stepped away from her and grumbled, staring toward the darker part of the range, "He attacked to make a point. He would not want to actually break the pack-peace and make our packs fight each other."
He growled, his anger growing like a fire in a forest, "So what? We have to strike back. Now!"
Shadowwing started pacing, "Right, we cannot ignore this attack, but we must be careful. We cannot give him a reason he can use to justify attacking all of us."
Leave it to Shadowwing to want to think and plan instead of just act! Did he not care?
"What do you suggest?"
"Give me a moment. Do any of you have ideas?" Shadowwing asked.
"You already know what I want. Nothing else is enough. I say we fly straight to his pack and challenge him for his place!" he growled.
Shadowwing spun and faced him, "That would not work. You know we cannot strike directly at him, right?"
"So you think we should do nothing? You would not say that if Hidden-Hope was attacked!"
Shadowwing winced and looked away without saying anything else.
Mist-Wings whined, "Sire-father, stop. No fighting each other."
He could not raise his voice to her, not after what happened. Why did she not want to strike back? Was revenge and justice not important to her?
Green-Wings grumbled, breaking the silence, "What about the hunting-ranges? There are Hunters or Far-Fliers from that pack searching for ground-prey or fish in those ranges. We could flame at those Light Furies instead of leaving them alone."
He growled in approval. Even without killing any members of that pack, the struggle for food was a normal challenge all sky-kin lived with. The Alpha would hear that Night Furies were competing more for ground-prey and fish, and he would know it was intentional.
Luna spoke up, "From now on we must always fly in a group outside our range, never alone. And if he says that kin outside of a pack are fair hunting, then we should follow that rule too, in our own way."
"How?" he asked, curious what hunting she had in mind.
Luna purr-growled, "If we see any of his scouts or Far-Fliers, we can flame at them and force them away. We could always say they threatened us first. Do this enough and they will fear flying anywhere close to us."
Flaming at the Alpha's underlings was better than nothing, but not nearly enough.
Shadowwing spun around, "We have not needed to teach our children how to truly fight up close. They all know about fighting in the sky against other sky-kin, but we must teach them how to fight with teeth and claws too. We all need to practice."
Now that was an idea he entirely agreed with. His children had lived peaceful enough lives until now, but too much peace could make a sky-kin go weak. They all had to learn to be hunters and extremely dangerous.
Green-Wings growled, "Good idea!"
Luna flashed her teeth, "I approve. Was-Grounded?"
"Best idea yet. Mist-Wings, will you learn how to be a fighter?"
"Do you... think I should?" she hesitantly whispered.
"Absolutely. Learning will make you feel safer and be stronger."
Green-Wings nuzzled Mist-Wings and covered her with a green wing, "Little one, do you want to go anywhere or do anything?"
Mist-Wings shrugged and yawned, "No, I want to stay here. With you."
"I hoped you would say that. You can sleep here. I am not moving."
Mist-Wings closed her eyes and was still for a long time under a green wing. Finally, she relaxed in the way which meant she was truly asleep.
Shadowwing spoke softly, "Does she need anything for the hurts? Are any of them dangerous?"
Green-Wings whispered, "No, only hurt-helping plants. I will bring her more when she wakes up."
Luna hummed, "How did you know she was in danger?"
"I could feel it. Moon-Dancer did too," he whispered.
Everyone else started in surprise.
"He felt that she was in danger? How?" Luna asked, confused.
"Probably because they have always been very close in the liver, like nestmates," Shadowwing offered.
Luna grumbled, "But what about her other nestmates? Why did they not feel it? Why did I not feel it?"
"Or me?" Green-Wings whined.
He shrugged, "I do not know how the danger-feeling happens. It is not from care only."
Shadowwing spoke up, "Maybe it is like the together-seeing-feeling. Maybe it only happens if you are not thinking too much or not disturbed when it must happen."
Green-Wings looked a little relieved, though not pleased, "You flew away very fast, so you did not see, but Wind-Dancer was being a little bad. I was chasing her. Maybe that is why I did not feel the danger."
He faced Shadowwing, "When should we start teaching the fighting?"
Shadowwing hummed, "Not right now. Let her have a few waking-cycles. We should tell everyone what happened though. They need to know."
Gazing at his sleeping, hurt daughter under a green wing, he could not help but feel responsible for this. He should have known that the rotted Alpha Light Fury would want to hurt his pack, just to make a point. Sending anyone on their own outside the safer territory was asking for someone to get hurt eventually. Had the Alpha refrained from doing this before now just because he was not sure he could get away with it? Or because he did not see a reason to?
On the other paw, having someone else with her might not have changed the outcome. If Rain-Eater or Aurora were flying with her, they might have been similarly attacked or worse. There was no guarantee anyone else being with her would have dissuaded the Alpha from attacking.
She was alive, not terribly hurt in body, and safe with her kin. That was all that mattered for the moment. The plans to teach everyone more fighting skills, and be more threatening whenever they met members of that rotted pack were better than nothing, but they were not nearly enough. There was only one satisfactory outcome.
He looked toward Luna's parents and waved them over. They needed to know what had happened. Everyone needed to know.
Aurora groaned as she beheld the pile of rocks that needed moving. The ground-kin had cut more shaped rocks for use in building dens, but some of the rocks were too big for lone ground-kin to carry. These would even be heavy for a sky-kin to carry.
Great, another back-aching waking-cycle of work, but someone had to do it. Actually, she needed help with carrying the rocks to get it over with sooner. With Dawn-Singer and Flies-With-Sun gone, more of the work in the shared-range fell on her and her closest kin. Rain-Eater was around Flies-Bravely a lot, but he found time to help carry rocks, find fruiting trees, and be a guard. Mist-Wings was away on the island above. Someone had to be available to help with the work.
She took flight, soared outside the shared-nest, and saw sire-father resting atop a ledge that overlooked pools of water. She landed beside him and leaped to him.
He grumbled, "Daughter, there you are. Where were you earlier?"
She huffed, "Taking a nap. Did I miss something?"
"Yes, we will tell everyone more later, but so you know now, we will be practicing all types of fighting. Everyone will learn together."
She faced him and purred, liking everything about that idea, "To defend against rotted Light Fury attacks?"
"Correct."
"I like it. Is anyone free to help me with work?"
He paused before answering, mumbling to himself, "Staying busy might help her. Yes, Mist-Wings is down with our kin by the water."
She looked down at the distant ledge and waters where their kin were resting. Her sister was swimming in the water. Wait, Mist-Wings was supposed to be flying to be the watcher in the above. Had the plan changed? Apparently so.
"Good. I have too much work to do on my own. She can help me," she huffed.
He slowly faced her, "You should go talk to your sister. You will know why when you see her. Go. It is important."
He said that with urgency, so there must be a reason for it. Was her sister sick? What else could it be?
She took flight, landed by the water, and barked at her sister, getting her attention. Mist-Wings swam out of the water, shook herself dry, and approached.
But it was immediately clear why sire-father wanted her to come down here.
Her sister had new scratches and hurt-marks on her neck, shoulders, and sides! Some of them even had dried life-water in them!
"Mist! What… is… what happened?" she shouted, leaping toward her.
Mist-Wings hung her head and looked at her paws, visibly chilled to the liver.
"What did this to you? Tell me so I can kill it!" she snarled, flexing her claws.
Mist-Wings took a very deep breath, "I came back because the Light Furies found me. The Alpha... he attacked me."
Her jaw fell open. Her little nestmate sister was attacked by the foul, rotted, pile-of-waste Alpha? He had to die.
She nuzzled her sister's forehead, whining in liver-chill, "I... did not know. Are you well? Does it hurt? Did… he do anything else?"
Mist-Wings closed her eyes, "He… probably wanted to, but he did not. Only... this."
"How bad are the hurts?"
"Not very bad. I ate hurt-helping plants. Sire-father and Moon-Dancer found me out there and helped get me back… safely."
She grumbled, confused as to how that was possible, "What? How did they know?"
Mist-Wings shrugged, "They could feel when I was trapped and hurting. They knew without being there with me."
Moon-Dancer felt Mist-Wings's fear and pain, but she did not?
Great skies!
How could a liver-brother feel more than a life-water-sister? Moon-Dancer and Mist-Wings had always been very close like nestmates, but maybe that sharing of feeling and knowing of threat needed a depth of care that-
Did she not truly care for her own nestmates?
Had they started becoming far more annoying and distant from her liver ever since… since when? What changed?
'You're so bitter and angry!'
Alvor's words shouted at her from within a cave echoed loudly.
She gently nuzzled her sister's neck while avoiding any of the new hurt-marks, "I have work for the shared-nest. Will you help me with the work? You will feel better."
"What? How?"
"Working hard until your paws feel heavy and your wings are weak will help keep your thinking away from the bad. I always sleep very well when I am most tired. We can also plan what we will do to that Alpha if he ever comes back here. My plan is bite off his wings and fins, snap his tail, tear off his frills, break his legs, and poke out his eyes. Then we kill him slowly. No, you kill him slowly. Agreed?"
"Maybe," Mist-Wings whispered.
"Great! What do you want to do now? Other than work, I have nothing else planned for the waking-cycle."
That was not entirely true, but all the other plans had become far less important. Even the work would wait if Mist-Wings did not feel like helping. Nothing was more important than being there for her sister.
Mist-Wings glanced at the waterfalls and pools, "Well, swimming sounds fun. The cool water helps the hurts not sting much."
She hummed, "Good plan. I have not gone swimming for fun in a long time. We can do speed-swims from one side of the deep to the other. Or, better, I can hide something deep underwater and you go find it. A type of hide and hunt!"
Her sister's ears lifted, "What will you hide?"
Together, they glanced at the various pools filled with water-plants, small snappers, tiny fish, and even light-rocks. Other than the water-plants, the pools were clear enough that one could see straight to the bottom throughout, though they were many body-lengths deep.
"Want an easy or difficult game?"
"Difficult."
"How about a small red crystal-rock. That should be difficult to find. Wait here for me?"
Mist-Wings purred and lay down on the sand, "Sure. Thanks, sis."
She jumped and flew toward Alvor and Safiya's den. They had been collecting rocks and crystals of different colors, and she knew they recently found a red, paw-sized crystal she could easily carry and hide for the game. None of the crystals were true light-making rocks, but they were still bright in light they did not make.
While flying on her own, she flew her thoughts to the problem between her and her nestmates. Why was she, as Alvor had pointed out, bitter and angry? Why did something wiggle in her life-fire every time she saw Dawn-Singer and Flies-With-Sun, or Rain-Eater talking with Flies-Bravely?
Why had Moon-Dancer known and felt the danger when she had not? He must truly care about Mist-Wings as his own kin, as if she were a dear sister, which was very good of him. He had seemed different ever since the adventure into far ranges. He was more liver-flamed and braver than she recalled him being.
But back to the problem at paw, what was causing a distance between her and her nestmates?
What did Dawn-Singer and Rain-Eater have that she did not have? One obvious answer was a life-mate, or a very likely partner. Having a life-mate was good. Not needing to fly a life-flight alone was good. She did not have anyone. The only male to ever show her interest was another rotted Light Fury. Flying to the distant Night Fury pack, wherever it was hidden, was a possibility, but those sky-kin were apparently very untrusting of ground-kin.
It just was not fair that her nestmates should get life-mates who fly into their lives when she... when she-
She sighed and hung her head as she glided, feeling nothing but cold in her liver as the truth flew out of the cloud it was hidden inside.
She was jealous of her nestmates and had been pushing them away because she wanted what they already had.
It all started with Dawn-Singer getting Flies-With-Sun and being happy with her. Seeing their life-warmth, she wanted it too, but after so long not finding anyone who would be good for her, she had gotten bitter and biting toward her own nestmates just because they were happy. That being quick to snap extended to almost everyone else too.
Was it that simple? Probably.
Great sky-breath, I am twisted.
That was going to change. Wanting a mate just because her brothers had one or were likely to get one was not a good reason to want to share her life-flight with someone else. Maybe it was necessary to get beyond the deep wanting for a mate. Become happier with herself, be truly happy that her kin were warmer too, and everyone would be better. Even being alone forever was not the worst possible life-flight. It would be thought-twisted to clutch her own small problems when her kin suffered far worse and she could do something about those hurts.
It could have been she who went to fly to the above and had been attacked and hurt. What happened to Mist-Wings was only bad luck and chance.
She took a deep breath to steady herself as Alvor and Safiya's den appeared ahead. Nothing else mattered for now except that she had a little sister to be there for.