Chapter 8

Queen Swan

A dragonet group flew by as they tackled each other. Swan smiled at the five of them as they scrambled away. She remembered when she was that young. Always fooling around with her siblings. She was the bigwings in her group. Always there for the others.

"Hey Alder," she turned to one of her brothers. "When is the next meeting again?"

He looked at a scroll on the small table. "In about two hours. How did you forget already?" he asked, smiling.

"Being Queen is tiring." she shrugged her wings.

"That is what you say everytime we ask." Cypress, the smallest sister in the bunch, said.

"Well it is." she nudged her sister.

"Where's Mahogany?" Alder asked Cypress.

"Out hunting. He said he'd bring back enough for all of us." Cypress laid down on a cushion.

"I doubt he can bring back that much," Alder laughed.

Swan put a talon on her chest with mock hurt. "How dare you say that."

"Yeah yeah," he rolled his eyes.

She snorted at him. "Are there any empty scrolls over there?"

"Yeah why?" He handed her one.

"So I can put you and an execution list," she joked.

"Oh no you don't!" he turned fast and tried to pry her talons open to grasp the scroll.

She laughed as she let go. "How much have you been training? I think you might be the fastest Mudwing here."

"Yes I think so too." he stood up.

"You two are way too much," Cypress said from her spot.

"Oh come on," Swan came closer. "You know you wanna be a part of this."

"Maybe," Cypress rolled her eyes then jumped onto Alder as he had his back turned on her. He gave a yelp of surprise and she caused him to fall. They both laid on the floor laughing.

A loud thump caused them all to turn towards the balcony. A Large Mudwing, almost bigger than Swan, had dropped two crocodiles and was dragging them both to the others. "See. I told you I'd bring enough for everyone."

"Thanks, Mahogany. I would have gone out hunting but it would have taken longer than I would have liked," she said to her brother.

"No problem," he shrugged. "Now who's hungry."

"Yes we know the Seawings are not in this war as well," she said to the dragon across the table.

"Your majesty, the Seawings could be of use to us. More trading routes and such," he continued.

"I have talked with Queen Aqua. She is considering it. We can't move to it before we cave her consent." Swan reminded him.

"But your majesty, we could have more resources by the end of the week if we-" he tried.

"No." she stomped a talon on the table. "Coyote, I am not risking my tribe on what you have to offer. When you come up with something concrete then we may talk. Meeting dismissed." She walked out with Alder at her side. She gave a growl at how Coyote had acted.

"He's insufferable I know," Alder said, voicing her thoughts.

"Why can't he just stop with his thinking?" she waved a talon. "He has no good ideas. None."

"He's a thinker. Much like his mother." he said quietly.

"Thanks," she sighed. "It's my fault he's like this then?"

"No. He just gets the thinking part from you." he said again.

"He got everything from me," she sighed again. "Such a sad thing he never met his father."

"Yeah." Alder said sadly. "His father had a sort of nerve that would always get under your scales. I think Coyote got that from his father."

Swan snorted in amusement. "Come on. Let's check on the rest of my kids. They have to be out training at the moment."