Prologue part 6: Dragons dealing with feelings

An hour later...

Many dragons wait for the return of the expedition team, so to pass time, each one has their method. Some are still working, writing on their scroll, others take a large break to make up from the harsh day, and some others try to entertain themselves with what the camp has to offer.

Around the oasis, Nordclaw and his soldiers are somewhat in good shape, even as they have finished to train for the day. But it is no surprise as the desert is getting colder, so the icewing are still there, talking to each others and looking at the horizon and the sky becoming full of star.

One icewing decides to go at the edge of the oasis, distancing himself a bit from the others and retracting his back talons and gazing at the ruins of Telunabris, the place where his partner went.

Thinking of the what happened recently, the soldier hold his spear and calmly gather his will, preparing his mind for what is to come.

"May I ask some questions about you and your partner, Frosttongue?"

The dragon looks behind him to see that it is his captain. Hiding his surprise, the soldier answers in a neutral tone.

- "Yes, captain Nordclaw."

- "Good. Did Coldspine told you of anything peculiar about Telunabris and the organization?"

- "No, nothing out of the ordinary. He briefly explained to me the temple's ruins, but he stopped there."

- "Is there anything you think is strange about his behaviour or thinking recently?"

- "We all know how he is. But no, he did not changed, always the same distant, silent one with a merciless instinct when he wants to."

- "And what about you, not too overwhelmed by the new environment?"

Frosttongue let a bit of frustration be shown to his captain as he answers.

- "I would be pretty happy to discover this new place if it wasn't for its… unfortunate heat."

Nordclaw chuckles at his soldier's reaction.

- "You have have the right to complain, but that won't stop our training sessions tomorrow. But I have to ask, is there anything that draws your attention here?"

Frosttongue calms himself and thinks for a moment before answering.

- "That camp and all the dragons that live here make me wonder a lot. But there is also these ruins my partner went to, I think you can guess the reasons of my interest in them."

- "Yes, I can guess that. But how do you feel about all that? Any strong worry or curiosity?"

- "No, I doubt that what I feel is different from any other one of our group. No need to question me that much captain."

- "On the contrary, it is better that we know more about each other. And you can call me by my name without my title, we have time in life when we do not have this wall between each others."

Frosttongue is taken aback by Nordclaw's words and openness, but still keeps his distance.

- "I suppose that's why you came to the kingdom of sand, to have no one judging you and be free to act like that. Still, I haven't forgotten the lesson you gave to Frostteeth, captain."

- "You forget some context, we were of the same rank, you and I however, have a difference. So between the two of us, only I can really decide to say nothing or not, and I choose to not say anything so we are both free to be closer."

- "How can you believe what you say? How can you put this facade for so long, act like the strong fearsome captain and then open yourself at the right time, like you are in control?"

Nordclaw smiles at his soldier's question, he know the wall between them has suffered a huge blow.

- "Over the years, I learnt many things, including how to show the many sides of myself at the right time. Beside, I am not totally cold and distant when I act as a captain. Why do you think I give you for punishment more training and the opportunity to fight, even if the chances for you to win are so small, instead of inflicting suffering just so you learn to obey orders?"

Frosttongue remains speechless, his captain's words piercing into his heart and evoking many feelings at once, bringing his entire world into conflict. Seeing that, Nordclaw turns his head and speaks one last time before leaving.

"I care more about any of you than you think. Having you as my soldiers for enough time and me being good at my job, it was unavoidable that such a thing would happen. Now, if any of you want to talk to me, just do, I will happily give you answers. We have the freedom here, in that camp."

And with that, the captain walks away to the main building, stopping in front of it and observing his dragons from here.

After a moment, Frosttongue regains his composure, finding a conclusion to his internal conflict. Looking at the ruins with determination this time, the icewing waits for the team and his partner to return.

The sun is now almost behind the horizon, the stars are becoming more visible in the sky, and the light of the moons dominates as it has no worthy opponent now. The night is starting in the Kingdom of Sand.

With the group of dragons finally returning into the camp, many dragons that waited for them are happy that progress is made and that no one in the team has been hurt. The tens members land and split before going into the different small buildings. Once there, they take off their relatively heavy satchel and relax a bit, putting an end to their exhausting journey.

A moment later, all the dragons go the main building, bringing all their notes with them under the watch of all habitants. After putting in the box their load, they split again and return to their routine.

A seawing and a skywing then starts to study the given texts, categorising them and copying the most relevant part, so that tomorrow, the good objectives and decisions will be taken for the second expedition. The seawing is the first to speak.

- "Windful, how much do you think we'll work on it? A fast categorization shall not take more than half an hour. But for a deep study…"

- "We'll just do the shorter work. We are not lacking time, so no need to neglect rest. And beside, I'm sure that we will need the members of the team to better do the task, and they can't forget you, good old Waveborn."

- "If you say so…" Replies the seawing with an eye roll. It's not that others don't view him important and deserving of respect, but just that the heat is exhausting when you work under it. However, a small grin forms on his face, his colleague really is one he can't give up, if only to ease his mind.

In his little spot behind a still great acacia specimen, Coldspine takes a break alone, free from distractions to reflect on these last event. He did it, he went to the ruins with others from the organizations, accomplishing Reflection's wish for him. He didn't do much, but that's a start and no accident has happened for an expedition in a cursed place.

Letting his mind being tamed by the feeling of the wind blowing, the young icewing think about what he saw in the ruins' center, all the corpse of dragons more than a thousand years old apparently. He does not show it, but Coldspine has his mind and his heart marked by that scene, and for now he let it be, even wondering about it silently…

- "Not too exhausted?" Says Frosttongue who has just come to him after seeing him alone.

- "No. It was tiring to walk and fly under the sun, but we did everything to relieve the stress and stay in good shape."

- "I see. I'm a bit jealous that you didn't get to train like us today, but that would petty of me. Our training stopped well before the end of the day, with the fight between our captain and Frostteeth."

- "A fight? What did he do to have our captain battling him?"

- "We don't know, Nordclaw told us it was to test him a bit."

- "What a good excuse. But not totally false, he really likes to test everyone he can."

- "True. But I want to know, how your expedition?"

- "It went well. We did not stay that long there, and we only took notes, but that's because we take our first steps. Tomorrow, we will decide of a more ambitious plan for the ruins and apply it later that day with our second expedition."

- "Well, I must say I expected more. Is there anything that marked you in what you have of Telunabris?"

- "Do not worry, I have seen something that will surely exceed your expectation, but you will have to see it by yourself to not doubt it."

Coldspine suddenly becomes entirely serious before speaking again.

- "A lot corpse of dragons laying everywhere on the floor of the temple's center. The room of the nexus exploded long ago and killed everyone too close to it, but their flesh hasn't decayed."

- "Are you sure...?"

- "Yes, but if you want confirmation, you could ask others of the team in their free time, or wait long enough for our expedition to return with a lot of things."

- "I will ask, but I think even with their answers, I will have to wait for them to return with something fitting."

- "Your patience will be rewarded then."

Frosttongue lowers his head for a moment, before muttering: "If you say so…"

Seeing his partner's reaction, Coldspine leans his head a bit closer and folds his front talons.

- "Do you want me to do something?"

- "No- Well… the future will tell us. For now, I don't have have anything to ask."

- "How about we pass the night together?"

- "Really? Well if you want…"

And so the two icewing soldiers stay close in the camp, just resting and staring at the sky and the horizon. Sometimes, Frosttongue will focus his eyes on the ruins, and the buildings and the dragons of the camp. And when he does, it is with curiosity and suspicion, and a desire to act on something, but his partner reassures him, making him understand he will have his answers.

In the main building, an icewing with many scars lays silently inside his quarters' bed, his last events with captain Nordclaw not wanting to leave his mind. Since the day he joined the Coldmoon organization, Frostteeth started a new chapter of his life. Since that day, he freed himself little by little from his isolation, and forged memories that he would be happy to have years later.

The captain looks over his personal desk, staring at all the papers from different origins, some from his work as a captain and reporting of his dragons, others from the organizations, and finally the rest are from him and only him. In the past, the icewing would never have written something for personal purpose and enjoyment, never giving himself the chance to take the time to try something new and simply be.

The icewing smiles at himself, unfolding his wings and relaxing his body, he is making more and more progress. But still, a doubt crawl in his mind, Nordclaw's words really did poke his heart. Must he never open himself at work or with dragons that are not from the organizations?

"No!" Thinks his heart, he must prepare himself and choose the perfect time, and then he can give up this facade.

Beside, now that he has found confidence, stability and moderate happiness, he would never accept to lose hope again, he has to fight for the betterment of his life.

Is that what Nordclaw wanted from him? He just doesn't know, maybe he should ask him the next time he sees him.

Frostteeth sight. With the Operation concerning three organizations at stakes, all count partially on him for safety and a plan should things turn for the worse. And tomorrow, the team shall return from their second expedition with their talons full of whatever…

The captain feels uneasy. It is true that queen Scorpion won't be too much of a problem and criminals won't be either, but just seeing an operation like that one day after day weight on him. Maybe his tiredness is amplifying his worries and casting paranoia over his mind.

He should just take a good night of sleep, that should restore him, tells himself the captain.

So finally, Frostteeth lays completely on his bed and let himself falling asleep. Ten minutes later, he is resting calmly on the simple fabric and his mind is tamed…