Author's note:

So... here I am, half a year later. Again. I have a lot I could say, but to spare a lengthy preamble I will keep this very short.

Yes, it has been forever. Yes, this chapter is the shortest so far. No, I never forgot about this story. Yes, I felt terrible about not working on it. My life has been all over the place, and this was probably the least favorite... thing I have written for a very long time. I hope it's a better than what I think it is, because frankly it took a lot of pushing to even decide against scrapping the whole thing entirely. I wish I could say that the next chapter will take less time, but unfortunately that's probably far from the truth. I am incredibly excited about the next chapter, and I look forward to trying to do justice to the ideas I have in my head. Unfortunately though I am currently just starting a fire academy right now and the next 4 months will revolve solely around that. It is already the most difficult thing I've done mentally and physically, so I hope you can forgive me for struggling to find time or energy to write for the next little bit. I'm sorry.

If you want more details or have any questions about anything ever feel free to PM me. I keep them open always. I try to stay as open about things as possible.

For those who are still here after aging 50 years waiting for me, enjoy the chapter

The musty smell of old parchments and unraveled scrolls that imbued the air was one that Moonwatcher was more than familiar with. It was, after all, perhaps one of her favorite smells in the whole of Pyrrhia. Ever since she could remember she had always been enthralled by all the different scrolls that existed. From complex historical recollections to fantastical adventures to scientific publishings, nothing captivated her attention more than how authors weaved their ideas onto paper for her to experience. One of the traits that had carried over from her very isolated upbringing was her desire to generally steer clear of dragons whenever possible, and so naturally as a dragonet she turned to scrolls as a way to keep herself company. She had gotten better at not being so cut away from others, or so she hoped, but the fascination for literature had more than carried over with her into her older years.

It was no big surprise then that libraries were one of Moonwatcher's favorite places in all of Pyrrhia. There was nowhere else Moon felt more content in than a vast library or a well stocked scroll-store. She could get lost for hours in the different masterpieces that were hidden away within, constantly bouncing from one scroll to the next. It was an exciting mystery to explore, searching each shelf for a hidden gem to take with her or even to unravel right there and then. Moonwatcher never felt more at home than she did when she was beside a pile of scrolls reading under the dim orange glow of the library crystals or the warm rays of sun that filtered through the skylight.

Today however, the library was the very last thing on Moonwatcher's mind.

She was standing between shelves, a pile of scrolls on the floor below her, as she absentmindedly sorted them into their correct place. It was around midday, or so she assumed, and for the past few hours she had been helping out at the library within Sanctuary. The library itself was incredibly basic, consisting of a clawful of scrollracks nested in a very sad excuse for a building. Still, she had taken a liking to the place, and a bigger liking to the librarian himself, who seemed to want nothing more than a glamorous collection of knowledge for the town to boast. He was a kind enough soul with a passion she found enjoyable, and a drive to make the most with what little resources he had. When he asked her one day during a particularly long stay if she was interested in lending an extra talon, she couldn't help but accept. Which is why she was there today for a second time , placing various scrolls back into their resting place under the faint light that emanated from a few crystals on the ceiling. Her thoughts however, were in a very different place.

It had been a little over a week since her breakup with Qibli in the street. At least, that's what she thought. The days seemed to blur together, one into the next, and she found herself barely remembering what time it was, much less the actual date. Normally she was one of the more clear-headed dragons of her winglet, thinking through things and keeping her emotions at bay. That wasn't the case anymore though. Not with everything that had happened lately. Between her introduction into Sanctuary and working out her future arrangements with Winter and Riptide she had more than enough to think about.

And then of course there was Qibli.

Moonwatcher closed her eyes briefly as a pang of hurt scorched through her chest, before letting out a sigh and reaching for another scroll. Even just thinking about the Sandwing was enough to break the emotional dam she had built up sometimes. She knew why she had left, and in a way she knew that she was probably right. But no amount of knowing kept the memories of what had been from worming through her mind at every chance they could get. All she had to do was see something that reminded her of him, and then the whole encounter would replay in her head yet again. And there was a lot that reminded her of him. Snacks she used to share with him, scrolls that she had read with him, even seeing the mountain range in the distance reminded her of their time in Jade Mountain during their early days. It was like her mind was purposefully trying to sabotage her. She had been hurt by dragons before, but this? Nothing ever felt like this before. Not like the claw to the chest feeling she got just by thinking of him. Not like the rush of emotional turbulence that rushed over her every time she remembered his name. Not like-

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain over her head before hearing a particularly hard scrollcase clatter onto the floor. "Ouch!" Moonwatcher exclaimed, pulling her head back and rubbing the spot with a paw. She looked over to the scrollcase that had fallen onto the ground next to her, giving it a decidedly frustrated glare before letting out a huff and reaching over to put it back. For how surprisingly small it was the case had hurt quite a bit, leaving Moonwatcher with a growing sore spot between her horns. Just my luck to get hit by the one scroll seemingly encased by lead. She thought to herself with a grumble.

"Are you okay?" The gentle voice emanated from down the aisle, followed by the soft clicking of talons upon the wooden floorboards.

Moonwatcher looked over, seeing the librarian padding towards her with a hint of concern in his blue eyes. Cobia was a rather small Seawing, especially given his age. From what she remembered of him the librarian was older than the Twenty Year War, and perhaps even older than the queen the war revolved around in the first place. He was one of the few dragons she knew that not only remembered the day Queen Oasis died, but also the day she held her coronation. His experience showed as well. Numerous scars crossed his snout and his side, and a piece of his back fin was missing, as if sliced clean off. She had never asked about his history, it was an unspoken rule of Sanctuary, but luckily she didn't have to. Cobia loved telling stories as much as he did reading them, and over their sessions at the library she had pieced together that he had been a teacher for the kingdom before being drafted into the war, and was only of the lucky few that got to see the conflict to its end.

As the Seawing approached, Moonwatcher looked back away, shifting on her paws as she sifted through responses in her mind. "I'm fine." She responded simply, turning back to face towards the rack she had been sorting through. Thinking about how "okay" she was any deeper than the bruise on her head scratched the surface of some feelings she really didn't want to relive for the umpteenth time that day.

The Seawing was silent for a moment, tilting his head and giving a slow look over her. She could sense that his mind was bouncing back and forth, concern overlaying his thoughts. "Physically, yes… You've seemed rather out of it recently though. Moreso than when you first arrived at least." He added softly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Moonwatcher glanced over at him, feeling a mess of emotions grow in her chest. It seemed like scratching the surface was exactly what he wanted to do that day. She grumbled quietly to herself as she returned to her work. "What am I supposed to say to that?" She questioned, struggling to keep her voice steady. "That I'm not okay? What does it matter to you anyways?" She found herself saying a bit pointedly.

Cobia took a breath in, and shifted his weight in his paws. Already Moonwatcher could feel the brief twang of hurt that echoed from his mind, and guilt pressed over her. Even without trying to peer into his thoughts she knew he was genuinely trying to show care for her, and all she had done was throw her bitterness towards him. Before Cobia could begin Moonwatcher spoke up again. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to be polite. I'm just… it's just been a rough week that's all."

The librarian swayed his tail back thoughtfully, his gaze relaxing at her words. "I had a suspicion it had been. And… You're right in a way." Cobia admitted, to which Moonwatcher looked over in confusion. "I understand why you would be surprised at my interest. I know we haven't really known each other for too long, but… and forgive me for the observation, you're quite young to be living away by yourself, especially so far from your tribe." At this Moonwatcher let out a soft huff as he continued. "No one comes to Sanctuary because something good happened in their life, you know. For you to be here as young as you are, well… I can't help but suspect you could use a wing to lean on."

Moonwatcher tapped her talons upon the floor, letting out a breath as she moved down the shelf to the next collection. "I… I appreciate the concern," She started. "But I'm not sure it's a conversation you'd want to have. It's… a long story, much longer than either of us would care to listen to."

"I think you'd be surprised." Cobia stated. "In any case though, I won't try and squeeze a story out of you. That's not how it works around here anyways." He said, giving her a slight smile. "However, if you ever need some help, don't be afraid to reach out for it. Even if not me, the rest of the dragons here are kind enough. Just remember that, m'kay?" With that the Seawing began to turn around in the cramped aisle, starting back towards the front of the library.

Moonwatcher hesitated, looking over the scroll that sat in her paw, her mind trailing off into other subjects. An image of Qibli's face flashed through her head, and Moonwatcher found herself caught on breath. Without really thinking, she found herself beginning to speak. "... Do- Have you ever wondered if you made the wrong choice?"

The Seawing stopped in his tracks, glancing back at her with a flash of surprise. "Say again?"

There was a moment of hesitancy as Moonwatcher searched to find the words. "I… Something happened between me and someone else. A… relationship partner. That's why I'm here. In Sanctuary that is." She paused for a second, regathering her thoughts. "... It's a silly question, I know. I'm just…If you're wondering why I'm not okay, that's the reason. Seems like I can't get it out of my head."

A hint of understanding crossed his gaze as he took in her words. "Ah… This is about that Sandwing of yours from last week, is it not?"

Moonwatcher blinked, taken aback by his words. She knew she had made a scene back in her confrontation, but Cobia never gave any indication he was aware of her and Qibli's moment until now. "You… saw that?" She asked, feeling a hint of embarrassment cross over her muzzle.

"Only snippets of it." The librarian reassured. "I was mostly busy documenting what we had sorted that day, but, well, it was directly outside the window. It was a bit difficult to miss."

Moonwatcher looked away and shifted her stance on her paws. "That's… I suppose you have a point." She admitted.

Cobia let a silence cross over them for a brief moment, before softly breaking it as he asked, "... I'm going to take a guess that he's no longer your relationship partner now, am I wrong?"

There it was again; that avalanche of emotions that hit her chest like a tree trunk. For a split moment all that filled her head was memories of him. Moonwatcher found that she had to take a second just to remember to breathe again, before she nodded in confirmation.

The librarian took a moment to think, tapping his talon thoughtfully on the flooring. "I'm not sure if there's an easy way to help with that one." He admitted, to which Moonwatcher let out an unenergetic huff. "Love is… hard. Really really hard. Believe me, I know. And letting go of that love towards someone? Well, sometimes you never do." Moonwatcher felt the name of a dragon blip through Cobia's mind briefly, but it was gone before she could pull it into focus. "I don't know the circumstances that led to… where you are now, and I'm not going to force you to relive it all, so I think I can only answer your question with one of my own. Do you think you made the right choice?"

"Yes- well, no- arghh…" Moonwatcher gripped the scroll she was holding tighter, a flash of conflicting feelings burning through her. "I don't know. I don't know anymore. I know why I did what I did, I do. I know it was a choice I'd have to make. I even know it was for the best. So- so why do I still feel this way?" Her voice had started to waver, unsteady emotions filling her throat as she forced a breath into her chest.

Cobia's expression softened, and through the turmoil that ran through her mind Moonwatcher caught glimpses of somber memories passing through his own. "I wish I could tell you." He said gently. "Emotions are weird like that. You can be doing the right thing through and through, but your emotions will still try to convince you otherwise." He paused for a second, and briefly dipped his head down before looking up. "I'm not sure if this will help any, but this feeling that you're going through right now? Know that everyone has gone through it before too."

Moonwatcher closed her eyes for a second, before a crack of her emotions cut through to her voice. "How is that supposed to help at all?"

The Seawing shrugged. "It doesn't for everyone, but when I was in a similar situation I found it helped to remember that everyone's been through heartbreak in one form or another. It means everyone can empathize with you, and everyone's got advice for you. And it also means everyone's gotten through it before. It may hurt now, and it probably will for a while, but use that as a way to remind you that you won't feel that way forever."

Moonwatcher snorted softly. "Everyone, really?" She asked in a lowly disbelieving voice.

"Everyone who's loved before, yes." Cobia affirmed with a smile. "I have, you have, Willow has, Carmine has, Riptide has, I'm sure even Winter has in one way or another, although I'd wager he'd never tell anyone."

Hearing his name get brought up, Moonwatcher finally remembered about the dragon she had flown here for in the first place. Winter?... She thought back to the last day she had seen him at the academy, when he had said his goodbyes to join the Talons of Peace. She always knew that she had hurt him with her choices, but even on that day as he flew away towards the mountains she couldn't make out his true emotions underneath his Icewing face. But the recent weeks with this new Winter showed that they were there, buried beneath the surface. Maybe there was more truth to Cobia's words than she had thought. "Yeah… I suppose so."

Cobia stood there for a few seconds, watching her as she reached to return back to her work, before speaking up again. "Why don't you call it a day here? I can handle finishing up today's chores."

Moonwatcher blinked in surprise, looking over to him with confusion. "Already? But there's still so much more to do."

"Moonwatcher, as much as you like helping out- and I appreciate that you do, I think a bit of fresh air would be good for you." The Seawing stated, before gesturing to the library. "These scrolls aren't going anywhere, you know that. They'll be here for you tomorrow, and believe me I'm sure I could find plenty more work for you to do. For now though I think you should take the day off. Sitting in the dark alone never helped anyone you know."

Moonwatcher huffed, looking at the pile of scrolls on the ground to be sorted. "... What if this is how I help myself feel better?" She defended. She knew he had her best intentions in mind, she saw that for herself, but part of her still backed away from the idea of dealing with the bustling village.

Cobia chuckled softly. "Trust me on this one, from someone with experience okay? I know it's easier to be in here and keep your talons busy, but being out and about will help you feel better as well. It is a nice day after all, especially so late into fall. Besides, being around other dragons will help too, even if you don't speak to any of them. Try to enjoy the day a little bit while you can, okay?"

Moonwatcher tapped her talons on the floor, before looking over at the mess she had made beside the shelf. "Are you sure you don't need any more help?"

Cobia nodded in affirmation. "I can handle it for a day. I'd feel a lot better knowing you're not stuck in here right now. Go and enjoy the fall while you still can, the winters around here sneak up faster than you think." He said with a good-natured smile.

Moonwatcher could see in his mind that there was little use arguing against him. In the end, she had to reluctantly admit that he might have a point. Besides, there were other things she still needed to take care of that day apart from lurking in the dark library. She wanted to check out one of the stalls that caught her fancy on the way over, and she had promised Winter she'd swing by and check on their progress with the house. Her house. That was still a concept she was getting used to. Moonwatcher shook off the thoughts, before taking a breath. "Alright. If you say so. I'll try to take it easy today."

"I do say so." Cobia shot back with a smile. "Go and enjoy Sanctuary for me, m'kay?" He said, before beginning to turn around to return to his previous tasks, ending their conversation with a soft hum.

Moonwatcher watched as the Seawing started walking away, his scarred tail trailing carefully behind him, before calling out, "Hey Cobia?" She saw him turn around, giving her an inquiring look. "... Thank you. For, well, everything."

Cobia dipped his head. "It's what we do around here, is it not? Sanctuary is a town of misfits. It's up to us to watch each other's backs." He said, before continuing his walk to the study.

Moonwatcher blinked, finding herself standing in the aisle with a pile of unsorted scrolls still resting at her paws. She let out a small huff, before picking up the scrolls and setting them at a table near the end of the shelves. Despite his reassurance she still felt bad about leaving her work unfinished for him to pick up, but she had to admit that after the kind of conversation they had she was almost looking forward to being out in the cool autumn air. She picked up her pouch that she had left hanging behind the front desk, and with dexterous claws, clipped it comfortably over her neck. She looked around for Cobia one last time, but the Seawing was nowhere to be seen. Most likely snuck back to his office. She thought with a slight smile, before stepping back out into the streets of Sanctuary.

True to his word it was indeed a nice day outside, at least by late fall standards. There were a few clouds littered over the horizon, perhaps foreshadowing coming rains, but the air was crisp and the sun still cast warm light over the town. Moonwatcher took a deep breath in, filling her lungs with cool wind, before turning over to head in the direction of the town square. She had a Winter to hunt down, and a marketplace to browse through, and both of those started with the center of town. Then she faltered, as her gaze wandered down the road, settling right upon the place she had stood between two other dragons just a week prior.

There was nothing that marked the spot; no light post, no signs, no pawprints, no brick out of place, but she still knew exactly where it had happened nonetheless. Even after the week that had passed, the moment still played itself over and over in her mind. The memories of that day lingered like haunted spirits, and if she looked hard enough she could almost envision the two dragons left in that ill-fated spot on the road, like echoes of the past…

In that moment, life didn't feel real to Moonwatcher. Like she wasn't fully there. Just a part of someone else's story. She watched as Qibli disappeared over the mountains, and suddenly the finality of the situation truly washed over her. He was gone. Whatever bond they used to have, whatever emotions they shared, whatever threads of the future used to lay between them, it was all gone. Severed. There was no rewind, no do-over, no second try. What had happened happened, and it wouldn't ever happen again. Whatever was between them was never coming back.

Moonwatcher took in a sniffling breath. In a way, she knew it was what she wanted. That's why she had asked him to meet face to face after all. She explained it herself, she told him in her own words exactly why she was ending things with him. She wasn't happy with him, she liked it better over here, she wanted a second chance with life outside of the desert. She knew she wasn't being irrational too; she had spent several days sorting out her feelings and thinking through why she felt them in the first place. It wasn't just a spur of the moment reaction. This is what she wanted. This is what was necessary for her own good. This was what would let her be happy.

So then why did it hurt so much?

Through fuzzy teary-eyed vision, Moonwatcher noticed the small crowd of dragons that had formed over the course of their encounter. Some pretended to pay attention to something else, subtly listening in while looking through stores. Some had stopped in their tracks to watch, either out of curiosity or concern. And some gave her wondering glances as they walked past, seemingly too busy to bother staying. Suddenly feeling very exposed, she drew her wings up tighter to her body, coiling her tail around one of her sides. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? It wasn't any of their business after all.

"Hey… Moon." Moonwatcher looked over to the voice, seeing Winter standing beside her, leaning down slightly to match her level. His words were soft for an Icewing, perhaps softer than she had ever heard from him before, as she watched him fight himself on whether he should be hiding the concern on his muzzle or not. He opened his maw to say something, before hesitating, as if getting caught among his thoughts. "I… Let's head back to the house, okay? I think- After all that's happened, I think it's probably for the best right now."

Moonwatcher found herself looking down at her talons for a moment, before giving a slow nod. "I'd… I'd appreciate that." She managed to force out through the burning lump in her throat. She had too much in her head to say anything more, nor did she even feel like trying in that moment. All she wanted to do was curl up alone and think about nothing at all. Or maybe think about everything. Or both. Or neither. She could barely tell what she wanted anymore.

Moonwatcher saw Winter look up to the gathering of dragons around them in various forms and watched as he gave a snort and a very pointed glare towards the onlookers, motioning them to leave with a dip of his head. If she had been in a more cognizant state of mind she would have been caught off guard at how quick the dragons were to take the hint and pull away from the two, but as it was she found that she was just thankful for the newfound privacy. The last thing she wanted was the prying eyes of the town looking down at her as she struggled not to crumble completely.

Moonwatcher reached a paw up to wipe her welling tears away as she saw the Icewing nod over the direction of his hut, and she stood up on unsteady paws. Winter looked over her with uncertainty, and vaguely Moonwatcher caught a glimpse of conflict in his eyes. The town leader reached out his wing, pausing for the briefest of moments as if doubting himself, before settling the membrane over her back. It felt chilly to her, as if she had been covered by a blanket of frost, but in that moment she found that she almost welcomed it. Winter tilted his head down to her, a gentleness in his gaze that she had yet seen from him before. "C'mon, let's go… I'll make some tea for you once we get to the house, okay?"

A burst of wind whisked her out of her thoughts as she caught a breath she didn't know she was holding, the Nightwing finding that she hadn't budged from her spot in the street. Moonwatcher flicked her tail and growled softly, forcing herself to start taking steps towards the town center. Three moons… Why can't I just get rid of it for good? Throughout the week Moonwatcher had decided upon the simplest route towards getting over the events of that day, which was to force Qibli out of her mind as much as possible. For the most part it worked, by her definition at least. Whenever she'd notice a thought trailing over to memories of him she'd cut it off, and whenever mention of relationships were brought up she'd quickly change the subject. But every once in a while a thought would sneak through, and the emotional dam she had built would shatter into a flood of turbulent fragmented feelings. And then before she knew it she was right back where she started; lost, hurt, a vulnerable shell of uncertainty.

Moonwatcher huffed and picked up her pace. She needed to find Winter, Riptide, or even just anyone at this point, someone to just listen to and ground herself back into the village she was walking through. For once she felt like the streets were too empty, nothing to distract her from her recent predicaments. As she retraced her steps back to the town square she bounced back and forth between what she wanted to start with first. Ultimately she decided that while she did indeed still want to check out the weird stall she had noticed earlier, seeing how the construction went was more important. Maybe it'll actually make this whole thing seem more real. She found herself wishfully thinking in her mind. Besides, there was a good chance she'd be able to catch Winter there, or at the very least the stern looking Skywing she had noticed around projects who might know where he was.

It turned out that finding her new house in the first place was the hardest part of her decision. Despite her time in the town and the directions Winter had mentioned off-handedly a few days ago, she still found it difficult to navigate through all the different coiling streets of Sanctuary. The town almost seemed like it was originally built with no goal or future-proofing in mind, roads intersecting at weird angles and buildings strewn around with no real organization within them. The town center itself was particularly chaotic, with shops right next to homes and workshops beside grocery stalls. As Moonwatcher walked through the center of Sanctuary she couldn't help but admire how there was enough coordination to even have an open square in the first place. The further away from the market she got the more cohesive the structure became, with property being placed with a sense of purpose, as if whoever was in charge of the expansions finally started taking consideration on how it actually affected the town's layout.

But eventually after many wrong turns down roads that lead back to themselves, Moonwatcher finally found herself heading in what she assumed was the right direction. It was a road near the outskirts of Sanctuary, and towards the end where the street grew empty the beginnings of a hut seemed to be taking shape, with lumber framing set down upon the ground. Roped fencing was placed around the construction site, designating the area being worked on, and even now Moon could see a handful of dragons over in the plot, helping out with the effort. As she got closer she noticed most of them were sitting by the construction materials, with fruit or fish or deer in their claws, seemingly taking a break from their labor. A flash of icy white caught her eye though, and as she looked harder she realized not everyone was eating their lunch. Is that Winter?...

The Icewing was standing in the middle of the framing, pulling a sheet of lumber into place with a frosted huff of effort, trying to arrange the layer in whatever position he was striving for in his mind. As he nudged it over an inch and reexamined the placement he spotted the Nightwing stepping up to the edge of the site and turned over to her. "Moon? What are you doing over here?"

Moonwatcher noticed as a couple of the other dragons glanced over to them across their lunch, but they quickly returned to their subtle banter after seeing it didn't require their attention. She shook the surprised expression that had crossed her face and gave him a slight smile, albeit a little forced given the context of her morning. "Hey Winter. Just wanted to check and see how this whole thing was turning out. You told me I should stop by whenever I got the chance so… Here I am." She finished, twitching her tail as she realized how awkward she had sounded.

Winter gave her a look of confusion as he stood atop wooden beams, before understanding crossed his muzzle as he remembered what she meant. "Oh right, I suppose I did. I didn't expect you to come over so soon though if I'm honest." He carefully navigated between columns as he freed himself from the hut, walking closer up to where Moonwatcher stood, separated by the roped fence. "As you can see we haven't exactly gotten much done yet." He pointed out, gesturing over to the plot of land as a whole. "You're welcome to look around the area though or ask anything about the design, if you want. It's nothing that special; we try to build most of the huts very similar. But if there's anything you are curious about I could probably help." He paused for a second before adding, "...We could probably even alter some things for you if there's some parts you're not happy with, as long as it's not too dramatic."

Moonwatcher glanced around, taking in the scenery of her to-be living arrangement, before she finally registered the offer Winter had made. "Oh, no no, I'm sure it's fine." She replied quickly. "I'm sure however it turns out I'll be more than content with it. I'm just glad that it's a bit further from the rest of town more than anything." She admitted with a relieved breath. "It's a lot less overwhelming than what's in the middle of town."

"I kind of expected you would appreciate that actually." Winter replied with a hint of a smile. "I couldn't imagine you ever being happy surrounded by so many dragons all the time."

An agreeing nod was the reply Moonwatcher gave to him, before her thoughts turned to a different topic. "I didn't realize you actually… Y'know, worked on the construction yourself."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Winter asked with a tilt of his head. "I told you I was going to be working on it after all, didn't I?"

Moonwatcher tapped her talons together, trying to figure out how to word what she was thinking. "I mean, yes, you did, I know, but… I guess I just didn't expect you to actually do some of the construction? I thought you meant for oversight or administration stuff or something like that."

"What, you think because I was royalty that I wouldn't like to get my talons dirty?"

Moonwatcher blinked at the sudden response, looking at Winter in surprise. It seemed like such a pointed thing to say, and from the Icewing's expression alone she couldn't make out whether he was serious or not. "I- Well…" She stumbled over words, trying to piece together a response.

Luckily she didn't have to, as Winter seemingly noticed her hesitation and gave a slightly amused snort before saying, "Relax, I'm not mad at you Moon. I was merely poking fun." After a slight pause though he added, "Although I'm sure I'm not that far from the truth now, am I?"

"That's not what I meant." Moonwatcher started, feeling as if she had to at least defend his point in some way. "It's just that, well… you weren't exactly a talons-on kinda dragon when you were at the academy. What changed?"

Moonwatcher saw Winter think carefully over the question, slowly opening his muzzle as he began. "Well, I suppose it all started when I first built up Sanctuary. You're right, I wasn't the kind of dragon who liked doing laborious tasks. I was… Well I was born as a stuck up prince after all, wasn't I? Of course I hated doing work." Moonwatcher noticed the Icewing's expression harden at his own words, before he took a deep breath and seemed to shake it off. "When I joined up with the Talons of Peace and started piecing together the idea of Sanctuary, that had to change. As hard as I tried, there weren't any dragons that interested in working on this weird fantasy of mine for free. If I wanted to make this scavenger thing a reality I was going to have to do it myself. So in a way I had to become a talons-on kind of dragon."

Moonwatcher took in his words and pondered over them for a moment. It made sense; after all she remembered how driven he had always been about scavengers. But still… "I can understand that I suppose. If you want something so unique done it's best you do it yourself, especially since no one's done it before." To which Winter dipped his head. "However… even the everyday town stuff? Don't you already have a construction crew now that the town is here?"

The Icewing let out a little puff of frosted air before nodding towards the skeletal building. "This house is as much a part of Sanctuary as the scientific outpost, is it not?" Before Moonwatcher could come up with an answer Winter continued. "It started as just the scavenger experiment, that much is true, and I'm sure it's no surprise that it was a very painstaking process. But, even if I am nothing but an… ex-prince, I still can find enjoyment in working on something and watching it grow. I enjoy watching Sanctuary grow, and this is my way of giving back to it. Just because I was here first doesn't make me more superior than those dragons over there." He said, flicking a tail to the unaware bunch, seemingly in the middle of pulling a prank on the Skywing in the group. "If Sanctuary needs a new house, I will help it build a new house."

Moonwatcher opened her muzzle to say something, before discovering that she couldn't really find something to say in the first place. She had been given more than a handful of days to become reacquainted with Winter, and she had learnt quickly that he wasn't the dragon she remembered him as, but even now she was still constantly taken aback by little actions of his. Sanctuary seemed as if it was truly special to Winter, something that he cared about more than anything in Pyrrhia, and it was more than evident day by day. She could never imagine the old Winter setting down flooring or handling political affairs, and yet here he was in front of her doing just that, and enjoying it. All because of a town he never even expected to lead.

After letting the silence settle long enough, Winter spoke up. "So… Would you like me to show you around the house a bit?" He glanced over to the makeshift frame of wood that vaguely took the form of a hut before adding, "Well, what little we have of it at least."

Moonwatcher tried to shake off the thoughts that had filtered into her mind, nodding with what she hoped was enthusiasm. "Well I came over here for a reason, didn't I? Lead the way tour guide, heh."

The Nightwing could have sworn she saw Winter's smile grow at her words, before beckoning him over. As Winter talked over the various features, ranging from the intricate layout of her house to the infamous support beam every crew member had stubbed their talon on, Moonwatcher found herself looking at the Icewing more than her own hut. He seemed so comfortable, so proud and content, as if for once he finally found what he was good at. Sanctuary wasn't just a town or a job, it was his home. He was right; he had finally found his place after all.

The more she thought about it though, the less Moon felt as if she could say the same. Even though she had found a place to stay, even though she had Winter helping her get settled down, even though she was in a place better than she had been in a year, she still felt so lost. Sure she was helping out with the library, but there were only so many scrolls to fix, only so many shelves to organize. It all began to lead to a question, a question in her mind that had been slowly worming into her head since she crash-landed in Sanctuary:

What is my place?