Danielle was exploring the hall, when she nearly walked in to Canard. "Oh! Cana- Uh, I mean, c-captain." Danielle saluted (with the wrong hand). "Danielle. I was just coming to get you." he smiled then he noticed something. "You called me 'Captain'."

"Well, yes, I- aren't you?" Danielle stuttered, confused.
Canard grinned and shook his head. "No, it's fine. You just ... haven't, I guess." He paused, taking a closer look at her. "You, uh, clean up well."

"Oh. T-thank you..." Danielle looked at her boots. "Hey, I have a spare bunk in my dorm,' Canard replied. 'would you like to sleep there?" At first Danielle was not sure what to say. But after this time, she knew she could trust him. Besides, she didn't want to sleep alone or with someone else, after what she went through today. "I would like to Canard, thank you."

"Really?" Canard caught himself then cleared his throat. "Alright, this way." He lead her back down the hall he came from.

As they walked, Danielle watched the tan drake out of the corner of her eye. "You know," she started, her gaze returning to the ground, "We've met before."
Canard slowed his pace to look at her. "What? No, I'd remember," he insisted.
Danielle smiled knowingly. "Well, not officially. But we've crossed paths." She said recalling, the day she first saw him.

School Gatherings was probably either about rivalry, or about friendship. The two colleges in the city would get together to have a friendly Hockey game. "Let's play as friends and may the best team win." They would say. Danielle attended to be polite, but she brought school work with her. Before the game, Danielle heard a couple of students talking. "Hey, did you guys see that 'Canard' guy?"

"I heard he's got all the good grades."

"Dude, you should see how he plays!"

"Oh, he's so dreamy!"

"Yeah!"

"I wonder if he's single?"

"Wait, there he is!" The female ducks squealed excitedly, as mentioned drake skated forward, decked out in his Hockey Uniform. Their screams were loud, Danielle dropped her books to cover ears. The players all got into position, and a hush falls over the crowd. The puck drops... and the games begin!

'Our schools got together for a big game and there was a party... I don't remember most of it. But I did see you out there on the ice. You were... well, great. Really great." Danielle said, looking up at him. Canard was used to complements like that, but to hear them from a beauti- er...pretty girl like her...

"Heh, thanks," Canard finally answered, feeling an uncharacteristic blush forming under his feathers. He stopped at his bunk and typed in the pass code, letting the door slide open.
Danielle followed him in, taking a look at the twin-sized bunk bed in the otherwise tiny room.
Canard walked up to a small desk and upholstered his puck launcher. "Even captains have to sacrifice in a war," he lightly joked. "But it's a warm place to sleep at night, right?"

"Oh. Yes." Danielle then walked to the bunk bed and sat on the lower bunk. The mattress was firm, but comfortable. "Tell me about yourself Danielle." The female duck looked up in surprise. Canard was turned toward and looking interested. He really wanted to hear about her? But, she wasn't sure what to say. Her life might be boring to him, but she knew better than to just make stuff up. Honesty is it's own defense after all.

Danielle opened her beak to speak, closed it, and slightly frowned as she thought about the question some more.
Canard chuckled. "Would it help if I go first?"
She looked up at him and gave him a sheepish grin. "If you wouldn't mind..."
He shrugged, pulling out a nearby desk chair and sitting on it backwards, letting his arms rest on its tall backside. "Well, I grew up in DuCaine Metropolis as an only hatching."

"Wasn't that lonely?" Danielle wonders. "A little,' Canard replies 'but it's okay. I had Wildwing."

"Wildwing?"

"He moved to the city when we were very small. We got Snow Cream together one day, and we've been friends ever since. Played Hockey all the time after school. And told each other how we're best friends..."

"Sounds like he was a wonderful friend," Danielle commented, leaning forward from her seat upon the bunk bed.
"Best there ever was-is," Canard corrected himself, shaking his head. "I'm going to find him."
Danielle's eyes softened. "When's the last time you've seen him?"

"Almost a year, at least. " Canard let out a sigh. "Wing was with our folks, and we were on our lunch break when the invasion..." He couldn't finish. Danielle couldn't blame him. The day the Saurians invaded was the worst day anyone could ever live. "I just hope Wildwing and our folks are doing okay. Wildwing's a fighter even though he doesn't see it."

"Canard,' Danielle started ' we look out for each other. We all stand a chance of freeing Puckworld from the Saurians." Canard looked at her.
"Well' she continued.' I guess that's my brother talking."

The tan drake smiled. "He sounds like a smart guy."

"He is," Danielle agreed, "and I miss him." She felt her eyes glisten with forming tears and quickly turned her attention to the ground to try and regain her composure.
"I promise you I will get you back to him, and his family," Canard firmly said. Danielle hesitantly looked up and met his gaze, seeing the pure confidence in his expression.
"I know you will," she quietly stated. Clearing her throat a little, she leaned against the bunk bed frame. "So tell me more about this best friend of yours. Was he in college with you too?"

"Yeah.' Canard replied. 'He was gonna get a degree in engineering. Wildwing's a good guy. He's got a younger brother." Canard's face dropped some. "Nosedive is a complete nut. Always laughing or fussing over the smallest thing." Danielle was trying not to laugh. "Nosedive sounds like a fun guy."

"Oh you think, huh?" That did it. Danielle let out a giggle.

Canard glanced up quickly, but he couldn't help but chuckle along with Danielle-her laugh was infectious.(And to him, very cute.)
Her giggle resided and she said, "I'm sorry, but you do sound a bit ... grumpy, about him."
"He's a handful," Canard insisted, even while smiling. "But you just have to meet him to understand."
"I hope I get to meet them both one day," Danielle thoughtfully responded.

"You'd love them." Danielle thought for a minute. "Y'know, my nephews and my niece would love a friend like Nosedive." Canard smiled at her. "Oh?"

"Mm-hmm,' Danielle nodded.' Benny, Timmy, and Snowdrop. They're sweet kids, but rather independent for 6 year old's. Oh Canard, if they meet you and see how good you are at hockey, they would just beg for you to play with them."

Canard laughed. "I'm not that good. Now Wildwing, he's the best goalie around." The drake paused as something clicked, and he looked back to Danielle with wide eyes. "Wait, they're all 6? Like, they're triplets?"

"Oh. Yes.' Danielle replied. 'I was surprised myself." Canard shook off the surprise, but agreed."That's definitely rare. But it's great to have a big family like that."

Danielle hummed in agreement, but sighed. "Not so much these days, unfortunately."
Canard shook his head. "We're going to end this war, Danielle."
"How?" she responded. "We're so completely outnumbered.

"If we can take out Dragaunus' fortress' Canard explained, 'Puckworld will have a good chance."
"But how can we find the fortress?"

Canard looked away for a second, thinking. Eventually he brought his gaze back up to Danielle, his expression serious. "Can I trust you?"

Danielle looked at the doorway then looked back at Canard. " Yes." Canard stood up and walked to Danielle. " You can't tell anyone, okay?"
The female duck put her hand over her heart. "You have my word as an Angelwing."

Canard paused, and the two kept eye contact for a moment before the tan drake finally nodded. He bent down to the floor and pulled out a small box hidden beneath the bunk bed, Danielle shifted her legs out of the way at the same time. Then he pulled the lid open and carefully took out a golden mask.

Danielle looked at the mask with curiosity. Then a very strong feeling pooled into her stomach. "I-is that..?" "Drake DuCaine's mask? Sure is." Danielle's eyes were wide with wonder."How...' she whispered.' H-how did you find it?!"

Canard sat next to Danielle on the bunk bed, both of them staring at the mask in his hands.
"We had a lot of ancient text, hints towards its existence and where it was buried." He took a shaky breath, his hands tracing its edges. "We cracked the code and took a small team out, to this hidden temple within Twin Beaks." He glanced at Danielle. "It's going to help us win this war."

Danielle didn't know what to say. She looked at the tan drake. "A-are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Danielle gazed at the mask, she gently traced the end of beak with her index finger. If this is the key to winning the war, then Puckworld will be free again. She'll get to see her brother and her family again... Danielle looked at Canard. She felt tears come to her eyes. "Danielle?" Then, with a shaky breath, Danielle buried her face into Canard's chest, while putting her arms around his waist.

Canard was shocked, and he didn't respond right away. After a few moments' hesitation, however, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. The feel of holding someone else was overpowering, a comforting feeling he hadn't experienced in ages. He finally let himself relaxed into the hold, his head resting on top of hers.

The tan male breathed through his nostrils, and caught the female's scent. She smelled like Orange Blossoms. He breathed in again. "Hmm." he sighed with a small smile. "Canard..." Danielle said softly.

"Uh-huh?"

"Thank you. Thank you for everything today..."

He opened his eyes, pulling away from the female duck and clearing his throat. "Of course, Danielle." Standing up, he ran his fingers through the tuft of feathers on top of his head, the mask still in his other hand. "Uh, we should probably get some sleep."
Danielle, watching him, nodded shyly. "Right," she answered quietly.
The tan drake pressed a button on a nearby console, covering them both in darkness. He quickly climbed to the top bunk, giving himself a moment to shake off the feelings he had been feeling previously. "Good night," he finally said, his hand coming up to rub his face frustratingly. How had he let his guard down so easily?

"Sleep well." Danielle replied. She quietly took off her boots, and climbed under the covers. Danielle thought of the day she had, it started out rotten. But it turned out okay in the end, and she had Canard to thank for that. He had done a lot for her. It was the first time she had seen kindness in a stranger, it gave her a warm feeling of hope. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a snore above her. Canard had fallen asleep. Danielle just smiled, "Better than the Monitor Tower patrol.", she thought amusingly. After a yawn, Danielle drifted off to sleep.