What Lurks In The Shadows (WoF)

❄️ Chapter 16 - Mink ❄️

The IceWing dragonet ducked her head as a SkyWing whirled past. All she wanted to do was get out of this crowd.

Mink scrambled through dragonets, trying to be as graceful as she could. Finally, seeing light, she popped out of the side of the crowd and gasped with relief.

Without a sound, Mink hurried to her cave. It had been desolate, empty and overall less exciting since Dusky's metamorphosis started.

It was sad without him.

Dreary.

Mink sat at her desk, staring at the wood scraps and the utterly bad-looking carving of Dusky.

If only I had ice.

For once since she got to Jade Mountain, Mink wished she was back home.

The scene with Snowfall rang in her head endlessly.

"Mink? Mink!" Someone had called. Mink recognized the voice as her older sister, Queen Snowfall herself.

"Snowfall?" Mink gasped, running faster through the crowd.

She emerged and saw the pale blue scales of her sister. Mink had been relieved to see Snowfall, especially after everything that happened.

"Mink!" Snowfall ran towards her little sister, patting her on the head. "You're okay."

"Of course I am!" Mink retorted lovingly. But that feeling faded when Snowfall took a step back.

"I guess I'll be going now." The queen muttered.

"Why?" Mink asked. "Can't you stay for even a little longer?"

"Being a Queen has it's...drawbacks. I'm sorry." And with that, Snowfall dissapeared into the crowd.

Mink still couldn't believe it. She thought her sister would have been just a bit happy to see her.

Now Mink threw her talons onto the desk, wiping away all the wood scraps.

The desolate cave seemed larger now. The cave stretched out around Mink, making it seem like she was the only one in the whole mountain.

A buzzing sound made Mink turn her head. She notified Bumblebee by the entrance, her gaze sad.

"Mink? I was looking for you everywhere-" Bumblebee started, entering. Her wings buzzed nervously.

"What are you doing here?" Mink asked her. "What's wrong?"

"Everyone was with their families. With their parents." Bumblebee murmured. "I don't have that. Not even Cricket could make it in time."

"What about Luna?" Mink continued. Luna had been staying in the nurses' office for now. At least until Dusky was done his metamorphisis.

"She's too tired to care." Bumblebee scoffed. "Luna stayed up all night to watch after Dusky."

Mink was about to respond when more footsteps pattered towards the cave. Cliff and Peacemaker poked their heads forwards.

Mink waved with her tail before turning back to Bumblebee. "I'm sure it's fine. You still have us, right?"

Peacemaker caught on to the situation and nodded. "It's not like we'll go missing, right?" He turned to Cliff.

Before Cliff could respond, Mink's thoughts drifted. What if we do? Who would go looking for us?