Chapter Six

"Cinnamon, no!" Dawn cried from the sidelines.  Cinnamon held Emerald's gaze defiantly. 

"You can't do that," Emerald finally sputtered.  She turned to Leap.  "She can't do that.  Can she?"

Leap shrugged.  "All female betas and deltas are allowed to challenge the matriarch, so I guess she can."

"But she's only been a delta for a day," Emerald hissed.

"I still am one," Cinnamon growled.  "What's wrong, are you scared of me?"

Emerald bared her teeth.  "Of course not."  She drew herself to her full height.  "You'll make an easy victory."

Fear sparked deep inside of Cinnamon.  Emerald was almost twice her size, and an experienced fighter.  Cinnamon was basically a drakelet compared to her.  What have I gotten myself into? Cinnamon thought frantically, but there was no backing out now. 

Cinnamon decided to make the first move.  She leapt at Emerald, but the matriarch dodged swiftly.  Cinnamon adjusted her trajectory, landing so that she could roll straight to her feet.  Emerald shot at her with a snarl, slashing her claws into the death condor wound on Cinnamon's shoulder.  She lunged forward and snapped her jaws closed on Emerald's ear.  The matriarch roared and wrenched away with a horrible tearing noise.

Cinnamon spit Emerald's severed ear onto the ground and bared her teeth.  Panting, Emerald lunged for Cinnamon's legs, knocking the younger drake onto her side.  She jumped onto Cinnamon while she was down and wrapped both claws around her throat.  Cinnamon let out a strangled cry, her tail lashing like a snake on fire. 

"Cinn!" Moss's voice horrified voice cried from somewhere behind her.  Emerald's face was twisted into fury, dark blood dripping down her cheek.

This was it.  Cinnamon was going to die tonight, at the talons of her own matriarch.  She'd never be able to save that beautiful white drake or any of her friends.  It was over.

"That's enough," Leap boomed, suddenly standing between Emerald and Cinnamon.  Cinnamon gasped for air, holding her throat as she coughed roughly.  "No need to kill her.  Everyone can see that you've won."

Emerald shook out her fur and sat down, glaring at Cinnamon.  "You're banished," she hissed.  "If you're seen here again you'll be treated the same as any other intruder.  Now leave."

Cinnamon pulled herself to her feet.  "I don't know how well you can hear me with just one ear," Cinnamon growled coldly, "but this isn't the last time you'll see me.  I wasn't lying; I am going to help the Ashfall drakes, with or without you.  I'll do it alone."

"Not alone," Moss interjected, trotting up to Cinnamon.  "I'm going with you."

"You can't," Cinnamon murmured.  "I mean, you shouldn't give up your life for me."

"That's what friends do, right?" Moss asked.

"No.  Not most friends.  Just you."  Moss smiled.

"That's very sweet," Emerald said, "but I'd like both of you traitors to get out of my sight right now."

"Good luck," Leap said quietly as Cinnamon limped toward the outer edge of camp. 

"Are you okay?" Moss asked, ducking her head as they walked side by side.

"Yep.  Never been better," Cinnamon answered, trying to hide her limp.

"That was crazy," Moss said, glancing back toward the camp.  Her eyes shone in the dark.  "There better be a good reason behind all of this."

"There is," Cinnamon insisted, and explained her reasoning to her friend.  She told Moss about the starving drakes in Bluemist, and then the abused ones in Ashfall, and Blight's odd behaviour and how she tried to buy Cinnamon, and how Emerald didn't care enough to do anything.  By the end, Moss completely agreed.

"If it was me, I'd have done the exact same thing," she assured Cinnamon, and then bit her lower lip.  "Well... maybe not, but I'd want to.  That's for sure."

"Thanks for coming with me," Cinnamon said sincerely, feeling a glowing warmth in her heart. "Honestly, I just— you are the best, most loyal friend I could ever imagine and if one thing's certain it's that I'll always have you and—aw, crap, I think I might cry..." Cinnamon wiped her glistening eyes, laughing.

"You're gonna make me cry!" Moss yelped, hugging her. "Cinn, of course you'll always have me! I love you so much, more then anyone else!"

Cinnamon hugged her back, burying her face in Moss's shoulder. "I'm sorry for doing this to you," she sobbed.

"Cinnamon, no," Moss protested, shaking her. "Look, I'd rather be out here with you then back at camp without my best friend."

Cinnamon smiled. "Thanks." She wiped her eyes again. "Look at me now. An emotional mess. How dare you be such a great drake."

Moss laughed. "Come on, let's try to did a den. It gets cold at night."

About an hour later, Cinnamon was stretched out in a small den that she and Moss had dug into the side of a sand dune. Moss was tucked against her side, seemingly asleep. "I know you're not sleeping," Cinnamon informed her friend.

Moss lifted her head and blinked. "How?"

"You snore," Cinnamon laughed.

"I do not!" Moss shouted indignantly.

"You do too!" Cinnamon insisted.

"Whatever," Moss growled, flicking Cinnamon playfully with her tail. "Don't be giving me crap. You're still awake too."

Cinnamon sighed and rested her head on her paws. "I can't sleep," she admitted. "It's been quite a day."

"Yeah," Moss agreed. "... do you think we'll make it?"

"Of course," Cinnamon said, a little surprised. "What, don't you?"

"I don't know. There's a lot of danger out here. I mean, what if we can't find anything to eat?" Moss worried.

"Prairie drakes can survive for two months without food," Cinnamon assured her. "That's plenty of time to find something."

"Are we gonna join another pack?" Moss asked. "Or just remain deserters?"

"Hey, we aren't deserters. We were banished."

"So much better," Moss muttered sarcastically. "Outsiders, then. Will we stay outsiders or find another pack?"

"I... I don't know." Cinnamon sighed and turned her head away. "I'm sorry. I really don't know."