Deathbringer just focused on breathing as he stared out at the rainforest.

The birds chirping, and the distinct sound of a nearby waterfall calmed him down immensely.

He loved the rainforest, that was a fact. He loved how it was so green and peaceful, and how he could depend on it without hesitation.

Deathbringer closed his eyes and let his muscles relax bit by bit.

He wouldn't think about Quickstrike, not until he was mentally ready.

The wood under his talons was sturdy, very unlike his life. He felt every crevice in it, every scratch and every line with his claws.

It had a curvy pattern, the lines went any way they wanted to. He really liked it.

Wow, who ever thought plain old wood was so fascinating?

There was a faint sound of talon-steps, and his heart fell when he realized who they belonged to.

He turned his back on her and played with his claws like he used to do when he was younger.

Instead of hearing a word from his mother, he felt her wings wrap around him.

Her cool scales were smooth and her touch was soft, gentle like a mother's usually is, as if she was scared he was going to pull away.

Deathbringer couldn't keep them in anymore. His tears fell from his eyes to his chin, and he turned around so that he was now facing Quickstrike.

She wasn't crying, but her dark purple eyes were watery and full of emotion.

Deathbringer didn't hesitate to hug her back with both his wings and arms.

He placed his head on her shoulder and sobbed.

That must have been the last straw for his mother.

She began to cry, and her wings squeezed him tighter.

"I'm sorry, Son. I'm so, so sorry."

They cried together as they held each other.

She's back. She's here with me. I won't let her leave again.

Quickstrike slowly pulled away but kept her talons on his shoulders.

"I didn't know... I swear by the moons I didn't know you were still alive. I only found out three months ago."

"Really? I just found out you were alive today," he answered mostly to help her out.

Quickstrike laughed a bit shakily and her claws roamed his face. Her eyes were looking into his, as if she thought that if she blinked, he would disappear.

"You've grown so much," she said simply.

Deathbringer shrugged and gave her a small smile. "I'm thirteen now, I'm an adult. I can't stay a dragonet forever, even if I wanted to."

He paused and looked away.

"I missed you..."

Quickstrike hugged him again, tighter than ever.

"I promise you, I'll never assume the worst ever again. I promise," she sobbed.

"Ha, I made a promise like that once. It was actually because of you," Deathbringer found himself blurting out.

His mother leaned back and wiped the tears on her face with the back of her talon.

"Really? What, what was your promise?" She asked with genuine interest.

Deathbringer hesitated, not wanting to open up too much. Sure, his mother was here, but what if she left again? He still didn't how or why she came back. He only knew it was because of him, but he still had many questions.

He heard Glory's laugh from inside the hut, and like always, it relaxed his very soul.

"I promised that I would never let my mission come first, that if I ever found another dragon to care about, I would risk my tribe if I had to," he admitted.

Quickstrike's head tilted to the side and it took her only a few seconds to figure it out.

"The RainWing," she guessed.

Deathbringer smiled as he remembered that fateful day when he met Glory.

"Yeah, she's just... everything to me now, Quickstrike."

There was a pained look in his mother's eyes when he said her name.

"Mom, you can call me, Mom. I never let you call me anything else back then because I never wanted you to get attached. I didn't want you to be the target if I ever did anything wrong," she said and gave him a daring look.

She didn't have to say anything else, her eyes spoke for themselves.

Don't oppose me.

The feelings cursing through his body and heart were just too good to be true.

He felt like a flipping RainWing for moon's sake. If they could, his scales would have already turned a neon pink.

So Deathbringer nodded and grinned.

"Of course, Mom."

They stood there in comfortable silence for a few moments.

There was still a small tension in between them, but it was much less than before.

His head was drowning in theories and questions, but he shoved them aside.

Right now, she was here.

Right now, he was with her.

Right now, his mother held him in his wings, just like how he always dreamed of as a dragonet.

Right now, he had a family.

——————————————————————

A chapter a little shorter than the rest but with a lot more meaning.

You guys have no idea how happy I am with how well this schedule is actually working. XD

Like I say every single time. THANK YOU!

This just reached 1k and I couldn't ask for more.

I love you all and never forget it!

Okie Dokie

I got a heart, and I got a soul. Believe me I... will loose them both.

-Sofi