Ferret

"Have you heard of any LeafWing named Foxglove?" Hope asked the shopkeeper at Winter's Stones.

"A LeafWing?" Asked the SilkWing in disgust. "Why would you be looking for a LeafWing?"

Ferret sighed. "She's not like the others. She lives in Yellowjacket Hive. We want to make sure she's okay," he added quietly.

The SilkWing shrugged. "Sorry. I don't know anyone. I hope your friend's okay!" He sighed. "I wish this war would be over already. The HiveWings can get the old LeafSilk kingdom for all I care, as long as we get the bottom half of Pantala and the LeafWings get the top half. Everyone wins."

"Yes," Hope said kindly. "But Queen Pygmy, Queen Achillea, and Queen Chalcid can't seem to wrap their heads around that."

The SilkWing scoffed. "You can say that again. Queen Pygmy wants to own the area inside the Hives, the entire area under the Hives, and the ring of land around the Hives."

"She does?" Ferret asked. "How do you know?"

"I hear a lot of gossip," the SilkWing explained, boxing the jewelry Ferret had bought while Hope was getting fresh food. He was planning on surprising her and Foxglove on their birthdays. He had gotten ten pearl and crystal strings to hand on the entrance to his room for himself.

"Come on," Hope said. "We still have to get bread."

Ferret enthusiastically agreed. Then he blushed, hoping he didn't look like a total idiot in front of Hope.

"I have something for you," Ferret said, reaching into his bag.

Hope smiled. "You didn't have to do that."

Ferret shrugged. "Well, I did." He pulled out the crystal necklace he'd gotten for her, white with a hint of pink to match her scales.

"It's beautiful!" Hope said, beaming at him. "Thank you!"

As they walked to the bakery, Ferret noticed something strange. A loaf of bread sticking out of Hope's bag. Why would she be bringing him to get more?

His question was answered when they got to the store.

"Happy birthday to you," the baker, Anvil the SeaWing, sang. A few of Hope's SilkWing friends came out from behind the stall. "Happy birthday to Ferret, happy birthday to you!"

Ferret gasped. He had forgotten! Anvil pulled out a cake frosted in white icing.

"Thank you!" Ferret exclaimed.

Anvil laughed. "Thank her." He pointed at Hope. "She roped us all into this."

Ferret smiled at her. "Thank you, Hope. You didn't have to do this."

"But I did!" She winked at him. He hugged her. "It's your birthday," she said. "You don't have to hug me!"

Ferret pulled away, laughing.

Hope jumped. "I almost forgot!" She reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped package. She handed it to Ferret, grinning.

Ferret opened it up and gasped. "It's beautiful!" It was a jeweled statue of a ferret, covered in twinkling diamonds and onyx.

Hope smiled. "You like it?"

Ferret nodded happily.

"I wish Foxglove could've come," Hope said. "But I'm sure we'll see her soon."

While Ferret cut the cake and took the first slice, Hope handed out flowers to all the guests, and a few other pedestrians walking by. Most kindly took a flower, but a few stuck-up HiveWings and SilkWings refused pointedly, after all, 'flowers will wilt.' Hope looked hurt when they turned her down. Ferret tried to give her encouraging smiles. Sometimes, she really was too sweet for this world.

One stuffy HiveWing straight-up plucked the flower from Hope's talon and crushed it under his foot. Strangely, the little SilkWing didn't seem to be bothered by it. Ferret sighed. She was finally seeing how cruel dragons could be.

The war had taken so much from everyone. Why couldn't they get along?

It was the death bell that woke Ferret. She bolted up, fear coursing through his veins.

"Hope?" He asked, running downstairs, ready to freeze any MudWings he might see.

"Ferret!" There was terror and grief in the SilkWing's eyes, and tears spilled down her snout. She hiccuped. "Anvil a-and everyone at the p-party are d-dead," she sobbed. "A-and a f-few HiveWing nobles."

Ferret felt the world start to spin. He grabbed onto the railing to steady himself. "No," he whispered.

Someone was targeting him.

And people he loved were going to get hurt because of it.

⊰ ꩜ ⊱

A/N

0-0 oooh, dun dun dun. anyway, my co-writer is back from camp :D