Warnings
Stoneshine and Azalea arrived at the center of the town, where the Talons of Peace was located, a little past midday. The structure was made of stone, like the rest of the first buildings built. Large windows covered the walls, letting in large streams of light. There was one big room with stairs at the very back leading up to another floor. A low desk sat in the middle of the giant room with a few talking dragons surrounding it. Other dragons were scattered across the room working on their own scrolls.
Along with the architecture, Stoneshine noticed that to the left, Finch was being yelled at by an older SkyWing. It was pretty hard to miss. The other dragons did not seem to notice or care, which led him to believe this was a frequent situation. Finch looked crestfallen and did not raise his eyes to look at the elder dragon. Stoneshine looked to Azalea who was also watching the scene with a concerned expression. He felt his own face mirror hers.
Whispering, Stoneshine said to Azalea, “That’s Finch. He was on guard duty when I arrived yesterday.”
“Should we interrupt them to save him, or let them finish?”
Stoneshine did not know. Luckily, before they had a chance to make a decision, the angry SkyWing stormed away from Finch. He stalked past where Stoneshine was standing and exited the building through the large doorway. Stoneshine thought he had heard the dragon muttering under his breath about young dragonets and carelessness.
He led Azalea over to where Finch was now sitting, alone. “Hi, Finch,” he said, trying to quell his anxiety. Being in a building he’d never been in before and just witnessing a verbal fight had put him on edge. The peach dragon jumped and turned his head to gawk at them, startled.
“Oh, hello. Stoneshine, right?” Finch asked, hiding his embarrassment with a smile. Stoneshine could hear Finch’s voice waver, however, underneath the facade he was putting on.
“Yeah, and this is Azalea.” He nodded to his left, where she was standing.
“It’s very nice to meet you. Are you okay?” Azalea asked. Guilt rose in Stoneshine, Azalea had been saying ‘Are you alright’ a lot recently, mostly because of him. He hoped he wasn’t being a burden or too much trouble.
“Oh, yes, I’m okay. Believe it or not, this is a common occurrence,” Finch responded, laughing. He had laughed but Stoneshine could tell it didn’t meet his eyes. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, he let it be. “What brings you here? Anything I can help with?”
“Actually, yeah.” Stoneshine tried to say more but his mouth wouldn’t move. Discreetly, Azalea pressed the side of her wing against his own. With a sudden boost of courage, Stoneshine asked Finch if anyone by the name of Honorbringer had entered the town within the last two days.
“Let me go look at our records, I’ll be just one second,” Finch assured them before walking to the desk in the middle of the room, a bit more lively than how they found him.
“He looked very happy to help,” Azalea said with a kind smile. Stoneshine looked down at his claws. “Are you nervous?“ his friend asked him.
“It’s okay, really, you don’t need to check up on me all the time,” he said. Azalea looked taken aback at first but then twisted into disappointment.
“I’m sorry. Do you not like it? I’ll stop if it bothers you,” she replied.
Stoneshine sighed with regret and shook his head, guilt ripping at his heart. He didn’t mean what he had said. “Don’t be sorry, I’m sorry. I appreciate you checking up on me, I just don’t want to be a bother.”
In response, she curled her tail around his and softly said, “Don’t worry. We’re friends now, this is what friends do.”
Stoneshine’s heart skipped a beat. Friends. Did he really have a friend? A bright smile broke out on his face. Azalea laughed and he couldn’t help but notice that he really liked the sound of it.
Finch returned shortly after with no worrying news. “No dragon of that name has talked to a guard at any of the entrances,” he explained.
“Will you let one of us know if someone does?” Azalea questioned, sounding just as relieved as Stoneshine felt.
“Of course! I'm here to help. In fact, if you ever need anything else, I’m here. Or I'm on guard. Wait, where would I find you guys if this dragon does come up?”
“I’ll come here every day to check.” Stoneshine’s determination shone and he surprised himself. “And I’ll come with you,” Azalea added.
Finch interrupted their quiet smile, “Sorry guys, I have to go fix a mistake I made. That thing Summit was so upset about…” he muttered. He took a deep sigh dramatically, showing that he really didn’t want to do it. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow, bye!” And with that, Finch strolled to the front desk to collect another scroll from the secretary.
After they left the building, Azalea insisted on showing Stoneshine all of her favorite vendors. She explained how sometimes she trades the wild berries she picks in the clearing, or her silk, for goods and services. He had been fascinated by her silk, asking one thousand questions until she had to shush him. So far she had acquired a woven basket, a mango from the rainforest, and a tour of the town. She used the knowledge she got from the tour to lead her very own. She pointed out the newest builds, the oldest ones, the healing clinic, the orphanage and daycare (which had a bunch of young dragonets peering through the windows), as well as spouting many facts. Stoneshine enjoyed the new scents and colors, and he was able to enjoy it this time, thanks to having someone able to give him support when he was overwhelmed.
They didn’t get anything from any vendors because they had nothing to trade, but Stoneshine felt as if his pockets were heavy with gold. Azalea made him feel that way. Many times during her long speeches about the construction of buildings he caught himself feeling intense gratitude and admiration toward her.
When the sun began to set, Stoneshine had nowhere to stay. Azalea, who had been sleeping in a web she made in the clearing, invited him to stay there as well. He gladly accepted.
They made it back to the clearing as the moon was rising, turning the dusky orange sky a midnight blue speckled with stars.
Azalea yawned. “Clearsight, I am so tired. I can almost hear my web calling to me,” she joked.
“Don’t even get me started,” Stoneshine said, stretching his wings. “I'm going to head over there,” he pointed to the tree line on the opposite side of the clearing from Azalea’s web, “and find a nice spot of moss or mud.” Before he turned and walked away, he wished her goodnight. He had only gotten a few steps before the pink dragon lit in silver called out to him. “Hey, if you have another nightmare… feel free to wake me. I truly don’t mind, okay?”
“Okay,” he reluctantly answered.
Luckily, no nightmares sullied his sleep. That morning he remarked that he slept like a young dragonet, which he hadn’t done since he left for the war. A spark of hope lit deep inside of him. He was making friends and his nightmares were lessening. Was he finally going to be able to live a happy life full of freedom?
When the sun was at its highest point in the sky, Stoneshine and Azalea arrived at the Talons of Peace’s headquarters. Instead of the bright, cloudless sky that was yesterday, clouds dotted the blue. They occasionally blocked the sun’s rays, shedding darkness over the town.
As soon as the two dragons entered the room, Finch raced towards them. A sinking feeling filled Stoneshine and he immediately expected the worst. His heartbeat quickened and his talons began to move without him telling them to. Finch did not bring world-destroying news, he was just extremely happy to see them. “Hiya guys! You came at the perfect time. I just finished looking over the last guard shifts’ logs. No Honorbringer to be found!” Before anyone could let out a sigh of relief, the peach dragon continued on. “You wouldn’t believe how busy it is today though.”
Stoneshine could believe, actually, for it was much louder inside the stone structure than it was the day before. “I have so many assignments which my advisor, Summit, is not happy about. He’s convinced I’m going to fail every single one! He might be right, I don't think I have time to do it all.”
“Well, as thanks for helping us out, we can help you with one of your tasks,” Azalea offered, glancing over at Stoneshine to ask if it was okay. He nodded.
“Oh thank the moons, you’re a lifesaver! I have a super simple job, all you have to do is deliver a letter to the orphanage and daycare. One sec— let me get it.” Finch then ran to the far back right corner where a stack of scrolls lay, picked one up, and ran back to them. “Here,” he said as he handed it to Stoneshine. The seal was purple with the image of two talons holding each other. “It should be a fairly quick mission. Ooooo a mission! That’s a fun way to think of it!” Stoneshine and Azalea laughed with Finch.
“Okay, thanks again for looking for my uncle,” Stoneshine said to Finch.
“No problem!” Finch waved at them as they left.
Stoneshine did not remember where the orphanage was located and asked Azalea if she could direct him. After a small, lighthearted teasing, she agreed. They followed the stone path that connected the main buildings until they reached the tall gray structure. Like the Sanctuary’s center building, it was made of stone, signaling that it was one of the first buildings built.
The two messengers stood before the scratched, beaten up wooden door. Stoneshine raised his talon to rap on the wood, but hesitated. He could feel his heartbeat race once again and his tail swayed back and forth quickly. Anxiety flared through his chest as he imagined multiple scenarios where he stumbled over his words and made a fool of himself.
“Do you want me to do it?” Azalea asked, concern slipping into her voice. He nodded, allowing her to gently take the scroll from his talons. With horror, he realized he had dented the parchment from gripping it too tightly. A seed of shame lodged itself in his brain.
Just before the pink dragon’s knuckles could make contact with the door, it was thrown open and three dragonets raced out, one after the other. “Woah,” Azalea gasped as she was pushed backward. Laughs rang from the small multicolored group as they chased each other down the road.
A small IceWing dragonet came into view of the startled dragons. “Excuse me,” Azalea called out, trying to capture the white dragonet’s attention. The dragonet heard and paraded towards Stoneshine and Azalea. His grey eyes widened when he saw the letter clasped in Azalea’s talon and opened his mouth wide to shout.
“Amphitrite! The Talons of Peace are here,” he bellowed, quite loud for a small dragonet. A cobalt SeaWing appeared in the doorway. “Oh moons, Ibris, I’ve told you not to open the door for strangers,” she scolded. She then flashed a frazzled smile at the waiting dragons. “Hurry along now,” she told Ibris while lightly pushing him out of the way. “I’m so sorry for this mess, it’s quite chaotic today. You’re with the Talons?” She asked, looking quite distracted. Her head kept swiveling to look at something beyond what Stoneshine could see.
“Well… not quite… but we have a letter from them for the person in charge of the orphanage and daycare, is that you?” Azalea questioned.
“Yep, that’s me!” Amphitrite looked proud, lifting her chin just an inch or two in pride.
Azalea handed the scroll over to the awaiting SeaWing. With ease, Amphitrite used her claws to tear the seal in half and unrolled the scroll. As she quickly read the scroll her forehead furrowed and she let out a deep sigh. “I hate to ask this of you but do you mind waiting here while I write another letter back to the Talons of Peace? I don’t have time today or really any day to leave the premises,” she grumbled.
“Of course! That’s not an issue. Our names are Azalea and Stoneshine, if you need them,” Azalea told the SeaWing with a bright smile. Stoneshine was glad his friend was dealing with the stressed dragon instead of himself.
“Come on inside, you can wait outside my office,” Amphitrite said, moving out of the way to allow the dragons to enter. The SeaWing began to walk to her office with Azalea and Stoneshine following. Dragonets were running to and fro which resulted in many shouts from Amphitrite. “Sorry about that,” she kept repeating, directed at her guests. After going through a few hallways and a dining hall, they finally arrived at a locked door near the back of the building.
Amphitrite pulled out a metal key that she kept in a pouch on her left wrist. “I’ll just be a few minutes,” she said as she walked through the doorway into the room. Stoneshine nodded, trying to look official. When the door shut Stoneshine was left alone with Azalea in a strange new building. Through the silence, he could hear shrieks and giggles from very young dragonets playing.
A pitter-patter sound of claws on stone echoed in the air. Out from behind a corner came Ibris. Stoneshine waved to the dragonet kindly. Ibris looked away, shy, but kept advancing toward the older dragons.
“Hey, your name is Ibris, right?” Azalea asked with a smile, looking down at the white dragonet. “My name is Azalea,” she added after Ibris nodded.
“And I’m Stoneshine,” the brown dragon told the white. Stoneshine racked his brain for a few minutes wondering if he used the right tone.
“Are the Talons going to send more help for Amphitrite?” The dragonet’s eyes were large with curiosity and genuine selflessness— Stoneshine thought they looked like full moons. Stoneshine looked over at Azalea and they shared a look of worry.
“Does Amphitrite need more help?” Azalea asked.
The dragonet whispered something too quietly for Stoneshine to hear. He didn’t know how to act around children, he’d never had to conversate with a dragonet before. When Azalea leaned down low so Ibris could whisper in her ear, Stoneshine was filled with admiration once again. He would have just asked Ibris to repeat himself. Azalea understood the dragonet, donned the right facial expressions, and used the exact needed tone of voice.
The door behind them opened and Amphitrite began to step out of the room saying, “Sorry that took so long, I had to decide between being aggressive or going straight to pleading–” She stopped when she saw Ibris. “Ibris, love, what have I told you about pestering guests?”
Ibris looked down sheepishly. Azalea put a determined look on her face and turned to the caretaker. “Amphitrite, If you don’t mind, and the letter can wait a few hours, I was wondering if I could stay and help out with the dragonets,” she said. Stoneshine noticed that Azalea didn’t refer to him as well. She was leaving an opening for him to leave if he wanted to. He appreciated it but he didn’t want to run away from something, especially something that could help other dragons, just because it was new and scary. “I’ll stay too,” he added.
Amphitrite looked shocked at first but was overtaken quickly by joy and appreciativeness. A warm smile spread on her face as she thanked them continuously. “I have just the job for you, it shouldn’t be too hard, follow me.” She led them up a flight of stairs into a semi-large room containing various activities and about ten dragonets ranging from ages one to four. “This is the free time room,” she explained. “It would be so much help if you could just keep an eye on these guys until I finish some paperwork.”
“It’s no problem,” Azalea said.
“It looks like you’ve got it taken care of up here, so off I go.” The SeaWing walked out of the room, lastly using her tail to swing the door shut behind her.
The youngest dragonets noticed the new dragons first and swarmed Stoneshine and Azalea. A thousand questions came at them all at once, their high voices mixing together like the calls of sea birds. Azalea quieted them with what Stoneshine thought must have been some magic. She announced to the room the situation and their names. Next, she had all the dragonets say their name and their favorite activity. Over the course of the next three hours, Stoneshine played countless games of tic-tac-toe, spinning top, and I-spy.
The overall experience was enlightening for him and he enjoyed it immensely. The kids were so creative and showed them their drawings and told him stories of faraway heroes with superpowers. His heart ached for them, he wished each one could have a loving family. He also couldn’t help but wonder what his life would have been like if he lived in a humane orphanage instead of with a hateful mother.
When Stoneshine and Azalea left, they took the scroll from Amphitrite and promised to deliver it promptly. They made their way back through the same winding paths which were now hidden in shadows. The falling sun was completely concealed by the western mountains.
An IceWing rushed past them and Stoneshine imagined that he was off on his way back home to his family where he would smother them in love like he had been gone for a century. Fantasies like that often frequented his mind. Stoneshine would see a random dragon and make up a life that the dragon might be living. The IceWing reminded him of the IceWing dragonet at the orphanage. “Azalea?” He asked, “What did Ibris whisper to you?”
“He just told me that he was worried for Amphitrite even though she told him not to be, and how he wasn’t supposed to be talking to us.” Azalea chuckled. “Apparently she’s really struggling to maintain the orphanage and daycare with the little help she has.” She sighed. “I wish I could do something to really change their lives, it’s not fair for them to be under such stress.”
“Maybe we could go back there and volunteer again, or get a job there,” Stoneshine suggested— He didn’t like to see his friend so upset.
“Really? Do you think so?” Azalea had an excited glint in her eye and she began to walk with a hop in her step.
“I know that if you want something, especially if it will help others, there’s no stopping you,” he replied.
As Stoneshine stepped through the wide opening he was ambushed by Finch.
“Where have you been?!” Finch almost roared at them. “I was worried sick, I thought something happened to you!”
“Happened to us? Why would something…” Stoneshine trailed off. One look at Finch’s distressed nature and he knew. Honorbringer was in Sanctuary.