She felt something touch her talon and looked down. Holler was standing in the curve of Sunny’s wing, patting her talon in a way that seemed to say “don’t worry” and “it’s not the end of the world.”
“You’re brave and cute,” Sunny told her. “I wish I could keep you. If Glory can have a sloth, I don’t see why I can’t have a scavenger or two.” She glanced at Fluffy, who was edging closer, glancing up at her warily. “But it’s too dangerous. I’d feel terrible if one of you got hurt.”
She gave Holler a thoughtful look. These small, breakable scavengers were brave enough to fight or ride a dragon who could eat them in three bites.
Could I be that brave? Like, for instance … could I try to stop a war? Even if I don’t have a magical jewel or a mystical prophecy to back me up. Even if my friends decide not to help. Could I still do it?
Isn’t it important enough?
Why shouldn’t I try? So what if there’s no foretold destiny saying I have to. Shouldn’t I do it anyway, just because I want to?
But how? She tapped her claws on the ground, thinking.
“Yibble robble fnob?” Holler said. She pointed to Sunny’s shoulder again.
“Sorry, Holler. I don’t have time to take you for another ride,” Sunny said regretfully. “I have to go.” She shook out her wings and reached to scoop all the treasure back into the sack. She was a little bit tempted to let the scavengers keep it, but she had a feeling she could find some use for it — giving it back to the SandWings, perhaps.
“I’m going to find my friends and see if they’ll help me,” she informed Fluffy and Holler. “And then … then I’ve got a war to stop.”
She patted them each gently on their heads before gathering her wings to take off. As she sailed into the sky, she looked back and saw them waving. She wondered if she’d ever see them again. Maybe she could come back and look for them after the war was over.
The weather was with her this time, and she flew through the mountains much faster than she had on the way out, when she’d had to stop every time the NightWings rested or ate. She always ate light, so it didn’t take long for her to pause, catch and eat a squirrel or a lizard once a day, and keep flying.
So it was only two days later when she cleared the mountains and saw the rainforest ahead of her, illuminated by the rising sun beyond it. It looked so vast and green and peaceful. Sunny found herself caught by a moment of longing, a wish that she could just dive into those leaves and stay there forever. There would be enough to do, helping Glory rule the rainforest and organize the NightWings. It was beautiful and there was always enough food, and the RainWings were easygoing dragons to share a tree with.
The war would come here eventually, she told herself. Even the RainWings aren’t safe — we already know that from what the NightWings did to them. And between Scarlet and the three sisters looking for us, we probably aren’t safe anywhere either.
No hiding in caves. That’s my promise to myself. No hiding at all. When the world is all wrong, I’m going to be a dragon who does something about it.
Her nerves started to get the better of her the closer she got to the RainWing village, though. She kept picturing her friends’ faces — doubtful, kind but condescending, all “really? you, Sunny?” and “that is sweet, but now let’s be serious.” Her stomach was doing flips and spirals by the time she spotted the treehouses on the outskirts in the early afternoon, and she was almost tempted to turn around and fly away again.
What if they’re mad at me? she suddenly thought with another stomach lurch. What if everyone’s furious at me for running off? It had occurred to her to use the dreamvisitor while she was traveling, but she’d decided against it — she wanted to explain everything to her friends face-to-face.
A movement distracted her from her thoughts — something shifting, out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked she couldn’t see anything but dangling vines and bright orange flowers. Immediately she ducked and rolled, so the tranquilizer dart shot right past her and thudded into a tree trunk, startling several shiny blue frogs.
“It’s me!” Sunny shouted, twisting to wave her claws at the leaves around her. “It’s Sunny! I’m Queen Glory’s friend!” She held out her talons and spread her wings wide, hoping one of the hidden RainWings would remember her.
A face materialized on a nearby branch, his scales shifting from brown and green to dark purple. The dragon blinked a few times, looking more wary than most RainWings Sunny had ever met.
“The queen was looking for a little gold dragon,” said a voice behind Sunny, and another dragon emerged, this one shifting to the clementine orange of the flowers. “This could be her.”
“Shouldn’t we knock her out anyway?” asked the purple dragon. “Just to be safe? You know the queen keeps telling us to be more careful.”