Chaffin

Ice blast. Ice whip. Ice slip. Retract. Ice blast. Ice whip. Ice slip. Retract.

Chaffin moved smoothly into each stance as he muttered the words. They swept through his head, over and over and over again. Even if he had each of these moves down to an art, he always focused on getting better. Being stronger. Smarter. Braver. He had to be at the top of everything. He didn't know what "losing" meant. If he lost, he fought and fought until he won again. His fight never ended. He lost close friends because of this attitude. He decided he didn't need friends, or family for that matter. They'd abandoned him. If they didn't need him, he didn't need them. They were just dragging him down anyway, stopping him from being the best.

It didn't take long for this attitude to get Chaffin exiled. He was sold to another clan, who focused on rehoming dragons. Icewarden only knows how long he sat there, waiting, just waiting, for someone to look his way.

One cold day, however, two dragons stopped near him. A thin, pale Skydancer, with an old-looking book tied to his flank, and a strong-looking blue Pearlcatcher next to him. Chaffin watched them just as closely as they watched him. Only seconds passed, but it felt like years, the three dragons inspecting each other from a distance.

The pair stepped further away and began to speak in hushed voices. After a few minutes of what seemed to be arguing, the Pearlcatcher stepped back with narrowed eyes and walked off. He knew that was the direction of the rehoming director's tent. He frowned thoughtfully and took his gaze off of her, looking to the other Skydancer -- shocked by how close he'd gotten. The other Skydancer stared him down, and Chaffin felt his skin prickle. He couldn't read what he was thinking. That's a Skydancer's speciality, and he never failed, no matter how hard someone tried to hide their thoughts from him. Minutes passed before the other Skydancer took a few steps back, and he opened his mouth.

"My name is Temperance," the Skydancer introduced himself. Chaffin cocked his head until this 'Temperance' guy motioned to him.

"O-oh. Chaffin," he finally responded. Temperance smiled and nodded. Both dragons looked over as the Pearlcatcher returned.

"You're coming back with us, per Iddreinth's request," she announced. Chaffin frowned. Who was Iddreinth?

Temperance rolled his eyes with a snort. "Temperance," he muttered. The Pearlcatcher cocked an eyebrow at him.

"That might be your name at the Trading Post, but not with your clanmates. Come, we need to get back," she said. Temperance, or Iddrienth, huffed quietly but nodded.

"Fine. Come on, Chaffin," he ordered. After a moment of hesitation, Chaffin followed them quietly.

They travelled quickly, in near-silence. It was uncomfortable, sensing the Pearlcatcher's frustration, but absolutely nothing from Iddrienth. It almost frightened him. Were his thoughts blank, or was he maybe using some medicine to mute himself?

It only took two days' travel before they came upon a dip in the solid ground of Dragonhome, dotted with pitch-black holes. Iddrienth immediately excused himself, disappearing into one of them. Chaffin watched curiously until the Pearlcatcher shoved him lightly.

"Come on. You need to be assessed," she ordered. He frowned but followed without complaint. She led him down a deep tunnel, small dents dug into the sides to hold candles every few footsteps. It didn't light the tunnel much, but it was enough to see. She led him into a much brighter cave, not necessarily large, but comfortable.

A silver Pearlcatcher turned from a stone shelf holding a handful of books, looking at him.

"I thought you were bringing me an apprentice?" She asked. She didn't seem upset; more curious, if anything. The blue Pearlcatcher shook her head.

"Iddrienth insisted. If not for him, we wouldn't have brought anyone home anyway." The silver Pearlcatcher's gaze was glossed over, seemingly lost in thought.

Suddenly, life came back to her eyes, and her gaze immediately snapped to Chaffin.

"My name is Argentum. I am the clan Advisor. What can you do for the clan?" She asked. Chaffin was taken aback with how blunt she was.

"No pleasantries, then," he muttered under his breath, before answering her. "I can fight. Ice magic."

"We have more than enough guards for the clan. Why did Iddrienth choose you?" She asked. Chaffin hesitated, before speaking slowly.

"I... I have no idea. He just did," he answered. She frowned, her eyes narrowing.

"Interesting... Iddrienth doesn't make mistakes, though. He must have seen something deeper," she decided. He mimicked her frown. What in the world was she talking about?

"He will be useful," a voice spoke from behind him. Chaffin jolted before turning to see Iddrienth standing in the entrance. "He's a good spirit."

"I trust you, Iddrienth," Argentum said. Iddrienth nodded to her before looking to Chaffin.

"Come with me. Until we figure something else out, you'll stay with me." Chaffin frowned but walked over, obediently following Iddrienth out of the cave. Instead of going back to the surface, as he'd expected, Iddrienth led him even deeper into the ground.

Soon, they came into a massive ravine. A tall crack in the ground, the tiniest glimpses of sky peeking through the cracks. Iddrienth walked confidently, seeming to be perfectly in his element. They stepped into a little alcove in the wall. Soft pelts were in a pile near the back, and stacks of books were scattered about. Most looked old, while some seemed newer. A desk with a stack of papers and a quill stood against one side.

Iddrienth began picking up the scattered books, clearing his throat. "I apologize for the mess. I wasn't expecting to share my space with someone, but there aren't any open caves right now," he explained.

"It's fine," Chaffin murmured. Iddrienth's sneeze startled him, making him stumble into a pile of books, sending them scattering. Iddrienth snapped his head over to see what had caused the sound, and Chaffin froze. He could finally read the other Skydancer, and it wasn't anything good.

"You need to be careful. If you damage one of these books, Chaffin, it'll be the last book you see," Iddrienth snarled. Chaffin stumbled back against the wall as Iddrienth stalked over, inspecting each book to make sure none had been harmed.

Chaffin honestly couldn't remember being so concerned for his safety. Iddrienth continued his cleaning, and Chaffin stayed well out of his way, trying to take as little space as possible. He wouldn't want to anger him further.

After the cave had been cleaned, Iddrienth shot a sharp glare towards Chaffin, silently warning him, before leaving. Chaffin stayed in the cave, too anxious to leave and explore.

By the time Iddrienth returned, the sky had gone dark, and it was almost pitch-black. Chaffin was curled up against the wall. When he heard Iddrienth's return, he focused on reading the Skydancer again. Chaffin couldn't tell if he was more worried or relieved that his thoughts were blank again.

Days passed. Chaffin moved with care around the books in the Keep. Iddrienth didn't seem to be the only one who was overprotective of them. Chaffin learned to handle each book with care, and after some time, Iddrienth began instructing him to return borrowed books to their places.

His need to be the best turned towards the books. Iddrienth taught him to read, and once he knew how to read and write, he swore he'd write the best book Iddrienth had ever read, much to the Skydancer's amusement.

Neither Skydancer realized how close they had gotten to each other. Even after a space for Chaffin opened up, he continued to stay with Iddrienth, in his hideaway. Iddrienth was always so warm, and Chaffin was always cold; when they would lie down together for the night, their temperatures met and made it perfect.

One night, while lying together, Chaffin spoke a whispered promise to Iddrienth as the latter fell asleep.