Panthera

His eyes were stoney and cold; no one could tell what feelings lay behind them. He stayed to the shadows, his pale pink spines the only thing giving him away. Everyone thought he was odd, perhaps even sinister. Mothers kept their hatchlings away from him and most others ignored him entirely.
He didn't seem to mind. Besides, if he did, then why would he continue to lurk? Why did he have to act so unnatural and odd?
One night, he set off from the cluster of dens on foot. He was no silent flier and didn't want to disturb anyone. Unfortunately, he was not the only one out that night. A young dragon saw him and decided to follow, curious about what he was up to. She had never understood all the whispers about him; he seemed harmless enough.
She nearly lost track of him a few times, but his pale wings and bright spines gave him away despite his dark body. It wasn't until they were far from the dens that she dared approach. His body stiffened and he froze, letting her know that he had heard her before she even said a word.
His voice was hoarse; it was the first time she had ever heard it, “What do you want?”
His question, and soft tone, took her by surprise. She thought a moment before responding, “Nothing really. I guess I wanted to know where you were going.”
He turned slowly and looked at her. His quartz eyes disappeared briefly as he blinked, face impassive. It was impossible for her to tell what he was thinking, but she got the feeling he was. He spoke softly, eyes never leaving her face, “I'm leaving.”
“To where?” She blurted.
He looked up at the starry sky then back at her, “I'm not certain. I suppose anywhere that isn't here will do.”
“But why? Don't you-”
He cut her off and shook his head, “You know as well as I do what the others think of me. They take my silence as malice and my eyes are empty to them.” She stood in silence, the trembling words ringing in her ears. He continued, “I stay to the edges because no one wants me involved. I hope that won't be true wherever it is that I'm going. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to be going.”
He didn't move; he really was waiting to see if she minded. She gave a small nod and watched as he leapt into the air and twisted away, almost instantly becoming invisible against the night sky.
As she walked back to her den, she felt a pang of regret. Even though his eyes were cold and hard, his voice betrayed how soft he was inside; if only someone had taken the time to listen sooner.