Wryth

Wryth and her younger sister, Andromeda, were born in the outer reaches of the Wandering Contagion. Their parents were leaders of two different branches of the Plaguelings: one was in the Reedcleft Ascent and the other in Driftwood Drag. The two grew up moving between the two branches, learning about how to lead the Plaguelings.

Once Wryth was old enough, she received orders from her father to start a new branch in the Southern Icefields. No one had gone there yet because it was too cold for most Plague dragons, who preferred a more warm, humid climate, but there were too many Plaguelings in the closer branches, and new members were stretching the dens to capacity. Wryth agreed and gathered a group of about ten newer dragons to begin the trip down.

When they reached the Southern Icefields, Wryth led them to the one place she was sure there would be no opposition: the Reclaimer's Glacier. It had a reputation for being the most unforgiving place in the Icefields, but Wryth was sure she and her band could carve out a home in the ice.

The first few weeks were harsh, as their den was being constructed, and four of the members fled during the nights. However, soon their outpost was complete. With the help of Andromeda, Wryth started to organize the band, detailing the area of their territory, the positions that would need to be filled, and methods of communications between their branch and others. Since there were only six dragons in their branch, these plans were left for later.
Wryth's first orders were that the area around their den would be cleared of all dangerous creatures. This was done with difficulty, as Wryth and Andromeda were the only two skilled in battle at the time. Everyone received at least one injury, and two more dragons quit to find medical help. Wryth knew she would never see them again: Plagueling law was clear on this point. If at any time a dragon left the clan, they would never be able to return.

After this, the four remaining dragons settled in to a rhythm of patrols, food gathering, and occasionally defending themselves from enemies. About three months after they arrived, however, Wryth discovered a group of dragons building a den nearby. She was suspicious of them at first, but after meeting with the leaders, Spirit and Kyromis, she determined they wouldn't be a threat. They were building a place they called Sanctuary that was supposed to be a home for any dragon who needed it, for however long they needed. Wryth didn't see the point in this, but agreed to accept any Plague dragons from Sanctuary and send any former Plaguelings to Sanctuary if they wished.

About four years after this, the Plaguelings had grown little. By now Wryth was beginning to suspect the clan had been forgotten, so she began to work harder to attract the notice of others.
One day, a giant furry beast appeared, roaming through their territory. It seemed uninterested in attacking the dragons themselves, but it was coming closer and closer every day. Wryth decided it was time to go on the offensive. The band ambushed it one afternoon as it came towards their den. After a lengthy battle, the beast was finally defeated, but Wryth had been badly injured. The group didn't have the medical supplies to heal her completely and Andromeda eventually declared she was unfit to continue leading. The others agreed, and Wryth was left to stay in her nest, to heal or to fade.

While she still clung to a desperate hope of returning to full strength, as days went by, she only grew weaker. Without any medical supplies, the only thing she could do was wait to die. Unless...
Much as she hated the idea of leaving the band of dragons she'd led for so long, it might be the only way. That night, while the rest of the Plaguelings slept, she crept out of the den, pausing only long enough to hang up her armor and whisper a quick goodbye to her sister. She knew that she would not be allowed to return.
The night was almost still, allowing the sound of the approaching snowstorm to be heard. Wryth continued for as long as she dared, almost until sunrise, then began to dig herself a shelter in the snow. She'd only just finished when the storm hit.

The storm lasted for hours before finally blowing itself out. Wryth woke up to the sun slipping behind the horizon. She struggled out of her snowbank, letting the snow slide off, then continued towards the golden glow of what she hoped was Sanctuary.
She stumbled into Sanctuary just after sundown and was immediately greeted by Spirit. The small dragon saw her wounds and pulled her aside from the wondering dragons, into her den. A heated, blanket-lined nest was in one corner. The Fae led Wryth to this, then started tending to her wounds. She stayed there for a while, slowly regaining her strength. She talked with Spirit often, soon realizing the small dragon was one to be trusted.

When Spirit determined Wryth was healthy again, she was given her own den in Sanctuary, located close to that of an orange Tundra. He was very kind, never pressing her to say anything she didn't want to, and she soon found herself opening up to him. He listened with attentively to everything she had to say, and opened up to her enough to admit a small secret; despite being of the Arcane flight, he had been exiled from the Arcanist's domain for carrying a Plague-mark. Wryth noticed he seemed unhappy, and soon determined it was because except for her, he had never been around dragons like him. An idea slowly began to form in her mind: what if he were to join the Plaguelings? She knew it would give him a chance to be around others who carried a Plague-mark. However, she didn't tell him about this right away. A small part of her whispered treacherously that he should never leave.
After a while, he began to get restless and she sensed he wanted to move on. She finally admitted to where she had come from, revealing that it was solely for dragons with a Plague-mark. She also offered to guide him to the edge of their territory. She couldn't go farther, of course; once she'd made the decision to leave the Plaguelings, that was final.

A few days later, he decided it was time. Saying goodbye to Spirit, he followed Wryth out into the bright morning sky.
She led him as close to the border as she dared before turning back. Before she left, she reminded him he'd always have a home at Sanctuary. She almost added, "and with me", but lost her nerve and turned away. His voice echoed back, "I hope to see you again," but it was soon lost to the wind. She tried to hold back her tears, only just managing to make it out of eyesight before finally losing control.

When she arrived back at Sanctuary, Spirit met her, offering a few words of comfort. Wryth smiled. "I'm alright."
The words sounded hollow to her, but the Fae merely dipped her head. "Again, if there's anything I can do for you, just ask."
As she lay in her den that night, she wondered whether it had been worth it. She'd known he would leave eventually... but maybe now he'd have found somewhere he belonged. Some of her sadness slipped away, replaced by a sense of peace that she'd helped him find his home. His last words to her replayed in her mind: I hope to see you again. Wryth longed to be back with her friend, and her sister, but she knew it was impossible... for now. I will see you again, she promised.
Someday.