Rhune

Rune had a lot of trouble settling into Winterling life when he first arrived, part of a foster program between his home clan of Ripcurl and the Winterlings. He didn't like the cold, he didn't like the dragons, and he missed his parents, who sent him letters as often as they could.

Other foster-hatchlings like Forvi and Nettle and his half-brother Fierce were his doorway into the Ice clan; though they had to physically haul him outside his lair sometimes. It was Nettle's idea to have a party – they made up some excuse and found a dragon in the clan with some approaching birthday, and it was a great way to get Rhune to socialize.

He met Jizara there. She's the first daughter of Nighte and Mercor, their second-in-command in every matter inside the Winterlings and out. She's one of the oldest dragons in the lair, and accorded that respect as well. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, she's never really been in love with any dragon in the lair. She's had several mates, and even hatchlings. Rhune fell for her the moment he spoke to her.

The whole clan still talks about the time he caught an entire whale and laid it out for her. Innae and Keaton had tricked him into thinking it was a traditional Winterling courting gesture, never expecting him to actually accomplish it. Rhune was an awkward but heart-felt courtier, and it won him the approval of Mercor at once, though Jizara's mother was harder to convince. Eventually, though, she gave her blessing (at Jizara's pleading). She wanted to be in love so badly that she fooled herself into thinking she was.

But Jizara couldn't love him back. They were together for months, officially a couple until their twin eggs hatched Ramila and Starwings. Jizara left the three of them to their own devices, retreating behind her position and refusing to see any of them. They still lived in the same clan, but they may as well have been back in Rhune's Sea of a Thousand Currents for as much attention as Jizara paid them.

It destroyed all of them in different ways. Rhune threw himself into the raising of his hatchlings, but he didn't know what he was doing. He struggled to hide his hurt from everyone, refusing help for himself but accepting it on behalf of the twins.

Recently, he was invited to spent the Wavecrest Saturnalia at home with his family; Starwings had been at Ripcurl for a few months already, while Ramila and her mate Cauldron came with Rhune. They spent a long time relaxing in the sun and the warm water, but Rhune was almost surprised with how happy he was to be home, afterwards.