Forgesmoke

Forgesmoke was adopted into the Galesong Lair as an egg. She proved a timid thing upon hatching, instantly fleeing as best she could into the farthest reaches of the lair to escape the noise and crowd. (Hatchings are a great event in the Galesong Lair, and every dragon who can be spared gathers to welcome the new one into the Windsinger's glorious world.) All were stunned by this unexpected turn, and by the time they bestirred themselves to look for her, she was long gone.

It was gentle Evendark who finally found her, and found her slightly changed. While Forgesmoke's skin had originally appeared patternless at hatching, it now bore distinctive smoke-like patterns and what appeared to be channels of live fire as she sat by the heating flame in a far storage cavern. As only she could do, Evendark spoke ever-so-softly but persuasively, calming and reassuring the young one. Eventually, Forgesmoke allowed the Skydancer to lead her back out into the sunlight. Away from the fire, Evendark noticed, the network of fiery ribbons faded to but a simple orange. Meaning to ask someone about this later, she went on her way. Only one-and-a-half days into the new one's life outside the egg, and she already raised questions. What more might happen?

As Forgesmoke grew, her boldness did not. Although she did tolerate her lairmates, and sometimes worked with a few of them, she would ever flee to that far cavern when the noise and crowd became too great. This tendency soon brought to light a new aspect of her personality: That of a skilled and passionate craftsman. While "recovering" from whatever had driven her into retreat (a process which usually took an hour or two, unless Evendark was free to console her), she would be working with materials, usually metal, intently creating various bits of art, tools, or other implements. The entire lair was soon bedecked with her exquisite, delicate handiwork.

It soon became apparent that there was another difference between Forgesmoke and the other dragons under Windslash's guardianship. While most hatchlings would begin to "speak" after two or three days out of the egg, Forgesmoke remained strangely silent. Her body language was, like most dragons, clear and easy to read, but she uttered never a word. Indeed, she only very seldom made any noise at all. What little she did was mostly soft hisses and quiet, subconscious tittering while she worked by herself. Eventually, everyone just accepted that she was mute for some reason or another, and moved on.

So life in the Galesong Lair went on as usual. Dragons of all descriptions happily worked, flew, rested, and played wing-to-wing, talon-to-talon, and head-to-head with each other. Of course, there was ever the occasional dispute that broke out, but ever the problem (whatever it was) was solved. No one dreamed of the danger that would soon threaten not just the Galesong Clan, but all clans on the Windswept Plateau, and then, if not stopped, all the dragons of Sornieth... Main Talonok/Harpy, Longneck
(Hmm... Was that too dramatic? ...Nah, nailed it perfectly. )