Ash

A soft tapping turned into a soft cracking. A lone, frozen egg laying in a clearing. Nearby, the body of a dragon lay still. The rest of the clutch lay broken or rotten in the mud. The air stank of disease. This child of ice was about to be born into a world full of cruelty, without so much as a sibling to share the pain with.
The approchinging hissing of a predator couldn’t be heard by the fallen, and certainly not by the creature still trapped in their prison. But he could hear it. The quiet sound of life trying to escape. And it drew him in closer.
The serthis peered into the clearing. The first thing that hit him was the smell. He understood why after looking at the source. A body covered in boils and blisters. Pus leaked from open wounds. This dragon had flown through the Scarred Wasteland, and had paid the price for it dearly. Only the strongest of plague dragons could survive there, and whoever they were, they weren't lucky enough.
A loud snap drew the serthis’ eyes down. A single claw reached out into the air. There was a survivor. He didn't know anything about how to care for a hatching dragon, and did not want to make things worse. Doing his best to be gentle, he quickly covered the egg with foliage and went off as fast as he could.
“Sorbet! Sorbet, where are you?” The Coatl quickly jumped up from the roots he was digging up. The serthis quickly approached him, a panicked look on his face.
“Gelato? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” Shaken by his partner’s expression, he instantly started checking him for injuries.
“No! I’m fine! Really, you don’t have to worry about me. It's… something I found. I need you to hurry with me though, it’ll make sense when we get there.” Without waiting for an answer, Gelato turned around and sped off back to the clearing. Sorbet grabbed his bags and messily stuffed his gear in them before following behind.
The scene had the same effect on the Coatl as it did his partner. It was horrific, and he recoiled in disgust. It took him a moment to realize that the body wasn’t the reason he was brought here so urgently. Gelato had uncovered the egg, which now had an eye staring out into the world. The eye was so pale, that for a second both of them worried the dragon had been blinded. But it focused on the two figures nervously staring at it, and both of them sighed in relief.
“Poor thing. What should we do?”
“I… was hoping you would know. But I suppose you wouldn't have gone to many hatchings..” Both of them stared at each other for a second before the coatl laughed.
“Suppose there isn't much to do but wait. We shouldn’t rush them out.” Gelato nodded in agreement. For a few hours, both of them carefully watched the egg. More and more of the little dragonet was revealed. She had a soft, gray nose, with a bright red mane. Her claws were rounded, and she was covered in long fur. The little tundra finally broke free, and both serthis and coatl were amazed. On wobbly legs, the little dragon stood up and craned her neck to look at the two. Sorbet was the first to break the silence.
“Hello, little one. My name is Sorbet. This is Gelato. We will make sure you are safe.” The hatchling didn't make a sound. She just stood there, staring at the two in front of her. Neither of them really knew what to do. Gelato reached out a hand, and the little tundra did the same. Both hands met, one little paw clutched around the dark and calloused hand that had been offered to her.
“.... she’s our daughter now. I’m prepared to do anything for her.”
“Oh, absolutely. I would have been upset with you if you thought otherwise.” Gelato picked up the little dragon, holding her more gently than anything he had ever held before. The three of them left the clearing behind. The world she was born into was cruel, but her luck had not run out.