I ground my teeth and didn’t speak. There was no chance he’d catch either of those prey. For one, they were impossible for a wolf hunt alone, and second, he wouldn’t be able to drag them back to clan grounds. He’d set his sights far too high. The greater his goals, the worse he’d feel when he couldn’t achieve them—but again, that wasn’t his fault. Sorrel was an overgrown pup. He didn’t have the skills, agility, or experience to hunt alone. That all came with time.
But of course, he didn’t feel that way. He was as old as he’d ever been. He felt mature in his own immature way. He wouldn’t understand how much experience he lacked until he looked back on it later.
None of this was his fault. It was Konrad’s for encouraging him.
“Poppy, you okay?” Sorrel asked. “You’re spacing out.”
I jolted. “Sorry. Let’s try hunting hares in the field. I saw a few earlier.”
Sorrel mulled it over, then nodded. “Okay. Hares are better than mice.”
I was just glad to draw his attention away from the snowy owl’s nest. I shot a glance back at the shadowy crag, and for a second, I met the mother bird’s reflective yellow gaze. We didn’t speak the same language, but I hoped she understood my silent message to be careful, and stay safe.
My head swirled with darkening thoughts as I led Sorrel away from the rocky slope and back into the open field. I found myself wishing desperately for the hares to reappear, otherwise he might get second thoughts about hunting the owl. Was he too young to understand the implications of hurting her? Did he not care? Or was he too blinded by his devotion to our clan alpha to care about the consequences of his actions? Every imaginable conclusion made me nervous. I couldn’t shake the dread that clung to my pelt like fleas.
Suddenly, Sorrel gasped and came to an abrupt halt. “What isthat?”
My mind clicked. I knew before I even followed his gaze that he’d seen Violet across the field. The huge dragon wasimpossible to miss, especially in our familiar, unchanging landscape. He stood out like a dark void against the whiteness.
My heart lifted. Maybe introducing them would make Sorrel forget about his task. Meeting a dragon was far more exciting than hunting for Konrad.
“That’s my new friend Violet,” I explained. “Would you like to meet him?”
Sorrel’s jaw dropped. He lit up with pure, childlike enthusiasm I hadn’t seen on his expression in a long time. “Yeah!”
I smiled and swished my tail playfully against his shoulder. “Come with me.”
Just like Sorrel, Violet lit up when he saw us approach. He raised his long reptilian snout, sitting elegantly on top of his graceful swan-like neck, and flashed a toothy grin. It made me happy that he was happy.
“You came back so soon,” Violet said, surprised.
“I couldn’t stay away,” I teased. “Violet, this is my little brother, Sorrel.”
Sorrel puffed out his chest fur. I noticed all the hairs standing on his pelt. He wasn’t afraid of Violet, but I could tell he was instinctively spooked at his first sight of a dragon.
“I’m notlittle,” Sorrel argued.
“Sorry. Myyoungerbrother,” I corrected. “Sorrel, this is Violet.”
The bravado fell away as Sorrel peered up at the dragon. His fur fell flat. “H-hello.”
“Hey, kid,” Violet greeted, still grinning. He seemed to be having fun. “So, what’s up?”
“You’re huge,” Sorrel blurted. “Bigger than a walrus!”
“Sorrel!” I blushed, embarrassed at his outburst.
Violet threw his head back and laughed out loud. “You’re right, I am. And I’m so hungry right now that I’d eat one, too.”
My brother balked. “Y-you would?”
“Relax, I already told Poppy I don’t eat shifters,” Violet explained, casually looking around. “But I haven’t seen anything else around here. Where are all the animals? Guess not out in the open, since there’s nowhere to hide. There’s a lot more trees where I’m from.”
I suddenly felt rude for not asking before. “Whereareyou from, Violet?”
He grinned. “A tropical paradise called Chromatimaeus Island.”
“What’s ‘tropical’ mean?” Sorrel asked.
