river and dunked him in, prompting several shocked squeaking noises from Bandit. What does she know about scavengers? Moon heard him think. I wonder if she can figure out what’s wrong with Bandit. Not that I would ever ask a NightWing for anything.
“He’s hungry,” Moon blurted, and immediately wanted to bite her tongue off.
Winter gave her a cold look. “No, he isn’t. I offered him a piece of desert rat this morning on the way here, and a bit of walrus the day before that, but he didn’t eat either of them.” He lifted the dripping-wet scavenger up and inspected him narrowly. The little creature had flopped over and curled into a ball again, shivering. “In fact, he hasn’t eaten since Queen Glacier caught him and gave him to me four days ago. I gather that scavengers eat fairly infrequently.”
“Or maybe it hates you and is trying to starve itself to death,” Qibli offered helpfully.
Winter frowned. “Scavengers don’t do that.” Do they? “He drinks water when I give it to him.”
“Have you — um —” Moon faltered as he turned his scowl on her.
“Have I what ?” he snapped.
Sunny’s warm scales brushed against Moon’s as the SandWing came hurrying in. “Hello,” she said brightly. She was smaller than Winter and Qibli, not much bigger than Moon and Kinkajou. Moon liked the way her mind felt, all hopeful and determined. “What’s all the excitement?”
Behind them, Clay started shooing the watching crowd away. Moon could hear them grumbling about wanting to eat the scavenger or wishing there had been a bigger fight, both aloud and in their heads.
“Fatespeaker told me you brought a pet,” Sunny said, turning to Winter. “Is that it? Aw, I met a couple just about that size once.”
Winter arched his long neck and looked down his nose at her. “Queen Glacier said I could have him if I agreed to come here,” he said challengingly. “If you say I can’t keep him, I’m going home.”
“But you definitely can’t have it there,” Sunny pointed out in a reasonable voice. “A scavenger couldn’t possibly survive the cold in Glacier’s palace.”
“Well —” Winter hesitated, clearly ruffled by the logic of this. “I don’t care. I’ll figure out a way. I’m keeping him, that’s my point.”
“I don’t mind if you do, but remember, pets can be a lot of work,” Sunny said. “Especially a new pet you’re still getting used to. You should ask Starflight if he has any scrolls on the care and feeding of scavengers.”
“I’m sure I can manage,” Winter said. He started shaking Bandit to get the excess water off. The little scavenger yelped and tried to hang on to one of the dragon’s claws. Moon’s talons twitched. She wished she were brave enough to grab Bandit back and hold him more carefully.
“There’s an awful lot we don’t know about scavengers,” Sunny said. “Maybe your winglet can study him. And we’ll tell everyone there’s a no-eating-scavengers policy, but you still have to take care of him and keep him safe.” Sunny shifted her wings, and Moon caught the worries going through her mind. Did that sound bossy enough? Or too bossy? Will anyone ever take me seriously as the boss of anything?
“No one would dare hurt my scavenger,” said Winter. “Not if they know he belongs to me. Perhaps I should get him a collar and a label of some sort.”
“Belongs to the nephew of Queen Glacier,” Qibli suggested with a straight face. Winter nodded thoughtfully, then shot him a suspicious look.
“But,” Sunny went on, “is it all right with you , Qibli? It’ll be in the cave you’re sharing, so you have to say yes, too. Otherwise, perhaps we can switch you to a different cave, if we can find someone who won’t mind the scavenger.”
Winter cleared his throat importantly. “Perhaps you have forgotten that Queen Glacier is my aunt,” he said, as though Sunny might be too dim to know such basic facts about the world. “My sister is her niece
“He’s hungry,” Moon blurted, and immediately wanted to bite her tongue off.
Winter gave her a cold look. “No, he isn’t. I offered him a piece of desert rat this morning on the way here, and a bit of walrus the day before that, but he didn’t eat either of them.” He lifted the dripping-wet scavenger up and inspected him narrowly. The little creature had flopped over and curled into a ball again, shivering. “In fact, he hasn’t eaten since Queen Glacier caught him and gave him to me four days ago. I gather that scavengers eat fairly infrequently.”
“Or maybe it hates you and is trying to starve itself to death,” Qibli offered helpfully.
Winter frowned. “Scavengers don’t do that.” Do they? “He drinks water when I give it to him.”
“Have you — um —” Moon faltered as he turned his scowl on her.
“Have I what ?” he snapped.
Sunny’s warm scales brushed against Moon’s as the SandWing came hurrying in. “Hello,” she said brightly. She was smaller than Winter and Qibli, not much bigger than Moon and Kinkajou. Moon liked the way her mind felt, all hopeful and determined. “What’s all the excitement?”
Behind them, Clay started shooing the watching crowd away. Moon could hear them grumbling about wanting to eat the scavenger or wishing there had been a bigger fight, both aloud and in their heads.
“Fatespeaker told me you brought a pet,” Sunny said, turning to Winter. “Is that it? Aw, I met a couple just about that size once.”
Winter arched his long neck and looked down his nose at her. “Queen Glacier said I could have him if I agreed to come here,” he said challengingly. “If you say I can’t keep him, I’m going home.”
“But you definitely can’t have it there,” Sunny pointed out in a reasonable voice. “A scavenger couldn’t possibly survive the cold in Glacier’s palace.”
“Well —” Winter hesitated, clearly ruffled by the logic of this. “I don’t care. I’ll figure out a way. I’m keeping him, that’s my point.”
“I don’t mind if you do, but remember, pets can be a lot of work,” Sunny said. “Especially a new pet you’re still getting used to. You should ask Starflight if he has any scrolls on the care and feeding of scavengers.”
“I’m sure I can manage,” Winter said. He started shaking Bandit to get the excess water off. The little scavenger yelped and tried to hang on to one of the dragon’s claws. Moon’s talons twitched. She wished she were brave enough to grab Bandit back and hold him more carefully.
“There’s an awful lot we don’t know about scavengers,” Sunny said. “Maybe your winglet can study him. And we’ll tell everyone there’s a no-eating-scavengers policy, but you still have to take care of him and keep him safe.” Sunny shifted her wings, and Moon caught the worries going through her mind. Did that sound bossy enough? Or too bossy? Will anyone ever take me seriously as the boss of anything?
“No one would dare hurt my scavenger,” said Winter. “Not if they know he belongs to me. Perhaps I should get him a collar and a label of some sort.”
“Belongs to the nephew of Queen Glacier,” Qibli suggested with a straight face. Winter nodded thoughtfully, then shot him a suspicious look.
“But,” Sunny went on, “is it all right with you , Qibli? It’ll be in the cave you’re sharing, so you have to say yes, too. Otherwise, perhaps we can switch you to a different cave, if we can find someone who won’t mind the scavenger.”
Winter cleared his throat importantly. “Perhaps you have forgotten that Queen Glacier is my aunt,” he said, as though Sunny might be too dim to know such basic facts about the world. “My sister is her niece
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