Samantha Edwhan

End of the Winter Star

Chapter 10

“Keep your wings out for balance,” Gerold instructed.

Modesty and Clement obeyed to varying degrees of success as they reared up on their hind legs. Clement overbalanced and toppled backwards. Modesty managed to stay upright but wobbled for a few seconds before landing heavily on all four feet again.

They were in the arena underneath the castle. The room was lit by bowls of fire high above their heads, allowing for plenty of room to practise forms of attack and defence.

“Not bad, Modesty,” Gerold said.

Modesty grinned. Next to her, Clement was getting back to his feet. He looked a little discouraged from his fall.

“Don’t worry, Clement. You’ll get it with time,” Gerold told him. “Balancing on your back legs is already difficult enough. But to pull it off while using your teeth, claws, and ice to fend off an attacker is even harder.”

“Why are we even learning this?” Clement asked.

“All dragons learn basic defence at your age,” Gerold explained. “It’s also important to set a solid foundation for using your element. Without the knowledge of these moves, your ice could be dangerous and uncontrolled.”

“Yeah, yeah, tell us how to use our ice already!” Modesty grinned eagerly.

“Patience, Modesty.” Gerold couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. “Controlling an element takes discipline. You’ll only master it if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to learn.”

“I don’t understand why Mum and Dad can’t teach us this.” Clement sat down and pouted at the floor. “I miss them.”

Gerold’s heart twisted with sorrow. It had been a week since Griffin and Misti had lost their egg. Even though their son and daughter had been told, they both seemed to struggle with understanding how upsetting this was for their parents. Griffin and Misti barely came out of their room most days. Clement was missing their company.

Modesty, however, didn’t seem so bothered.

“Don’t be such a nestling,” Modesty teased her brother. “We’re being taught by the High Caln! So what if he’s a Fire Dragon and we’re Ice Dragons? This is an amazing opportunity for us!”

Clement glanced at her then looked back at the floor. “This is just another day for us. I just want Mum and Dad to come out of their room.”

Modesty rolled her eyes. Gerold decided to intervene before she did or said something worse.

“Modesty, why don’t I teach you how to ice your claws?” Gerold suggested.

“Yay!” Modesty grinned and jumped around his feet.

Gerold smiled and sat down. He indicated for Modesty to do the same before raising a forefoot.

“Try to feel your claws, right down to the tips,” Gerold said. “At the same time, focus on your element. Really feel the way the ice chills your chest. Try to channel that through your body, down your leg, and out through your claws.”

Gerold demonstrated as he spoke, igniting his claws from the fire in his chest. The small flames flickered like candlelight and made his foot tickle with the gentle heat. Modesty watched his demonstration, then raised her own forefoot. She stared at it for several seconds, then frowned. Gerold could see the effort she was putting into it.

It took a moment longer, but ice started to appear and creep across Modesty's skin. Her claws slowly sharpened with icy points that stretched out from the tips. Modesty grinned. Gerold smiled along with her.

“Good work,” he said. “It will get easier with time and practice.”

Modesty looked over to the side of the room. Luana and Jakob were sitting there. Jakob was reading quietly to his sister. Modesty bounded over to them.

“Jakob! Luana! Look what I can do!” she raised her foot again and re-froze her claws.

“That's great, Modesty,” Jakob said, not even looking up from his book.

“You didn't even look.” Modesty pouted at him. “Stop being such a bookworm.”

Jakob frowned. “Just because I like reading, doesn't make me a bookworm.”

“Come on. You should put the book down for a bit.” Modesty jumped playfully into a fight stance. “Let's spar!”

“No.” Jakob shuffled his wings and leaned closer to his book. Modesty huffed.

“I'll spar with you,” Luana offered.

Modesty rolled her eyes. “That wouldn't be fair; you can't see.”

Luana blinked, then frowned at the remark. Sensing an impending argument, Gerold paced over. Before he could reach them, Modesty had yanked Jakob’s book from his grasp and shredded it with icy claws. Jakob stared at her before tears welled up in his eyes.

“Oh dear.” Gerold pushed himself between Jakob and Modesty. “It's okay, son, I'll get you a new book.”

Jakob leaned on Gerold’s leg and continued to sob. Gerold turned his attention to Modesty.

“That was very rude and completely unacceptable,” he scolded.

“He was the one refusing to play with me!” Modesty protested, glaring up at him.

“That doesn't give you an excuse to destroy other dragons’ property,” Gerold told her.

Modesty huffed and marched away. Gerold felt a brief surge of anger in his chest before he squashed it. Modesty didn't say she was missing her parents, but she probably was. She was just acting out because she missed them. Gerold could let this go for now. She would get better at controlling herself as she got older.