"I have no idea how long you've been resting and this is my home.  I would have set you in a bed, but I don't have one." she said.

"That's fine. In training, we would be put through just about all living conditions to better prepair us for our duties, just in case there was a council member apointed that didn't wish to treat their enforcers like people," he said, his voice begining to grow stronger, "We were prepaired for just about anything."

"I didn't know that,  it I am too, so it's all good." she said stretching, wincing ever so slightly when she felt something in her hind leg pop.

"I need to become stronger," he said, trying to stand again but only falling back down as his legs didn't have the strength to hold him. "Maybe I should have listened to the instructor and gave up," he said once he caught his breath, "maybe then, I wouldn't be such a failure right now."

"You are not a failure, Tieral.  If you were, I wouldn't have chosen you.  No one here isn't even a failure, no one can be.  I saw more potential in you than anyone else.  I chose every one of my emforcers because they showed different, but great, potentials.  But now you need to rest.  It isn't good for you to be getting up when you aren't well." she said, nuzzling him.

"Thank you, it's just that I've been told I'm a failure my whole life. The first was my own mother," he said laying back down, "Ever since I got to this cave, everyone I llooked up to had called me a failure at one point or another. you, Metraz, and Talia are the only ones that haven't to date. It's good to know you don't think of me as a failure."

"I have yet to think of anyone as a failure, whether it's my  kind or another, even when I was called one.  Well, maybe the gryphon from earlier would be counted as one, but I'm not so sure about him..." she said.  "But anyways, everyone works hard to achieve their goals, and failure is how we learn.  Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect.  Calling someone a failure is nothing but a bunch of nightcap." she said.

"Still, it's almost soul crushing to hear it from one as close as one's own mother. For the longest timem, mother's word stuck in my head, and eventually caused me to run from home," he said laying his head down, his voice begining to become foged with a mental pain, "I'm glad you came along. I was ready to give up had you not chosen me."

"Never give up, no matter what." she said.

"I don't plan on giving up, not with you around. I just wish I could forget about my mother, she did nothing but berate me at every turn," he said, his mind becoming even more fogged, "I think it would be best if we get some rest now. No telling what tomarrow holds for us."

Hours later frost wakes to the sounds outside. He gets up and looks outside a green dragon lands before him. "Eulogy why are you here so late?" Frost asked looking at him. 

The dragon looked at the cave then him. "Have you forgotten my daughter all ready?" He has a stare.

"No sir but she passed on years ago don't you remember?" Frost says the ice engulfing his wings.

"You killed her again." His wings stretched out to their fullest.

"That wasn't your daughter. She had me torch everything," frost says ready for a fight.

"You shall pay but not tonight. Someday." The green dragon flies off without a trace.

(And Goldenscale will destroy him if he tries to hurt anyone.)

Goldenscale had fallen asleep the night before carving, one hand curled around the wood and the other around a knife.  She had both under her head and her wings covered her body.  She sighed and continued to sleep.

The rest of the night was peacfu, as clouds rolled in, and by morning, the ground had been covered in thick snow.

"Good morning dear," Mayumi said as she brought in a small plate with several pastries, "Thought I might make a warm breakfast on such a cold morning."

"Mom, I think there's something wrong with Dad," Alekai said quietly once he had crawled under Goldenscale's wings..

Frost returns to mayumi and lays his wings over her. He falls back asleep not worried about the threat that was made.

Goldenscale woke up and shivered.  "It's OK.  He's just sleeping.  Go sleep with daddy, I have to go tell the willow something," she said.  She then went to the cave opening, covering herself in her wings.  'I'm going to hibernate until the cold goes away.' she wanted the willow.  *No, Alekai and Tieral needs you.*  'But it's to cold for me to function...' she whined.  *They need you.*  'Fine, I'll make sure I'm sleeping, but awake enough to hear them' she said as she walked back inside.  She then slid into her deep pool at the back of her cave and fell in a deep sleep.