This takes place right after the flashback in book 10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Qibli didn't like it. Something felt weird.

Everything felt weird.

He lashed his barbed tail, his feet on the cool carpeted floor as he scanned the pavilion. He padded around, his sail standing on end-more than usual. He could hear her talking to a friend, Six-Claws. Qibli couldn't risk forgetting a name and face, not after what she'd done for him.

Everything was simple, everything in a picture-perfect place-in a messy way. An organised mess, Qibli settled on. There were coins scattered on her desk, a messy bundle of blankets and pillows on her bed and papers pinned on a splintered board of wood.

It didn't look like a place for a future leader-if Qibli understood her plans from the hints she'd laid out. It seemed obvious enough...

Or was he being too nosy? Was it bad he was already planning it all out? The moonstone necklace she wore on her neck, the dragons' faces pinned on the board, her plans on fixing the Scorpion Den. Surely it was all connected?

Qibli looked at the faces; two NightWings, one SandWing. He's seen better days... Qibli mused, before staring long and hard at the NightWings. The SandWing made sense, everyone had an enemy in the Scorpion Den and most in the Den were SandWings; but why the NightWings? How did Thorn know them? No one knew much about them, yet she had two of them on wanted posters in her very home.

"Like the look of them?"

Qibli snapped his head up, jumping out of his scales. "N-No! Just curious. I didn't mean nothin'!"

Thorn smiled and lit the lantern by the door with a small flame from her lips. "You may as well study them, if you're going to help me." She stepped towards her desk, cleaning it up.

He'd expected more. A stern glare and a harsh scolding. All he got was a smile and wave of cinnamon. Snooping in Cobra's office was not permitted in the slightest. Qibli watched her, almost wanting something like that to happen. This was weird.

Thorn felt his eyes and looked at him. "What? More burning questions? Does your mind ever stop?" She laughed softly.

Qibli watched her face. Her eyes were warm and gentle, like the wool blanket he'd seen a SkyWing dragonet flaunting. Her mouth held a smile to match and a dimple on her cheek really pulled the whole "soft" face together. Something in his chest tightening and his ears dropped.

"Qibli?" she lowered herself to his eye level, her voice a gentle whisper.

He shook his head, backing up. What's wrong with me? What's happening to me?

Qibli didn't know why he was reacting this way. He didn't understand why she was being so... this way.

It felt forbidden... but it was right.

Thorn watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what was wrong. She wrapped her arms around him gently. "You're okay. You're safe now."

*~*~*~*

Qibli didn't know how long he'd be out. Not much came to mind about what had happened before he'd fallen asleep. He remembered warmth. Not dessert heat. This was internal. Cosy. Safe.

He wanted it again.

His mind was stuffy, like his skull was full of wool. His shoulders were light, he'd never known how tense they were. His mouth was dry and his eyes droopy. He wanted to fall back asleep. It was so cosy under this blanket and the pillow was so soft.

But Qibli couldn't afford that. He was somewhere different. He couldn't let his guard down now.

As he came to his senses, he heard someone writing on paper and the breeze passing through the ajar door flap, rattling the bells that hung from it. And he could make a faint shadow on the tent-wall above him, hunched over a desk. Next was the warm scent of cinnamon, soothing his mind.

Slowly, Qibli turned his head, finding the source of the light. Thorn was at her desk, tending to paperwork for her little order of Outclaws.

He watched her, her brown scales dancing in the candlelight. Faint memories of her hug came to Qibli's mind. He smiled, a wide toothy smile that he couldn't control.

Thorn turned her head towards him. "That was a big nap you had, little guy. Don't sleep good?"

"Sirocco likes to jam 'is foot into my back."

Thorn frowned before Qibli had caught onto what he'd let slip. "I can see why your mind is so busy now." She reached down, picking up a bowl. She placed some charred lizard strips in it and passed it to Qibli.

He sat up and took the bowl. "Thank yeh."

She poured him a cup of coconut water. "My one rule is to not eat in the bed. You can come here if you want."

Qibli made his way over, sipping from the cup. "Watcha doin'?" he looked at her papers. Her claw-writing looked messy. But on closer inspection it wasn't even usual words or letters-he was among some of the handful of dragonets he knew that could read. It had to be a code. More things to learn and figure out.

"Just making messages that need to be sent tonight. All for our insiders, you know?"

He didn't really understand but nodded anyway. "Ya 'ave yer own code?" He ate some meat from the bowl.

Thorn nodded. "You'll learn it in time. Don't worry too much." She smiled down at him.

Qibli nibbled away for a while, silent beside Thorn. Without him realising, her wing came to press behind him. He leaned into her warmth, groggy. Her presence made his mind go silent. it was weird to not be overthinking. To feel so... safe. It almost felt like a trap.

A very cosy trap, unlike the sinkholes Rattlesnake dug. Or the rigged shots at Vulture's compound. This was so much better.

He let his dark eyes follow Thorn's writing. It was a soothing sound to hear her write, as the candles crackled and flickered. Was this going to be forever?

Qibli got lost in his thoughts for a while. Not the usual way either where he knew every moment of his surroundings. He was entirely inside his mind, not even eating or drinking. Just staring at flickering flame and melting wax.

Until the candle was blown out.

"Let's get to bed, shall we?" Thorn looked down at him.

Qibli nodded and yawned. "Okay." He looked at his mostly empty bowl and cup. "Where d' I put 'ese?"

She tapped the desk and grabbed her letters. "Up there. Get into bed and I'll be back in a minute."

He nodded again and Thorn left the tent. With her warmth gone, Qibli came back to his senses. What was he doing? He should've offered to help!

He shook his head. Thorn had been clear. Get into bed. Qibli looked behind him in the dark tent. There was one bed. Thorn's bed, the one he'd slept in. He pulled a face. Should he slip back in or find somewhere else to sleep?

He figured it better to not assume what Thorn would want and waited silently.

Thorn slipped in after a moment and shook herself. "It's cold out there." A cool breeze followed her as she looked at Qibli. "Why aren't you in bed?" the words were not scolding, nor bitter nor exasperated. A gentle concern.

Qibli shrugged. "I uh, wasn't sure where to sleep."

He didn't think admitting that would cause ill, but it apparently did, as Thorn frowned a little. "For now, we'll share a bed. I'll get you a bed of your own soon."

He nodded. "Alright." He watched her lift the covers and slip in.

"Come on, Qibli."

He shuffled in beside her, trying to not take up too much space. It was cosy beside her and felt even more comforting when Qibli looked into her kind eyes. "Good night, Qibli."

He hesitated. He'd never heard that before. "G-Good night," he stammered and closed his eyes quickly. His heart swelled again. It had been doing that all day. How was he supposed to get used to this?

*-*-*-*

The early start was comforting to Qibli. Meeting so many new dragons and having breakfast with them was not. Did other dragons have breakfast together? Qibli had never sat with his mother, much less siblings or grandfather to have a meal together. Not during the solstices or Soul's Eve.

How many dragons shared meals together? Or was this just an "Outclaw" thing?

"Mornin' Thorn!" came a deep rumble and heavy talon-steps.

"Good morning," Thorn mumbled back tiredly.

Qibli whipped his head up to look at the dragon who had spoken. He was a big, strong looking SandWing with yellow-brown scales. His shoulders were broad, and his gaze radiated a strong sense of level-headedness. The dragon glanced down at him. "And you must be the newest recruit. Pleasure." He offered his talon to Qibli.

He hesitated, seeing the SandWing had six claws instead of the usual five. But attempted to not be rude, instead he looked at Thorn for her approval.

Thorn nodded. "This is Six-Claws, my most trusted dragon in all of the Scorpion Den." She gently gestured to the dragon with an upward talon. That was the name he'd heard before. And none that mattered.

Six-Claws sat beside Thorn, placing Qibli between them. "Ah well, I owe ya." He looked at Qibli with, what the dragonet presumed, was his version of a warm smile. Not with the same wide curve of Thorn's smile but with the right amount of softness in the eyes to make up for it.

Qibli put his talon in Six-Claws'. He gently shook it, his talon dwarfing the dragonet's. "I'm Qibli."

Six-Claws bobbed his head. "I'm sure you'll do great, kid." He reached for a lizard kebob.

Qibli felt his scales tingle and face heat up as another grin appeared. Were all dragons supposed to be this way?

He was brought back when Thorn nudged a dish towards him. "Eat up, Qibli. You have a busy day ahead."

Qibli looked at her and the dish with slices of camel meat in it. He skewered a piece with his claw. "What's the plan?" He ate the piece and looked at her.

Thorn hummed. "Six-Claws will show you around our little compound, introduce you to the code and such."

Six-Claws looked at her, then at Qibli. "Alright. I move quick though."

Qibli nodded. "I can be quick."

"Very quick," Thorn added as she sipped her coffee. She seemed to be waking up. She didn't seem to like mornings.

Six-Claws nodded. "Great." His wing popped up and he moved his gaze downward, a pale brown dragonet by his side. He smiled. "This is Ostrich, my daughter."

"Hiya!" Ostrich chirped and inspected Qibli with big black eyes.

Qibli lifted his talon to wave. "I'm Qibli." He smiled. Six-Claws, despite how large and strong he was, was a soft and caring dragon really. He looked at Ostrich like she was his greatest joy.

Did Thorn have something like that? She definitely deserved something like that.

Qibli watched her for most of the morning. She slowly woke up with each new conversation and note passed to her. Despite how popular she was, there didn't seem to be one single dragon she stuck to. In that regard she was similar to Cobra; a dragon who knew so many dragons yet was constantly on her own. But they handled their connections far differently. Cobra was in it solely for money, or to gain more money in the future, Thorn was far more about the dragons she spoke to. To make and hold connection on a personal level.

That was admirable in the Scorpion Den.

Thorn stood up, snapping Qibli out of his thoughts. Six-Claws mimicked, and they strode out. Qibli stayed by Thorn and Ostrich hopped along under her father's wing. Outside the pavilion, in the startling bright courtyard, Six-Claws gently nudged Ostrich towards one of the small tents to the side. A SandWing came out to pick her up and wave at Six-Claws. He returned the gesture by blowing a kiss to them both.

More weird things dragons did.

Thorn looked at Qibli. "I'll leave you with Six-Claws. I have some meetings to attend and messages to send." She gave him a smile and the sun caught her kind eyes.

Qibli nodded. "Aright. Err... Good luck?" Was that right?

She smiled, seeming to appreciate the gesture. "Thanks, Qibli. Good luck to you too." She winked and turned away towards her tent.

Qibli looked at Six=-Claws. "So, what's first?"

Six-Claws nodded. "I like your enthusiasm." He turned to one of the larger tents in the courtyard, sun baking down on his scales. Qibli followed, his words were encouraging.

Once they slipped passed the flaps, a wide maroon room lay before them, filled with a large table and corkboard pinned to the wall. Both the boards and table with layered with various papers, from maps to profiles of the top dragons in the Scorpion Den, and dragons Qibli had never seen before; SkyWings, MudWings, even the two NightWing mugshots Qibli had seen in Thorn's tent.

Qibli looked at the three faces lined up, one SandWing, two NightWings, just as before. Then he faced Six-Claws. "Why is Thorn looking for these dragons?" He pointed at the sketched wanted posters.

The older dragon glanced down. "I suppose you'll find out sooner or later. And I hear your mind never stops. So, I'll tell you. One of those NightWings was the love of her life. The other one stole him away. She had an egg with him and because he was stolen away, she hid her egg. The SandWing..." he shifted his gaze to the carpeted floor, "he was a friend of mine. We escaped Burn together... he stole Thorn's egg, betrayed her trust and took her last remaining part of her mate." Six-Claws looked at Qibli.

Qibli was silent, his brain was silent. Why would someone steal her egg? When Thorn had taken them in? And her mate was taken too...

He looked down. "Thank you for telling me." He raised his gaze to look at Six-Claws.

He would never betray Thorn. She saved him, cared about him. Qibli would make sure no dragon would ever hurt her again.

*~*~*~*

Qibli slipped into Thorn's pavilion, carrying two small dishes of dinner. The dinning tent only had a talonful of dragons in it, and Thorn wasn't among them. Fortunately, she was in her tent, like Six-Claws had suggested.

Unfortunately, she was muttering and cursing at her desk. In the dimming sunlight she held her face in a scowl, with dropping eyes. Whatever had happened today hadn't left her in a good mood. Not even the cinnamon scent that hung to her was comforting to him.

Qibli was brought back to yesterday morning, how Cobra had been in a bad mood when he'd brought her a coconut. A pit opened in his stomach and his ears and wings dropped. Depp in his mind he wanted to turn tail and run. But he couldn't because he liked Thorn...

And because she was now looking at him.

"Oh... Heya Qibli," her voice soft and kind, as if she'd never been upset before. Even her eyes were softer, though tired. "Dinnertime already?"

Qibli nodded and went to her silently. He popped up a plate beside her. "I can uh, go?" he offered.

Thorn quickly shook her head. "No. No. You're welcome to stay. Thank you for bringing me dinner."

He nodded. "I think you deserve it for workin' so hard. And sometimes food helps me be less grumpy."

She chuckled, her wing brushing his. "You're not wrong."

A grin spread on Qibli's face as she laughed. Even when upset, she had room for Qibli. Thorn was perfect.

She was pretty quiet that evening, savouring her dinner and recuperating. Qibli didn't really want to talk either. All the new Outclaw knowledge was exhausting to go over in his head.

As he ate his dinner, Qibli felt her wing tuck around him. "How was your day with Six-Claws?" she sipped something from her cup.

He shrugged his wings. "Busy. A lot of new things to learn. But I'll learn them!" he nodded determinedly.

Thorn chuckled, putting her cup down. "I know you will." The cinnamon smell was stronger now.

Qibli leaned towards the terracotta sup. The liquid was pale, camels' milk, with warm brown powder sprinkled on top. cinnamon milk, a dragonet's drink. He looked at Thorn. "That's where you smell comes from?"

She pulled a face and glanced at it. "I don't smell of cinnamon that much, do I?"

He nodded. "I like it."

Thorn hummed. "Maybe that's why people talk to me. I stink of cinnamon." She laughed and Qibli shifted closer to her.

"I think it's more than the cinnamon." Thorn pulled him closer with her wing as they laughed.

The passed the evening rather quietly after that. it was only after dinner that Qibli saw the cot set up for him. A few fleeced blankets and a pillow for comfort. More than he'd had before. Not even the bed he had shared with his siblings was this nice.

"What do you think?" Thorn smiled.

Qibli walked towards it and hopped in, burrowing under the blankets as the air got cool. "I think I'll grow to like it."

She laughed. "Oh yeah? Well, that's a relief." Her warm gaze stayed on him.

He felt that feeling again, like his heart was growing too large for his chest. He was starting to enjoy it. "Thank you, Thorn." He yawned, the comfort bringing out his exhaustion.

Thorn nodded and her face managed to get softer somehow. "It's alright, Qibli. Sleep well." She turned to her desk to tidy up.

Qibli watched her while she finished up, watching as she lit the candle on her desk and scribbled down things. Just before her drifted off, she lifted her head to look back at him, her gaze soft and a smile on her lips.

This was love.