Wings of Fire: Lava Rising

"This is it?" Kinkajou asked with enthusiasm. "Really? It's soooo pretty!"
Moon sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She glanced over at Winter. His eyes were fixed on a scroll. "Guys," he said suddenly, sitting up. "Peril escaped!"
Turtle looked at him like he'd just ate a hundred goats in one bite. "But she got locked up! Like, really locked up!"
Winter shrugged. "That means Clay must be free, too!" Qibli wasn't paying attention to them at all. He was feeling the gem stone walls. "Isn't it cool that they made a cave just for us?"
Kinkajou brightened. "That's what I said!"
Qibli's expression said regret all too well. "Let's just try to have fun for a little, okay?" He asked, glancing down at his talons. Moon remembered- last week, he'd killed a SkyWing during battle. Moon brushed his wing and hated the expression Winter put on.
Kinkajou turned yellow. "Fun is fun! Plus they said we can't sneak out anymore. That's not as fun."
Winter rolled his eyes. "Guys, I've been thinking- I want to go back home."
Moon felt her heart drop into the cave floor. She felt tears swell up in her eyes and let them fall. "But Hailstorm told Narwhal and Tundra you were dead. What if they punished him?"
Winter shook his head. "It's already been seven days. He's up in first place in the rankings- my parents wouldn't drop him. Never in a million years."
Moon gave him a puzzled look. He'd explained rankings before, but she'd never understood them before. He gave her a didn't we go over this? look and she shrugged helplessly.
Qibli and Kinkajou wore matching shocked expressions, except Turtle was wearing an expressionless mask.
"Well?" Winter asked, as if a parade of questions and hugs would come down on him. He shifted his wings uncomfortably. "Anything else?"
Kinkajou rushed forward and stepped on his talon. Winter screeched. "KINKAJOU!" He started to lunge forward, but she dodged just in time. "You aren't leaving us!" She said. "That's not a choice. After all we've been through?"
Winter glared at her. "I have a family, at least!" Kinkajou stopped. Moon looked at Winter. "Don't leave."
Winter leaned forward and brushed his snout against Moon's. "I love you, Moon," he said, and took off.