Rove hid her sudden jolt of fear. She shrugged.

"Fine." She said, looking like she didn't care and like she was very occupied with picking at a loose thread on her blanket.

"Alright. And until then, you aren't going anywhere."

Rove shrugged again.

But Rove knew that 'going somewhere' was the first thing she would do when darkness fell. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

Like she had done for the past two years, Rove carefully slipped out if her bedroom. The window wasn't far, and soon Rove was out of the house and winging her way towards Alder. Suddenly, the force of a full grown dragon landing on her back drove her out of the sky. Rove screamed as they fell to the floor of the Hive. Rove landed heavily on her back, winded. In her moment of weakness, the dragon pinned her forcefully to the floor, and Rove got a glimpse of vibrant orange and black bands.

Polyplax.

But when she spoke, she didn't speak in her voice at all.

"Polyplax thought you might try something like this. Good thing she told me." Polyplax grinned an evil smile, her eyes pale and empty.

Rove knew that voice. It was the centre of her nightmares, her biggest source of fear. She had hid with Alder every time this happened, but now, there was nowhere to run.

Polyplax cocked her head with a confused expression for a moment, then let out a roar, loosening her grip and accidentally letting Rove wriggle free.

"How many of you have escaped my grasp? I will find you all and then you won't escape again!" She shrieked.

She knew that Wasp would follow her, and Rove didn't care. All that mattered to her was that Alder escaped. Rove was a HiveWing, Queen Wasp might show her mercy. But Alder didn't stand a chance. If Wasp even knew of his existence, she would not stop until he was gone. And Rove could never let that happen.

Rove landed in a run, and bolted to where Alder had been sleeping. He sat up blearily, and blinked at her.

"Rove?"

"Alder! You have to run! She's coming!"

"Who?"

"Queen Wasp!"

That got him moving. He leapt to his feet and and gathered his most- special trees, kept in clay pots that Rove had previously bought for him.

"How did she know about me?"

"She's not after you!"

He paused for a split second. "You?"

"Polyplax told her. She must have put me going out often and your occasional sightings together. If she is looking for me, she'll find you eventually. And that is never happening. Not on my watch. You have to go now."

She shoved him forward, blinking back tears. She may never see him again.

"Go where?"

"I don't know! The Poison Jungle? One of the peninsulas, maybe? Or just pick a direction and go. If the Distant Kingdoms are real, they'll be out there somewhere."

"But what about you? Can't you come?"

"No matter where I go, Wasp will come for me. I don't want to put you in that danger."

She looked back to the Hive. Through the darkness, it looked like it was covered in smoke, or a swarm of locusts. It was every dragon in Vinegaroon Hive, pouring out of their homes, on the hunt. Queen Wasp was coming.

"Go!" Rove screamed. "Go now! I'll lead them away!"

Both of them launched themselves into the night, and split into different directions. 

Alder didn't go too far, he stopped and looked back at her, clutching his plants to his chest. Rove began to fly inland, away from Alder.

Rove flew as fast and as furiously as she could, but she was not yet full grown, and it didn't take long until the hunting dragons behind her caught up. A massive HiveWing with bright red wings pulled away from the group with immense speed. He launched towards Rove and caught her tail, slowing her speed even more. 

With a heave, he  launched forward and attempted to stab his wrist stinger into her right shoulder. Rove twisted away at the last moment, but she still felt it puncture her scales and she hissed in pain. Her right wings started to freeze up and she plummeted towards the ground. Rove quickly rolled to her feet and set off running, limping in a weird way with her right wings and arm dragging uselessly behind her. 

Almost immediately, another HiveWing dropped to the ground in front of her. Rove raised her tail over her shoulder and shot a stinger, and although it obviously hit the dragon, she showed no signs of pain, or anger, or even interest as she wrestled Rove to the ground. Another three dragons landed beside them and helped pin Rove down, allowing the red winged dragon to shove his wrist stinger into her back. Rove cried out in pain. The rest of the mindless swarm turned on Alder and chased him as he flew away, yet the four dragons stayed to hold Rove down. It wasn't needed. She couldn't run anyway; along with her wing and arm, her back legs and tail were left with a numb, painful, paralysed feeling. 

"I'll Find you, Rove!" Alder yelled as he flew away. "I won't let you down!" 

Then the HiveWings picked Rove up and flew her away.

Away to Wasp HIve.