Everyone settled down for the night on and around the dark pebble-strewn beach, just as the dragons from the past had done.

Eclipse snuggled into Sapphire's thick, fluffy, soft fur, breathing in her comforting scent. She remembered how she'd longed for this exact moment the last time she'd been there, and savoured every minute of falling asleep curled up with Sapphire.

"Rise and shine!" Empress Cinnabar exclaimed.

Eclipse groaned, and began to roll over to get away from the sun streaming into her eyes, but then she realized Sapphire was still asleep and she stayed as still as possible.

Sapphire made a cute sleepy noise, and tucked her snout between Eclipse's shoulder and cheek. Eclipse almost had a heart attack.

All the Drolgons scattered across the pebbly beach on rocks or in trees began to stretch and shuffle toward the Empress.

Sapphire woke up, blinked sweetly at Eclipse for a few moments, touched her nose gently Eclipse's, and they got up.

It was just before dawn, the sky a milky gray-blue. The last few stars were twinkling out of sight as the sun got ready to rise for the day.

"Why do we have to wake up so early?" PolarBear grumbled, padding over to Eclipse. Sapphire was chatting with her mother, SunnyHeart.

"We have to travel to the inner rings of Praïsa," Eclipse replied simply. "It takes quite awhile; Praïsa is huge. But also, doesn't Pacree Hail wake up early normally? Pacree Sky does. W- they have to get hunting groups to go catch breakfast every morning at dawn."

She'd almost said "we" again.

PolarBear yawned. "No. Pacree Hail sleeps in for as long as possible. We eat huge dinners every night so that we don't get hungry so soon in the morning. Plus, we don't even eat breakfast; we have a mid-morning snack and an evening meal. Pacree Hail Drolgons are built to not need as much food, since it's sometimes hard to find in the mountains."

Eclipse nodded, taking in the information. She then looked farther down the beach to where Rowan was sitting at the edge of the forest.

Eclipse waved Sapphire over and they walked to where Rowan was sitting.

As they got closer Eclipse saw that Rowan had propped up a tall, flat rock against a big cedar and was growing bright-coloured flowers all around it with her leafspeak.

It looks like... a grave, Eclipse realized.

Sensing Eclipse and Sapphire's eyes on her, Rowan spoke to them.

"It's for my best friend, Forest. A LeafWing, like me. He... he was murdered here by my father. I watched it happen. I- I should've saved him..."

Her voice shook, and she sounded so exhausted and devastated.

Eclipse sat next to the gravestone that Rowan had written "Forest" on with mud, and she hung her head respectfully for the fallen LeafWing.

Sapphire sat next to Eclipse and hung her head as well.

Ruby, who had quietly walked over and heard their conversation, sat next to Rowan and twined tails with her, resting her wing over Rowan's back as the LeafWing silently mounted for her friend.

The rest of the group (Rodin, Hailee, Bee, Starspeaker, and Brooke) came over and led them back to Empress Cinnabar and the Pacrees, where they were starting to leave.

As they set off Eclipse and Sapphire walked with SunnyHeart, Breezy, Solar, FeatherCloud, SkyChaser, And DarkFlight. Wind was also there, being carried on the backs of Breezy and DarkFlight.

A thought struck Eclipse.

Of all the Drolgons that were a big part of my Drolgonethood... these are the only ones left.