Starpebble lifted her head slightly to answer Cobrawing’s question. “Well, I don’t want them to end up like Comet, or Nightwing, Ancestors help us. And I do think they could use a friend. But also….

“Star told me to.”

“What?” neighed Brightsky in surprise. “Star? But he’s been dead two hundred years!”

“He visited me in a dream,” said Starpebble, and told them all that had happened in the dream. When she had finished they looked stunned, then pleased.

“So we will not have another Destroyer,” said Sunfire.

Starpebble smiled. “Not if I do my job right.” She paused. "And... I want to get my brother back."

Cobrawing stood. “We'll discuss that more later. For now, we must not tell them of the dream though. It might make them resent you, see you as a teacher put in place by no one they knew. You might fail. One of them might become a Destroyer just to spite you.”

Starpebble nodded. “All right.”

“So you will be here for a while?” asked Brightsky.

“Yes. And I don’t think I ever want to go back to Snow Herd.” The memory of the whispers crowded into her head. “Will you let me into Desert Herd?”

Cobrawing hesitated. “Will you be all right? You’re not built for this climate.”

“I’ll be okay once my heavy coat sheds.”

“All right then, you may join Desert Herd.” Cobrawing spread his wings. “Welcome.”

Starpebble smiled. “Thank you.”

Cobrawing turned and flew away, back to his cave.

Sunfire and Brightsky stood. “If you’re going to stay you need a cave,” said Sunfire. “I know of an empty one you can have. Follow me.”

Starpebble followed him and Brightsky up the mountain to a small empty cave. Sunfire picked up a piece of rock and scratched one line next to the entrance. “Now they will know this cave is no longer empty.”

Starpebble thanked them and they left. She looked out at the darkening sky and lay down. She fell fast asleep in only a couple minutes.

Star appeared again in her dreams, looking pleased. “Well done, Starpebble, well done. You will be a good teacher. And when the time is right, I will tell you when to ask them to help get your brother back.”

“Thank you,” said Starpebble.

“Remember our advice, Starpebble. Love them.”

She nodded. “I will. I promise.”

Star smiled at her, and she felt a warmth in his eyes that she had not felt since she left Snow Herd. “Goodbye, Starpebble.”

Star faded away and Starpebble had no more dreams that night.

She woke at dawn to a beautiful gold sky and she thought, just maybe, she saw a hint of color in it. The Ancestors, maybe? She squinted into the sky and thought she saw a hint of black and aqua.