Winter (Wings of Fire)

**Winter** is a male IceWing dragonet and the main protagonist of the 7th book, *Winter Turning*. Formerly a student of Jade Mountain Academy as a member of the Jade Winglet, he now resides within Sanctuary and is currently a member of the Talons of Peace, where he studies human behavior with Daffodil. He is an IceWing prince and was formerly a member of the First Circle. He had romantic feelings for Moonwatcher.

## Description

Winter is shiny, silvery, and immaculate, with smooth, untouched, glittering, pale blue scales the color of a frozen lake. His scales have also been described to appear silver, icy blue, and snow-white, like overlapping shards of ice that become darker along his spine and the edges of his wings. He has dark or pale eyes that are as blue as arctic oceans, silver-blue wings, and razor-sharp silver claws. He wears a small wolfskin pouch tied to one of his ankles that contains a small skyfire stone. He is smaller than Pyrite, but broader than Qibli, and is fast. He is handsome and dashing, with a soulfully tragic face and a gruff voice. He has a moon-pale shape, pointed elbows, and flashing silver scales. He is described by Moonwatcher to be frighteningly beautiful, with horns like deadly icicles and sharp spikes at the end of his whip thin tail.

## Personality

When Winter was a young dragonet, he was very cautious. According to Hailstorm, he was very amusing and a lot more fun to tease than their sister Icicle. He tried excessively to place well in the Circle rankings and impress his family, but he often failed, and Hailstorm wished that Winter could relax. When Hailstorm was captured by the SkyWings, Winter blamed himself heavily and considered his decision to escape as cowardly. He once described his feelings as simultaneously furious, trapped, frustrated, grateful, safe, alone, on fire, wanting the wrong things, hating himself, and confused. He is not a very good listener. Winter despised NightWings as much as the other IceWings.

He has been described as hostile, strong, loyal, cold, standoffish, determined, courageous, dignified, fierce, curious, sarcastic, arrogant, stubborn, tortured, heroic, irritable, sharp-minded, haughty, harsh, and grumpy. Nearly everything he says sounds sarcastic or cold, but he is sometimes quite sincere, and he becomes open-minded and reasonable later in his development; he would like to learn more about what other tribes can do. He speaks with commanding authority, and sometimes jokes awkwardly. He believes in the monarchy and has a brooding aristocratic way about him. When he is upset, he often acts explosively angry, self-righteous, and harsh before putting on an icy mask that hides all of his emotions.

Moonwatcher described Winter's mind as very confusing and twisted. She mentioned that Winter is a better dragon than most; he is not the kind of dragon to betray someone's trust and can think of what is best for Pyrrhia instead of for just one tribe. She thinks he is honorable and brave- one of the truest, best dragons in Pyrrhia - but everything inside him is confusion and mirrors and pain. He is not the type of dragon to kill someone and likes to know where he fits into the world. Even when many of Winter's actions and decisions throughout his time in Jade Mountain Academy were strictly against IceWing laws, Hailstorm described his brother as courageous and honorable, as he behaved with bravery and intelligence on his quest to rescue the lost IceWing warrior. He is serious, intelligent and noble.

Even after seeing what the Pyrite enchantment did to Hailstorm, Winter was certain he would still be himself underneath. He does not want anyone to feel sorry for him. Upon discovering that Turtle had kept his animus magic to himself during the War of SandWing Succession, he was incredulous as to why he did not serve his queen with it instead.

## Relationships

### Bandit

Although Bandit was a disappointing pet, Winter still cared for him, and felt a flash of pity when Bandit was afraid. He constructed Bandit's cage himself, which took him days. He also let Bandit run away, showing that he did not want his scavenger to freeze to death.

### Daffodil

Winter saw Daffodil as a research subject and a pet. He learned about scavengers from her and thought Daffodil was very brave and cute. After meeting Wren, Winter promised that he would not keep Daffodil as a pet and even offered to get her a hat. Currently, he is protecting Daffodil in Sanctuary.

### Darkstalker

Before Darkstalker enchanted Winter, he was deeply suspicious of him. After Darkstalker put the spell on him, Winter practically worshipped him. He trusted him completely, looking at his magic as a first resort shown when he rushed to tell Darkstalker about the IceWing plague. But when Qibli broke the spell, Winter swore revenge, promising that Darkstalker's death will be bloody and long-winded.

### Hailstorm

Hailstorm is Winter's elder brother. He viewed Winter as amusing and fun to tease, but after Hailstorm was captured by the SkyWings, Winter blamed himself heavily, and there was an old familiar guilt surrounding his brother. Winter thought that even if he returned to the Ice Kingdom and was placed at the bottom of the Seventh circle for deserting Jade Mountain Academy, it would have been worthwhile if Hailstorm could have returned home. Hailstorm's disappearance also hurt Winter very much each time he thought it happened. Winter was able to push aside the Circle rankings and the opinions of Glacier, Narwhal, and Tundra in favor of doing whatever was necessary to rescue his brother. Hailstorm thinks Winter is courageous and honorable, and when Hailstorm was attacked by Foeslayer during the Diamond Trial, Winter rushed to save his brother's life without a second thought, though he could have won the Trial; he cares more about Hailstorm's life than the rankings. Before Hailstorm's capture, he and Winter would often go hunting together, and it is one of the things Winter missed most while his brother was imprisoned. When Hailstorm saw Winter for the first time since the Diamond Trial during the Battle of Jade Mountain, his expression was petrified, trapped, anguished, and a tiny bit relieved.

### Icicle

Icicle is Winter and Hailstorm's sister and the niece of Glacier. She was always around him and other IceWings during their time in Jade Mountain Academy. When Winter found his sister trying to kill Starflight, he tried to stop her along with Qibli and Moon. He refused to help her when she asked him to kill the other dragonets of destiny after finding out about Hailstorm. She called Winter weak and worthless multiple times throughout the book, though this could be because she blames Winter for what happened to Hailstorm in the first place. This suggests they may not have the best of relationships.

Despite this, Winter cares deeply for his sister. In *Winter Turning*, even though she constantly berates him, and is on her way to do something horrible, he constantly tries to give his sister the benefit of the doubt, thinking of her as his perfect sister. He makes note of their parent's expectations of Icicle and believes she is just trying to save their brother, and this is the only way she can think to do it. He truly believes that if he can find her, he can stop her, and they can find another way to get Hailstorm back together. When he discovers that she killed an innocent NightWing he initially does not want to believe it until he sees the body. He wants to find his sister but does not want to discover she did anything else horrible. However, after the NightWing is uncovered he realizes there is no going back for Icicle. When he finally finds her in the old NightWing city he is shocked by what he sees. His normally perfectly pristine sister had been forcefully keeping herself awake by scratching herself and burning her wings with the lava to avoid talking to Scarlet. Winter attempts to reach out to her, but she continues to shy away and insult him. Then Icicle gets hit by a sleep dart, and desperately claws at her brother, telling him to keep her awake. Winter tells her to let Scarlet come, then lies to her, telling her he will kill Glory for her in order to appease his sister, and buy them some time. Winter continues to watch after his sister's unconscious form, refusing to leave her side. Then Moon discovers a clue as to Scarlet's location in Icicle's dream, and Winter decides to leave and track down Scarlet, and hopefully their brother. He is still shown to be worried about his sister, later asking Glacier about Icicle's fate.

### Kinkajou

Kinkajou is one of Winter's friends. He would never abandon her, even to save Hailstorm, and after realizing that Narwhal and Tundra had intended for him to die during the Diamond Trial, he thought that Kinkajou would never do something like that to him. After realizing that Kinkajou survived being imprisoned by the NightWings on the NightWing island, he felt respect for her. When he realized that Kinkajou had healed from her injuries, his eyes lit up and she hugged him. He would never want her to die, as he was very relieved to see her fully recovered and misses her dearly after moving to Sanctuary.

### Lynx

Lynx is one of Winter's childhood friends. She and Winter trained together before the Diamond Trial in familiar combat patterns. She seemed happy for Winter when he placed first in the Circle rankings, and congratulated Winter on his adventures. They were always too friendly with each other according to Snowfall. Lynx was happy to see Winter again when she and Snowfall arrived in Sanctuary, and he was happy to see her too. He gave Lynx a tour of the new settlement and spend their time together and both watched over Snowfall when she was having a vision.

### Narwhal

Narwhal is Winter's father. Winter speculated that Narwhal views him as nothing more than a lump of gray ice, and after Hailstorm's death report, Winter's father refused to speak to him for a month. Narwhal's mantra of *Be strong. Be vigilant. Strike first.* did not sit right with Winter after the events of *Winter Turning*. Winter suspected that Narwhal would have wanted Winter to complete a necessary task in any way possible, even if it was immoral. He is sharp and demanding towards Winter. When Winter and Hailstorm returned to the Ice Kingdom, Narwhal told Winter that he had hoped Winter would never return. Winter suspected that Narwhal placing Winter in first place was merely a way of maintaining his own status, and Winter thought he heard a tiny note of impatience in his father's voice when he spoke to him. After realizing that Narwhal had intended for him to die during the Diamond Trial, he felt hurt in a deep place where he had thought his family could not hurt him anymore. After Narwhal was killed by a NightWing solider during the Battle of Jade Mountain, he along with Hailstorm mourned his death.

### Moonwatcher

Moonwatcher is one of Winter's closest friends, and Winter was in love with her. Moonwatcher once stated that she would never be Winter's enemy, no matter what he said, and when she thought Winter might be dying, she grabbed his front talons in hers and began crying so hard that she could not speak. She wanted Winter to come with her to solve the Jade Mountain Prophecy, and her face crumbled into disappointment when he refused. Since Winter began wearing skyfire, it is a lot easier for Moonwatcher to talk to him. Winter sometimes jokes with Moonwatcher, but he feels a twisting feeling in his chest when he thinks about her and hearing her say his name was described to be like a spell that runs warmth through his bones. Winter had never met anyone who seemed to be as interested in scavengers as he was until he met Moonwatcher. She is determined to support Winter whether he wants her help or not, and Winter has had quiet thoughts about how Moonwatcher is different from the other NightWings, and perhaps different than most dragons in Pyrrhia. His expression while looking at her once was soulful and full of tortured longing. He quite likes her and misses her dearly after moving to Sanctuary.

Winter once thought that where Narwhal and Tundra saw Winter as nothing more than a gray lump of ice, Moonwatcher saw dazzling mountain peaks, and she regards him as one of the best dragons in Pyrrhia. Moonwatcher finds Winter's mind to be very confusing, but Moonwatcher regards Winter as someone who can think bigger than the things that affect him personally. She trusts Winter and thinks that he is honorable and brave, and Winter felt a rush of gratitude for her understanding of how important rescuing Hailstorm was to him. Winter often cannot tell when Moonwatcher is joking, but he looks at her in a loving way, and felt hollowed out when he pictured her and Qibli together. He was afraid of what he might say to her alone in the dark. Winter's heart told him to rescue Moonwatcher when their group was attacked by Shapeshifter, and while he initially felt guilty about being Moonwatcher's friend under the judgement of Hailstorm, he felt a second wave of guilt after realizing how much Moonwatcher had done to help him. After Narwhal and Tundra intended for Winter to die during the Diamond Trial, he thought that Moonwatcher would never have done something like that to him, and he becomes his best self around her.

However, Winter acted harshly and explosively angry and caused Moonwatcher to flare up during their argument about Darkstalker; Qibli wondered how he could yell at Moonwatcher the way he did, if he truly loved her, and Kinkajou admitted that he had been mean towards her when he yelled at her or did not believe in her. When Qibli called Winter out on being mean to Moonwatcher and not apologizing, he looked heartbroken. When Moonwatcher chose Qibli over Winter, he was heartbroken and wondered how long it would take his heart to heal.

### Peril

Winter was hostile towards Peril and asked harshly if Peril was safe to be around. He refused to show her basic dragon etiquette by staying in flight while shouting at her, and he attacked her as soon as she implied that she might harm his friends. He was accusing towards her and called her a mass murderer and a monster after she accidentally burned him. Despite all of this, Peril still thought she would feel sad if anything bad happened to him. Winter showed that he cared about what happened to Peril as he had sent a couple of letters to Peril.

### Qibli

Qibli is one of Winter's closest friends. Winter was disgruntled to find he agreed with Qibli on something, and he often pretends like he hates Qibli, but Qibli likes the fact that Winter would try to save anyone, and thinks Winter is honorable. Winter saved his life from a flaming scavenger spear, and Qibli was sincere and genuine in his thanks. Qibli is also sometimes affectionately exasperated with him, and he once joked that he was nearly sure he would rather have Winter around than Pyrite. When Winter was in the Ice Kingdom, imagining what Qibli would say in response to Tundra made him laugh for the first time since he had returned home. After realizing that Narwhal and Tundra had intended for Winter to die during the Diamond Trial, he thought that Qibli would not do something like that to him. Winter is often irritated by Qibli's observant tendencies, but he knows Qibli well enough to see when he is deliberately trying to annoy someone, and he looked to Winter to decide whether or not to reveal valuable information about Scarlet. When Winter initially failed to find Hailstorm, he felt despair and hopelessness, but Qibli fiercely told Winter that he was not allowed to stop searching until Hailstorm was found. In addition, Qibli made sure to pair Moonwatcher and Winter together during their search in hopes that Winter finds solace in her, even though Qibli was also in love with Moonwatcher. After Winter told Moonwatcher and Qibli that he should have nothing to do with them or the prophecy, Qibli sounded genuinely angry. Winter felt hollowed out when he pictured Moonwatcher and Qibli together. Despite this, Qibli has helped Winter become less serious, and had an irrepressible grin on his face when speaking to Winter in Sanctuary. Qibli considers him a best friend and is affectionate and genuinely delighted towards him. Winter misses him after moving to Sanctuary, and he is teasing towards his friend.

### Snowfall

When they were dragonets, Winter would often argue with Snowfall or run away from her, but when Snowfall felt the Gift of Vision making her faint again, Winter helped her without argument or question or bewilderment. During Snowfall's reign as queen, Winter used the proper practices for her but stopped at Snowfall's request. A small part of her wants him to be happy.

### Tundra

Tundra is Winter's mother. After Winter dropped into the Fifth Circle due to a failed polar bear hunt, Tundra made him memorize long sagas for months about dragons who had attempted the Diamond Trial, including about a hundred verses speculating how gruesomely they may have died. Tundra made it clear that no dragonet of hers would reach their seventh hatching day any lower than the Second Circle, even if it meant risking their life for the Diamond Trial. Winter speculated that his mother sees him as nothing more than a lump of gray ice. For a month after Hailstorm's death report, Tundra did not speak to Winter. He felt elation and pride when Tundra thanked Winter for rescuing Hailstorm, but she then added that it was the least that Winter could do. After realizing that Tundra had intended for him to die during the Diamond Trial, he felt hurt in a deep place where he had thought his family could not hurt him anymore. Winter suspected that Tundra would have wanted Winter to complete a necessary task in any way possible, even if it was immoral. She is sharp and demanding towards Winter, and after her husband, Narwhal died, she did not want to see him anymore as of *Darkness of Dragons*.

### Turtle

Winter is one of Turtle's friends. Despite Turtle heavily fearing his animus magic being discovered, he was willing to save Winter and expose his abilities. Upon discovering this, however, Winter exploded on Turtle and shouted that he should have served his tribe with his magic, causing Turtle to shy away from him.

## References

Information sourced from the Wings of Fire Wiki