One

* Here's the information that goes along with the book (You'll need it!):
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/liliwriter123/1675014/

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   "Quit that! No disturbing Icy," Freeze snapped at River in the middle of the night.
   5-years old River of the Zircon tribe sighed and stopped rolling around in his ice bed. Perhaps it was better to stop bumping into the wall that set the female and male sleeping caves apart. Personally, he wanted to keep crashing into it and upset his stepmother Icy who slept on the other side, but then he would get into trouble, which would lead to a punishment that could range anywhere from a boring history lesson to bleeding from Blizzard's formidable claws.
   River lay still in his home, a hole dug into the desert of ice that made up the kingdom of December. Thinking about Icy made him furious all over again, followed by an empty, hollow feeling of grief that had settled in him ever since his real mother Blue, the only Birthstone that had ever understood him and was kind to him, died.
   Two years ago, River's father Blizzard had received a message from a member of the Greatness, the secret spy group that helped out the army in December. That night, River had sneaked out of bed to listen to the conversation.
   He had barely heard anything before Blizzard dropped down into the ice-hole home. Blizzard had been silent for a whole minute before he told River and Freeze what had happened.
   "Blue's gone," Blizzard had said.
   "What?" Freeze had asked.
   "Blue was caught in a battle. She was in the Greatness, passing messages." Blizzard's voice was flat.
   And River had felt his blood turn to ice. A fierce rebellion in the October empire had started just a season before at that time. Almost a decade ago an evil queen had led October and took over the kingdom of June. After she died, her daughter became queen, and the residents of June had started a rebellion to escape and be their own kingdom again. Each side had made allies.
   River had never really thought about the war much until Blue's death. The shock of it kept River distracted for days. And just two seasons after, Blizzard had found himself a new mate: Blue's enemy and old rival, Icy.
   During that time, River's brother Freeze turned six and was an explorer, or an independent Birthstone, though it would be three more years before he was full grown. An explorer could explore and leave their family if they wanted, which was exactly what River felt like doing when he was six.
   River focused his thoughts back on Freeze's sixth birthday. He had become arrogant and had no patience for River, which was worse than when he had harshly teased River as a stoneling. It was like he had turned into a mini Blizzard, who was the one that punished River all the time without hesitation.
   Icy, on the other talon, completely ignored River. She spoiled her and Blizzard's daughter, Frost, from the moment she was born six seasons ago. And she wilfully looked the other way every time River was punished, and instead favored Freeze.
   Which was really unfair, but River had to put up with. He felt like his family was evil, but he knew there had to some reason they were like that. River realized that all the bad treatment had started when Frost was born. Why? Wondering about it, he finally fell asleep.

~<>~

   "River! Get over here this instant!"
   River drowsily woke up and walked to the main room, where his father had shouted from. "Yes, Father."
   "Freeze just informed me that you were disturbing Icy last night, and Icy confirmed. Do you have anything to say about this matter?" Blizzard thundered dangerously. Without waiting for an answer, he stepped on River's tail before stalking off.
   River took a deep breath, furious at being treated like that for such a small thing. He felt like Blizzard just wanted an excuse to hurt him. And now his tail ached badly. He saw that Freeze had watched it all, smirking, and felt hatred bolt through him. 

   A scream split the air suddenly.
   "Oh, not again," Freeze sighed, quoting exactly what River was thinking.
   The scream was Frost's. Frost screamed often, having tantrums every time something wasn't exactly perfect. Icy never got annoyed about it, since Frost was was the sweetest thing in the world when she was happy as a pampered little princess.
   But right now, Frost was screaming her famous scream what would make any dragon that wasn't used to it deaf. A wincing Icy hurried to her room, where Frost was supposed to be sleeping.
   River had never been inside the female sleeping cave, but he knew that Icy slept on one side, and Frost had the other side, which was decorated perfectly with carved ice and glittering ice strands. He wondered what was imperfect in there now.
   "What happened, honey-bun?" Icy yelled over Frost's screaming.
   River hated Frost's scream. He usually got headaches, and today was no different.
   River covered his ears as Frost screeched at the top of her lungs. "SOMEONE BROKE MY ICICLE STRANDS!"
   River closed his eyes. And they're going to think it's me.