Winter

"Snowfall, you're my queen and the IceWings will always be my tribe, whether I'm banished or not. But Jade Mountain and Sanctuary ... they've made me feel like I'm part of a bigger tribe. Like I'm worth something more than a place on a wall."

— Winter to Snowfall, The Dangerous Gift

Winter is a male IceWing dragonet prince and the main protagonist of Winter Turning. Formerly a student at Jade Mountain Academy as a member of the Jade Winglet, he currently resides in Sanctuary and is a member of the Talons of Peace, where he studies human behavior alongside Daffodil. He was formerly a member of the First Circle and 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 in size than Pyrite, but broader than Qibli. 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. Moonwatcher describes him 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; 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 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, 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, despite not being a very good listener. He speaks with commanding authority, and sometimes jokes in an awkward manner. He believes in the system of 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. He hates himself more than anyone else.

Moonwatcher once 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 that 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. Caribou noted that Winter was quite different from how they expected of the royal family.

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.

Biography

The Jade Mountain Prophecy

Moon Rising

Winter and his sister, Icicle, were sent by Queen Glacier to attend Jade Mountain Academy, which is where he first met Moonwatcher during lunch in the prey center. Initially, he threatened to hurt her if she injured Bandit, his pet scavenger, but he quickly realized that she was only trying to protect him by picking him up. Thereafter, Winter began developing approving thoughts about Moon, fascinated by her interest in scavengers and her quiet determination. Later on, Moon received a vision of the history cave exploding and tried to warn everybody to stay away from the classroom. Despite her best efforts, Carnelian and Bigtail were killed and Tamarin was badly injured when the cave exploded. Winter used his frostbreath to put out the fire and attempt to heal Carnelian's scales, showing his caring and friendly side. After the fire, Winter and the others became suspicious about how she could have known that the cave was about to explode. He gave her until midnight the next day, threatening to tell everyone that she had set the fire if she could not prove who the real arsonist was. The next day, however, he was forced to attack his sister, as she was on the verge of killing Starflight on behalf of Scarlet, who had promised to free their older brother Hailstorm if Icicle killed the dragonets of destiny for her. Together, he, Moon, and Qibli did save Starflight's life, but they were unable to stop Icicle before she leaped through one of the library's windows and disappeared into the mountains. Shortly after Icicle's escape, Winter left the academy with plans to go to Glacier and his parents for help, releasing Bandit into a forest near the Academy. However, he was eventually convinced to travel to the Rainforest Kingdom to stop Icicle from murdering Queen Glory with Moon, Qibli, and Kinkajou to find Icicle while Turtle returned to the Academy.

Winter Turning

In the prologue, which was set about two years before the events of Moon Rising. Winter and his older brother, Hailstorm, were traveling through the Sky Kingdom in search of a rumored nearby scavenger den. However, they were ambushed by fourteen SkyWing soldiers, and although they intended to take them both to Scarlet, Hailstorm promised that he would go with them in peace if they released Winter. Ruby, the leader of the group, accepted, and Winter reluctantly agreed to fly back to the Ice Kingdom and to tell Glacier about what had happened. Winter then appeared in the first chapter of Winter Turning, present while Moonwatcher explained her mind-reading and foresight powers and delivered The Jade Mountain Prophecy. Winter became bitter and angry when she confessed, convincing himself that she had always been a deceitful dragon and had only acted friendly for her own gain. However, when Qibli suggested going to the Rainforest Kingdom to find Icicle, he accepted their help, admitting that it would be helpful to have Moon's mind-reading and Qibli's intelligence on his side. Once they were in the rainforest, Winter and the others were led by Bromeliad and Obsidian to the new NightWing village, where Moon greeted her mother and Winter was attacked and pinned down by Deathbringer, who had mistaken him for his sister. Glory, irritated, dragged Deathbringer away, and apologized to Winter. After searching for Icicle further away from the village, they discovered an unusual mound of dirt with a dead, half-frozen NightWing inside; Glory, realizing that Icicle was willing to kill, sent Winter and his friends back to the RainWing wingery because it was already very well-fortified and safe. After the guards lost interest in them, Kinkajou distracted the dragonets with a game of hide-and-seek while Winter made a hole in the hatchery's wall, from which they snuck out to find Icicle before a vengeful NightWing did. With her mind-reading, Moon sensed Icicle's presence in the nearby NightWing island. When she staggered from one of its tunnels, she looked ragged and tired with bloodshot eyes, still-bloody wounds, and vicious burn scars across the undersides of her wings. Icicle explained that she had kept herself awake with pain by lying beside the lava to avoid Scarlet's dreamvisits. Glory, led by Kinkajou's trail, shot Icicle with a tranquilizer dart; Winter crouched beside her and whispered that if Scarlet could provide proof that Hailstorm was still alive, then he would kill Glory himself. While Moon was listening to Icicle and Scarlet's conversation, she assured Winter that she was not worried about his "promise," as she trusted him; she also picked up a mountain range from the dream, which she drew on a scroll fetched by Kinkajou. They traveled to a valley located near an advanced scavenger village in search of the Talons of Peace, hoping that one of their SkyWings could identify the mountain range. While Winter and Qibli were resting by a river, they were nearly attacked by Squid, a young SeaWing who was practicing his "stealth approach." His companion, another SeaWing named Riptide, apologized and brought forth two SkyWings, and one of them, a fidgety dragon named Pyrite, recognized the drawing. When Winter made contact with her scales, he realized that she had a strange aura, similar to the tunnels, and concluded that she was secretly an animus dragon. Later that night, when everyone else was sleeping, Winter discussed his suspicions with Moon, but she disagreed; she had not seen any trace of magic in Pyrite's thoughts. When they arrived at Scarlet's hiding place, they found her former shelter destroyed and abandoned, as if Scarlet had ruined her shelter in anger and then left. While they sleep that night, Winter was dreamvisited by Scarlet herself, who smugly told him about how she knew that Glory still lived and that Hailstorm was going to be dead by morning. Winter ripped his skyfire pouch off and mentally shouted for Moon to wake him up. Moon heard him and rescued him from the dream. Since Scarlet was able to dreamvisit Winter, she must have seen him during the day when they were searching for her, proving that she was very near. Moon, Qibli, and Winter started searching for her while Kinkajou and Pyrite stayed behind. The trio located Scarlet and learned that Pyrite had something to do with Hailstorm. Before they went back to interrogate Pyrite, they discovered that Scarlet's companion was a NightWing. When they returned, they saw that Kinkajou was injured by Scarlet's companion, who flew away blinded after Winter and Moon attacked him. Winter cornered Pyrite, who claimed that she knew nothing of Hailstorm. Winter ripped off her necklace, revealing that Hailstorm had been under the mask all along. The dragonets traveled to Possibility to get a doctor for Kinkajou. Winter, Qibli, and Hailstorm were forced to wait outside. They attracted attention when Hailstorm shouted a greeting to a SkyWing called Eagle, whom he had known when he was under the mask of Pyrite. Eagle was angered by this; he did not know Hailstorm as an IceWing and considered him a stranger. A SandWing named Meerkat solved the problem, then proceeded to take them to a MudWing doctor named Mayfly. As Kinkajou was being treated, Qibli and Winter tested out the necklace. Winter told Qibli to take it off him after two minutes. He went into the mind of Pyrite, but Qibli soon helped him get the necklace off, as instructed. Winter cleared out his thoughts, thinking that he hated being Pyrite, and he realized how horrible it must have been for Hailstorm to shake off the thoughts after being stuck for two years. Winter decided to take Hailstorm back to the Ice Kingdom and never return. The others said they would wait one week at Possibility for him to come back, but after that, they would leave to save Jade Mountain. Hailstorm started to remember parts of his old self after seeing the Great Ice Cliff, an animus-touched defensive wall that shot deadly icicle spears at any dragon that was not an IceWing. They entered the Ice Kingdom, where Winter's parents were waiting for him. They took Hailstorm away to ask him about his side of the story and Winter was later placed at the top of the First Circle for rescuing Hailstorm, who was dropped to the bottom of the Seventh Circle for getting captured by the SkyWings in the first place. Hailstorm was torn between taking the Diamond Trial and reaching first place again or sparing his brother's life and a lowly life after his seventh hatching day. He loved his brother, but Hailstorm felt like he had sacrificed enough for Winter, so he chose the Diamond Trial. Hailstorm and Winter entered the Diamond Trial, and their objective was to find the frozen dragon in the cave and kill it. They were given animus-enchanted diamond-tipped spears as weapons. As they entered the cave, the brothers saw many frozen dragons in the cave. At the time, Winter and Hailstorm did not know who the ice statues were, but they later figured out that these were the ones who had lost their respective Trials. But there was one gigantic frozen dragon that the pair recognized as the frozen dragon they needed to kill. Hailstorm unfroze her by tapping the ice covering it with his spear. The dragon introduced herself as Foeslayer, mother of Darkstalker, and the dragon who, according to the IceWing histories, had stolen Arctic over 2,000 years earlier. After the brothers fought her together and tried to talk each other into not sacrificing themselves for the other, she interrupted and told them that it hurt more to be awake and hungry than it was to die. Winter went and told Hailstorm to kill her, letting himself lose. Hailstorm reluctantly did so, but Winter did not freeze like they thought he would. Hailstorm revealed that to win the Diamond Trial, he had to kill Winter, his own brother. Their parents secretly told Hailstorm that after he killed Foeslayer, he had to kill Winter with the spear and freeze him. Their parents did not tell Winter because they wanted Hailstorm to win, but Hailstorm did not want to kill Winter because he cared about him. Winter instructed Hailstorm to let him escape without killing him, and when Hailstorm walked out of the cave alone, the IceWings would presume Winter dead. He also decided to betray his tribe by unfreezing Foeslayer and freeing her from her imprisonment, because he sympathized with her and Arctic's love, comparing it to his feelings for Moon. Winter decided, in the end, to stay loyal to Moon and his friends and flew back to Possibility with Foeslayer.

Escaping Peril

He was seen briefly while returning to Possibility with Foeslayer. He encountered Peril at the edge of town and attacked, believing she was still working for Scarlet. Peril tried not to hurt him, but they collided and Winter fell to the ground, badly burned and at the brink of death. He told Peril to tell Moon something before he lost consciousness, most likely trying to tell Moon he loved her. Winter was sure that he would die, but then Turtle came and used his animus-touched rock to heal Winter's burns. At the end of the book, they decided that nobody would use Darkstalker's scroll which was stolen from Chameleon, and they could not return it to Darkstalker. However, in the morning, they discovered that Moon fled with the scroll, and Winter was very worried about her setting him free by herself secretly. They found her crying about what happened to Darkstalker did to his father and she decided not to set Darkstalker free. After they got the scroll back from Moon, Qibli and Winter started to fight over which queen should get to keep it. Peril worried that they were fighting over the power of Darkstalker's scroll, and proceeded to burn it to ashes with her firescales so that no one could abuse the scroll's power and Darkstalker would never be freed. But because it was destroyed, Darkstalker's animus power returned to him instead and he used his magic to break out of the mountain from which he was buried under, which was one of the peaks near Jade Mountain.

Talons of Power

Winter was first shown flying above Darkstalker with Peril. As they begin talking to the massive dragon, he began to accuse Darkstalker of all the things he'd done to the IceWing tribe. Then, Darkstalker "did something" to him, causing him to stop the accusations. He began to say nice things to and about Darkstalker, making Winter's friends worried. Moon told Darkstalker not to enchant her friends using his animus powers, while Winter and Darkstalker reply at the same time that Darkstalker was not, although he most likely was enchanting Winter to like him. Later, Winter was seen outside of Jade Mountain with Moon, Peril, and Qibli. When Turtle confronted the dragonets, saying he did not trust Darkstalker, Winter said that Turtle needed to just spend more time with Darkstalker, still obviously enchanted. Beside him, Qibli jokingly stated that he would agree, and would trust Darkstalker if it was not Winter who was saying nice things about the 2,000-year-old NightWing. Winter left soon after. Later, Turtle went to Winter and Qibli's cave to ask to sleep there. Qibli gave permission, but Winter said he would not want anymore snoring in his cave. Qibli asked what Darkstalker did, and Turtle tells them both what he did. Qibli said that he wondered why he was doing that, and Winter said he was just trying to make friends and be kind. They had a little argument, part of it being about Winter being enchanted. Winter said Darkstalker saving Stonemover is proof that he is a good dragon with a good heart. Qibli asked how he would know, and Winter snootily left. It is assumed that he told Darkstalker about that conversation, as Qibli guessed. Later, Darkstalker reveals that there is still a timeline where Winter and Moon are together, so it is evident that Winter still loves Moon.

Darkness of Dragons

Winter was seen watching Moon leaving with Darkstalker. When approached, he claimed that he was only watching the sunset and Qibli said he was doing the same. Winter awkwardly stated that Darkstalker will take care of Moon and Qibli responded that Moon can take care of herself, noting that Winter is not acting like himself and must be under some sort of spell. Using a duplicate of his enchanted earring, Qibli attempted to free him from Darkstalker's enchantment, but Winter refused to put it on, claiming that he does not trust it and that it would "clash horribly with his scales." When Qibli found out that Ostrich had been kidnapped by Onyx, Winter offered to help Qibli, saying that he was returning the favor of Qibli helping Winter find Hailstorm. He was shown to be impatient and ready to go as Qibli stalled. Qibli then attempted to bargain with Winter, saying that he would let him come as long as Winter wears the earring, which Winter declined. He then saw a copy of the earring on Clay's ear, and became even more suspicious and wary of Qibli, asking what he is up to. Qibli explained what the earring is for, to which Winter replied he is not under a spell and does not want to be. He then pushed Qibli to get going, and Qibli further stalled by explaining Vulture's tattoos to Winter, who mocks them. Winter and Qibli then headed to the dragonets of destiny to say goodbye. On the way to the Scorpion Den, Qibli received a message from Turtle, saying Kinkajou is awake and fine, which made Qibli flip with delight. Winter then asked what Qibli was flapping all over the sky for, and Qibli replied, "Nothing," worried that Winter was enchanted to be a messenger for Darkstalker. They soon reached the Scorpion Den, which Winter believes is unsanitary and unkempt. Qibli told Winter about the fortifications around Vulture's place. Winter replied that nothing could compare to the defenses around Glacier's palace. After Qibli explained that Vulture prefers to kill dragons before they so much as see his treasure, Winter appeared skeptical and asked how they planned on getting in. Winter and Qibli arrived at Qibli's old home when he was younger. Winter seemed unimpressed and believed that Qibli lived in a better home. Soon after Qibli called for his mother, his siblings Sirocco and Rattlesnake showed up. Rattlesnake commented that she liked fighting "shiny things", referring to Winter. Qibli's siblings then led them to Vulture's headquarters. When they reached Vulture's headquarters, Qibli told Winter to let him do the talking. Winter replied, "That is how conversations with you usually work." They continued until Winter sees two scavengers running around in a maze, and inhaled sharply, which alerted Vulture. Winter demanded to know what Vulture is going to do to them and defended the scavengers when Vulture said that he was going to eat the loser and that they were no smarter than mice. Qibli then hushed Winter, and Vulture began ranting about how it was, "perfectly normal to feel like your pet must think the way you do." Winter then offered to buy the scavengers, which Vulture replied to with a query as to how he would do that, with Winter being assumed dead by his family. This shocked both Winter and Qibli because they had not said anything about Winter being a royal or him being assumed dead. After escaping Vulture's compound with Cobra, Ostrich and Qibli, they flew to the SandWing stronghold, where Winter and the others waited outside while Qibli went to speak to Thorn. Later, when Winter found out about the IceWing plague, he attempted to fly to Darkstalker for help, before Thorn pinned him down and stabbed Qibli's earring into his ear. He and Qibli then decide to fly back to Jade Mountain Academy. They encounter Anemone during their journey, who tells them about what Darkstalker did to her. She later leads Qibli and Winter to the Lost city of night. There, Winter reunites with Moon, though the moment does not last long as he initiates an argument with her concerning her continued trust of Darkstalker given his recent actions. After Darkstalker's declaration of war on the IceWings, Winter flies back to Jade Mountain with his winglet. He has a brief reunion with Snowfall, Narwhal, and Hailstorm before NightWings attack Snowfall and kill Narwhal. Winter and Hailstorm grieve over their father's death before proceeding to fight the NightWings. When Anemone casts her empathy spell, Winter is later sent back to the Ice Kingdom, along with the rest of the IceWings. In the epilogue, Kinkajou found Winter trying to catch scavengers for a scavenger sanctuary in Sanctuary, the town the Talons of Peace was building. Winter asked Kinkajou if she came alone, indirectly asking if she was with Moon. The epilogue revealed that Winter had the option of staying at Jade Mountain Academy. He was also later mentioned during Qibli and Moon's conversation, when Qibli asked Moon why she chose him over Winter. She stated that Winter would be fine on his own and do great things with his life, but that Qibli was the dragon she wanted to be with.

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The Lost Continent Prophecy

The Dangerous Gift

Winter works at Sanctuary, and first appeared not very long after Snowfall came along with the three Pantalan tribes. He was suspected to be the IceWing supposedly stalking Snowfall, but turned out not to be. He then reunited with Lynx and Moon. Winter reappeared multiple times later on in the story, observing scavengers and participating in Snowfall's meetings. At one point, he asked for Snowfall to keep an eye on his newest pet, Pumpkin, who is actually Daffodil. He appeared again trying to search for Daffodil, who ran away. He was shocked to find out that she can partially speak Dragon, along with Wren. By the ending of the book, Winter was accepted back into the Ice Kingdom with his title as prince by Snowfall.

The Flames of Hope
Moonwatcher briefly mentioned Winter while the stealth team were conversing with each other. Winter later appeared in Lynx's memory when she offered them to Freedom. In her memory, Winter was shown playing alongside Snowfall, Lynx, and Hailstorm.

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Field Guides

A Guide to the Dragon World
Winter was mentioned by Mink in her Jade Mountain Academy application. He was also mentioned later in the IceWing chapter by Caribou in their scroll, In the Village-of-the-Plentiful-Seals.

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 older 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, showing that he cared more about Hailstorm's life than the rankings. Before Hailstorm's capture, he and Winter would often go hunting together, and it was 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'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 kill the other dragonets of destiny after finding out that Scarlet would return Hailstorm in exchange for their deaths. She called Winter weak and worthless multiple times throughout Moon Rising, possibly because she blames Winter for what happened to Hailstorm in the first place.

Despite this, Winter cares deeply for his sister, even asking for Icicle to have a private cave at Jade Mountain Academy. In Winter Turning, even though she constantly berated him, and was on her way to kill the dragonets of destiny, he constantly tried to give his sister the benefit of the doubt and thought of her as his perfect sister. He believed she was just trying to save their brother, and that this was the only way she thought she could do it. He truly believed that if he could find her, he could stop her, and that they could find another way to get Hailstorm back.

When he discovered that she killed an innocent NightWing he initially did not want to believe it until he saw the body. However, after the NightWing body was discovered, he realized there was no going back for Icicle. When he finally found her on the NightWing island, he was shocked to see her forcefully keeping herself awake by scratching herself and burning her wings in the lava to avoid talking to Scarlet. Despite Winter's attempts to reach out to her, she continued to shy away and insult him. After she is hit by a sleep dart, Winter tells her to let Scarlet come, then lies that he will kill Glory for her in order to appease her and buy them some time. Winter continued to watch after his sister's unconscious form and refused to leave her side. However, when Moon discovered a clue as to Scarlet's whereabouts in Icicle's dream, Winter decided to leave and track Scarlet down. 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.

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, and he hopes he will never hurt her. 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 for his heart to heal.

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.

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. Later 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, and hates having to admit when the other is right. He knows Qibli well enough to see when he is deliberately trying to annoy someone, having been in the same position many times. Qibli trusts Winter, as he looked to him to decide whether or not to reveal valuable information about Scarlet.

Qibli often tries to act in benefit of Winter when his friend is in need. 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. He also made sure to pair Moonwatcher and Winter together during their search in hopes that Winter find 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 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 of the IceWings, 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.

Family tree

More

Glacier

Several Dragons

Narwhal

Tundra

Crystal

Snowfall

Mink

Hailstorm

Winter

Icicle

Quotes

"I only mentioned it because it seems entirely obvious to me that the niece and nephew of the IceWing queen should each be given a private cave, so I wanted you to know we wouldn't have to be clawmates for very long, as there has clearly been some kind of mistake."

― to Qibli about him being the nephew of Glacier

---

"Starflight and Moon didn't kill Hailstorm! Queen Scarlet did! She's the one who took him prisoner! He would have died in her arena sooner or later. How can you work with her? How can you work for her? How can you do anything she says?"

― to Icicle

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"Was that supposed to be me? Terribly unimpressive, if so. I haven't once said 'higgledy-piggledy' in my entire life. We would never allow such linguistic imprecision in the Ice Kingdom."

― to Qibli, about Qibli's impression of him

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"Stop liking her. Remember what Father said: They're all liars. Be strong, be vigilant, strike first. Trust nobody. Not even interesting NightWings with silver teardrop scales."

― thinking about Moonwatcher

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"This is not about your place in the rankings. It's not about what Mother and Father and the queen think of you. It's about saving Hailstorm."

― thoughts

---

"I'm an IceWing. That means I belong in the Ice Kingdom with my own tribe. I should never have gone to Jade Mountain. This prophecy, if it's even real, has nothing to do with me, and I should have nothing to do with you."

― to Moonwatcher and Qibli

---

"Because happiness isn't where I am ... it's who I'm with."

― thinking to himself, after the Diamond Trial

---

"Don't you trivialize this! Don't act like what he did is normal or acceptable. He was trying to make me adore him. Against my will! Changing my thoughts and my feelings like I'm just a character in the story he's writing about himself. Like nobody else is real except him. If that's something you would seriously do, SandWing, then we can never, never be friends."

― to Qibli

---

"As weird as it is, they're my new family now ... my new tribe."

― to himself thinking about Kinkajou and his friends

---

"Snowfall, you're my queen and the IceWings will always be my tribe, whether I'm banished or not. But Jade Mountain and Sanctuary...they've made me feel like I'm part of a bigger tribe. Like I'm worth something more than a place on a wall."

― to Snowfall

Trivia

• When he was two years old, Winter's ranking was lower than anyone in his family's had ever been.
• Winter hates rain and being in the rainforest.
• Winter considers black and white the only colors for a dignified bird.
• When he was younger, Winter would often daydream about swooping in upon the NightWings at the head of an IceWing battalion.
• Before every meal, Tundra made Winter practice his guarding stance until her approval.
• When he was one year old, Winter performed a ranking test in which he was to survive in a blizzard alone.
• Winter has an excellent memory for faces and thinks he has met everyone in his tribe at least once.
• Winter always dreamed that if he was an animus dragon, he would give the gift of observation: a scavenger den in the Ice Kingdom constructed so the scavengers could live without freezing.
• Winter had a history tutor when he was younger.
• When asked about the love triangle involving Qibli, Winter, and Moonwatcher, Tui stated in an interview that she wanted to try to challenge herself by writing a love triangle where "you really like all of them, and any of the three can be together," which made Tui feel conflicted when it came time to decide the final pairing. In this case, Tui wanted Moonwatcher to pick the nice guy who cares about her and does all the right things.
• In early concepts for The Dragonet Prophecy, Winter was going to be a dragonet of destiny.

Gallery

• 
  Winter on the cover of Winter Turning, by Joy Ang
• 
  Winter on the full cover of Winter Turning, by Joy Ang
• 
  Winter on the cover of Winter Turning, by Mike Holmes
• 
  Winter fullbody render, edited by Luna-The-NightWing
• 
  Winter graphic novel render, edited by -zstarchaserr
• 
  Winter from How to Draw, by Brianna C. Walsh (edited by WillowCharlotte1234)
• 
  Winter on the cover of the Chinese version of Winter Turning, by Angelo Rinaldi
• 
  Reference by SpaceshipEarth

• Art by Mike Holmes, from the Wings of Fire Graphic Novels
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• File:Winter GN 32.png
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References

es:Winter de:Winter fr:Winter pl:Zima ru:Холод