It makes me so upset how people miss so many things about Winter's character.
Winter is usually characterized as being like this angry, dumb jock type??? When he's not! He's so smart and he's very much NOT a jock.
Winter grew up failing so much in the circles because he's gentle when his parents and his society wants him to be strong and loyal, wants him to die "heroically" in a useless battle. Winter is gentle, he questions authority and he was conditioned to be mindlessly loyal to his family so he wouldn't get hurt.
His old conversations with Hailstorm show this:
"Not if you get high enough in the rankings," Hailstorm said with a grin. "Which you do by being brave and strong and bold."
"I thought it was by being smart and following orders." Winter said.
I love these flashbacks because THIS is who Winter is! The current Winter is a Winter who is just trying to be Smart and Follow orders, trying to survive in a society that hates who he is. I've read those two flashbacks at the start of the book over and over, and they say so much about how he's really like.
More below!
Winter is someone who hesitates before sinking his claws into something as small as prey, who feels compassion for creatures despite every dragon around him telling him that they're nothing. He is someone who was taught to care for no one, but he can't help but care for his siblings endlessly, and later, his friends.
Winter is clever, he isn't the best at fighting but he is crafty and he uses anything at his disposal to do Anything. Someone like Icicle would just yell at the winglet to move when the Scavenger's blazing fireball rushed their way, but Winter immediately threw himself toward it and used his ice breath to lessen the damage and warn his friends, which, by the way, him managing to hit a speeding projectile and having the reaction speed and aim to do so???? SO COOL.
He is just someone who is struggling to survive in a world where he needs to be strong, but being strong is impossible for him, and instead uses his smarts to try and survive, all with a dream of someday thriving in this world. (Notice how this sentence can be used for both Qibli and Winter?)
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People love characterizing Qibli as being completely different from Winter, when their whole thing is that they're VERY similar, but with rather opposite circumstances and backstories.
When they were in the scorpion den, Qibli didn't even have to tell Winter to do anything! Winter immediately began acting like a snooty, dumb, overconfident prince in order to get the attention off of him, he mostly stayed quiet while Qibli talked - Qibli literally notes this!!!
And the only example of him not doing that is him speaking up after Vulture talked about eating scavengers because again, he is someone who questions authority, he is someone who fights for what he thinks is right, he's just a survivor and his survival strategy is to Be Smart and Follow Orders!!!
Winter knew that Cobra was a threat despite the reader not even knowing, he didn't need to be told to restrain Cobra, he just knew! Because he's smart!!! Winter is observant just like Qibli, both of them are incredibly clever, just in different, but familiar, ways because they learned to survive in different, but familiar, ways!
And!!! For examples that he's gentle, when he hurt Qibli he literally sat outside in the Burning Sun, as an Icewing, waiting for Qibli to wake up. Alone! He was so worried and sad that he kept with Qibli and stayed by his side despite being a fish out of water, and not being built for this climate at all.
Him in the Diamond Trial is such a perfect example of how he questions authority. The moment he sees a way to break the rules without any consequences he jumps on it. He knows he isn't meant for the Ice Kingdom, it hurts, but staying will kill him. Literally. He then proceeds to manage to sneak him and Foeslayer out of the Heavily Fortified Ice Kingdom.
Unfortunately a lot of his character was kinda messed up with the whole failed redemption arc, but he's still such a wonderful character. I wish more people - and Tui herself! Portrayed him as being more gentle and smart, instead of mean and dumb, because he really isn't.
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As an IceWing, any health needs you have to explain to other tribes frequently?
Not really, but I have been told I'm lazy for resting during a hot day while other dragons help around Sanctuary.
Icewings aren't very resistant to the heat like other dragons, and we are more prone to heat stroke. Other Icewings may tough it up and fight through it, but I'll take being called lazy over dying from the heat any day.
Icewings tend to prefer uncooked food as well, for me it depends, but I don't think this counts as a health need much.
I still enjoy signing my name off as, "nephew of Queen Glacier," but I don't tend to do it anymore, as it comes off as 'holier-than-thou' rather then me being quite proud of my really cool aunt. Miss her a ton, though.
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Every time I go to Sanctuary I want to pluck my scales at the complete disorganization, but then the sun sets and I can't help but find it beautiful...
If only Riptide was better at town planning, moons above!
