Chapter 21: Bryony's Revenge
My two owlets were informed of their father's death when they were escorted here and I told them. They cried as well as I when I told them. My poor owlets. Growing up without a dad will be hard on my baby boy. My daughter misses Shard as much as I. Shard loved both of our kids and he made a pact to never leave them when they were very little. We keep the secret of Shard's family, before he regained the honour, away from the children as I don't want them to know what happened.
It comes time for Shard to be cremated and the children and I cry all through the ceremony. Josh tries to hide his sadness and his anger, but it is coming out. Josh becomes teary eyed. Lydea is drawn to tears as Shard was a friend also to her, but not as much as he was to Josh. My daughter, Sylvie and my goddaughter, Sina are playing with Soren's daughter Bell as I am talking to Princess Liana. She had recently lost someone who is very important to her and I understand that. She had lost her father and will be coroneted when she is married in less than a month. From my understanding, her father may have been a jerk, but she still loved him dearly.
Josh and I continue our convocation from before and I know he is sad. He has lost his best friend and I have lost my husband and my owlets' father. I will try and move on, but how? I think I will have to find a way to commit my revenge. If Josh will help me, anyway.
"Josh, how are you taking this?" I ask
"Terribly. You?" he replies
"I lost my husband and the father to my children. I am not as happy as usual." I announce
"I see. I want to do something that will bring a smile to your face. You lost the one thing that you care about and when I almost lost Lydea, which tore me apart. I don't want you to be torn apart emotionally and what is best for you and your kids." He says
"I want you to do what Shard was to." I start to ask him
"What is that?" He asks
"Kill Ramaxon!" I reply
"You want me to kill the guy that bashed you half to death and left you there to die?" He asks
"That is the only way. That is the unfinished business that Shard was to do. Please, Josh. I want to live a happy life and also to have my resistance back. They are like a family to me and will follow my orders when he is dead. Please, Josh, I beg of you!" I beg
"Alright. For you, Bry and your kids." He replies
Josh takes off and goes to get ready. He leaves when the whole tree has called it a day and went to bed at dawn. He makes the trip to Tyto Forest. Josh takes some time to see what he is up against and spies on Ramaxon. By the second night, he decides to take action. Ramaxon is more likely a moderate enemy; he is a Tyto and trains not very often. Josh crashes into him and pins him down.
"Who the hell are yo to crush me?" Ramaxon asks
"A friend of Bryony. You were the one that almost killed her 5 years ago." Josh announces
"Bryony? I thought she was dead. She survived? Glaux damn it!" Ramaxon yells
"Time to finish off what she wanted to do for a long time." Josh announces
"Never!" Ramaxon yells
He pushes him off and they start to rumble. They claw and scratch as things get rough. Back in Ga'Hoole, Bryony is helping with the wedding preparations and she senses something wrong. She leaves Otulissa as she is going through a whole list of things and flies to Josh's aid. In the battle, Ramaxon has got Josh finally pinned and is trying to dislocate his wing so he can't fly. Then Bryony arrives and lands on the window.
"Ahem! Oh Ramaxon. Remember me?" She says
"Bryony?! The wretched woman who did so much wrong. Nice to see that you are alive." He says
"It is time to take my revenge, Ramaxon. You ambushed me and too my resistance away. No wonder the Kingdom of Tyto's rulers haven't been living in here in what… 3 years after the Pure Ones were defeated by us Guardians." She announces
"Shut up, bogan. This is my resistance now. You have not enough courage to fight me." He taunts
"Bring it on." She replies
"Bryony, no!" Josh yells
They face off and Josh gets a dagger. He tries to separate them off and then starts fighting Ramaxon again. When he pins him down again, Bryony comes from behind and stabs him. He falls over and she leaves the Dagger in his back as Josh gets up and she is breathing frantically.
"Bryony… you conquered your fear!" Josh announces
"Alright, sport. Let's just get outa here." She says before they take off
The Tyto resistance finds him dead and know who did it, their former leader. In fear they decide to bring her back if she decides to kill them also for betraying her. They send a scroll and Bryony receives it and she is overjoyed to hear she can become leader again. She does a victory dance as she tells her kids that they will be going back to Tyto Forest soon. She explains that she had got her old job back and that they will go as soon as the war is over.