"Wait so grandpa just agreed to let the hunters hunt cetain dragon species? Is that why there is no more dragons? Did the hunters hunt them all to extinction? Did my grandfather exile himself in shame over his decision? If so where is he? I need to find him."
"Rosie settle down the story is not over yet. Geez you teenagers sometimes."
"I can't believe it, I just can't believe it!"
After their heated confrontation with Branch and the spliirt with the riders Heather sat on the beach at Dragon's edge, sitting on a rock watching the sunset while listening to the waves beat against the rocks.
"I prove my loyalty as a alley to Branch for many years, fought along his side risked my life for him and when I need him the most he cowers to enemy. I never thought Branch of all people would turn coward."
"I'm surprised too." Biggie replied, wrapping a comforting arm around Heather. Heather, accepting Biggie's comfort leaned her head on Biggie's chest "I've known Branch all my life, even when he was wanting to be a dragon killer long before meeting Melody he was brave and to stubborn to listen to reason. He often didn't make wise decisions but he never let the fear of death stop him from pursuing his dreams."
"I understand that he's the chief and all now," Heather replied "And that he has to think about his tribe, but I really thought he would take what happened to my tribe into consideration. As riders all of us knew there would be a possibility that we would die and I thought we all accepted that risk. Maybe I put to much hope into Branch."
"For what it's worth. I'm not afraid to die," Biggie replied "Especially with you by my side."
Heather looked up at Biggie and smiled "I did miss you more than anybody. You kept every letter I sent you?"
"Every last one, as well as every portrait. Read them every night before bed. Never did a night go by that I didn't think about you."
"I thought about you every night too." Heather then got up and stared Biggie in the eyes. "Stay with me here Biggie. This can be our new home. We can help Reby with the dragons here and we can be by each others side forever."
"Well…?"
"Biggie please, you're the only troll I have left."
With a smile Biggie wrapped Heather in a kiss. Closing their eyes in the kiss Heather allowed herself to slowly lay on the rock, allowing Biggie to lay on top of her as they lost themselves in the moment.
"I will never leave you." Biggie replied "Rather it's here on Dragon's edge or at the troll tree. I have waited years for you to return to me. I am never letting you go again."
"So that's a yes?"
"That's a yes."
With a joyful squeal Heather wrapped her arms around Biggie's neck as they continued to make out on the rocks, the setting sun shining down on the two of them as neither one was in any rush for the moment to end.
Ever since returning to Dragons edge, Reby lost herself in her work, observing the dragons behavior and looking for potential mates for several of the dragons still without a breeding partner. She was so caught up in her work that she didn't see Oaken walk up to her until he was at her side.
"Suki filled me in on everything that went down between you and Branch. How you feeling?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," Reby snapped as she wrote down one dragon's behavior on a sheet of paper.
"Look I understand your feelings, dragons are your life, and you can't fathom the idea of letting even one die. If anyone understands it's me."
"You know I'm surprised your not as furious as me. You separated yourself from society for years, gave up your family to save these creatures. I'm surprised your not flying down to the Troll Tree right now and scolding your brain dead grandson for his stupidity."
"I could do that, but what good would it do? He is the chief after all."
"He's not my chief, not anymore. I'm never going to go back to the Troll Tree. For now on, I live care free, with no one to answer to."
"Now listen here young lady what your thinking about is your desires only, your not even thinking about what Branch is going through with this decision."
"You of all trolls are going to lecture me?" Reby snapped "You abandoned your family, leaving your wife and grandson to think you was dead for years! You ever think of how much pain Rosiepuff went through, having already lost her son and thinking she lost her husband. At least I ain't letting my family think I am dead, unlike you. You would have never even told Branch of your existence if he didn't accidently stumble upon you, let alone your own wife. You have no right to lecture me about anything."
"And you are letting your anger blind your judgment. Have you ever thought that Branch is scared he will lose you and everybody else he cares about. Branch has lost so much in his life, his parents, his grandmother..."
"And Heather lost her entire tribe what's your point?"
"Instead of trying to help him think of another way to keep his family and the tribe safe from Grim and still protect the dragons, you abandoned him, and ridiculed him. Branch needed you all to help him make a decision that would protect both the tribe and the dragons and yet all you were thinking about was the dragons and not the safety of the tribe. Do I think Branch made the right decision in compromising with the enemy? No, and if I saw him I would let him know that. But never would I have just abandoned him, I would have helped him think of another way to keep both the tribe and dragons safe. You aren't chief so all you have to think about is the dragons, Branch though has to think about both because it's his sworn duty as chief."
"Then how would you suggest protecting both?"
"That's not my decision to make, Branch didn't come to me, he came to you, and you abandoned him."
Reby sighed realizing for the first time what Branch was going through. "You think I was to hard on him?"
"I think," Oaken responded "That you were acting with your emotions and not stopping and thinking of what he is going through and working to come up with a idea that worked in both your favors. Branch has a lot on his plate as chief, and he can't operate the same way he used to. You need to realize that."
"Come up with a plan that works out for both of our favors?" Reby thought of what Oaken said to her, than she got an idea, Branch wouldn't like it, and she would definitely be sacrificing her morals if she went through with it, but she was desperate. And desperate times caused for desperate measures "Thanks Oaken."
On another island far from the Trolls Tree and Dragons Edge, Grim and several hunters tracked a certain species of dragon to it's cave. Despite it being a rare species of dragon though Grim wasn't there to kill it, he was there to capture it, to control it."
"You got the dragon root darts?" Grim asked one of his men.
"Yes, and the crushed Mind Warper petals, but tell me why is this dragon so special anyway?"
"The poisonous gas sprayer is exactly what it's name describes. Instead of shooting fire it instead shoots out a poisonous gas that can kill it's victims within minutes. The gas stays in it's accumulated area only dissipating after ten minutes, enough time for it's pray to fall victims to it's deadly fumes."
"You want to catch it to destroy dragons edge?"
"And everything living there." Grim took out a blow dart and placed it in it's tube. "We only have one shot at capturing this dragon before it fires it's venomous gas at us so whatever you do don't miss your target."
Grim and his men talked into the cave where they saw the dragon sleeping in a pile of bones. Bones that belonged to other smaller dragon.
"Ready your darts boys." Grim lifted his tube to his mouth, as well the other hunters. They then blew the dragon root darts at the dragon, striking it in it's side. The dragon's eyes instantly shot open and it jumped to it's feet letting out a loud roar.
"Come on dragon root, work dammit." Grim pleaded.
The dragon took a deep breath about to shoot out it's gas when the dragon root took effect and the dragon fell to the ground passed out. Grim laughed as he took out the crushed Mind Warper petels and blew it into the dragons nostrils effectively taking control of it."
"Listen here you overgrown reptile," Grim laughed as he looked the beast in the eyes "You now belong to me, you will do as I tell you, and the first thing you are going to do is use your gas and poison Dragon's edge, and all it's inhabitants. Then when they are all dead, we are going to do the same, to the Troll Tree."
Back at Dragons Edge the following morning Reby knocked on the pod door that Heather used to use as her home when they all lived on Dragon's Edge. She figured with Heather's tribe gone and with Heather siding with Reby after their feud with Branch that Heather would be staying there.
What she didn't expect was for Biggie to answer the door, especially for him to answer the door shirtless.
"Oh um hey Biggie, um…" Reby had never seen Biggie shirtless before and she was definitely wondering why he was on shirtless in Heather's house. "Um is Heather home?"
"What is it Reby?" Heather walked up to the door wearing only a very poorly tied night robe. Judging by how poorly it was tied and how loose it was Reby assumed she put it on in a hurry. Also besides the fact that it was poorly tied Reby could also tell Heather wasn't wearing anything under it and she could see more of Heather then she needed to. It didn't take a genuis for Reby to figure out they were doing something last night.
"I'm sorry am I interrupting something here?" Reby asked getting uncomfortable.
"No, no, it's fine come on in." Despite not wanting to look at what was nearly poking out of Heather's robe Reby joined in turning to Biggie "Actually I was wanting to talk to Heather in private so do you mind giving us the room Biggie?
"Sure thing, I'll get dress and fix breakfast, your welcome to join."
"I would love that thanks."
As soon as Biggie left Heather turned to Reby "What you need?"
"I think I have a plan in mind that will help you get vengeance for your people and send a message to Grim what will happen when you mess with one of us."
"I'm listening."
"Fair warning, if we go through with this, we give be giving up our morals and our reputations will forever be stained. I wouldn't be suggesting if I wasn't desperate."
"What is it?"
"Grim wiped out your tribe, I say we take all our dragons from Dragon's Edge, and wipe out his."
Heather's eyes widened for a moment in shock. "You realizing what you are suggesting right?"
"I do, and I don't care, A message needs to be sent to Grim that we won't compromise for nothing."
"This will be cold blooded murder, there are innocent people in that tribe."
"We won't be killing innocent trolls. We will lay fire to the village, destroy dragon hunting businesses, and strike fear in the villagers about what happens when their chief messes with us, but we won't kill innocent blood. We won't stoop down to their level. We will only kill those who were there the night your village died."
" Regardless if we only kill Grim's men or not, if word gets back to Branch you know the consequences for our actions."
"I'll take the fall if that happens. But Grim must be brought down."
Heather thought it over for a minute then nodded. "Very well, I'm in."
"An eye for an eye," Reby extended her hand for Heather to shake, which she accepted.
"An eye for an eye."
There's a old saying that there can't be fire without smoke, and oh boy Reby is about to bring the smoke, and it's going to cause the biggest of bonfires when it's done.