Wings Of Fire: Heart of Oak

Even a Little Bit Hurts

Holly's POV

"I took it", Sundew said."Of course I did. So what?"

Blue sat down and cluched his head.
"When?", he wailed."How did you even get any?"

"I gathered some right after you came out of your cacoon", she answered."Don't you remember? I put it in a jar. I wasn't sneaky or anything."

 "But you were with us the whole time", Cricket said.
"I thought your didn't see your parents in all that time."

"I did the night after I took the flamesilk. It was while you were all still asleep", Sundew said.

"Why didn't you tell us?", Swordtail asked.

"I don't report to you", Sundew pointed out.   "Belladonna was my mission commander."

"Not like you follow my commands anyway", Belladonna observed.

"I can't belive this", Cricket said. 
 "I keep thinking. . . . but then I end up being wrong."

"How can you possibly be surprised?", Sundew asked. "Where do you think they got the fire from?"

"I didn't think it was from me!", Blue cried.

Cricket put a wing around him. "You took such a little bit."

"You only need a little bit if you have the right materials", Belladonna said briskly.   "But, more is better. Which is why we're going to use you for the rest of the war."

"No!", Blue yelled."I'm not going to be used for killing anyone!"

"You can't imagine that we'd let a powerful weapon like yours fall into our talons and not think of using it", Belladonna said.
"Think of what we're doing as 'saving your tribe' rather than 'killing the other one'. Does that help?"

"No!"

"You can't use anyone as a weapon!", Holly yelled at Belladonna. "He's his own per- uh, dragon, for crying out loud!"

Belladonna didn't say anthing and for a second, Holly wondered what was going to happen next.

"If you want his help", Sundew interjected,"you have to take care of his friends. Safe haven for both silkwings and both hivewing. And I mean actually safe - no weird plants in their food, no fire ants in their beds."

What is Sundew doing?!

Holly thought Sundew was a good person (dragon, duh). In fact, besides Mandrake, Sundew seemed like the best Leafwing out of the whole village.
But, like Cricket, Holly was having a hard time figuring out Sundew.
She hated Hivewings that was clear. . . . . except Bumblebee and Cricket of course.
And (to a degree) she could understand why; the Hivewings had pretty much wiped out the Leafwings and almost all the trees, even though she wasn't sure how she knew that. Still . . . . .

"But Sundew-", Blue begain.

"What she said", Swordtail talked over him."Exactly what she said. Especially the 'No strange leaves' part."

Belladonna sat back on her haunches and reguarded them with narrowed eyes for a long moment.

"Very clever, Sundew. I knew we raised such a smart warrior." She flicked her tail and shot Sundew and approving look.
"Bringing us prisoners in case the flamesilk was reluctant. Very clever."

Holly's and Sundew's jaws dropped.This was not the expected outcome.
Holly wanted to slap Belladonna so hard, not even Google would be able to find her!

"I meant what I said", Sundew growled."Anyone who hurts them will answer to me!"

"All right, dear", Belladonna said dismissively.