The Last Dragon Tamer

Chapter 9

"No!" Beorn and I yelled at him.

"I won't tolerate being disrespected by a bloodthirsty Savage," I growled.

"Likewise Whore," the Savage frowned.

Glaring at him, I then turned my attention to Gandalf. "Until he accepts that his people started the war I won't subject myself to his disrespect."

Gandalf was doing his best to mediate the situation but it was too late. "Save me from the pride of Tamers and the stubbornness of Dwarves," he said. "A feud based on nonsense."

"Nonsense? His people started the war!"

An arm to my waist made me turn my head. It was Thorin. "Go, meet us at the Elven Gate," he said. "I will handle this."

"But..."

"Ah no buts go."

I pulled away, letting out a scream of frustration, stomping to Alastor. Getting on his back I glared at the Savage for the last time before taking off.

Alastor growled in our mindlink. "Should have let me kill him Milady. I should have avenged my brothers from their tyranny."

"Yes, but I didn't want you to end up like Ajax and Ayzzar and I didn't want to start a fight with Thorin."

Alastor was the youngest of three brothers. Ayzzar known as Frostbite, and his brother Ajax the Blizard, had both been killed by the Shifters during the war. Alastor is last of his family line left alive.

I know that is why he we wanted to fight the Savage. The same reason I want to end Smaug. To avenge our families.

"Bah, the Dwarf King knows little about our life."

"I promise you, once we reclaim Erebor from Smaug we will take him to our homeland."

"Fair enough."

We landed just outside the gloomy forest that is Mirkwood. A dark spell lies beyond those trees but I waited for the others.

I did manage to catch some rabbits while waiting for the company. I skinned them to use their hides later but I gave the meat to Alastor. He deserved some food.

Whines of ponies got my attention. It was Thorin and the Company. They rode up without the Savage but I saw his form on the hill back towards his house.

Thorin dismounted and came up to me. "What was that about?"

"I warned you about our rivalry," I explained. My tone was harsh. "The dragon he was talking about? That was also Alastor's older brother. Both of his brothers is dead because of them." Venom came through, I didn't care. I was still angry at being told to leave.

"You endangered us. He could have killed all us."

"He had no ill will against you, it was all directed to me," I said. "Besides Alastor is growing, he'll be as big as his other brother Ajax in a few months. A lone Skin-Changer is no match against a dragon." I started to walk away from Thorin and towards the gate.

"Ira," Thorin grabbed my arm. "Don't walk away from me."

"Why? You of all people understand what happens when another race becomes your enemy."

"That is different."

"Different?" I wrestled my arm out of his grip and shoved him away from me. "What did he tell you? His side of it?"

"Yes. Said that your people purposely invaded his family's Lands to wipe out every one of them." Thorin looked hurt that I shoved him back away from me.

My tone was scary, snarling almost as I explained our side of the war. "They murdered my 14 year old cousin Thorin, we only invaded to retrieve his body and his dragon. They refused to give him back to us, calling him a war prize. When we found his body, they had him strung up in their Fight Pit as a trophy.

"His dragon we had to mercy kill because they tortured his rider infront of him. The same one I told you before the Goblins captured us. Do you think that just because we share a mindlink doesn't mean we just hear what the other thinks? We feel everything they feel. Pain, happiness, anger...it's all there."

I turned away feeling the tears starting to fall. "I was there when his people came in retaliation. The battle that made us forge the armistice. I ran in fear of them." I then moved my falling unbraided hair letting him see the scars that littered my back, runes tattooed around them. "His father almost killed me, did he tell you that? That his father almost murdered a five year old girl? Attacked her from behind while she was fleeing a battle she wanted no part of!"

I then turned to face Thorin seeing his face. He was hurt because I explained everything that had happened. Why I hated them.

He couldn't look at me now. Not since I showed him the scars of that day.

I then got back in Alastor's saddle. "Before you confront me on my hatred for another race, look at the reason why you hate Elves so damn much." I then led Alastor towards the gate, seething in my anger.

Mirkwood is damp and dark. Luckily Alastor's senses keep us on the path through, the Company follow Alastor through the forest.

It was disorienting to walk through the murk, sunlight barely crept into the trees.

I looked back not seeing the Company. They had completely lost the path. "Crid," I swore knowing I had to find them to get them out of the forest.