For Peace

An Egg the Color of Dragon Blood

Asha was starting to get sick of looking for eggs.

It had been weeks since she arrived at the Mud Kingdom, searching for the Mudwing egg.

She had had no idea that there were SO MANY CLUTCHES OF EGGS IN THE MUD KINGDOM.

And of course, Morrowseer's informant knew that there WAS a blood-red egg somewhere, but if they did know where it was, THEY HADN'T BOTHERED TO TELL HER ABOUT IT.

And it was almost the brightest night! She had to find it as soon as possible. She couldn't very well look for an already hatched dragonet.

She walked through a camp, trying not to collapse on the floor while simultaneously attempting to look inconspicuous.

She caught a glimpse of a clutch out of the corner of her eye.

She turned to look at it, and spotted a gleaming patch of bright red.

Yes!!! she shreiked internally. She bounded over towards the clutch of eggs.

Unfortunately, in her haste to get to the egg, she ran straight into another dragon.

"What is your problem?" the dragon snarled. She stumbled back.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I-"

"Asha?" the dragon asked incredulously.

She looked up and saw a familiar scarred face. 

"Cattail?"

"What are you doing back here?" Cattail growled, the surprise on her face replaced with anger and betrayal.

"Um... I, um, should probably get going. Say hi to the sibs for me?" She tried to start forward, but Cattail blocked her way with her large, scar-ridden wings.

"You didn't answer me! What do the talon traitors want now?"

Asha sighed. "I'm here to get the Mudwing egg. For the prophecy."

"I thought so." She pointedly glanced at the bright red egg behind her. "What makes you think I'll give it to you?"

"Wait, what? Those are yours?"

"Sure are," Cattail said, flicking her tail towards the clutch nestled in the reeds.

"That's amazing! I'll be raising my own niece! Or nephew!" Asha said excitedly.

"You won't be raising nothin'," Cattail said. "That egg belongs to me, and I don't need some hoity-toity organization thinking they can take my egg just because some Nightwing said so."

"Please, Cattail? If you won't do it for me, do it to stop the war. Please."

"You and a bunch of wannabe freedom fighters and some dragonets are going to stop the war?" Cattail snorted.

"Yes. We are. But we need that egg." That dragonet.

Cattail snorted again, but Asha could tell that she was considering.

"What's in it for me?" she asked finally.

"What?"

"What's in it for me?"

"What do you want?" This is what Morrowseer sent me with gold for. I'm just a little upset that I might actually have to use it.

Cattail thought for a moment. "A cow. No, make it two."

"Two cows? Sure. My associates can hook you up. Maybe you can breed them so you could feed a lot more dragons, you know?  Or I guess just have infinite snacks." 

Internally, Asha was screaming. A living, breathing dragonet was in that egg, and its own mother was WAY too calm about trading it for cows. COWS.

"How can I trust you to bring me what you owe me?" her sister asked suspiciously.