Wings of Fire: Secret of the Bushes

Chapter 4

It's been only been a few days after the incident and Fern was already swamped with reports of dragon sightings all over the forest. One case was a report of something hanging high up on the branches but it just turned out to be a loose vine. Another heard a rustling through the bushes and quickly bolted back to the mines. But upon arrival of the skywatchers, it turned out to be a lone anteater startled by the person's movements.

These false alarms have been giving Fern, captain of the skywatchers and hunters, a headache with how paranoid the clan had become. Rumors about the dragon sighting had spread quickly in the past few days and reports are coming in almost hourly.

As far as Fern is concerned, he's not even sure if there even was a dragon. Cloud had muttered through panicked words about a dragon saving him from the jaguar like some fairytale they teach the children. This could just been some story Cloud thought up to cope with the trauma. Still, Fern had instructed the watchers to secure the perimeter in case the jaguar was still around.

As a precaution, he also instructed the watchers to keep an eye for suspicious activity in the forest. Some of the watchers had investigated the spot Cloud was at and confirmed the footprint of a dragon-sized animal. When the watchers came back, someone must've overhead some of the watchers muttering about the dragon sighting in the forest and now the people are losing it.

This isn't making Fern's job any easier between managing the watchers and also preparing for the monthly trade with the southern fishing village of Tranquility coming soon. Fern didn't have the time to assess every single report the clan had given him. For now, Fern had to put the reports at the back burner and focus on the trade order coming soon.

"Are the supplies ready to go?"

Fern was holding the clipboard as he reviewed the inventories on his check list. The dim fire of the wall-torches fluttered with a warm orange glow throughout the wide cavern they've purposed as a both a storehouse and stable. One wide opening led south of the mines into a path leading out towards the ocean where the fishing clan is stationed. Another opening leads back into Defiant where the rest of the clan is.

Looking around, Fern could see a clan member tending to the horses for the night. They carried bales of hay to the horse's respective feeders and turned in for the night. Another was hard at work lifting the crates onto the carts; crops, wood, plant fibers, and even some metal and weapons were loaded in the crates as requested by the southern village.

"We're just about finishing up for the night. The carts will be ready to go first thing in the morning."

"Good. We need this ready first thing in the morning before the first light of day reaches the forest." Fern interjected.

"Are all these night preparations related to the rumors I've been hearing about a dragon popping up in the forest? That has to be a made up story, right? A dragon has never set foot around these parts for centuries."

"This is just a precaution in case there is one. I have doubled the caravan guards this time to watch out for anything." Fern explained as he put away the clipboard and approached the cart.

"And what if the rumors are true, will there be enough skywatchers left in the forest to keep us safe?"

"You don't need to worry. My watchers are capable of handling the forest while I'm away. You'll be safe in the meantime." he assured the clan members as Fern continued assessing the cart to make sure everything is in order.

The trade with the Wave Clan fishing village needed to go as scheduled. Keeping a relationship with Tranquility was vital for their needs and survival. Food like dried seafood and salts wasn't the only thing they needed from the southern clan. Sea leather that was made from sun-dried kelp is important for making their light armors. They also needed sand for glass to make their spyglasses and arrowheads. Glass was a better alternative for hunting than iron heads or else they'd be using up valuable iron for the arrows that the watchers need against dragons. There's even an experimental glass whistle in the works to make alerting others easier for the rest of the clan.