Thanks so much for reading my book, I love you guys so much more than you know! I dedicate this chapter to donnaf1828 who always updates her book 'Black Cat' for me, thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Out of the gloom, two figures could be seen, but they didn't look like they were a threat. Heather lowered her bow. A man and a woman in tattered and dirty clothes stepped into the light.

"Please don't hurt us," the man pleaded. He had ruffled, dull brown hair, ripped jeans and a shirt that was caked in mud.

"We don't want any trouble," the woman cried, staring at Phil with wide, frightened eyes. She was wearing a tattered, dirty blue dress and her face was smeared with dirt. Heather thought that if the woman was not so grubby, she would've been very pretty.

Heather stepped closer to the couple. "What happened to you?"

The woman shuddered, then answered quietly, "Two evil sorcerers, Gretta and Frank, killed our children! We have been fleeing from them ever since."

The man glared at the woman as if they'd rehearsed it and she'd done something wrong. His face flushed and she shrugged, coughing slightly. She turned back to Heather.

"Oh," Heather replied slowly. "What a coincidence..." They seemed almost suspicious. She vaguely remembered hearing about Gretta and Franks's sly servants, a man and a woman, but she had no idea what their names were, what they looked like or what they could do.

"What are your names?" Finn growled. Heather looked at him through the corners of her eyes. He seemed hostile, he probably didn't trust them. Why would he? Two complete strangers showing up with the same problem as theirs? Heather narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Vance and Bella," the man said, without hesitation. He pointed to the woman as he said Bella and himself as he said Vance. Finn's expression didn't change.

"Yours?" 

"Sophie and Jack," he replied, keeping his voice flat and emotionless. Heather suddenly realised what he was doing.

"And your Beast?" Vance inquired, pressing them on.

"Bernard," Heather answered, her eyes drifting up to Phil, "and he's a dragon."

* * *

Finn was not convinced. Not in the slightest. These people were no 'Bella and Vance,' they were Gretta and Frank's henchmen, Vachna and Banghr.

He kept quiet but alert. He didn't really want to start a full out battle. Despite having a dragon on their side, they were powerless, and that would not end well. 

Heather seemed at least a little bit suspicious. She'd probably heard of them before but he wasn't sure she'd seen them in person.

Finn was glad he made up the fake names, and it was lucky Heather caught on. If Heather had told them their real names it could've been... disastrous.

"Here," Heather said. "You can stay with us for a while if you want." She motioned for them to sit by the fire. She turned to Finn, an 'I have a plan' look written all over her face.

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HOLEY FLIPPITY, FLIP, FLIP! OVER 300 READS! I'M OVER THE MOON! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO SPECIAL! I. LOVE. YOU. SO MUCH. THANKYOU, ILY. I CANT EXPRESS MY HAPPINESS!! 😘😘😘