Well so much for that hope. He'd just have to do his best to answer without sounding like it was too strange or beyond belief. "Uh, well... when this big dragon first came to the area, he had a big skull collection, and he was set up where a patch of tasty mushrooms grew wild. So I was going to get the mushrooms for a salad, and I ran into him. He was pretty scary, but, I kind of traded safety for service. He calls me his Bug, and really I am a little bug in comparison. I do what he asks of me from time to time, he doesn't eat me or hurt me and my friends. Once in a while he actually listens to my advice or suggestions." Hopefully that would have them feeling better, but something else seemed to be bugging Bella. "Something bothering you Bella?"

Bella looked at him she did not hear what he was talking about only something whit a salad and the monster not hurting him.* No no just think I hear something like a train.* This was the most stupid thing she could say why should a train came running in the woods.* I Mean car. Year that was it I think I heard. So is the monster a Vegetarian?* She try to get Verdy to think of other things that her looking for something.

Ritzi looked at her strange.* A car? Don't you think you mind is playing a trick whit you? Or ells you should see the school nurse to let her check the ears. Hey do we acutely have a school nurse? I don't want to tell her things that the school don't have*

Way behind them one of Don Milows spy was hidding up in a tree taking some pictures. Not only of her but also around the woods to make a clear about what was the woods? And was it a good place to hide?

"Uh... no... it generally likes ripping things apart or chewing them up while still alive. It's best not to think about things like that. We do have a nurse, and doctors, basically an entire medical wing that can help take care of anything from a simple scrape to serious injuries." A car, well it might be possible. If he'd known they were going to be followed he might have decided to cancel the whole thing, anyone sneaking around out there could be in a lot of trouble. Maybe seeing one of the giant paw prints would scare them off, it's what he was hoping would happen with his friends actually. He opened the door out of the garden and led them out, taking the path he knew all too well by now. "If nothing else I'm sure we'll see a paw print or a few downed trees when we get close to the little place I've set up in the woods."

Ritzi was shaking a little bit. He was a little bit afraid of what would happened in the woods. He did read a lot of books where some bad things happened to people in the woods. he did hug his paws close to him so he did fell much more safer * Well I am sure that you can kick ass if he decides to attack one of us.* That was one thing he had read in books. When a monster attack it was always the little one to go first.

Bella looked at him and walked in the woods. * Well it is really nice and quiet in here nice place to think abut things.If it wasn't for the thing.* She was sure that if Verdy could talk to the monster whit out getting hurt she could do the same thing too. But she did not have as big muscles as he dose but she could sure other things that she could not do.

"Don't worry Ritzi, nothing's going to happen to you. He's probably asleep right now or sulking with his collection of skulls and other bones. He doesn't usually hunt near the school, it amuses him to watch all of us little bugs running around frantically. If it weren't for him, or if he'd let me put up official safe zones, then the woods would be a great place to relax and get some peace and quiet." The trail itself was pretty nice, smooth ground and a few flowers and little plants along the side. Enough clearance that even the towering dragons like Drake and Blake could walk through without anything hitting them in the head, it was definitely relaxing. Now where might he find a few tracks nearby?

Ritzi begin to relax a little bit and smiled at Verdy and did really fell safe. He looked at all the trees and enjoy the relaxing sound of nothing.* Well I guess we eat and drink after we are our of the woods. I don't want him to know that we are in his place.* he looked around nothing really to see but their were a lot of trees and mushrooms.

Bella try to relax but now she was sure she could here something clicking like a camera but she could not see anything it must have been a good spy he got maybe a chameleon or something. She did not fill safe anymore. Most because she did not know if it was only camera or if they were planing on going to have a surprise attack waiting on her.

"Sounds good. If you get thirsty though a bottle of water isn't going to attract his attention. The food in your pack probably shouldn't either but it's hard to tell. Hmm... not seeing any signs of him yet, that's actually kind of a good thing I guess." He knew he heard the clicking behind them now as well. Someone was following, and snooping. Heh, well that would definitely get the big dragon's attention if there were too many camera flashes. "Even if someone else was in the woods right now they'd have a hard time finding their way around. Oh, heh, just so the two of you know there's a video camera nearby. Don't look for it, but we're about to pass by its line of sight. Athos sets up some security out here and so he can see if anybody's wandering around lost." The green dragon knew where some of them were but not all of them, Athos was good at hiding them.

Ritzi could not stop looking around when he said the thing whit the camera. Was it a lie or what was it? * Well we can maybe all have a nice place in the garden to sit down and eat and have something to drink and have a little talk.* He starts also to look around he could hear that click sound. Well if he could hear it the monster could maybe also hear it. He begins to shake a little bit and hold tight in his paw.

Bella smiled at him. But it did not look like the camera would do anything to the person having the camera. * Well we are not going to get kicked out form the school for going into the woods? * She think she now could hear someone whisper to someone. she could not hear it all but something like.* We got her. is the mission completed?*

"Hehe, there's nothing to worry about Ritzi, you're perfectly safe here with me. And so are you Bella. There's no need to be worried as long as you're here with a guide, and I'm one of the qualified guides. Since it sounds like we're being followed though, we're going off the normal path. Follow me, we won't be going through any briars or other thorny plants or anything dangerous but we will be walking through some grass, roots, and lots of fallen leaves." He veered off the path, holding Ritzi's paw and letting his tail act as a sort of guide rope for Bella if she wanted to grab hold of it. Now this way would definitely take them across one of the hunting paths of the big dragon but they'd still make it to his little home out in the woods rather safely. And it didn't take long to see a big tree split in half with deep claw marks all along the trunk. "See, this is what he does sometimes if he's bored. He makes sure he's still in good fighting condition."

Belia walk over to the split tree and holding her paw to it so she could have something to see how big his paw was.*wow that is so cool It is much bigger than the marks I put in my desk when I am bored. But don't you think he get a little bit lonely when he don't have a girlfriend or some one how comes visit him.* She gently smell to the tree to find out what he or she smell like. It was not like it was bad smell but not something she would put on a bottle of perfurm.

Ritzi begins to fill his heart pump faster and faster. He gently try to take deep breath and try to relax. But is was nor easy his neck hair begins to go up on him. It was so scary that tree. He could perfect see what the monster would do if he catch him. He take Verdy paw up to his chest so he could fill his heart begins to pump.

Verdy looked around a little, smiling. "Well here's an idea of how big he is." He was standing in one of the paw prints he'd hoped to find, and if he were to lay down in it he'd still be short of the paw's full size. "I don't know what he'd want from a girlfriend, probably just waiting for one to come along. But I do know he's usually happy when he sees me, even if he doesn't like to admit it." She was definitely curious about him, maybe eventually the two could meet but he'd clear it with the big guy first and then check with her. "Hehe, relax Ritzi, I'd be the one to get hurt before either of you and even if the big guy was in a bad mood he'd rather pick on someone that isn't an invited guest, like anyone that might be following us."

Ritzi smiled at him an hugs him tight and jump up and close his paws behind his back and give him a deep kiss to relax to. He gently let his toung lick around her lips * Thank you babe I just want to know. I can get a huge plus to things like that . Also if I am reading a good book like a mystery book. You probably want to check I am not close to pass out because of the exiting stuff.* He wags his tail gently and look down at the foot print look like something from a bad monster film.

Bella could smell something great maybe the mushrooms. She gently close her eyes trying to smell her way to it. She hat for got all the things Verdy hat told her whit stick to the other tow. Now she only wanted to find out what it was so great abut that smell. She begins slowly to go far and far away form Ritzi and Verdy

"Mmm, hehe, it's okay. I used to be that way with a few things too. Just don't want to be too afraid around here, it just might amuse him and he might want to add you to his little collection of pets. And with me being the only one so far, I'm not sure how likely that is." It really wasn't so bad though, being the little servant to a big dragon. As long as he didn't try to crush him and didn't give impossible demands he didn't care if it meant buffing some claws or shining some scales. Or making a large cooking pot and mixing things together to give it a new dish to try. Only after a minute or two did he realize that Bella was missing. "Bella? Bella where'd you go? Come back here Bella, you don't want to wander off too much." Oh great, now he'd actually have to track her down.

Bella walked over to some trees and find the things that did smell so good. A little bush whit some wild berries on. She gently go down to it to just smell them . Maybe try to eat a little bit. No she must wait till she hat asked Verdy. Wait where was he? she remember him being around her for some minuets ago . She go over to a tree to find a place to be. * Verdy? Ritzi??? Were are you guys? It is not funny if you are hiding from me?* She did not hear anything. Only her own sounds. Suddenly 4 paws pule her behind and down to the ground

Wam on of the men from Don Milow hold her hands really tight and Kanoki hold her paws close together. * Well what a nice little kitty we have right here. Are you alone out in the woods?* Wam smiled down at her and try to force a gag-ball down into her mouth. * Tie her paws together Kanoki. And lets hang her up to the tree. * Kanoki was a fast bunny whit many years pratic in bondage. Wam was just an rat that have some relation to Don Milow but did have a hobby as an Boxer. * Well Bella you are really pretty when you are mad and hanging upside down. But we don't have much time to hang around whit you.* He put her paws in bondage and spay her whit something call Deer Smell. A perfume many hunters use to get wild animal to them

Bella looked mad at them as they walk away from her. She try to bit the ball over so she could call for help. But it was to hard to bit it over. She looked around she did not know if the monster would come to her now she did smell like food. Well she could not hear any loud sounds so that must have been good so far.

Ritzi smiled at him as he gets his kiss. *Well I am sure that if he want to keep me as a pet it must be because he wants to have a nice little puppy to pet sometimes.* He giggles a little big. He looked around to see if she could see her. No now signals of her but he could maybe track her up by her smell.* Hey let me see if I can smell her up.* He went to the ground but the only thing he could smell was some kind of meet.* Well I can smell something but it don't smell like her

The green dragon took a quick look around, catching a quick whiff of the strange new smell. Oh, that wasn't right, no hunters were out here. He'd know, the only one that actually came out here was his papa Rook and he hadn't done that for a while. "Good bet that wherever that smell is from, they're with Bella. And whoever is out here, they're risking their lives. That big dragon doesn't usually like intruders and if he's mad enough about it he'll stalk them right out of the woods and get them no matter where they are. Heck he's walked up to the gates of the school before after scaring everyone in the stadium. "Come on, it's this way. We don't want to lose her out here, hehe, even if I'm sure the big dragon would like a little dog pet he might not want a kitty too." Now that he was looking, there seemed to be some other tracks here. Yeah, someone else was out here risking their lives and he wasn't about to focus on them when he had a friend to look for.