-----Raven looks at the dragon and rubs his chin, "What the hell, wouldn't hurt to take some scales just in case." Raven turns to the guards, "Could you give me a hand collecting some scales?" Raven says to Garrison, "Ever have dragon steaks? I bet they would be tasty. Hmmm...butcher a dragon? Who would ever believe it?"
-----Raven starts to collect some scales.
-----Rinda approaches with her mouth slack-jawed. Her expression resembles many of the others so far as a wide astonished smile crosses her face. Totally speechless, she kisses Raven and continues to stare at the large dead creature shaking her head. After a moment, she says a silent prayer to the Great Hunter.
-----The four guards likewise gather around the adventurers awe-struck and quiet from the passing excitement of battle.
-----"Careful, my friends," Garrison warns. The woodsman stands back a ways looking over the full length of the black dragon. "Thirty feet," he nods and then adds, "Sol, I think you're right. This dragon is young. I hope it doesn't have a mate or a parent in the area."
-----Bradley's eyes widen and shoot toward the sky searching for anything else in the gray morning skies.
-----Looking at the young excited mage, Garrison answers, "I have been simply passing through the area, so I'm afraid that I wouldn't be much help in finding its treasure, . . . if it has one."
-----"I figured you'd say something like that." Sarah says grumpily.
-----The woodsman takes a deep breath and continues in a serious tone. "Something to keep in mind is what I hear called Dragon Fever. We just killed a dragon, a beautiful creature but deadly, and as soon as it's dead, people starting thinking about treasure. I've heard about a lot of people losing their way just to get at some treasure a dragon may or may not have."
-----"What do you mean by 'may or may not have?'" Sarah asks. "Don't all dragons have mountains of treasure in their lairs?"
-----"Some people use parts of a dragon for different things like magic I guess, too. Those dragon scales make some pretty fair trophies I reckon. I'd hate to meet up with another black dragon while I have a piece of his kin that I'm wearing or using." Garrison then looks at Raven and says somewhat apologetically, "And I hear the blood of a dragon is full of poison. I don't know how brave I'd be trying to eat a steak from its meat."
-----Bradley begins stepping back from the huge carcass.
-----"The way I read it dragons don't like each other any more than we like them." Sarah says carefully. "I don't know if that's true or not...but for the magic I think I can get out of one of those scales I'm willing to risk it." She kneels by Raven and watches him work, not having any sort of carving instrument herself.
-----Rinda steps up to the dead dragon and says, "I am taking a few of its scales. By the next full moon, I want to offer them to the Great Hunter." She then begins tugging at a few of the glossy scales.
-----Raven says to Garrison, "Poison? Makes sense I guess." Raven looks skyward, "Let's get some scales and then move on." Moving with haste, Raven gets a few scales for Sarah. Raven hands the scales to Sarah, "I'll pass on trying to make a suit of armor out the scales, too noisy for my taste. Sure would look good though."
-----Raven gets on his horse and then returns to tracking the thieves. Raven finds himself looking up at the sky every few minutes looking for an angry parent.
-----"Raven, Thank you so very much!!!" Sarah embraces the ranger and hugs him close. She takes the large scales and puts them in her backpack, holding it open for a confused Chessie to fly back in. "Silly owl." She mutters after her familiar. "Alright then, let's get back on the trail."
-----A blushing Raven blurts out a welcome to Sarah. Raven looks over to Rinda and gives her a shrug and a smile. Raven then returns to picking up the trail.
-----Sol emits a light groan and turns Thunder away from the collection of dragon scales. He then keeps talking to Sarah, "If th' beast is young, then it may not have had time t'gather treasure. Hey, does anyone know how many different types there are? Dragons that is. I know of a couple, an' now we've seen this black one. Up close..." Sol trails off as he starts thinking of something, and does so until Raven picks up the trail once more.
-----Sarah digs back in her memory of the stories she read when she was younger. "Well there's the red kind of course, they're supposed to be the worst, and the green kind that lives in forests sometimes, and the silver kind that can look like people..." Sarah scratches her head. "I think that's it..."
-----Speaking softly Sol adds, "Well, there's at least one more type. Blue."
-----"Really?" Sarah asks, intrigued. "What are they like?"