CHAPTER SEVEN: THE VENDETTA

"What did they do?" Cera asked.

"A good many things." said Tryus gruffly. "It all started when Angus started to bully me as a lad. Angus loved pushing around those who he thought were weaker than himself. He stole my food and beat me up. He was a real jerk. Finally, one day, I stood up to him and fought him. We've been fighting ever since. It's always been one or the other of us trying to get even against whoever won the last fight."

"Yes, and his kids started picking on me." said Topps. "They nicknamed me Topsy. Tria here happened to pick it up." said Topps.

"I thought they were being funny at first. It sounded like a cute nickname. I had no idea." said Tria defensively.

"I'm not blaming you." said Topps.

"They pushed him in mud and stole his food. They constantly beat up on him." said Tryus.

"And you never did anything about it?" grumbled Cera angrily.

"He has to learn to be tough." said Tryus.

"Yes." said Topps, nodding.

"That is too much!" protested Cera.

"No, you need to learn to stand tough and not back down!" said Tryus.

"I know that, thank you. I stood up to Alfred and the others who didn't think a girl should be in the Threehorn Gathering." snapped Cera.

"Well, I..." said Tryus.

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" asked Cera, thumbing her nose into the air in typical Cera fashion.

"Well, I..." said Tryus again, sweating nervously.

"What about me? I entered the Threehorn Gathering as well." chimed in Tria.

"Tria, well, I..." said Tryus, sweating nervously. "Well, I guess there is a first for everything." said Tryus nervously, dripping sweat.

"So, we are going to get those creeps for all the misery they've caused us all these cold times." continued Topps.

"Why don't you just refuse to fight them?" asked Littlefoot. The Threehorns, minus Tria, who happened to agree with him, all stared at him in shock.

"Are you kidding?! Then they'd have gotten the better of us!" retorted Topps.

"I don't see how Topsy. Littlefoot is right. If you stop playing their game, they won't be able to get to you anyway." said Tria.

"No, I must make sure that they don't get one up on me! They let my wife and kids die! They didn't help!" snapped Topps.

"It was an accident. While it's true that they didn't help, Cerata wouldn't want you to be acting like this." replied Tria.

"No, I wasn't tough enough then. I've got to stand tougher this time. Make them too afraid to show their sorry hides around the Great Valley again." said Topps.

"But all that will do is make sure that you just keep fighting till the day you die. Nobody will win." replied Littlefoot.

"No, we've got to stand tough enough so that they know we're tough. Then they'll never come back." said Topps. Olivia nodded. Tria shook her head.

"Yes, let's kick their tushes at the next round!" said Cera. She and her family went off for the night.

"I hope they can learn that fighting isn't always the answer." said Littlefoot to his grandparents.

"That is something they will have to learn for themselves." replied Grandpa Longneck.