Slim Branch seems to have power over a lot of people, Dark Shadow observed, as he swung up a tinder ladder tied together with strips of woven grass. He fumbled around for a second, brought several strings of dry leather crashing down, then lost his balance and fell after the leather as well. He hit the ground hard, muttered a few curses, then stood up and headed toward Slim Branch's ample tepee.

Slim Branch examined the strip of sun-dried leather.
"Okay," she allowed grudgingly. "Finally, our tribe seems to be valuing its trade."
"The fire?" Dark Shadow asked impatiently.
Slim Branch clucked disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk! Patience, young man."
She waited until it was clear that Dark Shadow, seething with frustration, would not talk. "Hmmm.... How big of a fire?"
"As tall as the tallest tree," Dark Shadow said, relieved that Slim Branch had finally decided to cooperate.
"Oh!" Slim Branch clapped her hands together and smiled. "Of course-a dragon."
Dark Shadow reeled back as if Slim Branch had hit him with her cane. "No! All the dragons flew away."
Slim Branch raised an eyebrow."And did they come back, young man?"
"No," Dark Shadow said, feeling like this was some kind of trick.
"Yes, they did! Remember the reports of a white dragon roaming the woods, and a yellow dragon flying away? There must have been a family who snuck back in, but you are unwilling to accept that. Well, accept it! The fire is burning, closer and closer." Slim Branch suddenly erupted.
Dark Shadow drew himself up to his full height. "We must-"
"No!" Slim Branch interrupted, standing up and shaking with anger. "This is because of a dragon! No other fire could consume so high, spread so wide. Just because you do not want to accept it does not mean it is not the truth! You cannot change the truth!"
Dark Shadow froze. Images raced through his mind like the deer omen.
His father. The horrifying pools of black where it just burned away. Feeling bitter, angry, resentful at the dragons. Shutting them out of his mind.
He thrust them away and looked coldly at Slim Branch. "Thank you," he said stiffly, although what he really wanted to say was "my father died because of a dragon! My sister was captured because he was too weak to protect her! My mother died, killed by a Earth dragon that ripped the camp apart! Now there is another dragon? No! That fire is caused by something else! A careless human, some dry tinder! Anything but that!"
He was actually about to throw it into her face, when he stopped. She'd seen that. Actually, her granddaughter and daughter had been killed by dragons. She knew, all too well. But she also knew that a dragon caused this fire.
"Thank you," He said again, then walked out the door.
Slim Branch stared out the doorframe and wondered when he would finally understand.

Dark Shadow gathered his council. A exhausted messenger reported news of the fire eating up the forest. He had already sent some of his most fleet-footed warriors to douse it out with thick moss and the barrels of water from the gurgling stream running along their camp.
"Slim Branch says... She says its a dragon." A lot of voices started talking at once.
"Listen to me!" Dark Shadow said, in his most loudest voice. "We will decide. Who wants to hunt this dragon and who thinks it is not a dragon?"
Broad Leaf placed a red rock on the table. "Pfft! There are no dragons."
"Not so," Shaded Moss contradicted. She placed a green rock on the table. "There are dragons out there. Remember? I cast my vote that there are, but that does not means we should hunt it. I stay neutral."
Gliding Lake frowned, tapping his three stones. "I vote yes," he finally decided, casting a blue rock into the left side, then quickly raised a hand.
"But! If there is a dragon, how come he never comes here?"
Floating Seed frowned. "No," she finally decided, spinning her red rock. "Dragons have long died."
Swimming Beaver was ready. "Yes," he said, his blue stone skidding across the table. "If there isn't, no consequences to look. If there is, there is a consequence not to look."
And so Soft Petal, Elk Antler, Red Mark, Fierce Lion, and Dark Shadow cast their vote.
"I..." Dark Shadow stopped, resumed, stopped, and hid his face.
"Yes," he finally decided, painstakingly placing his blue rock in the middle. The people around the table trembled with anticipation as Dark Shadow counted out the rocks, then lifted his head. "Gather our best warriors," he ordered. "We will hunt this dragon!"

Drifting Breeze was upset. "But Song Sparrow," he protested. "They cannot hunt this dragon!"
Song Sparrow drew him close, although they did not touch.
"The council has chosen," she said kindly. "And why not? Perhaps this will benefit."
Drifting Breeze remembered the look of fear and curiosity, the small size.
"Because- because..." He stooped short. He could hardly blurt out, "Because he's a baby!" That would only aggravate things even more. Drifting Breeze abruptly tore himself out of Song Sparrows grasp.
"Thanks," he said hurriedly. "I have-something- I have to go do something- bye!" He raced off, determined to find the dragon before Dark Shadows troops did.