Cloud looked at the gray, rainy sky, and back at Boy. He had to get him to a human healer. It didn't matter anymore... what anybody said. All that mattered was Boy.
      Cloud steeled himself and arched his back, then yelped and stumbled as his spine erupted in flames of pain. Cloud shut his eyes tightly until the feeling went away, and carefully picked up Boy by his clothes.
      He glanced once more in the direction of home, feeling terribly guilty, and dragged Boy and himself in the direction of the village.

     "You did not catch him?" Dark Shadow growled, leaning across the table. "what happened?"
     Dark Shadow had gone with his troops, but raced back to camp when someone pulled a false alarm.
     "When we got there..." Swaying Wave moistened his lips, glancing fearfully at his leader.
     "Yes?" Dark Shadow snapped. He had placed his blue rock for nothing! His tribe would shame him. He let his eyes drift for a millisecond towards the top of the tepee, to where the stars were shining, despite the gray clouds. Rain pattered softly on the tepee.
     What would his father think? He was beaten twice by a dragon, and now his son?
     "The dragon was gone. But we did find evidence," Moose Hoof added hastily.
     Dark Shadow drew himself up. He must be formal for the sake of his people. "He flew away?" Dark Shadow asked stiffly.
     Running Horse hesitated. "No," He said. "It.. disappeared into the flames.
     "So it escaped through the flames," Dark Shadow said impatiently.
     "Let me explain what happened," Sly Fox said silkily. "From what we saw, it was a white dragon, who apparently was blowing flames everywhere. A fire dragon. But... It seemed as if water opened up for it into the flames, and it passed through..." He hesitated. "Apparently, with another creature. A... by the looks of it, another human. One of us."
     "No. Why would one of us ever want to save a dragon?" Dark Shadow scoffed. He didn't mean to be harsh. It was just the truth.
     Sly Fox shrugged. "We only saw a shadow. We do not know anything more. The dragon raced off and we chased after it, but it was gone. Into... The Shadowed Marshes. We did not go any farther."
     Moose Hoof, Swaying Wave, Sly Fox, and Running Horse all lowered their heads in shame.
     Dark Shadow wanted to tell them off, but he knew too that the Shadowed Marshes was haunted, filled with whispering dead spirits who tried to drag you down to death.
     Dark Shadow sighed. "Go," He ordered. "Let us hope that he does not bother us any further."
     The four high leaders inclined their heads once more, and walked out the door. When they left, Dark Shadow buried his head in his hands and didn't say anything more for a long time.

Cloud had gotten tired of Boy hanging in his mouth, and so he had slung Boy across his neck. Then his neck got tired, and so he grabbed Boy with his tail. By the time he reached the glowing lights of the village, Clouds tail was burning.
     He staggered up toward the village, then suddenly stopped. How could he be so stupid?
     River told him thousands of times that humans hated dragons. Why was he suddenly ignoring Rivers advice? He shook his head, then had to place Boy down for a moment.
     Boy's face was a grayish greenish color. It frightened Cloud. He looked again at the village lights. Boy had to wake up now. If only... but of course, Cloud's luck was as slim as a pine needle. Cloud sighed as rain drizzled drearily on top of his burnt back and Boy. He looked at the lights of the village, then the trees of the forest, and slowly ventured into the village.