After being discovered on the battlefield, Dragon has to run for his life. He finds his old friend, Bear, and a new companion, Rat. With Bear's strength and Rat's brains, they decide to take up the course of freeing the beast people, better known as...
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For a wonder, Bear didn't complain about the plan. He dug into his sledge and pulled out some leather clothes while Rat was looking out the cave. I should just be grateful he remembered to pack clothes.
Rat's ears were back, and she seemed to be counting something on her fingers when I looked up at her.
She looked over her shoulder at me and spoke softly. "Dragon.. We need to slow down the humans. The pace they have set means they will be here sooner than we thought. They are already in the tunnel and are about five hours away. If we can block this end somehow they would need to turn back, then if you can fly us south past that mountain..." She pointed at the closest mountain to us to the south. "We will be roughly a week ahead of them once they get out of the cave." Her voice sounded sure of itself and I knew then.
"Rat of the dragon fire." I said with wonder.
She frowned and Bear stood now he had his breath back. "Another person of light?"
"It would seem so Bear. She is stronger than she looks."
Bear nodded and eyed a rock column at the end of the tunnel. "Dragon, you can smash that rock, and this end of the tunnel will collapse. It's what Rat was looking for, isn't it?."
I followed the column of rock up to the ceiling seeing what he had. A large crack spread from the collem across the roof of the tunnel and I saw how it would fall.
"Good plain Bear." Rat said simply. "Now these supplies. We will need a way for Dragon to carry them as we won't have much time for hunting on our flight from here. There doesn't look like there's much to eat out there even if we did." Rat walked to the sledge as she spoke and looked at it.
I sat on my rocks that were still warm watching Bear and Rat pull the sled apart to make a wooden box with straps. Bear and Rat had their heads together, but it was Rat who was doing most of the planning. Somehow bear had brought wooden boards on his sled.
I shook my head watching the box construction. How the hell am I going to carry everything? I know I'm strong but... I looked at Bear, then the box that was being stuffed full of food and other supplies. This is going to hurt. I touched the bandage on my side and winced. I wish I could have healed more before I had to carry this much.
Rat saw me wince and came over. She undid the bandage and pulled the ointment from my bag. "He let you in his bag Rat?" Bear asked sitting down against the box.
"Is that odd?" She asked as Bear chuckled.
"He's a Dragon. No one touches his hoard. He didn't even flinch when you put your hand in his bag."
She looked up at me, her beady eyes reflecting the light from my rocks. I could see beyond the darkness that made them look black to the soft brown below now that she was close. What does she see when she looks at me with those dark eyes? Can she see what I am really?
