Grain gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Gone?" I asked. "What do you mean, gone?"

"Not in his bed. Orchard came by this morning with another new shirt, but he wasn't there." Scythe said grimly. "You know that means, Kindle." 

I nodded. "Yes." 

"As quick and silently as you can, please," Scythe said. "We'll look for him, but I'm pretty sure he went to the forest."

I went upstairs and changed into my hidden uniform. 

My assassin's uniform.

Forest-green leggings and top, comfortably leather boots, designed for comfort and for stealth.

I was the assassin for Area 11. With my speed and strength and stealth, it was perfect for me. 

But I didn't enjoy doing it. 

I only had four fears-heights, pure blackness, a slow death... and killing an innocent was one of them. 

Not that they were always innocent, of course... but seeing their blood fall always made my stomach squeeze. 

All of that turned in my head as I strapped on my bow and arrows. The arrows would never run out, a gift from my mother. I also had a few darts, courtesy of Maysilee. 

"Do it quickly," Grain said. "Do not dwell on the circumstances. You have a mission." 

I stared into her eyes and steeled my nerves.

"Yes, Mother. I will not fail."

--------------------------------------

I'll give you a hint: I did fail. 

--------------------------------------

"Mission from Scythe," I said, and the guards on duty let me pass through the gates.

I took a deep breath and put on my half face-mask. Then I started to run. 

The forest was a dangerous place, full of animals and plants that could kill you unknowingly, but I knew it well. I ran through it, searching, searching, for the right trail... and finally found Brann's scent. My nose, compared to Fertile's, was dull. But it was still sharp. 

I followed the distinct ash-and-fire smell, with a slight sweet tinge to the edge, through the forest. I snarled in frustration as it weaved back and forth, back and forth. Jeez. Why did Brann have to MOVE IN SUCH A FREAKIN COMPLICATED WAY SO MUCH?! What was wrong with just a straight, clear line, preferably with large signs that pointed me to him! 

Immediately my conscience whispered, That would be too easy. 

Of course it would. 

I followed his scent through the woods, until finally, finally, I arrived upon Brann himself. I knew because the scent was more pungent. Silently I readied an arrow and crept up. 

Nothing in the world could've prepared me for what was waiting through the bushes.

It was the most beautiful meadow that I'd ever seen, clear and wide and sunny, multicolored flowers growing everywhere, coating the meadow, surrounded by trees. 

Standing in the middle was a dragon. The most beautiful dragon I'd ever seen. 

It had scales of overlapping colors of fire, red and orange and gold, yet when it flared its wings I saw that it had a faint shading towards snow-white on the underscales and wings. To my surprise the undersides of his wings were a rainbow of color, different colored scales peppered against white and gold. Its body was lithe and a bit skinny, clearly built for fighting. 

I drew my bow and stepped out into the clearing. 

Instantly the dragon's head snapped up and the moment its eyes, like a fire crimped into one iris, burned into mine, I knew it was Brann. 

In that moment I knew. 

Brann really was a dragon.

A threat to our village.

A dangerous being.

A dragon that I knew I couldn't shoot. 

For a moment we just stood there, dragon and girl. I aimed, but couldn't will my hands to release the arrow. 

"Kindle."

The voice was Brann's. Deeper, but still his. 

"Trust me." 

I tightened my grip on my bow and loosened my fingers. 

"You won't shoot." 

I already knew that. 

"Kindle."

He held out a talon. 

"Please."

Slowly I lowered my bow. My head said 'Kindle, you're not doing your job'

But my heart said, 'Kindle, this is your friend. Put your bow down.'

I listened to my heart. I dropped my bow and walked towards the dragon, slowly, carefully, because I knew plain well that it could burn me into ashes in an instant if it wanted to. 

But somehow I knew that Brann wouldn't.

Finally I was close enough to touch him.

Slowly, I reached out my hand and put it in his large talon.

When I did, an electric shock pulsed through my veins, and I swore for a second I saw a golden light reach from me to him then disappear.

Images flashed before my eyes-snow capped mountains, underwater paradises, a wide, vast desert, whirling snow, animals I'd never seen before.

Then it was gone. I blinked. 

With a ripple of scales, the dragon morphed into Brann, just as I remembered him. 

"I knew you wouldn't shoot," he said, folding his other hand over mine. "Kindle."

I yanked my hand away. "You do know what risk I'm taking, with not killing you, right?" I asked, sudden tears springing to my eyes. "It's my job. You're a dragon. You pose as a danger to our village!"

HIs hands dropped back to his sides. "I know." 

"And I'm supposed to kill you!"

"I know." 

"How do you know?"

"Those flames weren't mine." 

That stopped me short. "What?"

Brann looked apologetic. "Those were my father's." 

"Um, and exactly WHY does he want to BURN DOWN where YOU WERE STAYING?!" I demanded. The whole situation was confusing. 

Now he looked frustrated. "I ran away from home." 

I did a double take. "You what?"

"Home was getting annoying, so I ran away," Brann said slowly. "I searched the continent for a place to stay, but no matter where I go he always finds me.

"I needed food, so I flew around for a little-"

"Hold on," I interrupted. "My friend Maysilee told me you attacked Area 12. True?"

He looked a bit guilty. "I wouldn't exactly say I attacked, per se, just looked for some food. I had to defend myself when they started attacking!"

"Well, you burned my friend's arm," I said, annoyed. "So I expect for you to apologize."

Brann rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll go and apologize to your friend Mayonnaise or something."

That unsetled me, because when we first met I thought her name was Mayonnaise, so that was my nickname for her. 

"Maysilee," I corrected. "And good boy." I studied him. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm supposed to kill you," I pointed out. "And Scythe is pretty scary when she's mad." 

"She can't be as my family," Brann replied.

No amount of arguing would persuade him. Finally I threw my hands up. "Fine! Fine. But if anything goes wrong all the blame is on you."

----------------------------------------

The guards locked spears and sheilds the moment they spotted him. 

"Stop!" one shouted-Acra. She glared fiercely at me. "Betrayal, Kindle?"

"No," I replied calmly. "Please bring Scythe to me." 

"I'm already here." Scythe stormed out from the gates and stood in front of us. "You-boy. Did you work any magic on Kindle? She is one of my loyalest guards, and I am quite certain that she would not contradict my orders."

"I didn't, I swear," Brann said. "And I also swear that I will not harm your village." 

Acra and the other guard, Seed, snorted in unison.

"Show us proof," Scythe said, her voice still deadly quiet. 

When I got angry, I showed it with shouting.

When Scythe got angry, it was quiet and deadly.

"All right. What do you need?" Brann asked.

Scythe scowled and thought for a moment, then pointed to a crumbling section of our wall. 

"If you truly are a dragon, fix that wall. If that one falls, we fall too."

With a ripple Brann transformed into his dragon form, and they gasped. He lumbered over to the wall and inhaled. When he exhaled the flames were slightly purple, and what they covered the wall instantly started knitting together. Finally the wall was completely repaired. 

"The flames of an albino dragon has the power to heal," Scythe breathed. "It would seem that he can do it too."

Brann turned back into a human, batting out a few flames. "Proof enough for you, lady?"

Scythe frowned. "I thought only old and well-trained dragons could do that," she said. "How old are you, boy?"

He shifted uneasily. "Er, nine hundred and forty-three years old? Almost a millenia." 

"That would explain it," I said. "You're literally around my age. Hey, does that mean I can-" 

"Not now, Kindle," Scythe ordered me. She fixed her attention back onto Brann. 

"All right," she said finally, arms crossed tightly. "I suppose I'll let you in." 

Brann and I exchanged delighted glances, and he actually skipped through the gates, totally oblivious of Acra and Seed's glares. 

Before I could follow Scythe's hand fell down onto my shoulder. "Kindle."

I paused. "Yes, Captain?" 

"I would like to ask why you did not follow my orders," she said seriously. "You usually do." 

I hesistated before answering. "I just thought that it would be... wrong to kill him."

To my surprise Scythe's face softened and she smiled. "I see. All right then." 

She started towards the gates, but not before turning back to wink at me slyly. "And please make sure he doesn't eat all of our provisions."

---------------------------------

Needless to say, Grain freaked out when I came home with plus one. 

"Dragon!" she shrieked and tried to flap away. 

Brann looked extraordinarily bored, probably because this had happened every time someone saw him. 

"He's with me," I said quickly. 

Eventually she calmed down, and enough for me to remember something that he had promised. 

"Hey, Brann," I called to him, who was looking through our cupboard for food. "First, stop snooping. And second, you have an apology to make."

Brann groaned. "I was hoping you'd forget about that." he turned to Grain. "Grain, do you have anywhere open, like a cleared-out place or something?"

Grain looked confused. "Yes. Behind our house."

"Great." 

He promptly walked out and transformed into a dragon. Grain screamed before reagining her composure.

"You're not really going to fly me there, are you?" I shouted up. 

"Just hop on," he rumbled, crouching down. 

With a sigh, I hopped on, clinging to his spines. "This," I declared, as Brann spread his wings with a whoosh, "Has turned out to be a very weird day."