Eric looked down at me and sighed. "Oh dear." I glared at him. "Please don't do anything foolish. Not until I have assessed you. I know you're winding yourself up."

"Fine" I growled. Tiger ran over to us. "Tiger stop those people and get their stuff back to the wagon! This is not how we treat someone who saved my life!" I barked at him.

He looked over at the hoard and sighed. "I will try." He jogged off.

Why do I doubt he will get far? This is despicable behaviour! The cart stopped and people reached for me. "Take her first she is far more wounded than me." I growled.

They hesitated looks of fear in their eyes. "Do as he said. She needs to be put in with the other very ill people." Eric said softly to the people around us.

They moved to Duha and pulled her off the cart. I sighed as other people came and pulled me off the cart. They carried me over to the same place as Duha. "Put me next to Wolf." The people carrying me did it without hesitation at my angry tone.

The shouting outside got louder, and I growled, making the people put me down near Wolf and run off. "Why did you make them put you here Bear?" Pup asked me.

"I promised your mum I would do my best to protect her. This is the best I can do for now." I said smiling softly at her.

Gorilla looked to the entrance of the tent. "I think I will go and find our things."

Pup grabbed his arm and said. "Will you find my wolf?... mum bought it for me. It's a little stone wolf."

He nodded. "If that is the only thing I recover then I will count it as lucky." He muttered bitterly walking off.

She let him go as he started to walk away. "Don't worry Pup. If all else fails Dragon will get it for you." She gave me a ghost of a smile. She looks petrified, poor child. "Don't worry child. We will look after you." I said to her and she nodded. That was when I saw she held Wolf's limp hand in both of hers. She looks so sad. All she wants in this world is her mum and that stone wolf. If Gorilla doesn't get it back, I will hurt everyone until I get it back!

The noise got louder as Eric came into the tent and came over to Wolf. He sat on a stool and started to work on her leg. "What is going on out there?" I asked him trying to keep my anger out of my voice.

Eric looked up at Pup and then back to his work. "Don't worry about it Bear. Tiger is trying to sort it out."

There was a yell of pain, and Gorilla was dragged in, holding his arm. Blood seeped out between his fingers. "DAD!" Pup screamed as she ran to him.

He smiled at her and put something in her hand. She burst into tears and he hugged her. "Someone sort him out, please. I'm trying to work." Eric called to others in the room.

They all just stood there staring at the two. "Move!" I growled, and they all jumped; one of them rushed to help him.

"Thank you, Bear." Eric said smiling.

One of them came over to me and started to check me out. I tried very hard not to growl at the Rabbit that was gently checking my left side for injuries. Once they were done with Gorilla he came back over with Pup to be with Wolf. "Ahh." Wolf cried out making Eric look up from his work.

"It's alright, Wolf, we got you out and..." Eric started.

"Pup... get.."

She started to move but Pup and Gorilla grabbed her to hold her still. "No Wolf, we are here, and we are safe." Gorilla said softly as he pushed her back.

"Stay still mum." They practically talked over each other making Wolf settle.

"Pup.." She slurred once more and was gone again.

"It is easier to do this job with you unconscious Wolf," Eric said as he went back to his work.

The noise outside got louder again, and something hit the tent, making Eric jump and look around at the entrance. "You have only a few cuts and bruises Bear." Rabbit said wringing his hands together.

I sat up. "Good!" I growled making Rabbit jump back from me. "Now help with Wolf."

"Bear, be good, please." Eric said softly from where he sat.

"I'm going to be a Bear." I snapped.

I morphed and headed for the flap of the tent as Eric sighed. I stepped out on all fours and saw the chaos. Tiger was yelling at a large group of people with only a few spiders as backup. Someone threw a rock, and it sailed past my head. Standing on my back paws I roared all the anger I felt at their mob mentality.

The group stopped and even Tiger turned to look at me. "There are wounded here! What do you all think you're doing? You want to attack and take everything from Wolf because she killed a yaspilrmeth. What makes you any better if you take everything from her, and then throw her and her family out? She saved my life and you would let her die! Bring her things back AND go back to work! We are too busy to fight over this."

The people milled about so I moved forward and roared again. The people moved off in dribs and drabs. I returned to my four paws and turned to go back into the tent. "Thank you, Bear. I don't think they will give her things back but at least they're not trying to drag her out of the tent any more."

I kept going ignoring Tiger. Does he think I'm too thick to know he, too, was not helping her? I looked up at Eric as he wiped his hands. "Who needs to have a nap?" I growled at him. "Lay down and have a nap. I will keep everything ticking over."

I morphed and went to the bed next to Wolf. She looked over at me and smiled weakly. "Hello, Wolf."

She closed her eyes again and I sighed. "She is going in and out at the moment. She lost a lot of blood so she probably won't be back to normal for a while." I nodded laying down and closing my eyes.

I felt I was moving. Opening my eyes I saw it was bright. Squinting I saw the sky moving above me and people. The bright light was fire, and the people around me shouted and screamed so loudly that I couldn't discern words from the mass of sound. Pain blossomed in my side as a large shadow crossed my view for a moment. Was I just kicked? I thought distantly. More pain blossomed in me as my view changed again. I was half sat up now, parts of the sky were blocked by bars. "Stop this!"

Is that... Eric?... Why.. do I... feel fuzzy? My thoughts were sluggish. Suddenly I was moving again but... up? "What..is happening?" I groaned as the movement racked my body with pain.

"She is wounded and you're hanging her from a tree." Eric's voice sounded like it was below me now.

Something else blocked my view of the sky. It flew around and around. It got bigger and bigger, shining in the light of the fire around me. Then there were more of them. As I watched the rainbow of glittering objects coming towards me I pointed. "Dragon..." I said.

Soft thuds sounded behind me, causing the deafening sound to go silent. Then heavy footsteps approached. "She is in a cage...and she is wounded." That is Rat... does that mean she is back?

I was moving again, my view filled with red scales. My ears filled with growling that rattled my teeth. I stopped moving, and there was a snapping sound, making the bars fall away from my view. A large shadow filled my view allowing me to open my eyes fully. Above me were unending red scales that shimmered in the light. They moved and formed a large head. I saw Dragon. Finally, he is here... but... That was when he looked me in the eyes cutting off my thoughts. I saw anger in his amber eyes. Maybe he won't help me.

Rat knelt next to me. She is wearing armour... it's pretty. It's like Dragon's Scales. "Why have you done this?" Dragon asked angrily.

Rat put her hand on his arm. "I am... Duha... Wolf of the... battlefield." Dragon looked down at me, his hard eyes focused on mine.

"The same Duha that killed a yaspilrmeth?" He asked. Here it comes. I thought nodding. "Right."He said picking me up gently and turning to the other Dragons. "Uren sthg en kuk tespep, nrg rukn ogth tesquthigi kthi thgi knenukthwig." The low growl that came from him sounded like words.

Those words sounded like something I'd heard before. As another Dragon stepped forward and took me from him my world slipped into darkness. My body was filled with pain as my eyes refused to open any more. At least... I.. don't.. know what... will happen to.. me... now.

I watched the Blue Dragon take Wolf away from us as her head dropped and she fell unconscious. "Uhhh... Dragon?" A small sweet voice chimed.

Looking down I saw a small human. She was crying as she looked up at me. The tears left streaks in the dirt on her face. She seemed small for the years I saw in her, thin, but like more care had been shown to her resonantly. I felt a need to help her rise in me like I knew these tears were for more than just the ground shaking. "What is your name?"

The human looked to Reina and then back to me. "I am Katja...but Wolf calls me Pup."

Ah, she is in Wolf's care. "You wish to be close to Wolf?" She nodded. "Then follow her. The Blue Dragons are very good at healing. They will understand why you are there if you hold her hand. I must sort out this mess."

Katja hesitated. "They took all our things. Our horses and food supplies as well as our clothes. They took everything."

She had something in her hand and I bent. Taking her hand in mine, she opened it. There was one of my carvings. It was one I'd made of the dog. I sighed releasing that I had bought those pouches from this Duha. "Dragons are for justice Pup. We will sort this out. I will make sure you are made whole by the end of this evening."

She nodded and ran off to the cluster of Blue Dragons hovering over Wolf. I looked at the group of people in front of me; they stood still, staring at us. "Kyanite, what has happened here?" A green Dragon asked.

"These people have robbed the warrior of her things. They see her as a traitor as she killed a yaspilrmeth, that killed her family. He amassed a force and attacked groups of yaspilrmeth. What she did has left her an outcast. She saved many with the death of one."

The other Dragon growled. "I want you all to give her things back to her!" I shouted at the group making several of them back up.

No one moved making my anger rise from embers to fire. "She saved Bear. They only felt bold enough to do this because he is asleep and no one can wake him up." Eric said quietly as he walked passed me to the Blue Dragons.

"Why should we?" Shouted one person from the crowd.

Reina looked up at me, seeing my anger, and sighed. "I have just finished convincing the Dragons not to burn everything to the ground. You are just proving the point they were making about wanting you all gone. I can still tell them I have changed my mind. With this kind of behavior from you maybe I should."

I grinned at her knowing that was not what she wanted but also knowing she would do it in a heartbeat. The people murmured and milled. I could see the reluctance to give up the ill-gotten gains in their faces. "A show of force is required." I growled.

The other Dragons responded with military precision. The Reds, Purples, and Greens came forward using their polearms to knock on the earth of this clearing in time to the beat I made. They stopped behind Reina. I was first to draw my weapon across my chest and take in a deep breath. "A taste of strength." I yelled.

We all bathed fire above the heads of the now cowering group. "You see, the Dragons are not impressed by the way the humans have treated us; they are also sickened by what we have done. The thing that saved us, was us banding together to create a safe place for all." She looked over their faces. "FOR ALL! They can bring death to the whole world by waking the volcanos and turning this world into a hellscape. Dragons are the only ones that will live through that."

Reina's words had the desired effect. The people started throwing things on the floor in front of us. "Does anyone know what they had?" Reina asked.

A Gorilla limped forward. "I do... I am with them Rat."

She nodded and patted my armour. "Stand down Dragons." Her words were spoken in our tongue and the Dragons did stand down.

We all moved our spears back across our chests and knocked them on the floor as one. "Reina of the Dragon fire, do you wish us to keep the peace?" A Red Dragon asked.

"If that is alright. Tempers are frayed here it would seem. Also, we will need to help them with the repairs to this village."

The Red Dragon nodded and they all started working out who would do what. "Rat....Dragon... I'm sorry I couldn't stop it." Reina stared at Tiger as he came close.

"Couldn't or wouldn't? I know you wouldn't fight for her. You didn't before." She glared at him with her beady little eyes.

I put my hand on Reina's shoulder. "What's done is done my gem. We can't fix it now."

She sighed walking away. The other Dragons came back. "We have our rolls sorted. Those that are to help will follow you. Those that are to keep the peace shall bring people to Reina of the Dragon fire."

I nodded turning back to Tiger. "Where do you need us?"

"Some of the buildings collapsed when the world shook, so if you could help with removing the broken buildings and fixing up the others. That would help."

I nodded looking over the village. "Brother's we have caused destruction and must clear it up. We have builders to sure up the buildings and we have soldiers to do the grunt work. Come we will have this put right by nightfall."

My brothers walked to the village humming a song. "Dragon... are they angry with us?" Tiger asked.

I shook my head. "They expect you to be like this. I, however, am disappointed in you. We have all been tormented by humans and you tormented her. She is wounded, she ran in here and protected Bear, and this is how you treat her."

He nodded looking ashamed. I turned away from him and followed my brothers to the village. At least I will have something to take my anger out on. Why would they do this to her? She killed a man that was a risk to us all. Any creature willing to turn on their own to further themself is someone that needs recompense. If they are willing to kill for it..... that is far worse. She did what was needed for the survival of our people.