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The shaft of sunlight coming down from the hole I'd punched in the canopy above created crisp shadows which moved as the morning progressed into midday. The sun on my back slowly warmed my skin and I felt my anger slowly warming as well as the minutes flew by. I realized that I had no concept of the length of time it would require for a human to change their outer protective layers. What if I had asked something of the boy - Tobias, I remembered - that would require most of the day? But somehow, I just felt that he shouldn't be taking this long.

At noon, I decided to uphold my promise. whatever had happened, Tobias was going to wish he'd done more to keep his preparations short as I'd instructed. Branches bent and snapped against my plated shoulders as I pushed my way through the forest. My armored skin hardly registered the abuse, but I knew I would pay with the discomfort of sticky sap later. The trees crowded around my massive form like the bars of a pen, but my strength was such that I pressed with both my front legs against a forest behemoth, pushing against it with the raw power of my back and hind legs until the roots emerged from the soil on my side and the whole tree began to lean. I stopped once I had enough room to pass. I'd probably condemned the tree to an early death in some future storm, but I had no desire to slay something that had grown huge and ancient just as dragons can become huge and ancient with enough luck and cleverness on their part.

My claws sank deep into plowed soil as I spied the farmer's cottage. From Tobias's description, I knew that the parallel furrows in the ground were important for planting and the proper distribution of water, however, there was no way for me to cross the field without flattening the design and leaving my giant tracks in my wake. I consoled myself with the fact that I wouldn't be here if Tobias had returned to me on time and proceeded onwards towards the little wooden dwelling.

I studied the strange artificial structure as I plodded across the muddy field. It was true, most dragons, including my dam and sire were naturalists, meaning that they lived very close to nature, hunting, sleeping and being content with the life of a sky-born predator, never seeking for themselves anything more grand than a nice warm cave or den. Other dragons, many of whom I'd roosted with temporarily as I'd journeyed in my exile were opulent to the extreme, digging out massive complexes in the mountain or constructing large open air plazas which were easily accessible and more easily constructed if they didn't offer the same kind of security as a mountain stronghold. I'd seen several wonders, at least in passing; most dragons were willing to accommodate a lone male for a couple days as long as one didn't overstay their welcome. Thus, I was not dazzled by the humble structure. I noticed the logs that made up its outer walls and the bundled hay of the roof. It all looked... exceedingly flammable. I imagined that once I was the master of this place, I might encourage the construction of more sensible stone houses with tile roofs such as I'd seen in other lands.

When I was just outside the human dwelling, the size of which was hardly larger than my ribcage, I was surprised at the lack of activity. I could smell the human presence, at least five distinct odors at cursory examination. Did they imagine that if they ignored me, I would leave? I huffed a thin stream of smoke from my nostrils. The fastest way to get them out of the house was surely to cough up a small glob of fire onto the roof... but I'd promised Tobias I wouldn't destroy his home... I settled for grabbing the thatch roof as I'd warned him I would.

I was sitting on my haunches, upper body uplifted for the task of opening the little wooden den when there was a loud crash from inside the house and sudden shouting. I caught snippets of "No!" and "...rip the roof off!" and then "Dragon!" A human female was crying and then there was the bawling of multiple younger humans. There was another crash and a wooden thud then fast steps on the stairs.

The door at the foot of the cottage bust open and a stout silver-haired human, taller and much wider at the shoulder than Tobias rushed out roaring. In the man's hands was a very large crossbow complete with double wings and an iron winch for drawing it back as well as great axe slung on his back. Tobias had mentioned that his father had been a successful war veteran in his youth... the man took aim. I began to turn my body, ready to stomp this little ant into paste.

A window burst open on the second level of the cottage and Tobias' upper body emerged. "Stop! don't do it!" he was shouting and I realized he was looking at his father. I paused, holding my claw in the air.