Part 2

He looked around. To one side, a ridge of mountains rose above the plain white landscape, with the sun hovering low to one peak. To the other side, there was the gray smudge of distance smoke. People, he thought.

He levered himself to his feet and began to shuffle toward the smoke. There was a squawk behind him. The dragon was following, but it was so small that it could not even keep up with his own feeble steps. He stopped and stared at the dragon. Creakingly, he stooped and reached out a careful hand, touching its head. When the dragon did nothing but blink up at him, he scooped it up.

Even the modest weight was a struggle. Everything ached. But when he settled the dragon in his arms, the dragon draped its long tail around his neck. The warmth was nice. “You’re barely more than a baby, aren’t you,” he remarked. “Maybe the people there can tell you where you came from.”