Mavrik smiled slightly. "However, just killing them-"
"I know your name!" said Mitch quickly. He went into the tent and emerged a few seconds later with a silver ground sheet and a medkit. He looked at the kit and realized it was very small.
Mavrik chuckled, then winced when his damaged wing moved. "You don't believe in magic."
"I can start. Even wizards had to start somewhere." He found a tube of antiseptic cream in the kit. "I suppose this will help with the tear, but setting the bones will be a problem."
Mavrik opened his wing again and Mitch applied the cream to the bloody edges. It felt cool, and the pain grew less. When that was done Mitch tore the ground sheet into long strips.
"Can you bend your wing so the tip is laying along the main bit?" Mavrik nodded and did so carefully. "Right," said Mitch. "I'm going to strap them together so you can't move them." He paused. "It'll hurt."
Mavrik nodded again and braced himself. Mitch was right; it did hurt. In an effort to think about something else he asked "What was this Dreamtime you spoke of?"
"It's the time before the history of this planet starts," explained Mitch. "Something happened and wiped out all evidence of civilization. Our history starts after that. Before then, nothing." He tied off the strip and started another lower down. "It's like we just appeared here, but there are stories from a time before. That's the Dreamtime."
"There are stories of dragons from then?"
"Yes."
"And Wizards?"
Mitch nodded and tied off that strip. Mavrik gasped. "Sorry. Yes, and elves and dwarfs."
"Dwarves," corrected Mavrik. He had a sudden feeling of dread. "How long ago was this Dreamtime?"
Mitch paused in thought. "Ooh... Archaeologists say it was about ten thousand years ago, give or take a millennium." He tied off the last strip. "That should hold it." He glanced up and saw the look on Mavrik's face. "Are you all right?"
"I am ten millennia away from home," said Mavrik softly. "And there is no one who can send me back."

---

The late afternoon sun slanted through the tall ever-leaved trees, their new green leaves of spring glowed brightly in contrast to the old red leaves of winter. Mavrik basked at the edge of the clearing and watched the shadow from the trees creep toward him. Soon he would have to find shelter for the night.
He sniffed at the magic again. It had an unused feel to it, but it hadn't been forgotten. It was as if the wizards no longer used it but the magic was waiting for them. His head jerked up suddenly. That meant a wizard was near. All Mavrik had to do was find him. He'll discuss it with Mitch when he returns.
He stood and paced around the clearing, and thought about his new acquaintance. Apart from the wizard Pen Mithdae, Mitch was the first human who didn't try to insert sharp things into Mavrik. He certainly had the weapons; that cross-bow without the bow which threw a hot, blue bolt. What did he call it? Something that sounded like 'razor.' Mavrik had watched Mitch kill a kangaroo earlier, and marvelled firstly at how easily Mitch had done it, and secondly at how selective the human was in choosing which animal to kill.
"I would have just dropped down onto the group and killed one," he said to the empty clearing. "Like I did with that cow. Bull." He sighed and lay in the sun again, one arm covering his eyes. "And wasn't that a success." he mumbled bitterly. A soft "shoosh" sounded through the trees and he sat up. Mitch rode into the clearing on that curious machine of his, and brought it to a stop. It just floated there when he jumped off, held off the ground by some force Mavrik didn't know. It certainly wasn't magic.
"I brought you a tarpaulin," said Mitch, patting at the bundle on the back of the bike. "That'll keep you warm tonight." He took a look at the bindings of Mavrik's wing. "And I persuaded a friend of mine to come out. She's a vet, so she can look at your wing." Mitch smirked. "I told her I found an injured animal out here and couldn't bring it into town. She doesn't know who she'll be looking at."
"This 'vet' is a healer?"
"Yes. She usually heals animals."
Mavrik narrowed his eyes. "Is that how you see me? As an animal?"
Mitch looked up at Mavrik's scowl. "No! Vets know how to heal many different bodies, but people doctors only know about people." Mitch scowled himself. "Anyway, I wouldn't trust any of the local doctors."
Mavrik growled low in his throat. "I suppose I'll have to trust this animal healer." He sighed deeply. A thin cloud of acrid, white smoke followed his breath and he looked at it in surprise.
"Oh, pooh!" exclaimed Mitch, his hand covering his mouth and nose. "Ugh! Jeez, what is that?" He backed off a few paces.
"My flame is coming back!" Mavrik took a deep breath and blew out. The clearing filled with smoke but there was no flame. He looked at the white plumes and frowned.
Mitch's eyes were watering as he ran into the forest. "Stop that!" he coughed. He waited for the air to clear before coming closer. "You'll attract attention if you blow smoke like that." He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "How do you blow flames?"
Mavrik thought for a few minutes before answering. "I breathe in and it comes out when I want it. I've never really thought about it beyond that."
"That smoke smelled pretty flammable, I can tell you," said Mitch. "Don't go breathing it on our camp fire or you'll explode." They both looked up as the sun disappeared behind the cliffs at the far end of the valley. "Let's get your shelter up before it gets dark."
Later, they lay in their tents with their heads outside, and looked at the stars through the leaves. Mavrik's shelter was the tarpaulin thrown over a rope strung between two trees, with the end tied shut with rope. He glanced over at Mitch who was laying on his back with his hands behind his head. "There is a wizard."
Mitch didn't move. "So you keep saying."
"I have to find him."
"Yep."
"Then I can go home."
"Yep."
Mavrik lifted his head off the ground and scowled at Mitch. "You don't understand how important this is, human!" He spat the last word as an insult. "We must find that wizard!"
Mitch blinked at him. "Well, we can't do it now. We are a long way from anywhere and it's dark. I think we should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we will have our wings mended. Then we will think about the wizard."
Mavrik was annoyed by Mitch's logic. The human was right, of course. They couldn't do anything right now, but that didn't improve his mood.
"Mavrik?"
"What?"
"You're muttering to yourself."
"Argh!"
"Mav?"
"What?!"
"Shut up. You're too noisy."
Mavrik growled, then blew a plume of white smoke at the fire. The smoke ignited with a deep whump and sent a fire-ball upwards. They watched it dissipate in the tree tops, the green leaves sizzling as it passed. The two exchanged a surprised look, then Mavrik snickered.
"Happy now?" asked Mitch. Mavrik nodded. "Good night." Mitch fell asleep to the sounds of the bush being broken occasionally by the low chuckles of the dragon.
End of Part 3 *** Mavrik woke in the grey light before the sun rose above the cliffs. The forest was full of the tinkle of bell birds, the warbling calls of