:: http://www.geocities.com/dragynmistress :: :: By Jennifer Vromant :: :: jen_vromant@yahoo.com :: ---------------------------------------------- Spoof - Chapter 12 Spoof was angry and hurt and confused. He felt terrible for what happened to Tala. He felt guilty. He sulked along a mountain trail leading back the way he had come when he had first met Kynder and her family. The sky let go a thousand tears that poured onto his back and down his sides. Spoof stopped and closed his eyes. He lowered his head to the ground and let his body slump against the side of the mountain before falling to the ground completely. Thoughts of pain and hate raced through his mind, and if he could have cried, he would have. The red dragon stood out against the gray mountain walls and the gray mountain floor. The dark sky helped conceal him somewhat by dulling his scales, but that didn't stop the girl from seeing him. Spoof noticed her somewhat later. She was standing by herself not far away. She stood alond amidst the mountain rocks hugging herself to delay the chill. He could have easily swiped her away with his tail and killed her. But he didn't. He saw something in her eyes he had never seen in a human before: compassion and fear. She wanted to reach out to him, but she was afraid he would attack her. She was not afraid of dying, but she wanted to help him. He saw all of this in her eyes and slowly raised his head to get a better view of her. Of this petty human who had compassion. He got off the ground until he was standing on four legs at his full height. He spread his wings the tiniest bit to give the impression of being bigger than he actually was. He was on guard and cautious, and totally unprepared for what she did next. She smiled at him.