FADE IN. EXT. SAME CLEARING AS THE END OF LAST SCENE, MORNING. DERYN, ALEK and NEWKIRK are sleeping around a smoldering pile of blackened wood. DERYN rolls over, and onto her shoulder that was shot the previous day. She jolts awake, sits up and gently starts rubbing her shoulder. DERYN stands up, walks over to ALEK and crouches next to him.

DERYN (shaking him with one hand)

Alek, wake up.

ALEK (half asleep and a bit concerned)

Wha- what is it? You okay?

DERYN (rolling her eyes)

I'm fine dummkopf. We're going north.

ALEK (rubbing sleep out of his eyes.)

Right. North. (yawns)

BOVRIL, who was sleeping on ALEK's chest, rolls off of him when ALEK sits up. He lands in the snow with a rather startled "Barking Spiders!" earning him a laugh from DERYN.

ALEK

Do we get breakfast before we leave?

DERYN (walking over to NEWKIRK, gestures to their packs)

If you insist, your princeliness.

DERYN walks up to NEWKIRK and nudges him with her foot until he wakes up, then a few more times just for good measure.

NEWKIRK

Okay! Okay! I'm awake! You can stop kicking me!

NEWKIRK shuffles around a bit before standing up and stretching. ALEK pulls out a small baguette, and gives a chunk of it to BROVRIL, who is sitting on his shoulder. NEWKIRK clumsily walks over to him. He puts his hand in the pack and begins to search for anything eatable. ALEK slaps his hand away.

ALEK

Eat your own food.

NEWKIRK

Why are you getting overprotective? You have food out now,

and I'm hungry.

ALEK (closing the flap to his pack)

When you live with an endless stomach like Dylan, you learn

to keep an eye on food.

DERYN (defensively)

I am not an endless stomach!

NEWKIRK (snorting)

Quoth the boy who stole everyone's potatoes.

BOVRIL

Potatoes! Mr. Sharp.

DERYN huffs, and attempts to cross her arms, but gives up when her shoulder causes her pain. ALEK looks at her with concern, but DERYN shrugs it off and continues to pack up their hastily put together camp. The fire is still smoking from last night, DERYN kicks snow into it and it hisses. She reaches down to hoist her pack onto her shoulder, and grunts in doing so. ALEK, who has finished his bread, comes over to DERYN, takes it from her, reaches in it and places some of the contents, including the safely packaged dragon's egg, into his own.

ALEK (handing it back to her)

So it's not as heavy.

DERYN (hiding a half smile with a disapproving look)

Thanks. But I can take care of myself.

ALEK (laughs.)

If you insist, you could carry the eggs. But as your doctor, I

wouldn't suggest it.

DERYN

You could make Newkirk carry it.

ALEK (mock surprise)

What, and risk him dropping it off the side of a cliff for fear of

it hatching? I think not.

DERYN giggles, and ALEK hands her a piece of bread.

ALEK

Feed that bottomless pit of yours.

DERYN shoves the bread into her mouth, and hoists her pack onto her uninjured shoulder.

ALEK (taking out a compass)

I think it's time we head off

BOVRIL winds himself around ALEK's neck

DERYN (muffled through her bread)

Mmm hmmf

She trudges over to NEWKIRK, who is still eating, and hauls him to his feet. NEWKIRK brushes off his coat and picks up his own pack. They all walk into the woods. NEWKIRK looks back at the path they came from with a worried expression, and then shakes his head, warding off that thought. FADE OUT.