Disclaimer – I don't own them. I just torture them!

Flames

Chapter Four

They moved from rock to rock slowly and steadily getting closer to the ridge over which the dragons nest was hidden. The stumps of the trees that were closest to the ridge were still smoldering, but there was nothing left to burn within the vicinity. With the absence of flames the heat had lessened to a bearable level.

They were very near the edge of the rim when Sam stopped and pulled out the map. Dean and Kate took positions on each side of him watching for signs of movement from above.

For the past ten minutes Kate had been noticing a low pitched thrumming noise that was getting on her already frayed nerves. "What is that noise?" She asked Dean.

"Sounds like Sammy when he's sleeping." Dean said with a smirk at his brother.

"More like your incessant snoring you jerk," Sam replied.

"I don't snore bitch." Dean said.

"Oh yeah you do. Why do you think I have so much trouble sleeping?" Sam said.

"Hey, I thought it was because of your um you know…" he looked at Kate, then back as Sam and continued, "your dreams."

"Nope, it's your snoring." Sam said putting up the map.

"I do not snore." Dean said adamantly.

"Damn you two are worse then my kid brothers' will you stop already." Kate said. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Okay," Sam said, "According to the map there's a higher ridge on the west side of the one the dragon is using. But we're going to be passing very close to where it is now and silence is going to be very necessary. If it is asleep we want to keep it that way, and if it's not we don't want to attract its attention."

"Then lets go I'm hot, tired and in serious need of a shower." Dean said.

"Wow, you mean that's you?" Kate replied, "I thought it was the dragon."

Sam laughed, it wasn't often someone got the better of his brother. He was beginning to like this girl more and more. "Let's go then." He said taking off up the trail.

They were soon hiking just below the ridge line where the creature was nesting. Rocks lined the edge of the ridge like teeth making it difficult to see what lay beyond them but Sam, being somewhat taller then the other two was able to catch glimpses of the small plateau beyond the rocks. Each time he did he searched for the dragon, but had been unsuccessful in spotting the creature.

The trail they were following was beginning to curve westward as it climbed higher toward the plateau above the one occupied by the dragon. The trail suddenly came even with the dragons' ridge and an opening onto its lair appeared between the rocks.

"Wait here." Dean whispered to Kate and Sam then disappeared into the opening.

Kate looked at Sam her eyes wide at the stupidity of what Dean was doing. Sam just shrugged his shoulders. "No one said he was the sharpest tool in the shed." He whispered to her.

"And he called me stupid?" she whispered back.

Dean slipped carefully between the rocks searching carefully for the dragon. The plateau was covered in ashes and soot leaving the once green area in shades of grey and black. A few red embers still glowed from some of the larger pieces of wood that had been living trees not long ago.

Dean could not see the dragon anywhere so carefully he went further out into the area the creature was calling home penetrating further then he originally intended. Still he didn't see the green creature. He closed his eyes briefly and listened for the sound that had been thrumming in the air. Determining the sound was coming from his right he carefully made his way in that direction, but he still didn't see the dragon.

There was a pile of rocks not fifteen feet away and from the sounds Dean determined the dragon was sleeping on the other side of them. Using the rocks as cover Dean looked around expecting to see the creature, but found more open space instead. "Where the hell is it?" he thought to himself. He could hear the damn thing breathing. It was very close and he knew he was taking a chance that he probably shouldn't be taking. But if it was asleep maybe he could find some kink in its armored hide that would allow him to kill it.

Dean put his hand on the rock pile and prepared to climb to the top for a better view. The rock he grabbed didn't feel quiet right. It was hard yes, but it wasn't right. He looked further at the pile of rocks and realized the stones in the pile were somehow wrong.

"I'm getting a very bad feeling about this," he whispered to himself taking a step back.

At his quiet words the pile of rocks suddenly heaved upward revealing what Dean had begun to fear. It wasn't really a pile of rocks. It was a dragon, its scales in shades of grey and black. With its head and tail tucked on the side away from Dean it had been camouflaged into a looking exactly like a pile of rocks.

Dean stumbled backwards reeling his arms to keep from falling. The dragon, its eyes still closed swung its head and tail to the side closer to the hunter. Dean caught his balance and jumped backwards just before the creatures' tail struck his legs. Cautiously he moved back towards the entrance searching for the green dragon the while he did. "This is so not good." He said to himself as he turned and left the plateau.

A/N Please read and review – And if you like it try my other stories! In my story Heyoka the brothers chase down a Thunderbird that is having an unusual effect on Sammy. One that absolutely terrifies his brother.