-II-

Harry stepped over to Draco. "Is your foot hurting a lot?"

"No, but it is so boring! Red Horse promised he would look through the book with me." Draco pointed at his book on the table. "Please tell him to come soon," Draco whined.

"I will. If necessary I will drag him here for you." Harry grinned.

"Do so, but do it quickly."

"Hey, Professor," Draco said shyly, when Karley came closer.

"Hi, Draco, what happened?"

Draco blushed. "I sprained my foot. Stupid story."

"Then we should hurry to send Red Horse in here before one of you two will get crazy." Karley looked from Draco to White Cloud, who was chopping onions in the kitchen now.

"Yes, please."

-II-

Sweat was dripping down from Harry's forehead over his cheeks and dropped from his chin to the dusty ground. The T-shirt Harry had gotten from Crying Horse was made of a special material that absorbed sweat, and Light Arrow had placed a charm on it that even the cold morning air of Oklahoma wouldn't cool down the body underneath it.

It felt good the way the cold air was flowing into his lungs and back out. The slight burning was a good pain. Harry didn't feel the need to scratch his arms or use the rubber bands when he was running with Aiden and Crying Horse. His head was clear, and he just felt content and free. Every single fiber of his body was palpable, and he felt at peace and right in his own body. It was a horrible and frightening feeling to be captured in a body that doesn't really belong to yourself. Fortunately, Harry had rarely felt like this the last weeks. The talking sessions with Light Arrow helped a lot, and he even spoke to Doc Martens twice. Only at night he still needs the rubber bands to hurt himself. His one-on-one counseling had ended a month ago, and there had even been a few nights were nobody needed to come in and help Harry after a nightmare.

One and a half month had passed since Harry had started the running training, and gone were the times were Aiden could mock Harry. The first runs had been horrible, and Aiden had even mocked him in front of Crying Horse. It wasn't only light teasing, so Crying Horse intervened from time to time, but put it aside because he rated it as harmless or boyish rivalry. He didn't know that this mocking went on when nobody was around. It made Harry first try to convince Light Arrow to get him out of this running training, but the old man insisted that Harry would take part in the training for at least three weeks. After that, he had said, Harry could decide if he wanted to quit or not.

Now Harry couldn't quit any longer, and he didn't want to as well. Aiden would call him a coward and mock him even more, and Harry liked running because he went into a trance-like state. Only he was important, and he blended Crying Horse and Aiden completely out. Everything he saw was a small tunnel in front of him and everything he heard was the rushing of his own blood in his ears and his breathing. That's how it usually was, but today everything turned out to be different.

Aiden again tried to challenge Harry and tried to overhaul him several times. Therefore the pace was higher than Crying Horse would have liked, and he tapped Harry on his shoulder several times to get him to slow down after he again didn't react to his barked comment. This tapping was annoying, and Harry drew further away from Crying Horse. He wanted to be alone; alone in his tunnel. Crying Horse shook his head frustrated, and Aiden used this moment of distraction to stomp on Harry's foot. Never before had he done this, but lately Aiden became more and more annoying and even aggressive.

Suddenly Harry was pulled out of his tunnel and stumbled. It was as if a big wave of noises and pain was hitting him. Aiden's derisive smirking made Harry realize what had happened. His foot hurt slightly, and the once comfortable burning in his lungs now turned uncomfortable.

"Are you all right, Harry? Have you tripped?" Crying Horse asked, worried, while he crouched down beside the panting boy on the ground.

"I'm fine. My foot just hurts a bit." Leaving out the answer to one of the questions didn't seem to be noticed by Crying Horse, nor was his angry look at Aiden.

"Your knee is bleeding. Shall I whistle for help? I'm sure Red Horse or Light Arrow will come and take you back with the pick-up."

"No, that's not necessary. It's just a scratch. I will just walk back. You two can run ahead. I know the way."

Crying Horse eyed Harry closely. They had taken the same way every time they ran, but nevertheless he didn't feel comfortable with the idea of leaving Harry alone. "I don't know."

"Really, I'm fine, look!" Harry pushed himself up and put weight on his hurt foot. "It's okay."

"Our little hero," Aiden muttered and pulled a face in Harry's direction.

"That's not helping, Aiden," Crying Horse said angrily. He was really sick of this challenges between the two. Why didn't they fight it out in the wrestling arena?

"Please, Crying Horse, I'm fine. The sun will soon stand higher and it will get warmer. Light Arrow says there isn't anything dangerous out here, and I still have the emergency whistle."

"Okay, but you must promise me to use it if you need help!"

"I promise!" Harry rolled his eyes.

"I will send someone to meet you half way and drive you back." Turning to Aiden he said, "Let's go before your muscles get cold."

With a last worried look from Crying Horse and one last mocking look from Aiden, Harry was left alone. Immediately he shifted his weight to his healthy leg and then started to limp in the direction of the camp. The sun rose quickly, and Harry started to warm up a bit. Even though it was already the end of October the days were warm, but the mornings were horribly cold. Harry was still shivering, but at least the sun slowly warmed his skin. In England it surely was already very cold. Hermione was complaining about it all the time. Now he could understand her.

Harry had underestimated the distance and the time it would take him, and now really hoped someone would come to get him. His foot hurt, and it was feeling hot. Why did Aiden have to be such a bully sometimes? He was letting his frustration out on him and sometimes on Maya, Brian and Ken. Melissa he left alone because he was scared to get in trouble with Light Arrow. Maya just ignored him and that made him very angry. He still was jealous that she had gotten her good-bye sweat lodge before him. Brian and Ken just tried to avoid Aiden or to always stick together. Harry didn't know why Aiden spared Draco, but he guessed it was for the same reason as Melissa. Those two had some kind of extra status in the camp, like pets of the family. Aiden would be doomed if he touched or hurt one of those two. Harry would kill Aiden if he harassed Draco. The blond boy was still very shy and introverted, and you could sometimes see how worried Light Arrow and White Cloud were about this.

Harry was used to being mocked and bullied, but nevertheless he hoped Light Arrow would soon allow Aiden to have his good-bye sweat lodge. Hopefully leaving the camp immediately after it and not staying like Maya. She was still in the camp even so her good-bye sweat was almost two month ago. What could Harry and the others do about Aiden's attacks? They were just easy targets. Oh how Harry wished he was allowed his wand. In wrestling he was no match to Aiden.

The pain in his foot made Harry pause and look for a good place to sit down for a while. He saw a small tree close by and went over to it when a scream sounded through the air. The hair in Harry's neck went up. He knew this scream, he had heard it before. Again the same sound, and Harry looked around for the source. Then it hit him: it was the scream he had heard during the sweat lodge. Immediately Harry's eyes, and he squinted his eyes against the sun. There it was, a bird and the noise again. It was some kind of bird of prey, like Harry assumed when he had seen the eyes in the camp fire on their first day here. His hurt leg was forgotten when he tried to see more of the bird, but it was too far away. Harry didn't even hear the pick-up coming closer and stop. He was fascinated by the noise the bird was making, and he was almost in his tunnel-like feeling again.

"A red-tailed hawk," Light Arrow said while approaching Harry.

Pulled out of his trance-like state, Harry looked puzzled in the direction of the voice. The bright light had temporarily blinded him, so he needed some time to see Light Arrow. Not that he hadn't already recognized him by his voice.

"That's my totem, Light Arrow. This scream; I remember it!" Harry pointed excitedly at the bird in the sky.

"A bird?" Light Arrow seemed to be thoughtful, but Harry missed this expression because he was looking up in the sky again.

"That's my totem," Harry mumbled, fascinated.

"It's too cold for you out here, and I need to have an eye on your wound, Harry. I promise you to show you one again. I know where a pair has it's aerie."

A blanket was placed over Harry's shoulders, and he was gently pulled over to the pick-up. The hawk was flying away as if he had been disturbed by Light Arrow's arrival. Sighing disappointedly Harry hopped on the passenger seat and let Light Arrow check his bleeding knee.

"You should have whistled for help immediately. I don't know what Crying Horse was thinking," the old man muttered.

"But then I wouldn't have seen the hawk," Harry protested. "And I'm fine!"

"You are not fine. If you again start to insist that you are fine even so you obviously aren't, I have to think about a new one-on-one counseling."

That made Harry shut up. "No, please," he mumbled.

"Then tell me how you really are!"

"My foot hurts and my knee burns a bit, but I'm not a baby, Light Arrow."

The look he got for this comment made Harry squirm uncomfortably.

Without a comment about it, Light Arrow started to clean the graze and bandaged it.

"Is that really necessary?" He could already see Aiden's mocking face.

"Yes, it is. I don't want you to get an infection. Now let's see your foot." He pulled Harry's running shoes and his socks of to inspect the foot.

Harry again squirmed uncomfortably. He had run thirty minutes and his feet were sweaty and surely didn't smell good.

"Is something wrong with your butt as well? Have you sat down on a toxic plant or so?"

Harry blushed. Light Arrow looked as if he was asking a serious question. "No, I... I would just prefer if you could check on my foot when we are back in the camp... after a shower."

"Oh, really, Harry. I grew up on a farm, my playgrounds were the dung heap and the stables. Believe me your sweaty foot is nothing to scare me."

"Hmpf!" The red tinge to Harry's cheeks became worse with each prod the old man performed on his foot. Then the tickling of magic started, and Harry had to fight hard not to pull his foot out of Light Arrow's hand. "It's not broken, but it is a strange wound. As if something has fallen on the instep. What happened?"

"Ehm.. I can't really remember. I think I stumbled."

Light Arrow eyed Harry sceptically, but then put it aside. "Time to drive back. A hot shower and then an hour of cooling the foot will do you good."

/

Harry was worried about Draco lately. He was quieter than usual and could almost always be found with Unega or Red Horse. They had learned to gallop alone a week ago, and they were allowed to ride on the paddock without supervision. Draco spend a lot of time with Unega, not only riding but also just sitting with him. That's what Draco mostly did in the company of Red Horse as well and it worried Harry that Draco enjoyed to just sit still and stare in the distance. That couldn't be healthy, could it?

So Harry went outside in the direction of the paddocks when White Cloud finally released him after cooling his foot. He still was too far away from the paddock to see if Draco was there when Melissa approached. "Hey, Harry."

"Hi, Melissa, have you seen Draco?"

She looked a bit disappointed, but answered, "No, I was finishing my gift for you. It isn't much but..." She blushed deeply and looked down shyly. "Just forget it!"

"Hey, no wait. It wasn't meant like this. I didn't realize you wanted to speak with me. I'm sorry."

She smiled dreamily, and Harry had to grin because she reminded him so much of Luna. "You know, you remind me of someone back in England."

"A nice someone?" she asked anxiously.

"A very nice someone," Harry assured Melissa, smiling. "So what did you want to give me?"

"This." She held a dream catcher in Harry's direction. "I made it almost by myself, but White Cloud helped me with the little stones here." Her small petite fingers pointed at the small stones that were woven in the net. It's a bit tricky, you know?" After a short pause, she said, "Don't mind, it's just tricky and White Cloud helped me and she put a slight relaxing spell on it. I hoped you would like it. I mean... you know... we... your nightmares are still bad, aren't they?"

Harry paled. So they had noticed the nightly visits of Light Arrow, White Cloud and recently on the weekend sometimes Severus as well. Before Harry could react, someone started to laugh close to them.

"Look at our love birds. Oh, has she given you a present, Harry?" Aiden looked deprecatingly at the dream catcher. "Ugly little thing, but you should pretend to like it or you will never get a chance to get laid."

The dream catcher fell from Melissa's hands to the ground and she paled which meant something because she normally was as pale as Draco.

"Leave her alone," Harry thundered dangerously and pulled Melissa behind him.

"Oh, look. Our hero is guarding his maid from bad, bad Aiden. Light Arrow will be so proud of you. Oh, but that's not something new, is it. Prince Harry is something special."

"You are just stupid, Aiden." Harry spat. Then he grabbed Melissa forcefully and pulled her with him. "Come on, I will bring you inside."

"Oh, and what will you do with her inside? Light Arrow doesn't like it when his charges are making out. You will fall from his grace. And I mean look at her. She is here for almost a year and nothing changed. Skin and bones, nothing to look at. You will break her and get splinters."

Harry was furious. How dare this overgrown moron insults Melissa, who couldn't defend herself. Aiden was low so low. Harry could hear Melissa's sobs, not realizing that his death grip on her arm and his fury were some of the reasons for her fear. Those sobs added fuel to the fire of hate in Harry, and he let go of Melissa to attack Aiden. Melissa's pleading for him to ignore Aiden, went unheard.

Aiden smirked when his tactic finally worked. Harry would attack him, and he could show him his place. He was sick of Light Arrow's attention on the black-haired English boy. Prince Perfect never made any mistakes, and Light Arrow spend all his nights at his bed. No wonder that he had no time to see that he, Aiden, was ready for his final sweat lodge.

Wild fury made Harry aim his first hit at Aiden's head, but the long-haired boy easily dodged it. Now Harry was in a vulnerable position, and Aiden kicked him so he lost his balance completely. "Is that all, Prince Attention? Pathetic!"

Again Harry attacked wildly, and again Aiden just jumped aside and shoved Harry into the sandy ground. "Is that what you like about him, Mel? I don't understand what's so good about him that all eyes are on him. He is no fighter, no thinker, nothing. Just a little boy with a thick head full of stupid ideas."

Another attack was quickly avoided by Aiden turning away, and Harry found himself again in the sand. This time Aiden tackled him down and pressed his face in the sand. "That's what you deserve."

Melissa looked in the direction of the house, panicking, jumping from one foot to the other. She couldn't make her feet obey her to run for help. All the bad memories of her past came up and made her rooted to the spot. She tried to shout but couldn't make a sound.

Aiden noticed it. "Don't even think about it, Mel, or I will make him suffer. Light Arrow cannot be around all the time. Like now, and believe me I can make his life a living hell."

Harry tried to wriggle out of Aiden's grip, but the older boy was more muscular and was over eight month ahead in wrestling training as well. At least Harry landed one hit in Aiden's ribs before his arm was yanked upwards painfully. Now Harry couldn't move one bit without hot pain shooting through his shoulder.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. Who planted it in your head that you can fight anyone of my caliber? You are overestimating your abilities. You are a weak little freak nothing else." Aiden's voice was very close to Harry's ear. "If you would stop pulling so much attention on you, Light Arrow would finally have time to organize my sweat lodge. That's what we both want, isn't it? I'm finally free and you can have all their attention on you. You can cry all you want in their clothes, and they will pamper you for your whole life, like your little blond friend. He is like Mel here. He will never leave the camp because he is just a weak freak with no fire."

Harry groaned and tried to wriggle free. He didn't care that his shoulder hurt like hell. He wanted to hurt Aiden, badly.

"Tsk, tsk, Harry. We don't want to activate Light Arrow's wards. If you struggle too hard, he will notice it and come out. I just want to know if we understand each other."

"What the hell do you want," Harry pressed out between gritted teeth. It was so embarrassing to be beaten up in front of Melissa.

"I want you to stay away from Light Arrow. Go crying to Severus or even Black Hawk, I don't care, but stay away from Light Arrow." With a last shove, he pushed Harry in the sand again and after he had thrown a nasty glare at Melissa he stalked arrogantly away.