-II-

"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.

-II-

"Harry, are you okay?" Melissa asked between sobs, kneeling beside Harry.

Harry groaned and sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine." His shoulder hurt, but not as much as his pride. It felt like in the dungeons; he was pathetic and could do nothing when he or his friends were threatened. If he at least had his wand.

"I will go and get Light Arrow," Melissa said and tried to stand up.

"No!" Harry shouted and grabbed for her arm. That's when he noticed that she was bruised at the place where he had grabbed her before. "Oh, Merlin, I... I..."

Melissa pulled her shirt further down over the bruise. "It's okay, Harry."

"Okay? I hurt you, Melissa!" Harry said, shocked.

"It's no problem... I'm used to it."

Harry was speechless. How could she sit here, with her big, blue eyes and tell him it was okay if he hurt her. "No, it's not okay, Melissa. Nobody has the right to hurt you. I'm sorry." He gently let his hand glide over her arm and pulled the shirt up again. Then he let his fingertips run over the bruise very softly and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She captured his hand with hers. "It's okay. Let me get Light Arrow for your shoulder, please!"

"No, please. It's fine. Otherwise Light Arrow would have been here already, wouldn't he? It's better to play Aiden's game for some time. I don't want him to hurt Draco or you. I'm not strong enough to help..." He closed his eyes to fight down the fire of hate and desperation. Suddenly his lips were captured with a pair of soft lips. As unexpected as this sensation had come it left, and Harry could only hear Melissa's fast footsteps while she ran over to the stables.

Harry sat in the dust for a few minutes, just puzzled. His finger stroke over his mouth absently. She had kissed him after this? Slowly the funny and warm feeling changed into something bad. A bitter feeling. Maybe it was out of pity. How can a girl like a boy who can't even defend himself let alone her. Angrily Harry stood up, hoping she wouldn't tell one of the adults about it. That would be the last thing he needed right now. Remembering why he was out here in the first place, he turned in the direction of the paddock when he stepped on something. The dream catcher lay in the dust and half under Harry's boot. After Harry had removed the dirt it looked beautiful again. The little stones were those colorful ones out of the river and feathers were hanging down from the ring, decorated with wooden pearls. Melissa must have spent hours if not days on it.

Draco was nowhere to be seen nor was Unega. Maybe Draco was riding with Red Horse, Severus or Rose.

/

At the lunch table everyone was in a tense mood, as if not only Melissa, Aiden and Harry knew about what happened. Light Arrow and Severus weren't around and Draco also was still missing when White Cloud placed the big pot on the table. "Start eating, kids!"

"But Draco isn't here!" Harry said, puzzled. They never ate before everyone was at the table.

"He will be here soon. Just start eating," Black Hawk commanded.

Harry was confused about the tone in Black Hawk's voice. Something was off. "What's wrong?"

"I said eat, Harry. You will need your strength. Just listen for once and stop asking questions!" Black Hawk said and looked insistently at Harry.

Now Harry was very worried. What if Aiden had done something? He glared over at Aiden who looked expressionless, filling his plate with soup.

"Eat!" Another command, and Harry obeyed. The worry made his stomach rebel against the food, and he only ate a little bit, not that it was such a big change to his normal eating habits. Nobody said anything and the mood was depressing. After ten minutes, Severus and Light Arrow came into the kitchen.

"He isn't in the wards any longer. We need to have a bigger search. Unega is gone. We will follow him on the horses. Black Hawk?" Light Arrow asked seriously.

"What about him?" Black Hawk asked while he stood up and gestured in Harry's direction.

Light Arrow shortly stared at Harry and then nodded. "Good!"

In a rush Harry was up. He didn't need to know anything more than Draco not being inside the wards any longer. He had no idea what was wrong with Draco, but he was sure his friend wouldn't have left on his own. "If you have done anything to him, I will kill you," he spat at Aiden.

"Are you crazy or daft? Maybe your little breakdown this morning has affected your mind. I was not even close to him."

"I have no idea what this is about, but it has to wait until we have found Draco. If you want to stay, Harry that's your choice." This said Light Arrow was out of the door.

After he had thrown one last hateful look at Aiden, Harry stormed out, Severus and Black Hawk closely at his heels. The horses were ready in ten minutes, and they followed Unega's hoof prints. Harry didn't know how Light Arrow could see the prints in the dust from his horse's back, but he did.

The longer they were on the way the more Harry got worried. They galloped almost the whole time, and Harry was worried that they would never find Draco. After one and a half hours, Light Arrow held up his hand and they all stopped their horses. "He is running in a circle. I don't want to split the group. I'm quite sure, he is riding completely disoriented. Maybe he doesn't even guide Unega any longer..." He held up his hand to stop the shocked questions that lay on Severus' and Harry's lips. "Draco is still on the horse. I just think he is no longer guiding Unega correctly and the horse is making a bow and runs back to the camp. We should cut his way."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Severus snapped.

Light Arrow ignored his tone and with a wave of his hand led the group in the new direction. After twenty more minutes, they saw Unega and his rider. When Draco saw them, he tried to pull the horse in another direction. "No! Go away!"

Black Hawk sped Shallow Water up, and when he reached Draco's side, he took the Unega's reins and slowed the totally exhausted horse down until it stopped completely, wheezing heavily.

Draco jumped off his horse as soon as Unega came to a stop, but the long time on the back of the horse caused his legs to not obey him immediately and he stumbled and fell.

Harry looked shocked at his sobbing friend who fell face first in the dust, trying to escape them. Severus was down from Thunderstorm in a second and engulfed Draco in a tight hug. "Draco, calm down. Whatever happened we can solve it. You are not alone!"

Draco cried loud and hysterically in Severus' shirt, and Harry was totally shocked. The only thought in his head was a name "Aiden". This guy must have done something to Draco. He would pay for it. Harry's wandless magic was good, very good. Professor Karley always praised him for it and soon he would be allowed to go to the school in town. Too bad that he was heavily restricted in wandless magic. He only could use it in classes and when he practiced with Light Arrow. But Harry knew that he only could beat Aiden with magic. It was infuriating.

"What's wrong, Draco? What happened?" Severus asked when Draco had calmed down a bit. The boy was still sobbing and hiding in his shirt.

"I didn't help him! I'm weak. I don't want to be like this! I'm a damn girl!" Draco cried into Severus' chest between sobs.

"You didn't help whom?" Severus asked, puzzled.

Harry bit his bottom lip nervously, realizing what this could be all about.

"I did let him hurt Harry and did nothing. I just stood there and didn't move, like Melissa. I'm a damn girl."

"Draco?" Severus was totally confused. He had thought Draco was speaking about the torture in the dungeons, but then Draco mentioned Melissa and his brain tried to make the right connections.

Light Arrow and Black Hawk didn't need that much time to realize what Draco was speaking about. Their eyes were immediately on Harry, drilling into him.

All color left Harry's face. Eventually Severus too made the connection between Harry and what Draco had just told them.

/

"They are lying!" Aiden screamed. He was cornered. They were in the room were the therapy sessions were held. The whole family was there. Melissa sat sobbing on the couch with Rose and White Cloud, the other kids except for Draco and Harry stood behind the couch. Black Hawk was pacing the room angrily, and Crying Horse looked shocked and guilty. Red Horse leaned against the mantelpiece, in his eyes a fire Harry had never seen before. Severus was restrained by Light Arrow. He made it very hard for the old man to speak with Aiden, because he interrupted him several times and even tried to shake the truth out of Aiden. Draco and Harry where sitting on the smaller couch behind which Black Hawk was pacing.

"You cannot leave him in the camp, Light Arrow. He has proven that he is too damaged; his heart is cold!" Severus looked angrily at the old man daring him to disagree.

"It's me who decides who will leave or stay, Severus. He is not a lost case!"

"Then we will leave! Move!" Severus barked and pulled Harry and Draco up forcefully.

"Cool down, Night Rain!" Black Hawk hissed and grabbed Severus arm to pull him away from the boys.

Harry felt that he was pulled backwards against someone, Draco shivering at his site. A quick glance backwards showed him that he was in Red Horse's arms, but the man's eyes were not on him or Draco but on Severus who now glared daggers at Black Hawk.

Draco was scared, very scared. All the people who had given him the feeling of calmness and safety, now were agitated, angry or nervous. Fearful he grabbed for Harry's hand. The feeling that only the little squeeze of Harry's hand on his gave him, was indescribable. Draco felt safe with Harry's hand in his and Red Horse's arm over his shoulder and his hand on his chest. He was safe and not alone, but still he was weak and he would always stay weak.

"Stop lying, Aiden! What you did is inexcusable. I don't know what's going on in your head. I would have never thought you would sink that low again and hurt someone. I'm so disappointed!" The pain that was readable on the old man's face was painful for anyone who looked in his face. Even for Aiden, who couldn't stand it and looked down ashamed.

"You had no time for me! Everything you delegated to Crying Horse. How can I prove to you that I'm ready to leave the camp when you spend no time with me?"

Light Arrow shook his head sadly. "You are not ready to go, Aiden. You need much more time. Your hate is still too prominent in your heart. What happened today and the days before is proof of this. We all made a mistake in not realizing that this mocking and challenging was something more serious." He could see Crying Horse let his head sink. White Cloud stood up to comfort him, but he pushed her away and made for the door. "You need to stay, Crying Horse. It was your decision to stay in the first place and now you have to prove that you will stay in troublesome situations as well. I said all of us made the mistake, that of course includes you, but also also everyone of us."

Crying Horse stopped, the handle in his hand. He had failed to prove his place in the camp, but what should he do now? When he would leave the room, which he really wanted to do right now, he would never be a real part of this family. He let his hand sink and turned again. Was he really made for this? Was this all really worth the constant battle to prove himself? He looked over to Rose and saw the worry and fear in her face. As if she could read his thoughts. She would never leave the camp for him. Never in his life had he loved a woman like he loved her. No, he wouldn't let all these problems stop him. He would not cower down, he would not let others intimidate him because they lived here longer than him and understood all of this better than him. It was not his fault he had a good childhood. They had no right to push him out just because of this. He would show them one didn't need to have to experience pain, abuse or betrayal in his childhood to help in the camp. His love to Rose was something special, and he wouldn't leave her no matter how many challenges the old man and the others would place on him. With each of this thoughts he straightened up more, his face determined. Rose's brown eyes were comforting him, knowing how hard it was for him. Finally he broke free from her eyes and looked at Light Arrow.

That was the sign for Light Arrow to go on. Looking seriously at Aiden, he said, "You will go on a penitence walk to clean your head and think about what you have done. Crying Horse, you will go with him."

Now Aiden was even more hurt, tears of anger and desperation filled his eyes. "See! I'm not even worth you going with me!"

Again Light Arrow eyed him closely. "You want me to go with you?"

Aiden was taken aback by this question. Why did the old man ask this. Did he want to laugh in his face when he said yes? Would he spit in his face and say that he didn't deserve his presence? Aiden whipped the tears from his face. Despair won over anger.

Light Arrow saw the turmoil in Aiden's eyes and knew that the boy couldn't speak it out loud. "Okay, I will go with you." He placed his hand on Aiden's shoulder. Then he turned to the others. "For the time I'm not here, some things have to be arranged. Crying Horse, you will be responsible for Ken and Brian. Rose, you will take care of Melissa in a one-to-one counseling. She will not be alone for one second. The same goes for Draco and Harry. As long as I'm not back and had the chance to speak with them, you, Severus will not leave Draco's side and you, Black Hawk, won't leave Harry's side. Naturally White Cloud is head of the camp for that time, and all of you will do as she says. Red Horse you will take care of the animals. Ask for help when you need it. I don't want to find you totally worked out when I come back. Maya you will help White Cloud."

On their way out they passed Harry and their eyes met. Harry still looked angrily at Aiden, but something in Aiden's eyes made him wonder if he had been too harsh in judging him. Wasn't he the one who pushed people away in England? Didn't he also hurt people just out of the burning fire of anger and desperation inside himself?