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Nate didn't really understand seasons. He wasn't stupid; he understood planetary orbits, growing seasons, the endless cycles of life. He just didn't have much use for seasons in general. His element - perhaps literally - was ice, and it was the one thing that defined him more than anything else in his world. That, perhaps, was why he was so woefully misunderstood.

The sapphire blue dragon had suffered under three traits that, to other dragons, made him a misfit at every level. The first was his color, which seemed to be a strike against him for no other reason than comparative rarity. His cream-colored scutes, from below his chin on down his belly, was the most "normal" coloration that he had. His fiery red headfur was about the only thing that was "traditional" about him, and it only made things worse that the hue did not adorn either of his parents, leading the cruelest of dragons his age to question his birthright.

Second was his size, as he stood a mere 168 centimeters, when so many others of his kind towered over him by anywhere from a dozen to two score centimeters higher. Even in the long adolescence of a long-lived dragon, he never seemed to get that "growth spurt" that so many others had, and Nate became the one most easily picked on at his school. His wings were just over three and half meters in length, and given their size, his parents tried to tell him that he'd "grow into them." Instead, for the longest time, he nearly tripped over his own hindclaws every time his wings shifted slightly out of balance. He endured many a long year of being teased that he should take dance lessons or try out for gymnastics.

The third difference was the one that could cause him the most embarrassment. While other dragons learned how to breathe and manipulate fire, Nate could only produce ice. In his earliest days, he could produce very little on command; usually, there was barely enough for a decent projectile of ice or snow. It was control that was his issue, and everyone around him knew it quickly enough. If the poor blue dragon was hurt, afraid, or feeling deeply sad, he didn't cry; instead, he created a small cloud of snow over and around himself, as if he were inside one of those little globes that people would pick up and shake to make fake snowflakes spin in water. Whatever the season, whatever the temperature, no matter if it were fair and mild or cloudy and wet, the effect was the same. It was the single greatest tell-tale that the bullies had struck their target, and because the snows would melt indoors and damage school property, he was made to stand outside in the playground or athletic field until it stopped. This, of course, was only an additional punishment, guaranteed to make the poor drake stay out longer, missing lessons and being cruelly made fun of through the windows when the teacher wasn't looking.

All that seemed long ago now, but it still hurt, and if he thought about it too much, the snows began to form around him. The only good thing about his current age was that he'd found more control over himself. The snows of sadness were less frequent, and they lasted for mere moments. If he wanted snow, he could create it, but he had much less concern about it happening accidentally. This allowed him to hide his feelings, even when they were hurt. What worried him was that he would hide his feelings even when he was happy.

His torture at the claws of school bullies and their parents, who labeled him a freak, had led him to leave home - to no little relief of his parents, if the brutal truth were known - and abandon any hope of fitting into the dragon culture into which he had been born or the "civilized" world as a whole. He took himself into the woods, where he merely survived for a time; the weather was of little concern for him, and he could protect himself against all enemies by causing frostbite in places that they didn't know they had. After a time, however, he came to know what all find when they let themselves listen: The forest had many stories, and if you are kind, it will let you tell your own to the inhabitants there.

The first to befriend him was a small pack of feral wolves. His icy nature made it difficult for warm-blooded creatures to scent him, and he surprised the pack mightily when he stumbled upon them. The nearest to him was one of the spring's new pups who, not having learned much of what was dangerous in the wood, looked up at the huge blue creature with some caution and no small amount of curiosity. The pup's dam stood a short distance away, whining for fear, her mate growling but not daring to approach. Nate reached out a claw, slowly, gently, letting the small pup sniff what he could, then risking an affectionate touch to the head. The pup's wagging tail told the rest of the story to his pack, and over a short span of days, the pack slowly came to trust the stranger in their midst, and Nate made the first real friends he'd ever known.

From there, the dragon discovered that more and more ferals began to trust his presence, and it was perhaps that which led the other, more secretive inhabitants of the wood to seek him out. Gradually, he made the acquaintance of several supposedly mythical creatures who were just as real as dragons, thank you very much. Faeries, satyrs, a lone gryphon, a displaced wyvern, all came finally to greet the young dragon who had effectively won the heart of the forest itself, and for the first time in his life, Nate felt he was where he belonged. In the wintertime, he offered snow if it was wanted, and he made sure that any snows that fell from the skies were moderate, kind-hearted perhaps. Even if areas around the forest were buried under a blizzard, the forest itself never had more snow than it could handle, and none starved or died of exposure. Although Nate didn't much care for fires, he knew how to get one of his stranded friends to the safety of what was, to him, just a little too much warmth for comfort. When ferals and faeries and the warm-blooded of the wood went into caves with natural chimneys for hearthspace, he would fold himself comfortably just outside the mouth of the cave and shared, at a slight distance, celebrations that, finally, were something for him to celebrate.

It was in the early spring, with the weather still more like winter than not, that the first faerie found what she called "the strangest tree I've ever seen." She took Nate to see it, and he realized quickly that it was a sign attached to a wooden stake in the ground. Having grown up in what was laughingly called "civilization," he knew how to read and write, and he understood what a sign was, and what it said. It bothered him if only because it said, "Property of Silverwood Development." There was a telephone number underneath it. Nate realized quickly that he was probably one of the few inhabitants of the forest who knew the sign for what it was: Someone was trying to buy, perhaps even tear down, the forest.

Nate didn't like going into town, for obvious reasons, but he did so from time to time in order to secure things that helped his friends in the forest. The wolves thought butcher's bones a rare treat to be savored, and during one harsh winter, Nate had managed to acquire some bags of what he'd seen domesticated dogs eat - not the best substitute, he realized, but it served its purpose well enough. This time, his destination was a small store owned by an old (and seemingly wise) Asian pangolin who seemed to Nate to be something like distant kin, with his strong scales and careful manners.

Choosing a time when he figured the store would be empty, or close to it, Nate entered as quietly as possible; there was no way to silence the bell that rang when the door opened. As the dragon came in, trying to make himself unnoticeable, the shop owner slowly turned his pointed snout toward him, his small black eyes taking in the sight of him, and a smile grew on his small lips.

"Nathan!" He moved carefully from behind the counter, minding his tail and opening his arms in greeting to the young dragon. "So good to see you!"

"Hello, Syazwi." Nate embraced the shop owner carefully, each avoiding hurting the other with any sharp scales. It had been Syazwi who had taught him that everyone has a soft side, if they chose to reveal it.

"It must be important," the pangolin said in softly-spoken, gently-accented words, "for you to come into town this way. No one is here now; do not worry. How may I help you?"

"I saw a sign at the edge of the forest," the dragon said softly. "I think someone is trying to claim the land for their own. I think they might want to tear down the forest."

"That must not happen," the shopkeeper agreed firmly. "Do you know who this is?"

Nate repeated what he'd seen on the sign. "There was a telephone number. I thought that... well, I don't know if I can talk to them about this, but I'll have to try. All my friends..." The dragon observed a single snowflake falling in front of his snout, closed his eyes to regain himself. He felt the old pangolin's forepaw to his arm, and he opened his eyes again.

"I understand. We will find a way, Nathan."

The shopkeeper led Nate by the foreclaw to the back of the store, into the offices. There, he had the young dragon repeat the telephone number, and the pangolin entered the digits carefully and waited for a connection. He was frustrated by reaching only voicemail, but he signaled for quiet and spoke after the obligatory tone. "This is Syazwi Wan, proprietor of the Pan-Pan General Market. I call to enquire about your property holding at the forest. I might be interested in expansion, but I have concerns about proper use of forest land. Perhaps you could return my call..." Syazwi provided the telephone number and rang off.

He looked up to Nate and nodded. "Soon, Nathan, we will know more. And then we can act."

* * * * * * * * * *

Between the size of his wings and his coloring, Nate could not have hidden himself in the lush green forest if he'd wanted to. A feral wolf, however, no matter his coloration, would be both natural to the forest and silent in his approach and departure. From the beginning, the dragon had managed a form of rudimentary communication with the feral animals of the wood; over time, he found that they learned to understand many words, and the rest was conveyed with (as far as Nate could tell) emotions and gestures. On this day, the wolf who had accepted Nate's nickname of Bandit was watching and sniffing for signs of the representative from Silverwood Development, whoever or whatever he might be. The eyes, ears, and noses of the forest were on the alert, and when the stranger arrived at the edge of the wood - near what the faerie had called the "strange tree" - Bandit came directly to Nate. Looks, tail movements, soft barks, and a forepaw placed pad-softly to the dragon's leg provided all the information needed.

"Stay safe," Nate said, somehow knowing that Bandit understood him. "I'll be okay."

The wolf whined softly, showing reluctance, but he sat properly and seemed to nod. He pat his right forepaw to the ground twice before pulling it back:I'll be right here.

The dragon moved as quietly as he could, not really concerned for stealth at this point but instead more for keeping the peace of the woodland. As he approached the sign, he noticed an unusual-looking bicycle and, standing not far from it, a young silver fox stood, clad in casual clothes that didn't match the idea of a "business person" in Nate's mind. Syazwi never dressed in fancy suit and tie, but he was a store proprietor, and he still dressed well enough for his customers. Real estate was "big business" - something that, like the seasons, Nate just didn't make sense of. Land was to be maintained as it was, lived on, protected, enjoyed... how does it follow that someone could simply claim it to sell for something as worthless as money? And since the whole real estate thing was about money, why did this fox look so casual? Those who care so much for money usually showed it, and not subtly.

"Might you be Nathan?" the fox called, smiling.

He paused just a moment before answering. "Yes. You are Mr. Silverwood?"

"Grandpup of the name on the sign," the fox smiled, ears forward, tail relaxed - a very friendly attitude. "My name is Theodophilous, or just Theo would be fine. I was sent to talk to you about your concerns. We didn't think that Mr. Wan really wanted to expand out here, so we spoke with him further." The young todd paused, showing uncertainty. "May I ask, Nathan... you live in these woods, don't you?"

"I do," Nate spoke proudly. "And we don't want this land destroyed."

"This may surprise you, Nathan, but we don't either. I know you may not have much reason to trust me about that..."

"Why would you say that?"

The silver fox blinked, seeming genuinely surprised. "You would trust me?"

"I don't know you yet," Nate said simply. "I have no reason not to trust you. Will you give me one?"

"I truly hope not." Theo's eyebrows seemed to be trying to come together into a sharp point in the middle of his forehead. "Foxes tend to have a reputation, and real estate developers even moreso."

"As do dragons," the drake observed softly. He produced a small snowball in one foreclaw and tossed it, softly and under-pawed, towards the fox's bare hindpaws. The powdery snow scattered softly and began to melt in the spring sun. "Not all of us are like that."

Theo squatted quickly on his haunches, his forepaw moving out to touch the snow, his face appearing as if mesmerized by the most amazing magic trick he'd ever seen. "That's..." He looked up at Nate, grinning like a kit less than half his age. "I thought they were kidding me! I thought it was some kind of joke that my grandsire was pulling on me. I'm still sort of learning the family business, you know?"

Nate shook his head. He didn't know.

Standing, the fox stood and approached the young drake, putting out his forepaw first, then pulling it back slowly. "Excuse me," the todd said softly. "I don't mean to push. Nathan - I hope it's okay for me to call you by your first name; I don't know your familial name... Nathan, I'm so glad to meet you."

Well, that wasn't the reaction Nate usually got. "Really?"

"Yes, really." The fox was positively beaming. "Nathan, I was told to come find you to tell you about a project that... I didn't believe it, at first, but now I see exactly what my grandsire was trying to tell me. Are you the voice of the forest?"

The dragon considered for a moment. "The forest has lots of voices."

Theo smiled, looked down for a moment, then back to Nate. "I think you could teach me a lot, Nathan. Thank you. I guess what I mean is... Let's put it this way. Mr. Wan tells me that you came to live in this forest some years ago. He said that you've, as he puts it, made friends here. You care for the inhabitants of this forest."

"My family," Nate said simply. "They brought me into their world and made me family."

"I think what I mean is, are you the only person who could... well, talk to me, the way we're talking now?"

"No, there are others who speak our language." He considered. "I'm not sure if they want to... no offense meant, I only mean that they keep to themselves."

"And so they should. This forest should stay just as it is."

"Then why are you trying to 'develop' it?" The word stuck on the dragon's tongue. "It doesn't need developing; it needs protecting."

"That's just what we're going to make happen." Again, the fox was grinning. "That's why my grandsire bought up as much of this land as he could - because now, no one_else_ can buy it up unless we sell it to them, and he wants to keep it just as it is. With one small addition."

Nate shook his head firmly, his wings starting to spread. "No. This forest must not be harmed."

"No, no, not at all!" The todd put up his forepaws, his eyes widening. "Nathan, please, let me explain. I understand my grandsire's plan much better, now that I've met you. I promise you, the forest will not be harmed. The addition will be near its edge, but the forest itself will be protected. That's why we need you."

The drake's eyes narrowed a little beneath his fiery red headfur. "What does that mean?"

"It's a sort of exchange, but I think you'll like it."

"We have no need of money."

"But we have need of you." Theo lowered his forepaws slowly, his cool blue eyes never leaving Nate's. The dragon recognized the look. Bandit had looked at him that way in the early days: Frightened, but wanting to trust. "In its shortest form, we want you to provide a very special sort of work for us, and in return, we'll make sure no one else encroaches upon this forest. Will you hear me out?"

Slowly, Nate furled his wings again. "Theo, you said your name was...? Theo, I haven't heard this idea yet, and I don't want to pre-judge it. I am very protective."

"Do you see that?" The fox jutted his chin toward the odd-looking bicycle. "It's called a recumbent bicycle. It's designed to be efficient and comfortable, for short or long trips. I ride it everywhere, especially out here. My sire and grandsire both have electric-powered cars for most of their travel. We are serious, Nathan. We want to protect this forest, and others, if we can."

"All right," the dragon said softly. "What is it, exactly, that you want from me?"

Smiling with quiet certainty, the todd's eyes sparkled as he said, "Something only you can do for us."

* * * * * * * * * *

The most difficult task that Nate had to do was to try to explain to everyone what the developers had in mind. Bandit, Firefall, Speedingz, Riversprite, and the rest of the wolves were magnificent companions, but they were still feral; they did not have language to understand. Those who did have language, including the faeries, the satyr, the gryphon and wyvern, were not really able to grasp the idea of "owning land" or "money," but they did understand what Nate described. When they grasped the concepts involved, the found themselves in agreement that it was a good trade-off. Their calm assurances helped the feral creatures to feel more at ease. They were still suspicious, but they believed in their friends.

As the weather began to be more suited to construction, Nate met with Theo several times to make sure that all of the boundaries were going to be respected. The great ice-blue drake did not have to hide from the crews, for several reasons, chief among them that his unfortunate reputation had preceded him from years back. However, the todd introduced the gruff old bulldog who was to run the project, and Nate had been pleasantly surprised to discover that he was polite and even cooperative. After the stakes had been placed for the basic design of the construction, the dragon (who had long since discovered that his wings were quite capable of flight) looked it over from the air and from the ground, and he made a few suggestions. Theo showed Nate how to work the digital camera, and when he looked at the photos from above, both he and the general (the drake heard the name as General Contractor) agreed that Nate's ideas were good ones. The next day, Theo returned with approval from his sire and grandsire, along with particular thanks to Nate for his aerial photography. It was, they said, yet another valuable asset that the dragon possessed.

Under the general's direction, the working crew was particularly careful around the forest area. On the few occasions that some member of the crew did something careless, they found themselves reminded in ways that surprised them. One of the strong razorbacks only left the wrappings of his sandwich discarded on the ground once; the low growl of a feral wolf caught his attention quickly. Bandit continued his vocal threats until the porcine policed his trash, after which the canine sat properly and watched the worker leave. He swore to the others that the wolf actually nodded at him. On another occasion, a soda can tossed carelessly behind him won a large bull a particularly surprising snowball to the face; after wiping the snow from his eyes, he found himself almost muzzle-to-muzzle with the dragon who had thrown it. It didn't happen again. Once these simple rules had been learned, the crew was happy to discover that, as the weather grew warmer, their drink cooler never wanted for fresh ice.

Like any construction project does, it drew the nighttime attention of various teen kits and pups looking for anything from items to steal to locations for whatever forbidden activities they wished to indulge in. Two night watchman were employed, although their jobs became so much easier after the yowens discovered that the grounds were "haunted." They were introduced to Nate on their first night; the raccoon and the cheetah were more curious than intimidated, and they soon learned the dragon's role in all this. They also learned that the forest had more about it than was ordinarily seen. More often than not, what the watchmen saw was terrified tucked tails in full flight, with screams almost loud enough to wake the town just beyond. They never really saw what had happened, but when they asked Nate about it the next day, the dragon just smiled and nodded, keeping his friends' identities carefully hidden. Truth was, it's amazing how much mischief faeries can get up to. It's also amazing how much their laughter could keep other woodfolk awake at night.

With no delays from weather, shortfall, or damage from vandalism (no one stuck around long enough at night), the building went up slightly ahead of schedule. By the first weekend of July, when the summer weather had just begun to take its full hold, the new facility was ready to open. The night before, however, the guards were kindly asked to stay outside so that Nate could have a very special showing for his friends. The edge of the forest was, in fact, far enough away from the back of the building that no one could "accidentally" wander in or encroach upon it... but thanks to some clever glamours created by the faeries, anyone from the wood who wished to get into the building could do so without being observed. It was by this method that Nate had invited his guests.

The wolves and their pups were uncomfortable to be in a place that smelled so little of the wood; even caves felt more like home, because they occurred naturally. Perhaps they noticed, but Nate pointed out to the others that the interior of the structure was fashioned to look like the smooth rock interior of a volcanic cave. At one end, some structures and booths appeared; nearer to themselves, the offices, storage space, and a tall, wide hallway that led to something else entirely. Between there and here, the vast area appeared to be a smooth floor that seemed to have no particular purpose at this point. Bandit bent to sniff at it, whining softly.

"But what is it?" the gryphon asked, his rolling bass voice echoing gently in the large, enclosed space.

"It is something that they need me to help make complete. You've heard of ice skating?"

With that, the ice-dragon stepped to the edge of the gigantic rink and, using his powers carefully, as he had been practicing, he created a huge, smooth layer of ice to form above the floor, flowing out from him to coat the entire area, quickly and efficiently.

"There are things under the floor that will help keep the ice solid... not sure what they're called. I can come back and provide a nice smooth surface anytime that they need--"

A yip from Bandit cut him off. Apparently, Firefall had decided to push forward a little, and the first wolf found himself sliding across the ice on his furry butt, tail high, hind and foreclaws unable to find any purchase. Many giggled, although Firefall yipped and whined anxiously, and Nate knew why. With the speed and skill born of years, he skated out and quickly caught up with the wolf, taking him into his arms and bringing him back to the safety of the edge. He held and comforted the trembling pup for a few minutes.

"It's all right, Bandit. This ice won't crack." The dragon knew that the words weren't understood, at least not clearly, but he hoped that his voice would help him to calm down. "Look, Bandit. Look..."

The gryphon had taken it onto himself to be the next skater on the rink, his smooth leonine hindpaws moving effortlessly across the distance. He used his wings cleverly to slow himself on turns, and it was clear that he had skated on ice many times before. The wyvern, too, used his hindclaws much as Nate had done, and despite their large size, the rink was big enough to allow both wyvern and gryphon to skate and dance, alone or together. The faeries took a turn, although most were too used to flight to use their legs in quite such a fashion; the satyrs, unsure how their hooves might fare on this ice, politely declined sampling the rink's delights. After seeing all this activity, there was no restraining the wolf pups, and they dashed out, loping, slipping, skidding, sliding, making yips and yops and barks of surprise and delight. When Bandit saw nothing bad happening, no one falling into icy waters and not returning, he allowed Nate to carry him a short way onto the ice, where the dragon sat down and helped the wolf to stand.

"Pads... slide." The dragon put the wolf's paw flat to the ice and moved it slowly, smoothly across the surface. "Claws... stop." He helped the wolf turn his paw to show how the claw would cut into the ice. The wolf still whined a little, but he was no longer terrified of this particular patch of ice, and the pups seemed to be having a good time out there. And although the wolf couldn't speak, he seemed to become very happy to see Firefall being nudged out onto the ice himself, and sliding much as Bandit had done. Every language, even that of ferals, had a word or sound that means "Payback's a bitch."

The faeries and the wyvern were keeping a close eye on things as Nate led the gryphon back past the offices and storage areas. "What is this all about, Nathan?"

"It's what I told you all before," he said softly. "They won't hurt the forest, as long as they own the land. This place is the compromise. I provide them with the ice, so that they don't have to have a machine do it - a machine that is not only expensive, but it also pollutes, even the new ones. In return, they keep the forest safe... and they gave me this, too."

Nate opened a large door - clearly meant for someone of his general size - and waved the gryphon to precede him.

The interior was small, compared to the rink area, but it was designed for another purpose entirely. The dome was a few meters taller than Nate at its height, and the walls around the circumference were several centimeters higher also. Inside, the floor space was set about with furniture and comforts of Nate's choosing, all designed to be able to resist the effects of melting snow... although the overall design of the igloo-like dome was to be Nate's place where he could enjoy winter the year round.

"I never really understood this 'business' stuff," the gryphon observed, a smile in the eyes above his beak. "But it seems to have its advantages."

"I trust Theo Silverwood." Nate shook his head a little, also smiling. "I couldn't have gotten that far if Syazwi Wan hadn't helped. He was able to understand and talk to them, and then he and Theo were able to explain it to me."

"Nathan... you saved the forest."

"Not really," the dragon demurred. "Not alone, anyway. This rink is likely to be very popular, especially in summer months. But those who come here shouldn't need to venture into the wood for any reason, so you all should be safe. And I'll never be far." He smiled a little. "Although I might spend a good amount of time here."

"I can see why." The gryphon shivered a little, but the smile was still in his eyes. "I might need something warm to wrap up in."

Nate chuckled. "I'll make sure my guests are comfortable."

"Tell me - what is the name of this place? I thought I saw a sign outside, but I've never been much for reading."

The young dragon breathed in slowly, breathing out a soft sigh that carried the misty whisper of the tiniest ice crystals ever. "It comes from a poem. That was one of the few things that I enjoyed in school. It was a poem about a great king who fashioned his pleasure dome with caves of ice." He raised his wings and his arms as if to encompass all, and let the crystals whisper the name...

"Xanadu..."