Now that he's alone, the dragon tells Alek that he hasn't been able to come into his territory because a black dragon has come to his territory to provoke him before. He's left alone to deal with the consequences of his actions, and he doesn't know how to do it. The only dragons in the mountains, he tells Alek, are now 15 humans, and they're growing more and more desperate for food and shelter. He tells Alek to leave him alone, because he'll have to hatch his eggs in peace. He also tells Alek not to bring bailan a gift when he visits, because she's too big for a dragon like him, and she'll hate him when she sees him. Alek says that he caught a tasty deer and fed it to bailan, who won'