A few minutes later they were on their way, Serali perched between two of Doran's back spines, and being very grateful that they were fairly flexible, because there really wasn't enough room there for her. Kethro was in the form of a red-tailed hawk, perched carefully on her shoulder.

As they drew closer to the human settlement they could soon make out details. It was unlike any human town she'd ever seen. There were no houses, instead there were tents. They seemed to be dug into the ground so that they were halfway permanent, but they could obviously moved at need. A few humans and animals wandered around among them. A bit further on a great herd of cattle was grazing on the brown grass. Men on horses rode here and there on the edges of the herd, and every now and then a lean dog would dart out at a man's command and chase strays back into the main herd.

The men were different from the humans Serali had known as well. They were dark, like the people of Land's End, but they were tall, a few were taller even than Serali was. They seemed to dress almost entirely in leather, some dressed plainly and others with their leather tunics covered in bright designs. As the unusual trio approached, the plainsmen poured out of their tents. The grabbed up spears and swords and ran towards the approaching dragon. Doran halted when he was still quite a few yards away from the nearest tent and settled to the ground. Serali dismounted. She stepped away from Doran's side and held her hands out in a gesture of peace. Kethro shifted nervously on her shoulder as the armed plainsmen formed a half circle in front of her, staying as far from Doran as possible.

One of the plainsmen, plainly dressed and looking no different from the one next to him, stepped forward and addressed Serali. His speech was oddly formal.

"Why do you come here, and how is it that you ride that creature? I had not known dragons could be tamed."

"They can't. Doran is my friend, and only carries me because he wants to. And I have come to bargain for cattle. I have been told that you have the finest in the world."

"We do." There was pride and assurance in that simple statement. "Why do you want our cattle?"

"I want cattle to feed my large friend here." She motioned to Doran.

"And what do you have to offer for the pride of the plains? We do not give up our cattle to be eaten by strangers lightly."

"Why should it make any difference who eats them?"

"Our cattle are our wealth and our responsibility. We would not be plainsmen if we treated them like other men do."

"You care that much about cows?"

"Yes. They are not our brothers, as the horses are, but without them we do not live."

Serali blinked. "Your horses are your brothers?"

"Yes. They are the children of the wind, as we are children of the earth, and they bear us only because they choose to." Then he smiled. "Perhaps it is somewhat like this dragon that you say is your friend. But that is not important right now. I asked you what you offer for our cattle."

Serali took a pouch out of her pocket and opened it. She poured a pile of dragon scales of several sizes and colors onto her palm. Her own small gold ones, Kethro's much larger green, and a few of Doran's large thick blue ones. She had been carefully saving every shed scale she found, and there were a fair number of them.

"Ah. I should have guessed what payment you would have, dragon rider. Yes, that will be sufficient to buy a great many cattle."

"I would buy something else as well. I know nothing of cattle and their needs, but I must get the cattle I buy safely to Land's End in Barona Kingdom. As the dragon flies it isn't far, but the road is longer. Could you send men and horses with the herd to bring it to Land's End?"

"Now you ask much. The trip is long and there are few men who can leave their families long enough to make it. We must discuss this." He motioned to the plainsmen around him. They scattered. One returned with a woven rug and the plainsman leader motioned for Serali to sit. Serali smiled and seated herself. She knew now that she would get what she wanted. It was only a matter of bargaining.

A half hour later she got up and shook hands with the plainsman. He summoned several of his people and gave them lengthy instructions. A few minutes after that they were on horseback and cutting three score cows and one good bull from the huge herd. Most of the cows would end up eaten over the next few months, but some wouldn't, and Serali hoped to actually breed and raise cows. She was sure, and had told the plainsman leader so, that she would be back to buy more cows, but she hoped eventually that there would be enough to feed them without needing to buy more regularly.