Prince Erhart had been haunted by the same dream: a wounded silver dragon roaring in pain. That morning, he went to the training field to clear his head. Suddenly, his sword began to pulse with a dark, flickering red light. Was the Dragon Lady in danger? He made up his mind—he had to go to the Snowy Mountain.

The Snowy Mountain was no longer beautiful. Dark clouds pressed down, and fierce winds hurled snow. Through the storm, Erhart saw something strange: massive buildings made of thick steel plates and iron spikes. A huge cannon sat atop the tallest tower, its dark barrel pointing out over the mountain. A chill ran down Erhart's spine.

Erhart reached the iron door, hoping for warmth, but voices from inside stopped him. They spoke of a 'wicked dragon' that kept their land frozen. 'Once we capture her, the Chief will reward us handsomely!' they declared. Erhart's blood ran cold. They wanted to hurt the Dragon Lady. He had to think of a plan, and fast.

Erhart took a deep breath and knocked firmly on the iron door. The voices inside stopped instantly. 'Who's there?' a sharp voice demanded. Erhart stood tall and spoke clearly: 'I am Prince Erhart of the Kingdom of Rhine. I have come to meet the Chief and offer friendship.' A long, tense moment passed before the iron began to groan.

The door opened a crack, and a hard eye peered out. A powerfully built woman in a thick fur coat stepped into the wind. She looked at Erhart harshly. 'We are on a secret mission for the Chief,' she said coldly. 'No one enters our base—prince or not. Leave. Now.'

Erhart tried to explain, but—BAM! The iron door slammed shut. The prince was left alone in the howling wind, his words echoing uselessly against the steel. No one was going to help him. If he wanted to save the Dragon Lady, he would have to find her cave himself, even if he had to fight the storm alone.

Erhart trudged back into the blizzard. He drew his sword, only to see a faint black mist curling around the blade like dark fingers. His stomach twisted. Suddenly, a high, piercing cry split the air—the Dragon Lady's voice, full of agony. The sound tore through Erhart's chest. He didn't wait; he broke into a run toward the sound.

Below the hill, hunters surrounded a colossal silver dragon. They loosed arrow after arrow, but the shafts bounced off her scales like needles. The Dragon Lady was unharmed but furious. With a thunderous roar, she reared up and spread her enormous wings and unleashed a hurricane of freezing wind. The world vanished in a blur of white.

'Dragon Lady, it's me! Erhart!' he shouted, but the wind swallowed his voice. The hunters braced against the gale with heavy shields, but the wind was too strong. One hunter—small and thin—was lifted off her feet and sent tumbling toward the edge of a deadly cliff.

Erhart didn't think. He moved. With a powerful leap, he launched himself forward and grabbed the hunter's wrist just as her feet slipped over the edge. Her weight nearly pulled him over too, but he dug his boots into the snow and held on with everything he had. 'Got you!' he gasped, his heart pounding.

The hunter clung to Erhart, sobbing with relief. 'Thank you! I thought I'd never see my mama again!'"It's all right — you're safe now," Erhart said gently. "Don't be afraid. What's your name?" "I'm Claire," she sniffled. "Apprentice Dragon Hunter of the tribe."

Claire's leg was injured, so Erhart carried her back to the iron fortress. As they walked, she explained that the tribe wasn't evil—they just needed to hunt and farm to survive the winter. 'The dragon makes our lives miserable,' she said. Erhart listened, his heart heavy. He knew the dragon wasn't evil either. There had to be a misunderstanding.

When the hunters heard Erhart had saved Claire, the iron doors didn't slam shut. They welcomed him warmly and gave him a mug of hot cocoa. 'Thank you for saving her,' a hunter said. 'With your skills, you should join us! That dragon has plagued us for years.' Erhart held the warm mug, thinking of the dragon's cry.

Erhart looked at the friendly faces around him. 'I'll consider helping you negotiate with the Silver Dragon,' he said carefully. 'But first, I want to meet your Chief. I need to understand why she is so determined to defeat the dragon.' He knew that talking was the only way to stop the fighting.

A bold laugh echoed from above. A tall, commanding woman in a cloak descended the spiral staircase. She looked down at Erhart with glinting eyes. 'So—our little prince wants to see me?' she said with a smile. 'I've been expecting you.'