BDArc-HiddenDragons

by CSM

  “I like your confidence, but I will still worry until I see you safe back here after the battle.” She hugged Robert with one hand while Bear still held the other. She released Robert, then turned to hug Bear as well. “Please promise me you will be careful.”

  “I solemnly swear it, my heart,” Bear promised as he held her close. “We will take no undue risks. Not when we know you will be here, awaiting our return.”

  She let him go and sat back, reaching for Robert’s hand. Still holding Bear’s with her other hand, she sat between them, surrounded by their warmth.

  “Forgive me for worrying. I’ve only just found you and I don’t want to lose either one of you before we have a chance to figure out what could be between us.”

  “Then you’re saying there’s a chance?” Robert asked quickly, a bright smile on his handsome face.

  “Of course there’s a chance. You already knew that. I am not the kind of woman to lie with both of you without being serious about this,” she defended her own honor with a bit of humor in her tone.

  “Yes, we knew,” Bear agreed. “You are one in a million, Isabelle. We will give you all the time you need to be sure.”

  They slept together that night, in the huge bed in the mates’ chamber, but they did not make love. All three were clothed in soft sleeping clothes and tucked under the blanket, though the men did spoon Isabelle between them. It was a comforting feeling, and so very warm. Isabelle had spent too many winter nights freezing in her cold cottage on the edge of the woods not to appreciate the warmth two men and two dragons could generate.

  The men and dragons flew off just before dawn with all-too-brief kisses and words of reassurance. They promised her to be careful numerous times and their dragons were made to agree to it as well. Only then would Isabelle let them leave, though she went to the ledge with them, to see them off. It was before dawn and she shivered in the cold wind swept in by the repeated beats of the wings of launching dragons.

  The entire Lair was going out to fight the skiths. It was a magnificent sight to see, though she quickly lost sight of the dragons in the pre-dawn darkness beyond the well-lit ledges. Still, she was surprised at just how many dragons and knights lived in this Lair. She stood in an out of the way spot, watching until the last dragon had left.

  “Lady Isabelle.” A woman’s voice came from behind her and Isabelle turned to find the younger princess—Princess Belora—waving to her. Isabelle walked quickly over to her, not wanting to keep royalty waiting.

  “What can I do for you, your highness?”

  “First of all, call me Belora. I wasn’t always a princess. I lived rough on the land up until just a few years ago when I met Gareth and Lars,” she explained. “Silla said you might be willing to help when the casualties start coming in.”

  “I will do whatever you ask. In fact, I’d prefer a task rather than just sitting around worrying.” Isabelle decided to be frank with the rather surprising princess.

  Belora put one hand on Isabelle’s forearm. “I know exactly what you mean. Don’t worry, there is plenty to do. It’s surprising, actually, how much the unmated knights do around here. When they’re not around, the rest of us have a lot of slack to pick up.” She smiled and tucked her arm into Isabelle’s, starting them both walking toward the great hall, which was right down the corridor.

  Isabelle spent the next few hours helping prepare food for the entire Lair. The regular menu was replaced by quick things that would be easily eaten on the go, in case the battle lasted longer than expected. Small, pastry-wrapped bits of meat and cheese went into the ovens by the tray full. Isabelle helped by cutting the ingredients to size while Belora crimped the edges of each filled pastry. They chatted as they worked, and Isabelle got to know Belora a bit better.

  For royalty, she was really a very down to earth woman. Belora told her about how she met her mates and her adjustment to the idea of having two mates. She also talked about raising her young family—human babies and dragonets side by side.

  They ate breakfast together and Silla joined them, claiming Isabelle for the rest of the morning, which they spent preparing the things that might be needed to treat injured dragons and knights. Bandages, toweling, clean linens and swabs all needed folding and sorting, along with the various salves and potions Silla had made ready.

  They moved the bulk of Silla’s herbal preparations from her workroom to a table set up in an open area on the main landing ledge. If a dragon was injured and made it back to the ledge, they wouldn’t want to wait for him or her to go any farther before beginning treatment.

  “Plus, the first thing to do when dealing with skith venom burns is to irrigate the area. See those cisterns over there?” Silla explained as they walked closer to the actual ledge. “And the channels carved into the floor that slope downward to the edge? The idea is that you can douse a dragon with water to dilute the skith acid and the water will run off the ledge through those channels. Every Lair has them, just in case. And the cisterns are kept full and refreshed each time it rains. There are collection areas up top that funnel down into the walls. Behind the vessels you see that are for everyday use, there are hollowed-out vats where vast quantities of rainwater are kept in readiness. Plenty to bathe the entire Lair full of dragons if need be.”

  Isabelle marveled again at the ingenious design of this amazing place. Other tables had been set up by some of the youngsters along the walls. Silla and Isabelle oversaw the placement of her supplies around the landing ledge, creating sets of items they might need, including sharp, clean blades, piles of clean cloths of various sizes, pots of the burnjelly they had prepared, needles and thread for stitches, and all sorts of medicinal herbs and prepared salves that might be useful.

  Just before they were going to catch a quick bite of lunch, the first dragons limped back to the Lair. It was a young pair with newly-chosen knights who had only been training together for a few months. They had never fought skiths before and had made some rookie mistakes, according to the dragons who were both injured and embarrassed. Isabelle introduced herself and talked to the dragons while Silla and the two princesses worked at healing them.

  Isabelle toted water and helped wash off the skith venom. Luckily, neither of the young dragons was hurt too badly. They wouldn’t fly again today, but they would heal and be back to full strength soon. Once they were treated, Isabelle listened to the dragons and knights speak of the battle they had just left.

  There were many skiths, which wasn’t good, but the dragons were holding their own against the ground-bound creatures. The young dragons eventually limped under their own power to their quarters, but the knights stayed on the ledge knowing their help might be required by more seriously injured dragons and knights.

  And sure enough, it wasn’t long before two more dragons flew in, one of them just barely making the ledge before he collapsed. Isabelle immediately started sluicing the dragon’s terrible injuries with water. She poured water on the burns to dilute the acid still eating away at the dragon’s scales, skin and muscle.

  Belora came over then, and Isabelle was shocked to realize that the young princess was a true healer. She had the gift, and something in her magic tingled against Isabelle’s senses as she called forth her power and started working on the dragon’s badly mangled foreleg. Isabelle watched, irrigating the dragon’s burns and keeping out of Belora’s way as much as possible, while fascinated at what the princess was doing.

  When the lesser wounds were free of the acid taint, Isabelle went quietly to work on them, using the burnjelly and other medicines Silla and she had prepared. She knew from her mother’s teachings that true healing took a lot out of the healer. It was better to keep such abilities for the really important injuries that might otherwise maim or kill a dragon, and stick to the more traditional remedies for the things that weren’t life threatening. Isabelle kept a careful eye on Belora while they both worked on the auburn-colored dragon. When the princess was nearing the end of her work, Isabelle was at he
r side, ready to support her.

  Sure enough, Belora teetered on her feet when she came out of the healing, but Isabelle was there to steady her. Belora gave her a surprised look and checked over the rest of the dragon’s injuries.

  “You’ve done good work here, Isabelle,” Belora finally said when the dragon had been made as comfortable as possible. He would not be moved for some time, as his wounds were too severe and he was unconscious. “Thank you for catching me. You’ve seen true healing before, haven’t you?”

  Isabelle saw no reason to hide the truth from these people. While she would never breathe a word to the villagers, the people in the Lair were very different.

  “My mother had a small gift, but her mother was a true healer, or so she told me.” Isabelle missed her mother, but it felt somehow good to speak of her again, especially with people who she would have liked. “But she healed with song. Healing chants,” Isabelle said, remembering the long winter evenings when her mother taught her of such things by the fire in their lonely cottage.

  “Do you know the way of such things?” Belora asked, apparently interested.

  “She taught me the words, but I’ve never used them. Well, not out in the open,” Isabelle admitted. “On rare occasions, when I work with the village’s animals and I’m alone, I have been known to hum under my breath. It has a calming effect on the beasts.” Isabelle smiled and knew Belora understood what she was saying.

  Belora was about to say something when a dragon’s cry of anguish sounded. A new pair was coming in for a landing and one of the knights was barely hanging on. As the dragon landed, his knight slid from his back, unconscious on the floor, a trail of blood smearing along his dragon’s back.

  Belora and Isabelle ran to help. Isabelle sluiced the dragon, who had areas of burned flesh along his side, while Belora looked at the knight. Silla and Adora came over and worked on him too, while Belora tried to calm the frantic dragon.

  Isabelle couldn’t figure why Belora wasn’t using her magic on the knight. Clearly, he was in very bad shape and could use all the help he could get. Belora beckoned her over and Isabelle stepped carefully around the agitated dragon.

  “Now would be a very good time for you to try out one of those healing chants at full volume, Lady Isabelle. My healing ability only works on dragons.”

  Isabelle was surprised, but filed that information away for later examination. The knight was dying and she had to at least try the things her mother had taught her. Isabelle began to chant, digging her toes into the stone beneath her feet and calling on the energy of the Mother of All to aid her in her quest to bring comfort to the gravely injured man.

  For the first time in her life, Isabelle sang her chant at full volume within the vicinity of people—dragons and men—who were badly hurt. She had no idea what would happen. Perhaps nothing. But perhaps she would be able to help them in some small way. She clung to that thought. That small glimmer of hope.

  She began to build the chant into something more substantial, just as her mother had taught her. It began to flow out of her and into the air around her. She could almost see the energy floating through the air from her mouth to the injured knight.

  Isabelle was only peripherally aware that everyone on the ledge had stilled. Tranquility was part of her chant and if that sense of peace was imparted to those in pain or distress, she counted that as a good thing. Right now, her focus was on the man who lay dying between Silla and Adora’s working hands. She reached for his fading spirit with her song and cradled him in the chant, not allowing him to leave, using the ancient words to bind him to his body and imparting some of the Goddess’s energy into him, to sustain him while the healers did their work.

  Buoyed by the power she could feel flowing through her at full strength for the first time in her life, Isabelle did all she could think of to help the knight. He was no longer dying and that brought a sense of satisfaction.

  When she thought he was safely ensconced in his own body again, she drew back, taking the thread of energy the chant wrought with her, allowing it to spread around the ledge again before she finally ended her song. A stunned silence greeted her when she closed her mouth.

  And then it was like everyone began talking at once, only they were using hushed voices and low murmurs. And they were looking at her with wide eyes.

  “Milady,” the dragon behind her spoke into her mind for the first time. This was the dragon who had brought the badly injured knight in. This was his partner. “Thank you, milady. You saved him and I will be forever grateful. I did not believe Tildeth when she claimed you had the blood of the Fair Folk in your lineage, but I have seen the truth of it here today. Thank you for sharing your gift with my knight.” The dragon bowed its great head to her and Isabelle was overwhelmed by both his words and his gesture. Dragons bowed to no one. Well, very few people, at any rate.

  “Sir…” she addressed him, not knowing his name, “…you do me too great an honor.”

  Belora touched her hand. “He’s right though.” The princess’s words startled Isabelle into looking at her. “You have magic in your voice, Isabelle. It’s unlike any I have heard or felt before. It is potent and pure, and of the Lady. Thank you for saving this knight’s life, for without your chant, he would have left us.”

  “I—” Isabelle was about to protest again, but she remembered what she had felt and seen while she’d been using the chant. She stopped talking, unsure of what to say. She simply waved her hands in the air and then fled to man the water buckets as another dragon flew in, needing help.

  Slowly, the rest of the gathering on the ledge went back to work. After a while, the moment passed and they were almost overwhelmed by dragons and knights with burns that needed treatment.

  Then Growloranth flew in. He was hurt, and so was Robert. Her heart in her throat, Isabelle ran to them, dumping water over Growloranth’s burns as she looked for Robert.

  And then he was there, taking her shoulders, but keeping her at arm’s length. She understood. His leathers were smoking with the pungent acid of skith venom.

  Chapter Nine

  “Come with me quickly, we’ll wash you off.” She tugged him toward one of the small areas set aside nearer the cisterns where they could rinse off people and things that came into contact with the acidic venom. In that spot, the contaminated water would be caught in the channels and sent down the side of the mountain, away from the Lair.

  “It’s only on the leather, except for one spot,” Robert claimed, already unbuckling his armor as he walked. “Growloranth needs help more—” he began, but she cut him off.

  “And he’s getting it. Both princesses are seeing to his burns, which is more than enough. They are dragon healers.”

  “Yes, I know. Ouch!” he exclaimed as his armor came away and good piece of his shirt with it.

  “Is that the only spot where the venom got through your armor?” she asked, already gauging the depth of the wound on his shoulder. It wasn’t too bad and would heal well if they got water and then burnjelly on it immediately.

  He chucked the contaminated armor to the side and bent over near the basin she indicated. The last thing they wanted to do was spread the venom all over his body. Better to rinse just the affected area at first, until they had diluted the acid sufficiently. He knew the drill, apparently, and cooperated as she poured bucket after bucket of water over his shoulder.

  “Sweet Mother of All, that stings!” he exclaimed as the water sluiced over his raw skin.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Don’t worry. I know it has to be done,” he gasped. “Keep going. It’s starting to dissipate.”

  “Good. That means we’ve diluted it substantially. You should rinse your whole body off, in case there are spots we haven’t noticed yet,” she advised him. “The shoulder doesn’t look too bad.”

  Robert stood and simply stripped off to his skivvies right there, without any hesitation at all. Isabelle felt her cheeks flame as he stood there, pra
ctically naked. He moved toward a station that had been set up for just this purpose and opened the tap near his head that would rain water down through a pipe that had a ceramic head on the end of it with multiple small holes. The effect was that of a rain shower. He moved under it and turned his body to be sure was completely washed off, including his head and hair.

  When he was done, he closed the tap and reached for one of the many clean towels that had been stacked nearby. He dried himself off and came back to her.

  “How’s Growloranth?” he demanded even before allowing her to treat his wound. It had only been a matter of minutes since he’d come in and Growloranth was already being treated. Isabelle had been keeping tabs on both males.

  “He’s doing fine. No lasting damage. They are finishing up with him as we speak. Now, let me tend your shoulder, Robert. You need to be ready to fly when he is.”

  That got through to the handsome knight. He sat on the stool that she had set near her supply table and presented her with his injured shoulder. She noted that he positioned himself so that he could look out over the wide ledge to where Growloranth lay, being treated as well. When Robert didn’t speak to her, she assumed he was communing silently with his dragon partner. She looked at his wound, deciding on the best course of treatment. Burnjelly would do, she thought, and began applying it over the area.

  He sighed in relief as the burnjelly started to take effect.

  “Thank you for taking care of him,” came Growloranth’s voice in her mind as she worked on Robert.

  “No need for thanks. I could do no less. How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do to help?” she answered back.

  “I am well enough now. The princesses have seen to the worst of my wounds and Lady Silla will handle the rest. Just take care of Robert. He would neglect himself if you were not here.”

  “Not on my watch.” She winked at the dragon who lay several yards away, and he blinked one of his large, jeweled eyes at her in return. They had an understanding. “What happened to get you two into such a state? And where were Tildeth and Bear when this happened? Do you think they’re all right?” She carefully sent her words to both Robert and Growloranth.