Dragon Healer

And the rain was making soft sounds outside...as she remembered her dream...
I was walking on clouds, I must have been, what? Ten years old when they started? But in the dream, I am always the same, in my mothers flowery nightgown...with my little stuffed dragon that I had made just made that very day...dancing on a rainbow, and all of the sudden this ugly dragon flies up through the clouds, and looks at me. And as he lands, I show off my stuffed dragon toy, smiling and beaming with all the pride in the world. And his sour _expression melts away to exasperated smile. “Child”, he says, “I could eat you in one bite. Why are you happy to see me?” as these words are spoken, a nightmare begins to stir, and the clouds are blown away from under my feet, he catches me in his talons and uses wings to shield me from the rain of arrows that hiss by. I cried out in fear and in pain, as I can feel every arrow he takes for me. Then I saw brightness in the horizon...Stars? No...A dread grips my heart, as a haze of flaming crossbow bolts streak towards us...my warning comes too late. Then, only pain, and the sensation of falling... In the end of the dream...I sit with the dragon’s head in my lap, crying for his sacrifice, and he looks up at me, and brushes a tear away from my face. Every time, the dream is the same, and every time, a wake up soaked in sweat with my hands on my scar. I got it the first night of the dream, it was the color of fresh blood the night I woke up with it, and it hasn’t faded since. It’s small and starts right below my right eye, then forks on its way down my face. Like a tear. That was eight years ago, before I was the most wanted person on the continent, before I became...a dragon healer.
There is no worse crime than to heal a man’s enemy. Or worse yet to sympathize With them, so my path in life is pretty lonely, but I can say that it is never boring. Oh no! After departing home at fourteen to escape an arranged marriage, I had to rely on my own survival skills, take several wild chances and learn the dragonic language. Now that is an interesting story! But I’ll save it for another day. Now I need to get up and make sure that no one needs me, there seems to be no shortage of silvers and greens that will allow me to treat them, I even got to care for a young red once, but after she learned that allowing a human to heal you was seen to be weak, she just left, and I haven’t seen her since. And judging from the wing beats just outside my door, I’d say that a hefty green was riiight outside the entrance to my cave, and was going to try and give me a little scare. Great. So I walk right on out, thinking I’ll just jump out of my skin and get it over with, I’m sure that it’s one of the regulars, since all the greens I tend eat mostly fish and have little to no competition.
Okay kiddies! Rule number one! Never let your guard down around dragons! Got that? Good. The creature I saw before me was the cruelest looking black dragon I had ever risked seeing. It was a smallish male, whose scales were dull, and some were chipped or missing. His claws were long and unkept, and he had several old arrows in his side that had started to splinter, even his tail and horns showed signs of abuse, with half of the infamous forked tail snapped off close to it’s base. What shocked me most was a scar, a long trailing one, down his left cheek, starting below the eye. Oh boy. The only other black I had risked tangling with, was a dying male, who must have been a hundred years old, he was scarred from many battles and was dying from blood loss when I started towards him, my dragonic was still rusty, so instead of asking if I could treat his wounds, what I had said to him was: ‘may I lay your eggs?’and even so close to death, he was laughing through the whole process, I patched him up, as he squirmed and cried, rolling around laughing, I though he was in pain...it scared me half to death. But I think he was too busy to notice. I had to leave to tend others on the battlefield, but he flew off before I could learn much about him, I only know what I said because a green nearby heard it. I never will live it down. He (the green) still asks if I want to bear his children. It’s kind of an ongoing joke now. But I saw, even though he was weak, had I not fumbled my language, he could have killed me if he had not wanted me to help. So I had steered clear of black dragons. At least, until now, I had all the chance of a snowball in a wildfire to outrun him.
He looked young, restlessly shifting weight from side to side and watching me with interest. Nothing at all like the fat greens I was used to. And blacks can eat other dragons, so I had to do something quick to protect my regulars. “Darling!” I cried, and I ran up and encircled his neck with my arms, and planted a big kiss on his ugly scarred snoot. Now he’s confused, I can... my jaw dropped, in an instant he had transformed into what was his true form, he was a dragon half. His build was slender, with lightly muscled shoulders, his hair was silver, his face was sharp, with almond-shaped, deep red eyes, and delicate lashes. He was gorgeous. And he then proceeded to return the favor, as he gently pulled me closer. I was stunned, giving in to his strength, and I just barely stayed standing. Before I could speak I was saved by one of my least favorite patients, a male, he was a fat, old, hypochondriac green I had nicknamed Chunk. I know I took advantage of most dragons not learning to understand human language. But it was my right since none of them would explain any dragonic expletives. “Hey Chunk! I’m happy to see you!” I let out a little inward sigh of relief, as the young bombshell changed back into his dragonic form. Chunk landed behind me a stared warily at the young dragon, unsure of how to react. “You found yourself a mate healer?” as he gestured towards me, I couldn’t help to suppress a nervous giggle and look over my shoulder. Then it hit me: could this be the dragon of my dreams? Chunk interrupted my train of thought by declaring that he had an awful stomachache and needed medicine, when suddenly, I felt a weight hit the ground behind me, and a rush of air. The arrows! “Chunk! Forget your aches and pains, help me get him up!” I wheeled around and knelt were he had fallen to check his eyes, clouded, but no vessels had broken. Good, that meant that it could be just a bad infection. An infection could be just as dangerous as poison, but it was almost always easier to treat. “Can you change again?” I said, but his eyes just rolled in their sockets, he may have passed out...and just as the thought crossed my mind, he shifted to his sickly, but still stunning semi-human form, and Chunk carried him into my cave and set him down on a mat of soft ferns as I fetched some water and gathered my nerves. Normally I would have had to raid one of the nearby villages to get the proper antibiotic, since the naturally occurring herbs that normally held them had all since become an occasional treat for a browsing green. Did I mention that I was the most wanted person on the continent? Well here’s why: sometimes I run out of food or medicine, and I don’t have the time to get whatever I need myself, I steal it from people who aren’t using it. Now I can’t go walking into town and ask for what I need, I’d be drawn and quartered, or burned at the stake, or something to that effect. So I talk a dragon into giving me a ride, (that is always the hardest part) then I raid an overstocked cellar, or a doctor’s cache, but I always try to take only what I need, and they won’t use. But still. You can imagine. So I needed some standard topical antibiotics, and I knew just were to get it. But I would need some hired help, his illness could be to severe, so I had no time to coax or bribe a ride. So I asked Chunk to stay and watch him for a while, and I would be back as soon as I could. I packed some jerky for bribery, and headed into fox territory.
Now the foxes are normally civil, and will sometimes drop by when an older fox has a bad cough or when an infant falls ill, but I heard that before I had come to live in my current home, the dragons had eaten foxes, and the foxes had fought the dragons in a power struggle for territory and food. But that had been settled, before my time. And now there was a quiet truce that was almost tangible in some of the busier parts of the valley I paused as I saw a flick of red fur in the corner of my eye, so I sat down on some moss and pretended not to notice, humming to myself I pulled out a sweet, tender piece of jerky I had been curing for just such an occasion. Who needs to say a word when there is food to have? A voice came from behind me “you gonna eat that or am I going to have to take it from you?” I smiled and turned around to see the boyish features and muscular build of a good friend of mine “jess you always were sly as a.” “Don’t say it.” he started, “just let me guess” And he then leaned on a tall tree trunk rubbing his chin, “you need...medicine for your new little man-servant?” he frowned, and failed miserably at looking serious. “Cause’ I don’t want to help the competition...” “Jeeeeesss!” I pushed him playfully and tousled his wavy red hair. “I just need some antibiotics, and I’ll bet he’ll fly off the second he’s able. You know I could just get it myself...” he picked up where i left off. “But then you would have no reason for me to visit you then. Yes, yes, I know. I’ll get you your meds. But it will cost you.” I smiled and handed him the jerky, which he started munching thoughtfully. “ I knew I could count on you.” he nodded in consent “I’ll have the stuff at your cave by sundown if you give me more of this jerky...” “deal!” “And....you owe me a romantic dinner.” I heaved a heavy sigh. His parents did not approve of me at all. You know, corrupting their innocent little kit. This could get ugly. “Well?” he said, raising a quizzical brow. “It’s a deal, but we eat at my house and that is it.” he grinned and spun on his heels in the direction of the village, “then it’s a date!” then he crooned in a phony romantic tone “Goodbye my sweet, and we shall meet again.” and disappeared into the trees. I just rolled my eyes and started back for home. I was worried for my new patient, so I ran.
By the time I got back, the sun was just starting to set, painting the sky in golds and purples. The young dragon was sleeping restlessly, and I gave my thanks to Chunk, along with some tonic for his stomach, and he flew back to his roost for the night. I lit a beeswax candle and started washing the wounds, there were five in all: one was just a nick, and another had embedded the arrowhead in his muscle tissue, on closer inspection, all the arrows looked fresh, but had splintered like old wood. Strange. I heard footsteps and a rustle of folding wings by the door. Accompanied by Jess’s voice “I brought what you needed!” I wiped my hands and walked to the entrance to see jess standing next to a striking vampire, she wore a flowing kimono and had very feminine features with long ebony hair. “ May I come in?” I turned to jess, “Jess? Who is this?” he looked at me helplessly and said, “ may we come in?” this was just too suspicious. “Hold on, let me just wrap this up okay?” the lady pire’ just nodded her head curtly and looked a little peeved, Jess on the other hand, looked positively terrified, “Jess? Will you help me with this? I need to give him some painkiller...and I want you here in case we need to hold him down...here, hand me the medicine” “Those arrows did look pretty nasty.” he grimaced as I he handed me a small bottle of antibiotics. I decided not to talk about how curious it was in front of this strange new visitor. “We’ll be right back, sorry to keep you waiting!” I grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him into the dragon’s makeshift room and hissed in his ear “what were you thinking bringing a vampire here? Never mind, just help me with him and I’ll go let her in...” I winked at him, and he helped me hide the prone figure of the dragon in my bed, and created an illusionary duplicate to give him some protection“Now you tend him, and tell me if he wakes” I instructed, “yes ma’am!” and he gave me a shaky salute. I walked out to fave the vampire. “You are invited into my home.” I said she returned my invitation with a small bow. “Thank you, I followed this fox here to see the dragon-half. He was lost and needs to be...retrieved. I am here to take him home.” she strode towards the makeshift room right past me, but I caught her by the shoulder before she went in, “you can’t see him now, surely this can wait a night or so I can safely treat his injuries?” I went on to stress the point. “Moving him now could be harmful, and I have extensive knowledge of healing, he needs some time to recuperate, but until then, I will care for him, and he will remain safe from harm here.” she turned to me and for the first time, looked me in the eyes. “Fine.” she snapped, “And I will leave him here, do what you wish, but you can never take your eyes of him, keep him on a short leash and remember, I will come for him once he is healed until then...” she let the words hang, as she walked past me to the entrance of the cave and left. I called to jess to tell him, but by then, he was gone.
The second I woke up at the rising of the sun, I knew I was in for a long day, I had taken out the arrows the night before, but the young dragon’s wounds were healing very slowly. I had Chunk stop by to thank me for the tonic, and I went to check on the dragon, I looked in, and he was awake and sitting up! I rushed to his side in case he needed support, and scolded him for stressing himself. “You need your rest! What are you thinking sitting up after such a bad infection?” As I helped him lower himself back down onto the bed of ferns, he looked at me with his gorgeous eyes and smiled weakly “I was looking for you.” I blushed, and busied myself with changing the bandages on his side, “well, you do need to recover, next time, just call out and I’ll come running as soon as I can.” I checked on the healing progress, and It was abnormally slow, even humans could heal faster, the ragged edges of the wounds were scabbing, but at this rate it could be months before he could be healed enough to leave. “So, what’s your name?” this caught me totally off guard, “um…my name is Lily, what’s yours?” “Bane.” He said, “ But why are you surprised that would ask?” I looked at him closely, “Well normally, I’m just happy not to be bitten or thrown, normally I just treat minor aches here, so unless I see them on a daily basis, I don’t really need names, and even then most of the greens I treat here don’t bother to learn to speak it.” I finished his fresh bandages, and gave him a pat on the shoulder, “all done! Is there anything I can get for you?” I suppressed my curiosity; we’ll have plenty on time to talk later. “Something to eat would be nice…” he started, “Alright then! Can you eat fish?” He cast his eyes down… “No…not fish…” I dreaded his answer, but asked anyway, “Then what do you need?” our eyes met and what he said sent a shiver down my spine: “for now, blood.” I turned away involuntarily, and stood at the door with my back to him, “I’ll be right back, you just sit tight, and don’t get any ideas of leaving before you get your strength back. You’ll need at least one square meal a day, and I‘ll have to hunt for fresh meat until you regain your strength, but don’t think it will disrupt my healing, it’s part of my job: and I am never all that busy here anyway…and I need something to occupy my time. Now rest, you can feed when I return.” And with that I left before he could say anymore.
In the valley there were many wild boars, they were to dangerous for any normal person, but sometimes I would set a pike trap for a good size boar to make jerky for times of famine, and use the rest of the meat for bribery, but wild pigs get wary of the traps and avoid them after a while, I would have to actively hunt them, and what’s worse, I have to keep what I catch alive, but a tusker could kill me just as easily as a dragon could. The spears I use to hunt them have to have a cross at the handle to keep a speared animal from charging up the spear to get to me. But I could manage. I have so far. I found a quite spot where evident of the pigs were apparent and settled down. I was glad I didn’t have long to wait, as I heard a rustle from the bushes almost immediately, and I waited to see the first cautious female step out before I threw…I nailed her through the shoulder, a little off, but not too bad. The other pigs squealed and ran for the brambles as the female turned to me and screamed in rage and pain. I threw another spear and this time my aim was better, and I got her across the shoulders instead of through them. I slid the cross up so she couldn’t get to me, and took out the first spear, slick and dark with her blood, and threw it to spear her skin across her hips, and hit a perfect score. As she thrashed, I lashed the two pieces together and slung them over my shoulder. she squealed at me the whole way back home. I’ll bet my skirt that he heard me coming. I tied her to a tree just outside and went in to see Bane, who was watching me hungrily. "I'll carry you out." I offered, "no. Just help me up, and I can walk out myself." I'd have to trust him not to push himself. "Alright, but you better take it easy." and with that I helped him up out of his bed and to the door, and staggered back, exhausted, to my room. If he runs, fine. One more thing I don't have to deal with. I collapsed on my bed and let out a heavy sigh, before I knew it, I was feeling drowsy, and I drifted off to sleep.