Page 29 of Upon Buried Embers
“She wouldn’t survive a day in our clan.”
“Even as a slave, she’s useless.”
“She must’ve had other uses,” Darcia says, making it loud enough for everyone to hear as they laugh. “Though who would want to bedthatugly thing?”
“Enough, go about your duties,” Rohan commands.
I press the cloth more gently to the horse’s leg, dabbing first around it before rinsing it off and pressing it slowly to the wound again. Every movement of my fingers is painful, but I deserve it. Serah shifts a little, but she doesn’t kick me again, thankfully.
A cleaner piece of fabric is given to me next, some sort of paste inside of it, and I look at Rohan, puzzled.
“Wrap it around her wound.”
I do so, fumbling my way through it until I reach the end and Rohan ties it off, batting my hands away.
“Come.” Rohan takes me away from the group, looking up into the skies. “Drogonah,” he calls, and my body tenses.
Is this it? Am I going to be burned alive?
A roar, and then a heavythudas Drogonah lands in front of us.
“Let’s go.” Rohan nods in front of him, and after a snarl in my direction, he walks off and we follow.
A little while later, we come upon a frozen river.
Rohan takes us off to the side, and Drogonah releases a stream of fire onto it. It’s controlled, brutal and bright, yet so very destructive.
Eventually the ice melts, giving him access to water.
While he drinks, Rohan moves me over to a tree, wraps a rope around the trunk and restrains me to it.
“So you don’t run off,” he says, a gleam in his eyes as he towers over me.
He turns, walking over to Drogonah before he takes some cloth and dips it into the river.
Drogonah’s tail moves back and forth in frustration as he growls and grumbles.
“She isn’t anything to worry about,” he tells the dragon. “We need to clean those wounds.”Growl. “It has been a long day, Drogonah, do not start.”
His tail smashes on the ground, and Rohan rises, turning slowly to the dragon.
“I’m not in the best of moods.” He tilts his head. “Let’s not fight, hmm? I won’t hold back…”
Another growl, but then Drogonah huffs, two rings of smoke hitting Rohan, causing him to roll his eyes.
“Now, stay still.”
Rohan goes underneath Drogonah and wipes his belly. I see the cloth coming away red, and I gasp.
Rohan looks over at me. “Drogonah is strong, the strongest, but even he’s not immune to injury from another dragon.”
The wild one?
“I take care of what is mine, whatever that may look like,” he continues, rinsing the cloth and going back to Drogonah who rumbles. “I also punish those who deserve it. Do you deserve it, Elf?”
I don’t speak, a lump forming in my throat at the memory of Master’s punishments.
Kneeling on stones.
