Page 11 of Hidden Dragons

“I’ll come, Darel, but this is an awful time of night to be asking favors. If the animal is so sick, why didn’t he send for me before now?” Robert watched from the shadows as she closed her door behind her, then glanced at the barn while the townsman was already starting back down the path ahead of her, grumbling. He hadn’t even glanced at the dragon.

Robert saw Growloranth wink at Isabelle. Her startled smile before she turned to follow the man was just the tiniest bit mischievous.

Robert waited for her to go down the path a bit before he came out of the barn.“I’ll take it from here, friend,”he told Growloranth as he passed him, already on the trail of Isabelle and the stranger who had come for her in the night.

Robert tailed the odd duo all the way to the grand house he and Bear had discovered earlier. All the activity seemed to be centered around the barn, which was too well lit for him to infiltrate. However, there were windows, and the far side of the building was bathed in darkness. And if that didn’t work out, there was always the roof.

Robert made his approach from the outside, on the dark side of the building, after watching Isabelle and the man—who was some kind of servant—enter the big barn. It took him a few moments to find a good vantage point, by which time Isabelle could be heard talking in soothing tones to both the people in the barn and the animal she had been fetched to treat.

When he finally got a good look at the situation, Robert didn’t like what he saw. The animal in question was indeed a big bull. He was stomping and snorting, pawing the ground with a wild look in his eye. Several people stood around the beast’s heavily-fenced stall, but nobody seemed brave enough to go in there with him.

Isabelle would have to, if she was going to treat the animal, and that worried Robert immensely. The beast could crush her or gore her, in no time at all.

But then she began to whisper something to the aggressive animal. The bull’s ears perked up and he gradually quieted as she entered his stall. Robert watched in awe as she gentled the massive creature and even convinced him to allow her to examine him. She ran her hands over his belly and down his legs. The creature seemed to revel in her touch and even tried to lick her a few times, following her movements with its gaze.

The bull followed her like a pet dog when she moved toward the rail to speak with one of the men who watched from afar. She spoke calmly, in a firm voice that didn’t seem to upset the bull, but Robert saw her put her hand on the bull’s forehead when the man spoke, seeming to calm the creature with her touch.

After a few words were exchanged, Isabelle moved away from the rail and dug in her bag for a bundle of dried herbs. Robert saw the older man send a younger one out of the barn on an errand, and a few moments later, a bucket of water had been brought in and handed over the rail to Isabelle. She crumbled her herbs into the bucket of water and stirred, the bull watching her actions with seeming adoration.

When she stepped back, she led the bull to the bucket and Robert watched in amazement as it lapped up the herb and water mix with what looked like bovine pleasure—if there was such a thing. Not long after, the bull’s eyelids started to droop and Isabelle coaxed the creature to lie down on his side.

She sat with him, petting him and speaking in low, gentle tones, until the bull seemed to fall asleep. At that point, she delved into her bag again and pulled out a stoppered bottle with some kind of oil inside. She poured the entire bottle of dark oil onto the bull’s belly and rubbed it in.

Now that the creature was lying down, even Robert could see the reddened patches on its hide, particularly on its belly, where Isabelle was applying her medicine. She followed the oil with a salve and then bathed the surrounding area with a green gooey substance she had taken from her bag.

By the time she was done, the bull’s underside was a blotchy concoction of many colors—mostly green, brown and yellow—but the animal looked at peace, and as if he would stay that way for quite a while. Isabelle patted the creature’s head once more before she left his stall, pausing to speak with the older male, who was probably the stable master. She gave this man a few more things out of her bag, and pointed to each one as she issued what had to be instructions.

After that, she seemed to deflate, yawning hugely as she walked—alone—to the barn door. Robert ghosted around the outside of the building so he could watch her progress. He couldn’t believe nobody was going to walk her home. It was still pitch dark out. Anything could be prowling out in the darkness.

And in fact, Robert soon realized the dark shape on the roof of the barn was Growloranth. Apparently the dragon didn’t want to leave Isabelle’s safety in the hands of a mere human. Robert had to suppress a chuckle. Growloranth, it seemed, was becoming as attached to the lady as his knight.

Isabelle began walking slowly toward her home, but the back door to the great house opened and a dark-clad woman rushed out. She held a wrapped bundle out to Isabelle and Robert could see Isabelle’s expression brighten for a moment when she accepted the small parcel. The other woman rushed back into the house and Isabelle went on her way, alone.

Except, she wasn’t really alone. Robert and Growloranth shadowed her steps all the way back to her place on the edge of the woods.

Chapter Four

After the nocturnal excursion, Bear and Tilly decided they had to run an errand before their morning patrol began. Robert slept while Growloranth kept watch, though nothing else exciting happened for the little that remained of the night.

Bear and Tilly returned shortly after dawn with a huge sack of provisions and a surprise for Isabelle. Robert smiled when he saw what his fighting partner had done. Sometimes Bear had really excellent ideas, and this was definitely one of them.

Bear and Tilly stuck around for breakfast, which Robert totally understood. Bear, no doubt, wanted to see Isabelle’s face when she realized what he’d brought for her.

He got his chance about a half hour later when Isabelle came outside to the barn. She seemed hesitant to enter, but once she saw the men were up and about, she came inside…and then stopped quite still.

“Do you like them?” Bear asked, moving close to Isabelle as she saw what he’d done.

“Are they for me?” she whispered, apparently very moved by the gesture.

Bear walked with her over to the wooden cages he and Tilly had brought in earlier. Inside were a small flock of chickens. Two hens and one rooster. From there, she would be able to breed more and have plenty of eggs for herself, as well as some to trade or sell.

“I tried to get a few more hens, but the farmer wouldn’t part with more than two,” Bear said somewhat sheepishly.

“Sir Bernard…” Isabelle began, clearly choked up at the gesture. “I am overwhelmed. Are you certain they are for me? It is too much.”

Bear seemed relieved as a grin broke over his face. “They are most definitely for you, milady. I only wish I could have talked the farmer out of more of his flock. And after I do my patrol, I will build a coop for you on the warm side of your home, so they will be safe through the winter. I come from a farming family and we kept our coop on the other side of the kitchen wall where the chimney was. As long as you leave a small fire burning in the kitchen hearth, the chickens on the other side of the chimney will benefit from the warmth all winter.”

A tear rolled down her face, followed by another and another and then she did something unexpected. She literally launched herself into Bear’s arms. Taken by surprise, he nonetheless was smart enough to wrap his arms around her, accepting her hug and the kisses she bestowed on his rough cheek.

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