Page 18 of Hidden Dragons

“I know the healing ways my mother taught me of herbs and potions but I would never say I am a real healer. I see to the livestock in the village. The midwife takes care of the women and the barber sees to the men. I only heal animals,” Isabelle admitted in a rush, shy of the newcomer.

“If you will excuse me,” Sir Jovan cut in, already edging toward the door. “Now that you have the best guide possible, I will be on my way. It was an honor to meet you Lady Isabelle. Truly, Bear and Robert will be the envy of the Lair when word about you gets around.” Jovan winked at her and fled, heading back up the passageway at a fast clip. No doubt he had preparations to make if the knights and dragons of this Lair were going into battle.

“Fly safe and good hunting, Sir Jovan,” she called after him, sending a prayer heavenward to the Mother of All for his safety. Silla was at her side, her smile fading as she no doubt realized Isabelle knew something of what was happening to mobilize the Lair.

“Tilly didn’t give me any details because she was off to the dragon council, but there’s trouble coming, isn’t there?” Lady Silla asked, concern in her voice.

“I am sorry to say, there is,” Isabelle replied, her thoughts turning to Robert, still in harm’s way this night.

“Tell me what you know,” Silla said urgently, leading Isabelle to the small grouping of chairs and a couch, off to one side. Isabelle noticed that Sir Jovan had deposited her two bags of belongings on the low table in the center of the well-padded chairs.

The women sat as Isabelle began to tell Silla the little that she knew of the situation. By the time she was done, Silla was frowning, but her facial expression made Isabelle think the woman was planning.

“I know you’re newly arrived here…” Silla said, standing, “…but if you’re not too tired, I could use help preparing the salves and other supplies we might need on the morrow, if you’re willing.”

Isabelle was glad to be asked. She wanted to be useful. And truth be told, she didnotwant to spend any portion of her night all alone, pacing around the circle of this suite, wringing her hands and worrying.

“I’m not tired at all, Lady Silla,” Isabelle replied quickly. “I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”

Silla smiled again, though not as brightly as before. “Thank you, Isabelle. This Lair is still very new and there are not too many with basic healing skills here yet. I could use an extra pair of hands both in preparation and in treatment, if and when it comes to that. Tilly said you can bespeak dragons?” Silla asked the question as they left the suite together, the massive doors closing easily behind them.

“I can,” Isabelle confirmed. “I didn’t know it was such a rare thing until Robert and Growloranth told me. I used to speak to my mother the same way, but she was the only one. I never knew how dragons communicated with their knights until a few days ago.”

They walked down a long hall, in a different direction than Jovan had brought her, stopping finally in front of a small, person-sized door. Silla pushed it open and the lovely scent of herbs wafted out to Isabelle even before the door was fully open.

“This is my workroom,” Silla told her. “We are close to the cliff face here and there is a hothouse my mates built for my plants just through there.” She nodded toward a small, shadowy passage that must lead to the outer wall. “We will concentrate on preparing burnjelly since the first wave will be skiths. Have you used it before?”

Isabelle had to shake her head. “I have heard of it, but nobody in our village has had a plant in more than twenty years, or so the story goes. But if you show me what to do, I’m a quick study. My mother and I spent many hours making salves and ointments from the herbs we gathered in the woods.”

They spent the next two hours and more harvesting burnjelly from the stock of plants Silla had in her well-organized hothouse. Silla lectured as she worked, teaching Isabelle a great deal she had not known about healing and the use of plants that she had never seen before. Silla also told Isabelle of her origins and how she had been married at a very young age to an old man in a faraway land. When the old man tired of her, she was beaten to within an inch of her life and thrown out in the gutter to die. Someone took pity on her and brought her to a temple of healing, where she was slowly nursed back to health.

With nowhere to go and a demonstrated aptitude for gardening and preparing herbal remedies, Silla was allowed to stay on at the temple as a student. Eventually she was sent out on her journeyman trial—a trip that usually lasted about ten years, where Temple healers were expected to make their own way in the world, using the skills they had learned and healing all who asked it of them, be it man or beast.

It was at that point that Isabelle realized Silla was a Temple healer. Even in Halley’s Well, the skills of those trained in the Temple were well known, even revered. Isabelle had only ever seen one Temple healer come through the village, when she was just a small girl. The healer had taken tea with her mother and they had spoken of different treatments and herbs for several hours.

When the Temple healer left Halley’s Well, he had a stock of her mother’s seedlings in his cart and Mama had a drawer full of prepared salves and a few new recipes. The villagers hadn’t known the Temple healer had spent his last hours in the area having tea with her mother while Isabelle played on with her doll under the table. Even at that young age, Isabelle had learned that the less the villagers knew of their doings, the better.

Silla went on to tell of how she had healed a dragon and fallen in love with his knight, and the knight who was partnered with the dragon’s mate. In short order she had wed the two knights and been installed as the new Lair’s first healer.

There was so much Isabelle wanted to ask but the night was growing very late and Sir Bernard arrived at the door unexpectedly, to collect Isabelle from Silla’s care. They had gotten a huge supply of burnjelly ready. It would steep for the next day or so, becoming even more potent, and ready for when it might be needed.

Bear thanked Silla for looking after Isabelle, and seemed gratified to find that Isabelle had helped out so greatly in the preparations. He seemed…proud…of her, much to Isabelle’s surprise and delight. It had been so long since anyone thought anything about her actions. It was a nice feeling that he cared how she got on with the Lair folk.

Sir Bernard escorted her back to the suite where Lady Tildeth was already ensconced in the huge oval sand pit. Her wings were folded, her neck curved back on her body and little tendrils of cinnamon-scented smoke rose softly from her nostrils as she slept.

They slipped quietly around the sand pit and Bear motioned for her to join him in a side chamber that served as a kitchen. He poured two cups of steaming liquid into waiting mugs and offered her one as they sat at a plain wooden table. Isabelle was pleased to find he had brewed an herbal tea that was both soothing and delicious.

“I figured we could use a few minutes to unwind. It has been rather tense since we took to the sky,” Sir Bernard said, touching her with his thoughtfulness. “Did you get on well with Lady Silla?”

“She is wonderful,” Isabelle told him with candor. “She taught me a great deal and I was able to help her preparations. She invited me back tomorrow, in fact.”

“I’m glad. Silla is a highly skilled healer and one of the favorites among every dragon in the Lair.”

“Is Lady Tildeth all right?” Isabelle looked out the doorway into the center of the suite and the sandpit where the dragon lay sleeping.

“She’s fine. Just very tired. She flew double time to get us here so quickly,” he explained. “We could sit outside in the more comfortable chairs. Some nights I sit out there for hours and just watch her, thanking my lucky stars that she chose me as her knight.”

Isabelle was fascinated by the dragons. “If you’re sure she doesn’t mind,” she said, rising to follow him out of the kitchen.

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