Page 27 of Hidden Dragons

“It is chaotic in the Lair when we are called to fight,”Tilly said.“I know you can be of great help here. Every fighting force needs support. You could be part of our support system, if you so choose. It would help pass the time while waiting for us to come back, and you could talk to returning dragons and knights to learn first-hand what is going on at the battle site.”

Isabelle hadn’t thought of that, though she had already decided to offer any assistance she could to Lady Silla and whoever else might be willing to let her do something. Doing something—anything—was far preferable to just sitting around, waiting for word.

“I am more than willing to help in any way that I can,” Isabelle told them. “And I have every confidence in you all, but I cannot help but worry. Forgive me. It is not an indictment of you or your skills, merely my own insecurity. I would not like to lose any of you.”

“You won’t,” Robert was quick to assure her, squeezing her shoulders. “We are two of the best fighters in the Lair and our partners are seasoned veterans. We have been through many battles together and we are still here to tell the tale. Tomorrow will be no different.”

“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.

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