Karliene slept heavily. She had the strangest dream. A large group of crows were perched near her and having a lively conversation. Crows were noisy birds but in her dream state she could understand the conversation. "The trolls bashed him good!" one of the crows said with delight.
"No, it was a spear that got him," a second crow added.
"Never thought those two morons would ever get the best of the old dragon," the first crow continued.
"The dragon will never give up his treasure," a third crow shouted. "Dragons are greedy and vain." The others, a large murder of crows took up the chorus,
"Greedy and vain...greedy and vain."
"OH SHUT UP!" Karliene said to the the noisy group as she covered her ears and sat up. The crows startled and began to fly around above her.
"He comes now stupid girl. Too late to run, too late to run."
Karliene could hear heavy steps from the misty forest coming closer. She was also aware of labored breathing and a growling groan. She was up off the ground and on her feet. "Got to hide!" she whispered. The warm pool of water offered the only refuge so leaving the cloak on the ground she cautiously entered the pool hoping the steamy water combined with the mist would hide her. She immersed herself with only her face above the steaming water.
The dragon arrived at the pond and also stepped carefully into the pond. The dragon was limping on three legs holding his left foreleg immobile and across his chest. He gave a loud sigh of relief as he slowly reclined in the pond and came face to face with Karliene. The crows continued to circle above vocalizing loudly in anticipation of eatable carnage resulting from this chance meeting. The dragon was at a loss for words seeing Karliene up to her neck in the steaming water.
"You're bleeding," Karliene said softly.
"Aren't you going to scream or beg me to spare you?" the dragon said softly in his deep voice and raised his eyebrows quizzically.
"I really don't care," Karliene shrugged her shoulders and reached out and touched the dragon's injured foreleg. "This really needs to be cleaned and wrapped."
"You would do this?"
"Yes, then you can eat me, like I said, I really don't care."
"Why would you want to help?" the dragon was intrigued by his captive and by the sadness that so engulfed her.
"Because I can, and besides I want to help."
"How do we proceed?"
"I'll wash your wound here in the pond then I'll ring out my shift and use it for bandages. I've helped our village healer-midwife before and she said I was good." Karliene moved closer and began gently washing the wound. "I'll put some of that moss," she said pointing, "on it too. This pond has curative waters I've been told."
"What should I call you?" the dragon asked.
"Call me Karlie."
The spear wound was deep but had missed bone and any larger blood vessels. Karliene's hand glowed green as she touched the wound and the wound responded by partially closing and the bleeding stopped. The dragon simply watched and said nothing. "I'm going to leave the water. My clothes are wet but I'll ring out my shift and use that to cover the wound." She left the pool and pulled her soaking dress off over her head followed by the shift. She was standing with her back to the dragon trying to preserve her modesty as she began to wring out the shift.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a huldra?" the dragon asked, "and who cut off your tail?
Startled she turned to face the dragon, "I'm not a huldra. How did you know I had a tail?"
YOU ARE READING
Dragon Bride
ФэнтезиKarlie walked numbly and quietly. She shivered as she was barefoot in the deep snow as the king's son and the high priest marched her to the sacred grove. Tonight she would be sacrificed to appease the dragon. The entire community walked with her, s...
