The Dragon Healer of Tone (World of Tone) (4 page)

“Fienna, it will be all right. I will help you.” Lowlack arrived, came into the cave, and Dawra asked him to get some healing mud. This mud was known to heal the cuts on dragon hide, but it could not heal bone and muscle. Lowlack flew off immediately to get some.

“Lowlack will be back in a few minutes with something that will help your wing.”

“It hurts so bad, Mama.”

“I know my dear little one. I know.”

Lowlack returned in a short time with the mud, and the two of them smeared it into Fienna’s wing. It took her pain away, and Dawra sat her in the corner of the cave. Dawra then placed rocks around Fienna that she had heated with her fire.

“Dawra, that injury is pretty bad. I don’t know if she will be able to fly.”

“I know, Lowlack; we can only wait and see.” Dawra knew that a dragon who could not fly was doomed.

Chapter 6 - The Long Growing Season

(Hard Work is its Own Reward.)

336 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

The summer was a wet long growing season. Adam worked hard to keep the crops from rotting or washing away. He had developed an elaborate set of trenches, which drained the water into a small pond. He then dug a trench from the pond to the stream running along side the house. He had been working on this trench system for more than two sets of seasons, and it made a great difference in his crop’s yield. He was able to get forty percent of the seed crop and half the tubers. The last season he harvested only half of what he had this season. His water seed field also did well. He and his wife were very happy at the season’s end.

Terra and his slese cat had both grown during the season. The slese cat must have been quite young when Terra tamed her; she doubled her size by the middle of the season. She also developed a complex pattern of tri-colors on her coat. She was quite beautiful, and when she entered the tall grasses, she could not be seen. Terra named her Suti, and they played together for hours. Two or three times a week she left to hunt for her food. The family had taught her not to feed on the local livestock or the neighbors themselves. She often brought back parts of a running beast and once even the leg of an Averon. She always gave this meat to Reicka, who cooked it for the family.

Suti provided other more practical benefits to the family. One sun-rising while Suti and Terra were in the field playing a kanis started toward Terra. Suti smelled the animal from far off and pushed Terra toward the house were Reicka was washing clothes. When Terra was near his mother, the starving snarling beast charged them out of the tall grass. Suti turned and ran to meet the charging animal. With a flash of claws and fangs, she tore the animal in half. So fast was Suti that Reicka could not even see the animal’s movement. Within an instant, the kanis was lying in two blood soaked heaps in the grass with its dog-like teeth still barred in rage. Suti brought half the wolf to Reicka, and she gestured to Suti to keep the meat for herself. Suti dragged the two halves into the grass and devoured them.

Suti also proved useful in other ways. Adam noticed one sun-rising when Suti put her paw on his leg, and he pushed on it; she extended razor sharp three-inch claws. He was amazed at the sharpness and color. They appeared metallic, like one of his cutting blades but much sharper. Adam decided to see if Suti would help him cut something. He used wire bush fibers to braid rope. He often had trouble cutting the strong fibers with his cutter, and the fibers rapidly dulled the blade edge. He called Suti to him and held out the fiber; she seemed to get the idea and sliced it in half with no effort. He gave her a small piece of meat and from then on she helped him make rope.

Terra grew strong and was quite intelligent. He could walk and run with ease and talked before other children of his age. He was able to make complete sentences and state ideas quite clearly. His small body was powerfully built. This was probably because of his play with Suti.

Suti would bring a stick to Terra, and he would grab it. Then they happily pulled on the stick from both ends. Obviously, Suti always won, but Terra was developing very strong muscles. Unlike the other children, he was not thin and bony, but strong and well-built. On the rare times he had playmates, he found them much weaker, and he had to be careful not to hurt them.

Terra understood his parents and generally obeyed their commands, but he was still a curious child and could get into trouble. His mother had to be very watchful of him. He played in the sand and drew pictures of the house, Suti, his mother, and father. Reicka would come out and look at the pictures, and she was always amazed at the likeness to the subject. She made sure they were erased, for she and Adam always hid Terra’s skills from others.

At season’s end, they gathered the crops in and stored them in the loft of the house. They had done so well that they filled their loft and had enough left to give to Reicka’s mother and some to barter in the village for cloth and a new metal plow blade. Terra was taught not to show his magic to anyone but the family. He obeyed his parents but did not understand the reason for the secrecy. The time to go and see the Old One in the Mur valley caves would soon be upon them.

Chapter 7 - The Journey

(Travel is Hard to do at the Best of Times.)

337 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

Reicka and Adam packed for the five-sun-rising journey to the Mur valley caves. Sadi was going to stay in their home to protect their supplies from thieves.

As Reicka was taking the last package to the cart, her mother stopped her and asked, “Have you told Adam yet?”

“No, how did you know?”

“I’m your mother, a woman and a healer; you can’t keep a pregnancy from me.”

“Do you think Adam knows?”

“No, Reicka. Men don’t notice such things until you start showing.

When do you plan to tell him?”

“I thought I would wait until we returned.”

“That’s probably best. You wouldn’t want him to be fussing about it on your trip.”

Adam loaded the last of their provisions on the cart and adjusted the harness on the plow beast that was pulling the cart. Reicka climbed in and put Terra on her lap. The slese cat ran into the bushes and disappeared from sight. He was going to scout ahead and would take care of any dangerous animals in their path. Adam started to lead the plow beast down the path, and they all waved good-bye to Sadi.

Their journey led them through three valleys, but at one section, they would have to move around a mountain’s base, where the trail left the valley for a short time. This area was known as the Death path and was very dangerous because the Averons attacked anyone they saw. As the sun-rising proceeded, their trip went well, and they came to a stream at dusk. They decided to stop and spend the sunset. Adam built a lean-to from the surrounding tree limbs and started a small fire. Reicka collected the food and cooking utensils from the cart. Terra played happily with his toy drum. Within an hour or so, Suti came into camp with a large hopper, which she dropped at Reicka’s feet. Reicka spoke as she stooped to pet the cat, “Thank you, Suti, for the nice hopper.”

Suti then went to Terra and started to rub up against him, as was her custom with her small master. That sunset passed quietly, and the next morning they again took up their journey. They sometimes met other travelers. Adam passed pleasantries with them, and then they would continue on their journey.

The second sun-rising and sunset went by the same as the first with no problems. On the third sunset, the family stopped to camp under a rock overhang. The moon was a thin crescent-shape but bright enough to see reasonably well. As they fell asleep, things seemed peaceful.

Sometime in the middle of the darkness, a large crashing noise woke the family. In a few moments, a large fur covered animal came at them.

It was two men tall and fast. Before the animal could reach them, Suti went at it. She was able to slash its middle with her claws, but it knocked her aside and continued to come. Before Adam could do anything, Terra stood and held out his hands. They started to glow orange. The animal suddenly stopped, dropped to all four legs, and then lay down. Terra ran to the unconscious Suti and touched her with his glowing hands. In a few moments, she woke and stiffly started to get up.

Reicka ran to Terra who said, “The bad animal tried to hurt Suti. I stopped him.”

“Yes, my little one you stopped him.”

He turned to the great beast and told it to go away, and it ran off into the sunset without a sound. The rest of the sunset passed peacefully with Suti jealously protecting Terra.

The next morning they again took to their journey. In mid afternoon, they reached the Death path area. Adam stopped and decided to cross it at sunset when the danger would be minimal. So, they rested under a large Still tree until darkness fell. Adam did not want to use a lantern; he was afraid the light would attract an Averon, so he knew it would be slow going. When they finally started, it was completely dark with the light of the thin crescent moon obscured by clouds. As Adam led the pull beast, the terrain became rough, and both of them stumbled along slowly but carefully. The cart carrying Reicka and Terra bounced and rolled. It was all that Reicka could do to keep the two of them from falling out. Finally, after four hours, they reached the safety of the valley again. They stopped and camped for the sunset. The next sun-rising they reached the Mur caves.

As the small family came to the caves in mid-morning, there seemed to be hundreds of openings in the mountainside. Adam had no idea how they would ever find the right cave. That sun-rising they spent the hours moving from one cave to the next. In mid-afternoon, they came to a large opening, big enough to hold their entire house. As they walked toward the cave entrance, a giant dragon suddenly appeared from within. It blocked the entire entrance of the cave. The dragon was black as peat and belched flames ten man-lengths or more. Adam turned the pull beast and told Reicka to run with Terra. As she turned, Terra slipped out of her arms and ran toward the dragon, laughing on the way.

Suti tried to stop him by blocking his way, but he slipped around the great cat, who was turned in fear by a deafening screech from the dragon. Terra ran right into it and seemed to disappear and reappear. He was playing with the great beast, or that’s what it appeared like. Adam realized that Terra was actually running through the dragon. It was not real; it was a great illusion, and Terra had known it. As Adam grabbed Reicka, who was frozen with terror, he told her what was happening.

They approached Terra carefully, and Reicka yelled for him in an angry and scared tone.

“Terra, come here now!”

Terra stopped and obeyed his mother. He came to her, and she picked him up, hugging him tight. Adam threw rocks at the great black dragon, but they simply passed through it as if nothing was there. Then suddenly the dragon disappeared and in its place was a small ancient woman dressed in old faded cloth and leaning on a long staff.

Adam cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out to the old woman, “We look for the Old One who lives in these mountains. Can you help us find her?”

The old woman thought for a moment then replied, “Why do you seek her?”

“My son has powerful skills, and we need her to help us understand them.”

“What type of skills?”

Adam hesitated, but Reicka urged him to tell her. Reicka felt somehow that this woman would not hurt them.

Adam finally yelled, “He has the power of healing.”

When he heard himself speak the truth, it seemed strange and almost mythical. The old woman suddenly changed her demeanor. She seemed to become friendly with a tentative smile on her face.

She yelled to Adam. “I am the one you seek, come in and rest.”

Chapter 8 - The Visit

(Visiting, Not Always a Time of Joy.)

337 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

Reicka, holding Terra, and Adam approached the cave slowly while Suti lagged behind growling. The old woman led them into the vast cave opening and then turned into a side cave. Suti refused to enter the small cave and sat outside watching its entrance. The door opened into a small room with a fire burning in a hearth carved into the stone wall.

In front of the hearth, there were three chairs and a rug for Terra to play on. It seemed as though the old woman had known they were coming.

Adam asked, “What are you called?”

The old woman said, “Telsen.”

Telsen bid them to sit down with a motion of her hand.

“I know your first question. Where did the great dragon come from?

It is only an illusion that I use to keep unwanted visitors away. So, why have you come here?” Telsen said.

Reicka told Telsen the story of Terra’s life. It was a short story; he was only four sets of seasons old. When she had finished, Telsen went to a chest and removed a knife.

“Bring your son to me,” she said.

Reicka hesitated, but the old woman assured her the knife was not for him. Reicka approached the woman, and as they came close, Telsen cut a great gash in her arm. Reicka told Terra to heal her, and he immediately reached for the old woman’s wound. As he did, his small hand glowed orange. Once he touched the wound, it completely disappeared.