The first flight actually turned into my last flight though I hadn’t known it at the time. Altitude sickness is very nasty and subtle when it comes to ruining someone’s ability to maintain equilibrium. No one had ever mentioned that portion in all the tales we gained insight from at night. It made me wonder just who thought it was a grand ole tale of the very oldest elders. I sighed. Anyway, to make a long story short, I almost perished on that mountainside because complications developed afterwards.
Despite everything, the flight saved my life too, something else I only gained inkling of afterwards while going through a very slow recovery. Granted I had endangered my offspring but that wasn’t the only concern. Underweight, unable to hold my vision correctly, and completely unprepared for what the unexpected flight would take out of me, just turning a teenager.
Mother? Mother we’re safe! Wake up mother!
A child’s voice shook me out of my dazed bewilderment state of being.
Mother, two men are going to approach you...why are you so frightened of everything? The exasperation and confusion in the voice made my head throb.
I’ve a head injury and thus I’m not able to assess potential threats as I once could.
I could barely move around, as it was when I tried. Nausea threatened my ability to concentrate and I almost threw up, again, but didn’t.
I know they’re coming but I’m trying my best to focus on maintaining equilibrium.
Instead, I tried assessing where I landed. I saw vague markings that guided me to this landing. I slowly sat up, only to shiver from the chills wracking me.
“There she is,” a husky male voice murmured. “At least she can move about.”
“She looks an overgrown twig. How will she be able to understand us?” A younger male voice commented sourly.
The older made a rude noise and scolded the boy. “Knock it off, Antony. How do you think you would look to her if she found you after you dug a new cavern and lake into the side of a mountain as a dragon?”
“I dunno, I think the weather has changed for the worse.” Antony’s voice became very anxious after a few seconds. “Should we wrap her in blankets?”
“Yes, we have to take her to the medical center. She’s going into labor.”
Gibberish at first but part of my brain translated the words. I kept that awareness under wraps. The younger male got smart and chose the trade-tongue to see if I would respond to that instead. It worked but more on that later.
“My name is Antony. This is my father, Carob. We aren’t trying to hurt you.” His anxious gaze grew more worried as he spoke. “Do you think you can avoid throwing up when we do lift you?”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. I had to get up myself or I’d wind up thrown into a rock field? What in tarnation were they telling me? I eyed them askance.
Carob clearly sensed my perturbation and the way my translation ran counter to what they thought they’d said. Brief amusement and laughter flashed through his eyes and over his face before he shook his head at Antony. “Slow down, Antony, she is having trouble with understanding what we’re saying.”
The older man regarded me with kindness I hadn’t seen in years from a male. “We must move you before the weather chills further.” He gestured at lightening swirls of mist I’d noticed from the corner of one eye. “I have not the resources to tend your wounds, child and you suffered many of them.”
The mist—something about it clearly worried them. What it meant, I could only guess signaled an eerie type of phenomenon the older one distrusted. I nodded slowly as I turned over the details of what their earlier conversation related to me. Now I understood something of what they wanted to do. “You can move me. My arms and legs aren’t functioning.”
As for the sickness, I turned my head and retched into a small hole I’d noticed. I hoped it didn’t lead into someone’s cooking quarters. The men noticed what I’d done and swiftly concealed winces, before the younger man merely shrugged ruefully. Oh dear, I had soiled someone’s living quarters.
Oops, I’ll have to make up for the mess in the future I expect.
Well the results as such that I should’ve expected after all those elements combined into a startling shock for me. First was the climate that I hadn’t anticipated and should’ve done more to learn about.
I’d crash-landed into another type of clan or village type I hadn’t encountered before and I’d witnessed quite a few oddities while living in a rainforest. Fortunately for me, I found a family willing to help me without questions asked—at least while I reached the time of labor that happened faster than anticipated.
The first glimpse of them startled me. They possessed similar builds, identical smiles, but from there, their appearances had slight differences that came with age I guessed. As it was, neither of them treated me with disrespect and they guarded me until I was able to prove my ability to defend myself against unwanted attention.
“Father, I’ll clean up the mess. She doesn’t know that we tend to remain up here because we prefer the higher altitude.” Antony spoke reassuringly.
“Nah, ’tis something others will clean up, I expect. They needed a disgusting offering anyway.” Carob grinned at his son who gave him a revolted glance.
“In there though?” He frowned and shrugged at last. “Bleh, well if something remains I shall dispose of it properly.” His curled lip suggested distaste in allowing creatures to feast on something as horrid as someone’s regurgitated meal.
“No more, Antony. We need to focus on the present.” Carob cut him off, an irritated scowl for the first time appearing on his face. “There’ll come time in the future when she’s going to need more explanation.”
There was no further discussion on that subject. Rather they concentrated on carrying me to safety. Some unease radiated from them as though they knew something wasn’t quite right about my particular arrival and they wanted an end to worries. I had a feeling their trouble just began with my arrival on their doorstep.
I also discovered that the father and son were loners as I had become through simple choice. “Did you know my mother?” I tried to speak coherently, using the trade-tongue.
Carob cast me a quick glance. He frowned, studying my features, and nodded slowly. “I see the resemblance between you now. Yes, she was my wife until she died in childbirth.” His gaze slid away before returning to mine. “She had a daughter, your sister, Annalisa. She isn’t here right now though.” They also gave me needed information about my mother.
I had yet actually to give acceptance to that information about a younger sister. Instead, I focused on a detail that nagged at me. “My father had thought their bond unbreakable.” They knew nothing about my father though that information startled the older man.
Carob studied me intently. “Your father had bonded to your mother, then?” He bore a troubled gaze as he studied his fingers intently.
I nodded slowly though the movement hurt. “He had, but I believe mother broke it.” I remembered something else then and I realized it might give Carob a base to work from that might’ve complicated my condition as well. “Something to do with what his nature was, beyond that of a preternatural.” I wasn’t sure I should tell them about the demon blood. Even I had suspicions that someone cooked up the tale to cause trouble.
As if verifying something someone had told him, he nodded slowly. He sat silent before the younger man grumbled. “Father, don’t go off into a vague moment please. Aren’t we supposed to summon Cormorant if she is suffering?” His tone was slightly louder than I suspect he normally had it. It made me wince.
“Please tone it down, that hurt my ears.” Deafened I wasn’t from my exertion, just a tad worn out because I’d gone through extremes without the needed acclimation beforehand. “I’m trying to make sense of all this.” I looked at both males from corners of my eyes. I didn’t want to move my head anymore. Nausea threatened to overwhelm me once more.
“Son, go and get the healer because he’s taking longer than I thought he would under the circumstances.” After aiming a scowl at Antony’s snort of derision that stopped when Carob grunted his disapproval of the younger man’s rude noises.
What he said threw me for a loop because it verified my mother’s fears and explained her abandonment of me as an infant. “Demon blooded and soul-possessed by another one through willing sacrifice,” His matter-of-fact tone bothered me. “No matter, the children of such a union won’t come out demon possessed or possession of blood-born abilities until their thirties or forties.”
He studied me again and sighed. “Someone tried causing you harm, girl. We’re not sure what was done in that potion but it is going to give you grief, I’m afraid.”
I wasn’t surprised with the news. “Aye, well, I had hoped for better news about my father.” I wanted nothing to do with that and yet it appeared I had no choice in the matter. “I’ll deal with the changes when the time comes.”
I gasped when pain tore through my lower abdomen. I stared in horror at the sight of my enlarged body. When had that come around because I sure didn’t remember that size when I first changed? “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Circumstances forced the acceleration, child.” Carob nodded thoughtfully. “It is time for them to come.” He turned and a shadowy figure approached.
“Them, what do you mean them? I’m only carrying one child...” Footsteps approached, I took one look at the person, croaked, “Father?” and fainted from sheer shock.
Nah, that couldn’t possibly be my father, after all, I’d known when he died.
Maybe a distant relative of the man whom I could learn more about, but I didn’t hold much faith in that sudden speculation.
* * * *
Throughout their planning, Carob reflected, the one element he hadn’t anticipated and should’ve, was unpredictable weather patterns flaring into wilder weather. Granted they had reached the zenith of long daytime hours though it never reached the mountainous ranges, but the warmth dictated what they did during the lighted hours.
In this instance, the weather altered and much more for the worse. He cast a wary glance at the mist. It had hues of brown and purple mixed into it. He sniffed the air. “More snow is coming and if I’m not mistaken, sleet and hail. We’re going to get some lightning as well.” He exchanged a worried glance with Antony.
Antony visibly paled. “I dislike lightning. I’d rather be inside. I will help you move her as soon as you give me the word.”
“Now,” Carob ordered. He tossed the heavier items he’d hauled up to his son who caught them with ease that pleased him. He scooped the shivering girl and frowned immediately. “She’s not just shivering; she’s having seizures, dammit. We must get her to the healer faster than I originally surmised.” He rarely cursed but if there was a moment when it seemed appropriate, he’d reached it.
Antony’s eyes bulged but he nodded and hurried ahead into the cavern. It didn’t take long to set up the space since it was prepared for such emergencies at Cormorant and Carob’s insistence. This time the forethought paid off with dividends as the cavern heated with each of them crowding inside.
Normally a large cavernous space, it shrank with the three males shifting about the main examination table.
“What have you brought for me to check?” Cormorant called cautiously.
“Our expected arrival, Cormorant, only the girl is having seizures.” As they worked quickly, moving the shivering girl away from the incoming mist, Carob wasn’t surprised when he espied Cormorant lurking in the shadows. He’d alerted the dragon healer over their dilemma. He knew he wasn’t a healer, therefore, Carob knew the curious healer would want to know about the girl escaping from the caravan.
“Seizures—that isn’t good.” The healer came toward them and Carob moved aside.
Antony hadn’t seen him and jumped a little when the man appeared at his side. He didn’t budge, but at Carob’s slight frown, he did grant the healer more space.
Cormorant cast Antony a measuring glance. “Do you know where the basic instruments are?” He listed what he needed and Antony handed them over without bothering to answer the question.
After all the instruments were in place, the young man moved away from the table. He glanced at Carob and murmured. “What else should I fetch that doesn’t appear right away?” He shifted his weight from one foot to another.
“Cormorant, more suggestions would be helpful.” Carob called out quietly. “I’m not sure what else I should’ve procured from the stores.”
“Stones that can be used to heat the table itself, she’s not acclimating well to the altitude. As someone suggested possible, an enemy used a poisoning agent on her. I shouldn’t have discounted that possibility.” He nodded to Antony as he continued his examination. “Get some more towels; water is sluicing off her everywhere. She’s definitely beginning birth labor.”
Carob nodded and Antony ran off as if nipping creatures bedeviled his heels. However, he suffered pangs of anxiety he didn’t expect hitting him when he realized she comprehended more than she spoke. Not only that but spurts of amusement hit him occasionally, he snorted softly as he considered the source. When he caught some of her dubious translations of what Antony and he said a couple of times, he winced slightly. Now he wished he had done more to accommodate the possibility of linguistic differences.
No wonder she’d looked at them strangely a few times. Carob’s mouth twitched but he wouldn’t tell Antony what she’d thought. His feelings would be hurt; if that is, he didn’t see it from the perspective of someone learning an entirely new language. Nonetheless, he would tell him sometime in the future once they managed to survive this harrowing adventure.
Antony looked over his shoulder. “Greetings, dragon healer Cormorant,” His eyes widened when the girl, Myra, opened her mouth and said the last thing either male had anticipated.
“Father?” She’d hoarsely croaked and collapsed into a limp heap.
Why hadn’t he seen a resemblance there? Then again, he’d not seen the child before she arrived in this bedraggled heap of bones and flesh. “Oh dear gods, I didn’t think this would happen.” Fortunately, Carob had caught her head before it bounced against a hard surface. “Err, sorry, sir.” His shoulders hunched.
Antony’s eyes widened a little at Carob’s actions but the teen didn’t say anything, he merely provided a support pad for her head. “She seems to have added a few inches to her height.” His observation snapped Carob out of his silent embarrassment.
“You don’t say?” Cormorant returned to the examination without reacting to the words of the girl or Carob’s utter consternation. “It occurs to me that I underestimated her determination and the fact that the dragon emerged too early.” Concern grated in his voice but no further remarks escaped him.
Unexpected and troubling in a big way when she called out father to the dragon healer, Cormorant, and Carob coughed to cover his shock. “I’m sorry healer Cormorant.” He would probably regret telling the girl about demon possession after this particular shocking scene. “I should have reconsidered what I would tell her before I actually said anything at all.”
The dragon healer bent his head a wee bit. He touched the girl’s forehead and stiffened, outrage darkening his face pure gray with fury before it faded away and he shook his head before turning to Carob and Antony. He ignored the son and regarded Carob. “You couldn’t have known my reasons for coming to stay in this valley centuries ago, Carob.”
Cormorant studied him and switched his gaze to the girl. “I always wondered what my son thought he accomplished with his pact.” He shrugged with a faint smile. Although shadows clearly held sway over his emotions, he didn’t give into pessimism. “She’s a dragon that is for sure. Now I shall examine her and see what else I have to heal.”
Oh, the deities he didn’t want to remain there. Carob began pacing away from the dragon healer’s side. “While she is your granddaughter, sir, she is also the older daughter of the woman who bore Annalisa and died in the process from all kinds of complications.” If the dragon healer didn’t remember that, something was wrong. It was the last birth he attended and he’d gone into seclusion for longer than Carob remembered happening.
Cormorant shot a cold stare at him. “No wonder the similarities had an eerie uneasiness about them.” He shook his head and returned to what he was working on in his examination. Anger began radiating from him after a while.
Distressed murmurs reached Carob and his head jerked toward Cormorant. “Control your emotions, healer,” he snapped. “The babies are in distress because of what you’re doing, or the fury you radiate as a furnace in here.”
Bad enough that he had difficulties maintaining a smooth façade but that the dragon healer wasn’t able to do so? Carob forced the past events to the forefront, ran through them, and then put them aside in order to refocus on the present.
Cormorant cast Carob a startled but slow nod. “You are correct, Carob. I must control how I feel at this time. Else I am useless to her and the babes.” He exhaled slowly and the fury tamped down. Gradually he began radiating warmth, encouragement, and welcome to the babies and mother who arched and spasmed from yet another seizure.
“You aren’t the only one having difficulties maintaining, healer.” Carob admitted very unhappily. Emotions in turmoil he tried not seeing frightening, disorienting similarities of this scene that hit him hard.
Cormorant grunted at his confession. “While that may be so at least you had the intelligence to rebuke me for unprofessional behavior.” He stated caustically. “Now I need you to bring in Antony. I have a feeling he will be of help in calming the girl down.”
He blinked at the suggestion and shrugged. Carob didn’t open his mouth but glanced to his left. Antony sat quietly on a large boulder.
His son opened one eye and glanced at them. “I’m already working on soothing the children. I’m unable to help with Myra. That’s up to you. Right now, she despises all males between fifteen and thirty years of age.”
Carob cast a baleful glare at Antony who snarkily grinned at him and he rolled his eyes at the unhelpful response. “I appreciate your suggestion, Antony.” His hands clenched at his fists as he stood by a cupboard and rested his head against the smooth wood. At last, he focused and began quietly speaking to Myra.
We’re not going to send you back to them. We’re not going to let them get you or the children either. Our healer here helped your mother and he’ll assist you too. He slowly repeated that mantra.
Carob conveyed images of her mother when she was able to relax but went no further than that. He couldn’t simply because he knew what would happen if she saw too much further. The dragon healer’s words reminded him too much of what his last wife went through. Had Myra inherited that difficulty with birthing from her mother as well? “I wonder if this is part of the legacy her mother handed down.”
A small smile appeared on Cormorant’s face. “No, her mother began earlier than this when having children.” His shoulders hunched because it was also likely a disadvantage and he just realized it. “Part of the clan’s heritage that she came from, is multiple births and high fertility at a very young age.”
“I don’t think so. She’s just very young to go through this type of labor.” His smile vanished as he began carefully looking her over and anger radiated from him. “The abuse was considerable.” He spoke in controlled tones. “Would someone please tell me how some of this torn tissue came about? The scarring is horrific inside and out...” He trailed off with a frown. “She may never have children again.”
Carob lowered his head in chagrin. He hadn’t considered what other complications would erupt. “Our knowledge is scarce, healer. We didn’t start realizing where the dreams centered until about six months or so ago.”
“Begin where you noticed the dreams haunting you and when you finally correlated their importance then,” Cormorant growled. “I might actually have a chance at reassuring mother and children that they’ll survive.”
Because there truly wasn’t a choice in the matter, first Carob began speaking about his prescient dreams. After a while, he grew hoarse, Antony took turns telling him what they learned from prescient dreams and scenes that plagued them constantly for the past six months.