The Dragon Ring Ch. 01

We soon found that the way down was steeper, and more torturous, with sharp inclines and drops barring our way; forcing detours. The ground was slippery shale, covered with a thin veneer of soil and mosses in places.

What had been five miles of gentle ascent was little more than a mile of a much sharper route. Not rounding out till we were at least half way down.

As we reached the jumble of fallen rocks we came to the start of the hardy grasses, with here and there clumps of sharp spike bushes.

I was holding Sisoft's hand as we descended into a gully, it would lead us on an easier path to the plain now before us, when she lost her footing.

She fell, tumbling and sliding down into a clump of sharp spike.

I followed her quickly, leaving a small avalanche behind me, as I rushed to her aid.

When I reached her the tears were showing in her eyes and there was a sob in her voice.

"Help me out of here!"

Before I entered the bushes, I armoured myself with a blacksmith's leather apron, arm guards and gloves. Breaking back the branches I gradually freed her. taking care so as not to let her be pierced by any more of the thorns on the leaves and branches.

The thorns had a poison on them; the wounds would quickly go septic if they were not removed.

She could barely hobble when I finally extricated her. Where the habit had slid up exposing her, the backs of her legs and posterior had suffered a host of cuts and abrasions, as well as the puncture marks of the thorns. She could only lie on her stomach sobbing and wailing.

"I cannot walk, you will have to carry me," she complained, "You should have saved me, that's what you're supposed to do."

My magic was illusion, as of yet I could only command the small things.

You had to create an image in your mind and impose its existence on reality. I had practiced till I could hold at least ten concurrent objects, albeit small ones for the moment.

But those objects I could make were real and tangible. Perhaps the best way to describe them was condensed thought. With more practice then maybe I could have blocked the bushes off with a hay bale. But the most I could conjure up was a cushion, it was of no help here.

I helped her up gently, lifting her to her feet.

I was about to bend her head first over my shoulder when I realised that I would have to hold her legs to steady her. Instead I had her lean stomach down over my back, head forward to my chest, carrying the bags in my free hand.

"As I crouch put your stomach across my shoulder. I will hold around your back, and you may hold my sash to steady yourself."

"That is undignified," she exclaimed.

"That is the only way if I am to cause you the least pain."

She continued to sob softly as I journeyed down the gully.

"Carry me gently; your steps are jogging me."

"My lady," I acknowledged her.

I held my tongue, the thorns I knew from experience were painful. I had been pricked but once, when collecting the seed for medicine that my master concocted. But that once was enough to make me give it a wide berth when I saw it.

The gully took us out onto the scrublands, and up a little I could see caves in the cliff face. We would be safe staying there. I could screen the mouth with magic then treat the splinters of thorn that remained without risk of casual discovery.

"My lady, I spy some caves yonder. We will put up there while I gather some plants to treat you and lessen the pain."

I knew of a plant that should grow hereabouts, the milkweed popyodom. Its juices would calm and sooth the wounds.

I took her to the cave and laid her on her stomach as carefully as I could. On leaving the cave I created a plug that concealed the entrance as if it never existed.

The milkweed was some distance and freshly sprouted. I gathered an armful, and a few other plants that would help heal the skin smoothly, then hurried back. The sun was low in the sky and my steps weary as I came to the cave.

I dissolved the plug and stepped through, recreating it behind me. It was dark inside and I created four pitch torches around her. She was still lying where I left her. I was concerned that she didn't stir as I approached.

"Princess?"

She moaned and relief swept me.

"I have a balm to apply to your sores."

"Well hurry then for they pain me greatly."

I took her clothes away and made a few more torches to give me good light.

Mixing the saps to form a salve, I thought how to remove the thorns. I had seen the women use small fire tongs from the smithy, the kind the blacksmith used for chain mail, to pluck hair from their chins, and I thought of them into my hand now.

I started from her calves, pouring it on and with a cloth spread the juices liberally over the wounds. I worked steadily up her legs and finally her buttocks. I then gently stretched out the skin around the pinpricks to see if any of the thorn remained. Those that I found I gently removed.

She was lucky there were few to remove. As the salve took full effect she was able to move with little pain. I made her widen her legs and ran my hands up her inner calves and thighs, looking for any that I may have missed.

"Enough I have no pain there," she complained, as my hands rounded her buttocks.

"Then I am finished, you should rest now. I will build a fire to warm us and create some soft bedding for you to sleep on. I will look to see how you have healed in the morn."

"I am hungry, do we have food left?"

"Yes, we have, though the bread is a little stale now."

We ate, and then after I created the fire, she slept on the bedding face down.

I had no knowledge of the time when I awoke. I tuned my mind to look through the plug I had created with a conjured sheet turned to rock, the sun was barely a half hand above the earth and shining straight into the cave.

Cautiously I looked round outside. Seeing that there was no one around, I went to attend to the Princess. She woke and, as she tested her legs, said that there was still pain there.

"Come let me drag the bedding into the full sun."

She hobbled to the wall, leaning heavily on it, as I dragged the bedding nearer the cave's entrance. I went and took her hand, led her over and bade her lie down. I ran my hands lightly up the back of her legs.

"No, it hurts most between my legs."

"My lady let me finish the examination. I will come to where it pains you."

The juice had done its work and the sores had formed clean scabs. Her skin smooth to my touch, I worked my way up to her buttocks, but saw no wound that I missed.

"Where is this pain that ails you?" I asked. She half twisted and hesitantly reached between her legs to touch her private parts.

"Then you will have to turn fully and open your legs to me."

She was looking at me half over her shoulder and as my words were spoken she flushed red. Looking at me I could see the consternation in her face as she debated inside.

"Very well. As you treat me as a physician I will let you."

She rolled to her back spreading her long legs wide; the dark bush of her hair was split showing a red slash a finger length long.

"Can you point exactly at the spot of the pain?"

Her finger touched a spot at the bottom of the slash. I bent in to examine it closely; there, poking through the curly dark hair, was an angry red lump with a white spot at its summit.

A thorn I had missed had turned septic. The juices I had gathered yesterday would be spoilt. I would have to gather more.

"I see the problem my lady. I will need to gather more potions. Make yourself easy, I shall be but a short while."

She winced as she closed her legs and rolled onto her side.

"Go then and gather your herbs and hurry back." There was a pleading tone to her words.

With knowledge of where they were I was back in only a few short minutes.

Mixing the potion as before, I bid her to resume her position. I knelt between her legs and fingered the potion onto the swollen lip, seeing the hair smooth down as the gooey potion covered it. I looked to see a grimace on her face.

"My apologies my lady, but I must apply it in layers. The first will soon take effect and the pain will lessen and fade shortly."

"Enough talk. Just get on with it," she hissed through clenched teeth.

I applied a second layer. Spreading it further over and inside the swollen lip, the skin inside was as smooth as polished wood, even the wrinkled inner lips glided freely under my finger.

"Tell me when the pain lessens."

I thought up the sharp knife butcher used when trimming the meats and the tweezers of the previous eve and waited looking at her face for her to tell me begin. I touched my fingers together, feeling for when they should go numb.

"I feel little now."

I took the knife and pressing with my thumb inside the lips, holding the red swelling between my fingers, I pierced the white spot. Puss oozed out and I squeezed firmly. She was watching me and winced just a little. The white goo spread across my finger as a black speck became visible.

I tried to seize it with the tweezers, but it was too small among the hairs. My fingernails were too short to grab it and it left me only one option. I lent in feeling for it with my tongue and tried seizing it with my teeth. The hair frustrated my efforts; three times I grasped a hair instead. If I were to do it I would have to shave her first.

Spitting out the foul taste in my mouth I looked her in the face.

"My lady, it is giving me trouble, nestling amongst your hair. Needs be I must shave you if I am to remove it."

"Shave me! Oh... Do what you must; I just want it over with."

I thought up my open razor from home, my bowl and the soft soap that went with it, filled with warm water. I had her bring the one knee up and sat with my shoulder to it. Carefully putting my fingers inside her lip, I spread the soap evenly, making small circles to raise a lather. When I came to shave her I had to turn around, straddling her abdomen, to use my right hand on her left side.

As I bent to start she complained again.

"Your habit is scratching me"

I paused, letting my habit go, leaving me clad only in my original night shirt.

I bent again, using my free hand to stretch her lip flat, and carefully shaved a full inch of her hair. Laying aside the razor, I dribbled the water over her, washing away the excess soap with my fingers.

I was ready to try once more. I bent forward, putting my head between her legs, and used my tongue to find the thorn again, with my finger inside I pressed her skin against my teeth and this time gripped it.

I swung my leg back across her to kneel at her side; I reached for her hand and put the tiny spike in her palm.

When the salve wore off it would give a little pain but that would ease as the day wore on. She would be fit to resume our journey in the late afternoon.

I conjured up a coverlet and threw it over her.

"Rest now. The worst is over, you should leave your legs wide to let the air help the healing; we will resume our trek when you feel able."