Chapter Seven
~
I had long exhausted my panic. The pain transitioned into numbness that was no more comfortable. The dragon’s claws dug into my ribs. The only positive aspect of the past hour, Taiz’lin had adjusted his grip to hold up my legs with a second fist, relievin’ the stress of my gut holdin’ up half of my weight, pinched between talons. If only I could pass out again, and not experience the humiliation of bein’ carted like carrion.
My mind returned to a once-forgotten memory, of a hawk sweepin’ down on a creek, talons lurchin’ into the water, the bird liftin’ off, a trout swayin’ in its claws. I appreciated how the fish felt, as it was flown to a nest or nearby outcroppin’ to be fed upon.
But if Taiz’lin intended to feed, he would have done that on the floor of the desert, not carried me more than a hundred miles, over the ogre Ike’s bare mountains, past the massive snow covered peak many called Mother, and downward toward Black Lake.
The Lake was in sight, growin’ larger as the seconds passed. Was Taiz’lin takin’ me to the human doctor, or that stinkin’ ogre warlock-healer? I closed my eyes, but opened them quickly. The mountains below, the shimmer of the black water snakin’ west through the Range, was indeed worth stayin’ alert for, despite the pain.
The air warmed a trifle as Taiz’lin plunged downward, but with the acceleration toward Earth, the wind stung my eyes. They watered, tears flowin’ down my cheek. It was aggravatin’ I couldn’t wipe them away.
The Lake grew faster every fraction of a second until I could see the enormous slate roof of the Inn, and the whiffs of chimney smoke from nearby stakes.
Taiz’lin curved in a long, downward arch, crossin’ the north and south shores four times. I dizzied, until I focused on a single point. The green lawn that spread before the Inn sped at me. Taiz’lin thrust his wings hard.
Bam.
I didn’t even feel bein’ released. It happened too fast to prepare for, to pull my arms up to brace. My face ploughed into the leanin’, tall rye and my body double bounced off the soft loam beneath— which didn’t feel so soft, but as I settled, figgered I wouldn’t have bounced so readily if the ground had been harder.
I tried to move my fingers, but they were numb, the same with my arms and legs. I groaned, disgusted I couldn’t even lift my face out of the grass.
Hands gripped my shoulders and gently turned me on my side.
A strange, guttural accent penetrated my pain. I blinked away tears. A bulbous nose focused first. Snowy dreadlocks flowed over immense shoulders.
“Say again?” I asked.
The giant repeated, “Ya look like blazes. Enjoy yar bounce?”
This was far from my first sight of a troll, but the overly-long fingers that lay softly across my chest were still unsettlin’. The troll gave me a pat.
“I’m Yoso,” he said, as he slid those enormous hands under me and lifted me as though I weighed no more than a gosling-down pillow.
A human woman stood at Yoso’s elbow. “Ya okay, lad? The dragons told us ya were on the way. The doctor’s inside the Inn seein’ to someone else, but he’ll be with ya in a shake.”
I smiled at the familiar face of the human woman—at least I hoped I did. Everythin’ that hadn’t already been numb was numb after plowin’ into the turf.
Her name’s Miss Gladys, the human matriarch of the Hamlet, who first cared for me when discarded at ogre Ike’s lair durin’ the summer plague.
I searched for the troll matriarch. She and Miss Gladys were rarely more than a foot apart, attached at the hip, I believed was the expression Ike used.
As the blood surged through my extremities again, things, everywhere, hurt again, and a half screech, half groan buried whatever Miss Gladys said.
“Lad looks like he’s been through a lot,” Yoso the troll said.
I must be dreamin’.
The world wobbled, faces appearin’ and disappearin’. I floated into a cloud and hands pulled at my clothes. My vision cleared for a moment and the face of an ogre hen, roundish snout, pearly tusks, loomed over me. Unusual character for an ogre, light-green eyes, reddish dreadlocks, freckles. My boots slipped off my feet. They struck the floor with a pair of thunks.
I realized I lay on a bed before thin’s turned cloudy again. I should resist the ogre hen’s tug at my pants, but couldn’t. The cool air on my legs indicated I was too late to object anyway. A strong hand slid under my neck, liftin’ me forward, and my shirt and undershirt dragged over my face.
“I’m Louisa,” the ogre hen said. “Ya look like a pin cushion. These are from a pitchfork, aren’t they? Ya really irritated someone, didn’t ya?”
It was impolite not to answer a question, but my tongue, or brain, refused to cooperate. I smacked my lips tryin’ to get a sense of my mouth, and to swallow.
A cup was placed to my lips and I hungrily sipped at the warm broth. Woulda preferred cold well water. The cup pulled away far too soon anyway. But a moment later the liquid I’d managed hit my stomach like a ball-peen, so maybe it was good I only slurped a few sips.
The cloud covered my thoughts and senses again. When I blinked, the sun must have been down for some time, because a lantern on the nightstand glowed warm-yellow.
“Awake, are ya?” a voice said.
I turned to take in a familiar face, but couldn’t place it. For an ogre hen she wasn’t as—I struggled to think of an appropriate expression. She wasn’t as outlandish lookin’ as other ogres. Her features were softer, more human-ish.
“The doc put a hundred stitches in ya it seemed, to close up all those pitchfork holes,” she said. “Care for some broth?”
“Who are ya?” I stammered.
The hen smiled. “Louisa. I should have known ya wouldn’t remember all the conversin’ we did the last four hours.”
“Four—”
“I’ll go get some warm broth. The warlock saw to ya already. Tired him out some. Ya must have needed a lot from the ethereal to bring ya back to us.”
The tic itched. “The warlock—” That stinkin’— Let Mama pass. Shoulda been able to save her. Then let Papa disappear.
“Be right back.” She patted my shoulder with a feather touch.
I managed to press my cheek against that soft hand before she pulled away. My eyes closed on me. Doubted I’d be awake when she returned.
~
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