Melez blinked a couple of times as she barely registered what was
happening to her. First she was walking, then she was sitting with
something warm around her, then it felt as though she was flying,
but she knew her wings weren't the ones propelling her. Perhaps
it's just a strong wind. Then she felt the cool rock of what looked
through blurry vision like a cave. She heard Eona's voice asking
her questions. "H-huh?" She focused more and, only hearing the last
question, nodded. Her mouth and throat were parched, she only hoped
that she wouldn't drown herself. "Avin... Father's enemy... Must,
get away..." She began to see things that weren't really there and
she meekly lifted her good arm to protest against the invisible
attacker. Her once bright amber eyes were now very dull and half
lidded moving about lazily. In the back of her mind the awake and
sane Melez was screaming for control, but just couldn't make the
connection, it was as if she was a passenger in a roller coaster
with no breaks. At least, that's what it felt like. Spinning,
turning, twisting, flying, diving... Her blood coursing through her
veins like liquid fire, beads of sweat forming on her brow.
Eona frowned, knowing that Melez was way to out of it. Carefully,
she placed the medicine in the woman's mouth and helped her swallow
with a few sips of water. Then she propped her up against a wall
and cut the sleeve off of her shirt. Next, she cleaned the wound
before stitching it up. Eona was quick, methodical, and gentle.
When she finished stitching her up, Eona wrapped gauze and bandages
around her shoulder. Tying those off, she hoped that the blade
hadn't been poisoned or anything like that. Picking Melez up, Eona
carried her to a bed just off the main room of the cave. She would
be safe here.
Melez's eyes eventually closed after drinking something and her
mind fell apart into a fevered sleep. She began to see images, not
clear pictures, but shapes and colors. She could also feel pain,
and great distress. Her breathing quickened as the visions became
more vivid and clearer. She was sitting in a chair, no, standing
behind the chair looking down to a woman bound to the wooden chair.
She, herself, could feel the tightness of the ropes around her
wrists and feet. She could feel the tightness in her chest of fear
and anger. Beyond the chair were six, no, seven figures. Three
looked familiar somehow. Two of which were small, one boy, one
girl, the third familiar one was a grown man. She couldn't see
their faces well, but she could see they were crying. In a flash
the three familiar faces were gone, the pain in her chest
intensified as the four other figures stepped closer to the woman
bound in the chair. The figures moved around the figure and she
would feel various sharp or blunt pains all over her body. It felt
like days before the figures all stood in front of the woman. She
could feel the odd sensation of relaxation? Comfort? Perhaps even
joy, as one of the men held out a long, thin, shiny object. All she
could discern was that it was metal. The figure with the metal
moved and the shiny thing disappeared as she felt a terrible sharp
pain through her stomach. She jolted awake probably a few hours
later looking around confused as to where she was, what happened
and why her shoulder was wrapped up.
Eona had paced nervously at first as she waited. Then went out to
get food. She figured the action would help her relax. And this
time, she actually let herself be a dragon to hunt. But first she'd
had to get far enough away. At the moment, she was just walking
back in through the caves entrance. She wondered if Melez was up
and if she was doing okay. Eona hadn't noticed any change in her
when she watched her so decided it was okay to leave her. But after
all of that, she had been unable to sleep. That was why she'd gone
out hunting. But she was back now. And with a huge buck to show for
it too. Tiny as she was, Eona was a dragon and ate like it.
Melez slowly pushed herself to her feet with her good arm and
immediately regretted it. She felt terrible. Her head was pounding
and her shoulder throbbed. She almost wished she had died so that
she could reassure herself that she wasn't going to die now. She
took a few slightly wobbly steps forwards before stopping so she
could get a better look around. "I couldn't be home..." She asked
herself aloud. This room did look similar to some of the unfinished
rooms in her old home in the mountain. The door. That was
completely wrong. She walked out and strained her eyes to focus on
Eona walking into the cave with a large, ahem, very large buck. She
was amazed at the strength of this woman who must have carried her
here only the gods know for how long and is bringing in a buck that
would have taken Melez a long while to hunt and kill. "Wow...
You're... Eh, your home is amazing..." She almost slipped there and
said something she may, or may not have meant.
Eona looked up at her and smiled, blushing slightly. "Oh! I am glad
to see you are up! And thank you. I haven't had someone come over
in....um...ever," she said, bringing the buck over to a wall before
going to Melez's side. She checked over the bandage and nodded. "It
looks like it's doing okay. So, you're doing okay? I'm sorry I cut
off the sleeve. I didn't know how else to do it besides undress
you. And I didn't want you to wake up to that. Also," she stepped
over to a table and picked up something to bring back over. "I
washed and mended the shoulder on this while you were out," Eona
said, handing her the trench coat. "If you're hungry now, I'm sure
there is something I could make quickly. If you can wait a bit,
I'll clean that buck and get something more substantial cooking."
Melez smiled softly as Eona checked her shoulder which had been
dealt with quite expertly before handing her her mended trenchcoat.
"Thank you." She said in awe of everything. It was far from often
that she had been treated so kindly by anyone, let alone a
stranger. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to help clean the
buck... Or if you'd rather me not, I'd like to cook it. I'm not the
best, but my mother taught me well." She chuckled slightly as she
felt the stitching on the shoulder of her coat, also done expertly,
much better than she would have done. Even though her mother taught
her how to sew, she never really got that good at it, except for
the stitches that are used on injuries, that she was good at.
"Aside from that drink at the tavern, I haven't eaten much for a
long time..." Her smile faltered a bit as her stomach made her
quite aware of how long it actually has been.
"I would be glad for the help. I've been there more times then I'd
like to recall myself. Eat as much as you'd like. I'm happy to be
of help. I don't really ever entertain guests but make yourself at
home. Is there anything you need? I gave you some pain meds last
night. If your shoulder starts hurting you, I believe you should be
able to take some more now if you need it," Eona said. She was
rambling now, nervous because she actually had a guest. She just
didn't have friends so hadn't ever had someone come over. She
realized now that her house could look really, really strange. Or
that she could be giving herself away as a dragon. "There is a
stream that runs through the tunnels. That's where I clean kills. I
mean-not-like-like rabbits, birds and deer. I don't hurt people
unless I'm defending myself. I...um..." she trailed off, looking
red and flustered. She felt out of her element talking with the
same person for so long. "I must look and sound so weird..." she
mumbled, more to herself then to Melez.
Melez smiled at how flustered Eona was acting. She said she liked
being alone, but Melez figured she knew how to act around others.
This, this was just plain cute. "Relax. I'm doing just fine." She
put a hand to her head. "A little light headed, but fine. You look
like you don't have guests over that often... I get it. Having
someone you don't know at all in your house is awkward and makes
people nervous... I'll help with the buck, then I'll be on my way
and get out of your hair..." As she said this she looked to Eona's
bright red hair then back to her eyes. "You look find to me, and
you sound normal." She chuckled slightly. "Well, as normal as one
can get these days..." She glanced to the entrance of the cave and
sighed. Her life was never anywhere near normal and never would be.
"Let's get to that buck shall we? Where did you say that stream was
so I can wash my hands?" Her voice was calm and almost
matter-of-fact so as to hopefully lend Eona a little ease, perhaps
seeing how calm Melez is it might calm her down a little.
"Oh! Yes, there is a stream. But you don't have to leave right
away. Unless you want to. I don't really have friends. I'm a
hermit. But I have enjoyed talking with you. Please stay as long as
you'd like. It might be good with your shoulder to get some rest
too. I don't not like you being here. I am just worried I'm going
to make you uncomfortable. And I probably am by just doing this,"
she said. Then took a deep breath, centering herself and relaxing.
"I am worried about sounding or looking like someone who isn't
nice. I guess that's all. If I say something eerie, it's not meant
that way. So, let's go clean it and cook. Then maybe we can talk?
I'm not sure about what yet, but that's normally what people do,
right? I'm sure there is something we can find to pass the time
while the food cooks." Going to the deer, she heaved it up to
carry. She was oblivious of the fact that she was messing up her
clothes. She liked wearing white but never could keep it clean.
Thankfully, she was great at getting stains out.
Melez looked surprised as Eona said that she was worried about
making her feel uncomfortable. "To be completely honest this is the
most relaxed and comfortable I've been for months." She smiled as
she slowly followed Eona over to the buck. Her eyes widened once
more as she watched this human woman pick up the large deer as
though it was a sack of potatoes and put it over her shoulder to
carry. "Geez... You're really strong... Oh, did you carry me here?
I think I passed out at some point last night..." She rubbed the
back of her head with her hand. "I also had this weird
hallucination that I was flying, must've been the wind, it did look
cloudy..." She was a little confused, but passed it off as
hallucination and fantasy. Melez glanced over at the white outfit
that was slowly getting red and brown from the blood and mud on the
large animal slung over the woman's shoulders.
"I, uh, yeah," she said, smiling a bit at the compliment. "I have
been on my own pretty much always so I've done a lot of things
myself. So I have built up my strength. Yes. I did carry you here."
Looking down at the tattoo on her arm, she paused a moment. "It was
windy," Eona said, not confirming or denying that they had been
flying. She didn't want to lie but she wasn't sure if she could
tell the truth. "It wasn't far that I carried you though. Here,
this way," she added, moving to a back tunnel. Her eyes were fine
for seeing back in the dark so she didn't mind just starting off.
But after a few steps, she realized Melez might need a light. "Oh!
There is a flashlight on the counter there. Would you mind grabbing
it?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of it.
Melez smile inwardly and outwardly as she saw the smile on Eona's
face from what she said, she liked to make people smile. It
happened so rarely these days. "Sure." She said as she grabbed the
flashlight with her good hand and clicked it on. "You know, if we
got a few rabbits I could make some fat candles that would burn
pretty brightly and make this spot not so dark..." She said as she
looked around through the darkness at the cave walls, wondering
what amazing minerals and crystals were hidden within it's stoney
prison. "Have you ever found any crystals in here? This rock
formation looks as though it might have some nice quartzes or even
some metals in it..." She wanted to run her hand along the wall,
but couldn't lift her injured arm without pain, and her other hand
had the flashlight in it, so she refrained.
"Oh! Well, thank you. That sounds nice," she said, smiling again.
Eona smiled at the comment about metals and crystals. "Oh yes. I
find all sorts of treasure here. Gold in some of the back tunnels.
Rubies and emeralds in a few to the east. There are beautiful
quarts too," she went on about the gems she found in the walls. As
she talked, her eyes grew bright and gleamed with her excitement.
She loved all of the glittering shiny things she found and guarded
them in the room next to the bedroom. The walls were marred from
her claws digging through the rock to get to the treasure.
Everything she mined was carefully cut from the walls and as
perfect as she could get them. In a few moments, she stopped at the
side of a stream. The current was fast but there was a little pond
that she'd dug out to bath in. The water was cold but she could
heat it with her fire. But not today. Setting the animal down, Eona
reached into her boot and pulled out a knife. There were tools set
up around the wall that she could use too if she needed them.
Melez nodded as she listened to the various rocks and minerals that
could be found in these caves. "Oh my!! Do you think we could go
mining for some sometime?" Her voice sounded as though she was a
little kid in a candy store. She used to collect rocks back when
she was with her parents. She'd bring home amazing crystals of
pinks, blues, reds, greens and even purples. She cleared her throat
as she realized how childish she must've just sounded. "Heh, I'm a
bit of a rock collector, so I get a little excited sometimes..."
She chuckled as she knelt next to Eona, ready to assist with the
cleaning. "Let me know how I can help, even if it is only one extra
hand..." She began to remember the first time she cleaned anything.
It was a fish. She had used her whip to make a fishing line and
caught a fish with a little piece of jerky. It was not a little
fish either. She still has the small scar on her finger where the
pike bit her hand. The fish was mangled, but it tasted good.
Eona, truth be told, was not so thrilled about the idea. She, like
a lot of dragons, was quite protective of her mines and didn't want
anyone taking her undiscovered treasures anywhere. Hiding her
disapproval by looking straight down at the task at hand, she
scrambled to come up with something to say. A human wouldn't snap
and snarl, growl about how it's hers! But she also didn't want to
make Melez feel bad! It was a fun idea! Just...not something Eona
thought she could do calmly. Instinct might take over and she
didn't want hurt or scare her new and only friend. And then there
was the evidence of her claws scratched along all the walls here.
If they went back there, Melez would be able to see those. Finally,
she started talking, saying, "I collect rocks too. I completely
understand about getting excited about them. Though...I, uh, I
don't know about mining. I get kind of...of crazy when I go back
into the tunnels...there might be something in the air?" She asked
the last part as a question, like she was grasping at straws. "Oh!
Would you mind helping me keep him in place? That would help a lot.
And if we can get the skin just right, I might be able to make
something from it."
Melez scooted a little closer and held the body firmly with one
hand and stared down at Eona's hands watching her work. "It's
possible that if you've dug to far you might have hit a gas pocket,
though I'm not sure about it making you go a little crazy... But if
it's not safe then we shouldn't go back there for very long...
Perhaps not going as deep and maybe just looking? If there's gas
then there might be some that's flammable and could light up with a
spark..." She began going on about it all as she loved science and
rocks and everything to do with it. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling
now..." She chuckled. "I've been on the road for seven years now,
so I do know a bit about skinning things, if you'd like I could
deal with the skinning, even if the first few cuts aren't perfect."
She smiles as she remembers the last thing she skinned. She brought
it into a town and sold it for a decent amount of money and got
herself a room in an inn. She woke up the next morning to her bag
of money gone. She was very angry and never slept in town with
precious stuff not with her.
"Sure! If you'd like to, I'll hold it down and maneuver it for you.
Just talk me through how you want it moved," Eona said, handing her
the knife and shifting to get better access to moving the body.
"And I don't mind rambling. I tend to do it sometimes myself," she
confessed. "Especially when I am alone. I love my home but
sometimes, the tunnels can make strange sounds and I feel like I am
being watched. It's nothing other then me scaring myself but
talking out loud to calm myself hasn't hurt and it's not like I
expect an answer back. It's just noise to fill the silence with. If
you want...I guess we could go back and look..." Looking was okay.
She felt she could handle that and not got over protective. It
wasn't like Melez was wanting to take the gems and metal away.
She'd only asked to look, from what appeared to be a fellow
collectors fascination. Eona could understand that.
Melez grinned as she found herself being able to be helpful.
Perhaps Eona would use the fur or sell it to buy something. She
began with a slice from the top of the ribcage down to the genitals
and around slightly the guts started to push against the thin
membrane she hadn't cut yet. She lifted her bad arm a little to
hold part of the pelt as she deftly used the knife to start cutting
the pelt off of the muscles and ligaments. "It goes cleaner if you
take the pelt off first, then the fur won't get into the innards
and stuff... Also, there'll be less blood in the pelt as well..."
She hadn't heard what Eona had said about going to look as she was
intently focusing on the cutting, leaving on just enough fat on the
skin so it wouldn't tear. Cut along here... Leave room... I
won't get down onto the legs as I need a different tool for
that... She thought to herself as her hands quickly got covered
in blood, oil and some stray hairs.
Eona nodded, watching her go. She knew some of that but her skill
wasn't nearly as great as Melez's. Soon, Eona realized they would
both need to bath when this was done. She wondered if she had
anything that would fit the taller woman. Perhaps one of her
dresses would work until she could get her clothes clean. "So,
where did you learn to do this? If I can ask and if I'm not
distracting you," Eona asked, watching her work.
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