Rojuun (29 page)

The kiss felt wonderful and she secretly
hoped he would do it again. “My mind is whole. It just hurts a lot
right now,” she said just as quietly as he had. Liselle wondered if
dragons and humans were allowed to be attracted to each other. “I
was very careful even though I shouldn’t have used that much power.
The plants wanted me to, and they helped me while making sure I was
safe.” She remembered that she was only half Human. The other half
was flower or something like that.

“The plants were worried about you too, Lady
Liselle,” Vevin responded. They leaned toward you as I carried you
back.” He continued to brush her hair back and even gave her the
other kiss on the cheek she wanted.

She wondered if dragons and
flowers
were allowed to be attracted to each other and couldn’t help
letting a giggle escape at the mental picture.

“What’s so funny, Lady Liselle?” Vevin asked
with a smile in his voice. He stopped running his fingers through
her hair for a moment.

“Nothing, Vevin. I just had a funny thought
about flowers,” she said while moving closer to him in hopes that
he would start again. She still wasn’t brave enough to open her
eyes. “Where are we now?”

He resumed playing with her hair. “We’re
back in our room at Garrrn Dwelling. Tathan and Sir Danth have gone
back to fight sstejj. They protect workers who are putting up gates
at the other tunnels so they can claim that cavern.”

“You stayed with me?”

“Yes, Lady Liselle,” Vevin whispered. “I
couldn’t bear to leave your side while you were hurt.” He kissed
her earlobe gently, sending goose bumps throughout her body.

“I’m glad you stayed, Vevin. I feel safer
when you’re near.” Liselle wondered what he looked like when he was
a dragon. She knew he was a purple dragon and purple was her
favorite color. She especially liked purple flowers . . . and
dragons.

“I didn’t keep you safe in the cavern.”

Liselle opened her eyes just a bit. The
light wasn’t as bright as it had been. They were sensitive due to
her headache. She focused on Vevin and saw the angry set of his jaw
and his refusal to look her in the eye. “Vevin dearest,” she said,
gently running a hand along his jaw. “You mustn’t be upset with
yourself. I did what I felt to be right. I’m allowed to take
chances and experience danger too, you know.”

He looked her in the eyes as though to argue
that she was not, in fact, allowed to take chances. She loved his
eyes. There were so many shades of silver swirling in them all the
time and he expressed so much with them. His jaw began to relax as
she continued to caress it. “I don’t want you to take chances. I
want you to be safe,” he said guiltily.

“I know, dearest Vevin. But I am not your
treasure to tuck away safe in your lair and you must always
understand that,” she told him with a firm tone.

He didn’t answer at first, but then relented
with a nod. “Yes, Lady Liselle.” Vevin sighed and ran fingers
through her hair some more. “You are strong, magical and nice.
That’s what I like so much about you. You’re very pretty too.”

Liselle smiled happily and curled closer to
him. “Thank you, Vevin. I like you too.”

They stayed like that for a short while.
Vevin ran his fingers through her hair and would occasionally lean
down and kiss her cheek. Liselle closed her eyes and purred.

She gradually became aware of a severe
hunger in her belly. “Vevin?”

“Yes, Lady Liselle?”

“Can I have some food, please? I’m really
hungry.” She opened her eyes and looked up at him pitifully.

“Of course, Lady Liselle,” he said with a
toothy smile. He went over to a table and picked up a tray.
“There’s a little bit of cold food here for you: some of their
breads, cheese and water to drink.” The tray had legs that he
opened before setting it over her lap. “I’ll get some hot food for
you now,” he said, getting up and doing a small, eager dance.

“Alright,” she said as he danced out the
door, looking over his shoulder to smile at her. She ate the food
in front of her without tasting it. Mostly, she thought of what had
happened back in the cavern. The spell had been too powerful,
nearly killing her. She had given the plants too much control.

Underground plants were different from the
ones above. There wasn’t as much love and sunshine in them. It
seemed silly, but that was the best way Liselle could describe it.
They had a greater drive to survive and flourish. It seemed that
way with all the creatures in the caverns. She would have to
remember to be wary of the power they sent.

The sstejj were another creature that seemed
to have an insatiable desire, but theirs was to destroy,
specifically Rojuun. The plants had let her feel the hunger the
sstejj had for Rojuun and it made her shiver.

Vevin came through the door with a tray of
warm food in his hands. Liselle looked down, surprised to see that
she had finished all of the food and water already. The growl of
her tummy told her that she was still hungry.

“Master Hurrrn Garrrn told me that you would
be very hungry when you awoke.” Vevin jerked his head to the Rojuun
entering behind him. This meju was taller than any of the others
Liselle had seen. There were lines in his face similar to what one
would find in an older human. He wore brown robes with violet
swirls. The Rojuun glided gracefully across the room to her
bed.

“Now then, Liselle human,” he said in
gentle, relaxing tones. “I will examine you to ensure that you are
well.” Hurrrn smiled as he sat down on the bed next to her,
opposite of Vevin. It was a very calming smile and his dark amber
pupils widened in a way that was comforting. Liselle saw that all
of his qualities of voice and physical gestures made him a very
soothing healer.

“Please understand that I am not completely
familiar with human anatomy and energies. However, we are very
similar in many ways,” he said. He reached out a hand, touching her
leg through the blankets. It was a calming touch, much as Liselle
had used with Marrraa when mending her broken arm. Liselle allowed
herself to relax in response. She trusted this Rojuun even knowing
he had magic to amplify that trust.

“I also know that you used a great deal of
magic all at once. Marrraa Garrrn believes that you may have burned
yourself out on it,” he continued. “This is something I am familiar
with and would like to discover whether or not this is the
case.”

Liselle nodded as she snuck a bite of food
from the tray that Vevin brought. The breaded drumstick tasted
wonderful.

“Very good,” said Hurrrn with a smile. “Now,
it’s my understanding that you can do magic.” He frowned a bit.
“Marrraa told me that you did a healing spell and then a spell with
blue fire immediately after that.” He waggled his finger at
Liselle. “That is much more energy than a young woman should
channel! I’m not sure I believe all of what she told me, but that’s
not important right now.” He crossed all four arms, waiting to see
how she would respond.

Liselle took another bite and stared at the
healer while chewing. She didn’t have any desire to talk to him
about her magic. Plus, her mouth was busy with tasty food.

“Hmm. Well, I suppose we should just see if
you’re still capable of doing any magic.” The healer took a candle
out of a pocket in his robe, setting it on the tray next to
Liselle’s meal. “Now, I want you to try to light this candle. Let
me know immediately if you experience physical or spiritual pain.
Is that understood?”

“Yes Healer Hurrrn,” mumbled Liselle around
a mouthful of food.

“Very well, please light the flame,” he
said, gesturing to the candle.

Liselle considered as she finished chewing.
The Rojuun healer probably wanted a proper flame. She thought back
to the normal fire spell Tathan had taught her. Liselle whispered
the words quietly, gesturing with greasy fingers. The flame grew
easily, if a bit large. She still didn’t have it down. “Lighting
small fires isn’t my strong point,” she admitted before grabbing
another bite of food.

“I see,” he said. “Marrraa said you make a
blue flame. Can you show me that?”

Liselle extinguished the candle with a flip
of her hand. Still chewing on the drumstick of whatever creature
they were feeding her, she waved her hand again toward the side of
the bed. A small, dancing flame appeared in midair. Then she made
another and another. The three flames began to dance around in
circles, bouncing up and down in the air.

Suddenly, she felt very dizzy and tired. Her
head hurt again, though not as sharply. Liselle waved away the
flames and rested her head against the pillow, setting the
drumstick back on the tray.

“Hmm, there is no permanent damage, my dear
human,” the healer said gently. “But I can see that you are still
exhausted. Do not cast any spells for a few days. Wait a week or
two before doing anything significant.” He waggled his finger at
her again. “You will be fine, but it is obvious that you channeled
too much energy through your body. It needs time to recover.”
Hurrrn Garrrn stood up, straightening his robes. “It was a delight
to meet you, Liselle Human. I will tell Marrraa not to let you join
battle for two weeks at least. From what I understand, you’ve
already done a great deed, so don’t worry about fulfilling your
contract,” he reprimanded her with the waggling finger once more.
Liselle had a strange urge to bite it, but was too tired.

As the healer walked out of the room, Vevin
took the tray and put it back on the table. Liselle smiled at him
weakly as he came back over to the bed, silver eyes swirling with
concern. “You are to do as the healer says, Lady Liselle,” he
admonished, sitting down to run fingers through her hair once
more.

“Yes, dearest Vevin. I will behave,” she
agreed tiredly. Liselle looked up and smiled at him. She was glad
that he was here instead of Tathan or Sir Danth. She slid back down
under the covers, getting comfortable as he tucked her back in.

Vevin leaned down and kissed her gently on
the lips. It was a shock that she thoroughly enjoyed, her first
kiss. He pulled up, smiling at her and she smiled back. She rolled
over onto her side and began to nod off.

Liselle felt him lie down behind her and
wrap his arm around her. He kissed her cheek and earlobe for a
moment then lay still. She didn’t mind at all, falling asleep with
a smile on her face.

Chapter
27

Tathan was nervous about his cousin. He knew
she was different, but couldn’t help feeling that he had put her in
way
too much danger. She was inexperienced in life and naïve
to the ways of the world. Yet he had gone and dragged her deep
underground to an alien world with ravenous creatures hell-bent on
destroying anything even resembling intelligent life. Some cousin
he was.

“Your mood is on the ground and your head is
hung low to look at it, Master Tathan,” Sir Danth said. “You are
concerned for your cousin, yes?”

Tathan sighed. “Yes. I feel as though I led
her into danger and I’m the reason she’s lying in bed, unconscious.
I feel responsible for her.”

Sir Danth gave his shoulder a comforting
smack. Tathan staggered forward. It would have been more comforting
had the knight not had a gauntleted hand and the strength of a
horse. “I understand what you mean and I agree with you. You are
responsible for her.”

The words didn’t make Tathan feel any better
than the bruised shoulder did. “Uhh, yeah.”

“After all, she
is
a woman and
everyone knows women are to stay in their chambers, waiting for a
man’s pleasure, right?” Sir Danth continued. “Dragging them away
from home to have adventures and risk their life is the worst thing
you can do to a lady. It was very foolish of you to do so.” He
patted Tathan’s shoulder a few more times until the rogue finally
ducked.

“Is that how the knights of your time
treated their ladies, Sir Danth?” Tathan asked with barely
disguised contempt in his voice. Marrraa, who was leading the work
party, looked back at the two of them with a frown.

“Nay, but it is how you sound when you talk
about your cousin, Master Tathan,” the knight said with a flip of a
gauntlet. “You assume responsibility for her decisions. From what
I’ve seen, she makes her own decisions regardless of whether or not
you approve. I was under the impression that you travel together as
equals in addition to being cousins.”

Tathan was irritated now. He had treated
Liselle with nothing but respect and dignity throughout their
journeys. At least he had tried to. “Sir Danth, don’t treat me like
an idiot. Liselle is my cousin and she’s lived in a quiet valley
all her life. I’m not a knight, but I do feel as though I have some
honor and a responsibility to make sure she’s safe.”

“Aye, you do have honor, friend Tathan,” Sir
Danth said with a more gentle hand on the shoulder. “And you should
protect family wherever you can. At the same time, you have to let
people make their own decisions and live their lives. It is a
difficult balance. Lady Liselle is not a normal woman and I truly
believe she will do whatever she wishes, regardless of anything
that might be said to her by you or anyone else.”

Tathan relaxed some. “I worry about her,
that’s all,” he said. “She just lost her entire family, and then we
went off exploring the world. Now we’re in caverns with hostile
creatures that like to play with their food and we qualify as
food.”

“I am sorry for the loss of her family and
yours, Master Tathan,” the knight said. “It is a hard thing. My
family was killed when I was young too. The knighthood took me
in.”

“I didn’t realize that, Sir Danth. I’m sorry
to hear it,” Tathan responded with a friendly hand on the knight’s
arm.