Chapter 4 #3
Clasping her hands in front of her demurely, Carwyn hurried to keep up with his huge stride. “What will happen if I do save her?”
“I haven’t decided.”
“Wouldn’t me helping her invoke a life debt to me?”
His spiked brows came together. “You know much about our kind’s laws. How? This isn’t common knowledge for witches.”
“My family has followed the old ways for centuries,” Carwyn admitted. “We know most of the laws that existed from the first birthing of our kind.”
“Hmmm. That is concerning.” He hesitated a moment while assessing her, then continued to walk, taking her further into his lair. “I’ll have to think deeply on that.”
Carwyn couldn’t help peeking into every alcove they passed, noting many were furnished or housed different hoards of similar items. Clothing and chests in one. Cloth and blankets in another. As was known with his kind, there was a large one just for riches and treasures, but the pile wasn’t grand.
He finally spoke again, this time with a rather pensive tone.
“A dark witch does not acquire a blood debt. Most are to be eradicated if possible. But yes, regarding you, the matter is uncertain. My sister doesn’t prance around in her human form often either.
There’d be little issue in me letting you leave, as she doesn’t enter towns like many of us.
However, you do speak the truth of our laws, so I will leave the decision to her, as it is her face you looked upon, but also her life you will be saving. We will be indebted to you.”
He halted once more, this time in front of an alcove that held a cooking stove – albeit one that appeared mostly unused and old.
Carwyn kept her smile from her face. There was hope, and that was something she sorely needed.
Perhaps if I do well and don’t irritate him, he will convince her to let me go.
She was sure she could make friends with him, get him on her side so she could leave.
Maybe even soften much of his hatred and anger until he was eating out of the palm of her hand.
She could be coy and sweet, hopefully. Carwyn was actually pretty terrible at keeping her emotions in check and had quite the tongue and temper when someone was rude to her.
So long as he isn’t a conceited ass, I should be okay, right? She could play nice if he did too.
“Here. Make food,” he said, gesturing to the alcove. “I’ve gathered supplies already.”
She licked her lips nervously and leaned to the side to peek around his annoyingly huge body. “Are you expecting me to cook for you?”
“No,” he answered gruffly.
Good. She didn’t think she could make enough food to fit his belly anyway.
“I’m Carwyn,” she announced, forcing a friendly smile onto her face. “I said it before in my own way, but I am willing to try to save your sister. My family respects dragonkind rather deeply.”
She’d just, hopefully, not have to resort to evil magic in the process.
His lips pulled back in utter disgust. “I don’t care what your name is or about your history. Keep it to yourself.”
Then he turned and stormed further down the mountain path of his cave, following a bend that put him out of eyesight.
Her right eye twitched.
Don’t shout at his tail. Don’t call him a big, stupid, overgrown reptilian. Instead, she curled her hands into tight fists and inwardly screamed. Be calm, Carwyn! Think of leaving here!
To focus her energy elsewhere, she rolled up her sleeves with the intention of tackling food.
I’m hungry, and I’m sure the dragoness hasn’t eaten since last night, since that’s when he took me. Although she actually had no idea what time of day it was in this cave.
Either way, first she would ensure the woman was healthy in her sleep state to prolong her life, then she’d work on undoing the curse. In the meantime, she’d do everything in her power to ensure she could leave, even if it meant bowing to the meanie head with large, daunting fangs and claws.
With that solution set in her mind, she began her first task, which was figuring out what he meant by supplies.
There were many wooden crates, barrels, and baskets of food, some of it dry and a little old, but still edible.
There were also pots, pans, and cooking utensils, although they all required a good scrubbing, as did the cooking hearth.
Thankfully there was a bucket of water that she purified with her magic – since he said she could use her witchcraft so long as it aided his sister.
Okay, Carwyn, she thought, hands on hips, assessing the ingredients she’d gathered for the meal she intended to make.
A pile of vegetables and herbs lay upon a weathered oak table, with a mortar and pestle and a marble chopping board she’d found.
The quicker I get this all done, the quicker I may be able to escape.
When in doubt, any chore or work was the best way to focus her mind. It was better than crying about her unfortunate situation.
Still... I’m surprised he left me alone so suddenly. She peeked back at the entryway. Shouldn’t he be just a little more cautious?
She shrugged.
Either way, it wasn’t her problem nor her place to understand dragonkind.