Adventures of Jessa

63

"Then why?" Dhiren stops speaking and motions to Jessa.

"Jasper, you aren't to speak of anything you learn today about dragons and Jessa." Alaric tells the astounded and confused human. "Jessa is not a full dragon and is in her birth shape. She hasn't shifted to dragon and so won't be showing that to Jasper. There is no glow for him to read." Alaric tells them then goes to Jessa.

"You should have come straight to Castlerock, Jessa." Alaric says as he looks over her wound.

"What are you doing here, Alaric?" Jessa says wearily having a hard time staying awake.

"The Ancient One was worried you wouldn't make it to Castlerock. He sent me to take a look and he was right to be worried. You aren't in a good place, Jessa. I'm going to need to take a closer look at this wound now.

"Dhiren, go get your main healer. Tell her to bring bandages and her salve she's been using."

Dhiren sets Jessa down carefully and gives her forehead a kiss before running off to do what he was told. You don't go against the dragon king unless you have good reason and there is nothing worth endangering Jessa's life.

"Jasper, right?" Alaric faces the other human, "once I take off the bandages you'll need to take them to the fire and throw them in." He sees the unsure look of Jasper gives him. "She's my granddaughter, I won't be doing anything to endanger her. In fact they were bringing her to me since the elven healers couldn't help her any more." Even as he was speaking Alaric was removing the puss filled bandages and Jasper wants to gag at the nasty smell it was giving off.

He takes the nasty bandages and rushes to the fire and throws them on. Then doing his best to not lose his dinner he makes his way back to Jessa and the dragon that is working on her. He finds Dhiren and the healer already there.

"You did an excellent job, with how bad the wound was there was no way for you to know if you had gotten all the metal out." Alaric tells them as he holds out his hand and shows them the small metallic pieces in his hand. There were five small pieces of metal that fell to the ground as he dumped them from his hand. "That there were only five pieces is due to your diligent work healer. No need to be ashamed at missing those pieces, they were hiding quite successfully."

Alaric finishes cleaning up the nasty looking wound and Jenna slathers on the healing salve that had failed to help before. "Now that the metal is out of her body the salve should work, but I'll need to keep her with me in Castlerock to make sure for some time yet. Bring her to me tomorrow, Dhiren."

"Yes, Alaric. Thank you." Dhiren says with tears in his eyes as he picks up his lover and holds her close to him.

"She needs more protein, prince. She will need more from now on."

"Very well, but I don't understand." Dhiren tells the dragon king.

"Her dragon side has been awakened. It's not enough for her to turn, but it has been awakened. It's not a bad thing. By it being awakened it means that she is more likely to survive her turning if and when she does."

"What about me?" Dhiren asks his prospective grandfather-in-law.

"Well, that we won't know yet until you start your transformation." Alaric tells him, although his attention is focused on Jessa.

"Jenna, check her bandages every hour and replace them as needed with the fresh salve. Once the puss is out blood will come instead. Once that happens that portion of the wound will be fine and will heal on it's own." Jenna nods her head in understanding. "Burn the bandages once they are taken off if they are filled with puss. There was more then just the metal causing the infection. There was something on the metal, likely transference from the dragon's sword. Some sort of poison."

With that Alaric moves away and returns to Castlerock. Jasper looks on in awe as the dragon takes to the skies.

"He's the king." Dhiren says once Jasper returns to his side.

Jasper merely blinks at the information. Dhiren smirks at his reaction. "Wait, doesn't that make-"

"Hush, she doesn't like titles and the elves other than her adoptive parents and my parents don't know her status. She doesn't want them to know. She thinks that my people will have an even harder time accepting her than they already do."

"They will and you know it, Dhiren. A full human is bad enough. Imagine their horror if they find out that I'm half dragon." Jessa tells them groggily. She's still very tired.

"I'm sorry, Dhiren, I'm too tired to stay awake." Jessa mutters before falling asleep.

Dhiren orders Kristoff, "Take Wind and ride back to Silva, get a basic pack together for Jasper and come back immediately. You should be able to go and come back before dark if you hurry."

Dhiren looks at Jasper, "The pack will be given to you since Jessa has given you the opportunity to chose and you have chosen to come with us. The basic pack includes a bedroll and some basic supplies while traveling. Once we get to Castlerock we'll also buy you some clothes to change into. I'm sure that Alaric will allow you to use his bathing chambers there."

"I don't know what to say, Prince. Thank you." Jasper manages to say once he gets over his shock. It has been a long time since any one has done anything like this for him.

"Jessa believes in you, Jasper, and that means a lot. Jessa is an exceptional judge of character. She lost someone of great importance to her at the pass. He was like a brother she never had and helped her with the human world.

"She sees the same goodness and strength in you that Nathan had. Don't disappoint her, Jasper. You do your best, to be the best, to show your gratitude, by doing your best in the opportunities that she's giving you.

"Kallen, her adopted father and the one that taught her, will be the one to start your lessons and he'll work on them for as long as he remains in Castlerock. Then another of the elves will take over your lessons.

"You'll have to work out your schedule with Alaric once we get to Castlerock."

"Thank you, Prince, for everything." Jasper says then Kallen comes up and takes Jasper over to the woods and starts his lessons. The first of which is to find his way if he should lose the path. That seems to be the biggest problem Jasper has currently.