The human had helped nurse the very, very sick dragon back to health. The dragon'd had trouble laying her eggs and it'd taken a toll on her. They stayed to help the dragon, as did their family, and when the eggs hatched, the human and hir family helped the dragon raise their brood, so that all children, human and dragon, knew the love and warmth of a big family. -- Anon Guest
If you believe that all life is precious, truly and deeply, you act to help all life in its needs. Even though Slaine Dunne was a vegan, she went out of her way to secure healthy cattle to feed to her patient. Who happened to be a Dragon, still suffering the effects of a Draconic fever at the worst possible time.
Their eggs were by a steam vent, safely nested and turned four times a day. They would hatch, soon. Tiny babies that would have their own special needs.
Slaine smeared sides of meat and organs with herbs, muttering prayers for the souls of the animals that had given their lives to support another. She set aside the softer parts for the babies that were due to hatch.
Dragons, like lizards and birds, fed their newborns from the contents of their crops. Allowing her patient to do that might kill their babies. Therefore, Slaine had to prepare their food, too. Just the right balance of marrow, meat, and vinegar to replace the digestive acids they'd get from their parent. Mixed with eggshells dissolved in vinegar to replace the dissolved bone they'd also get. Just the right amounts.
They would not eat a lot... but there were a lot of them who needed to eat.
Slaine slid a raw haunch into her patient's mouth, rubbing under their jaw to help them swallow, adding a little magic to activate the healing herbs as they went down. Then went back to mashing ingredients together for the impending babies.
Not long now.
Slaine listened for the gurgle that meant her patient was ready for the next mouthful. Listened for the subtle peeping that indicated a baby was about to break free of their shell.
Of course, both of those happened at once.
"Wraithvine help a kindly soul," she muttered, shoving a fat hunk of ribs into her patient's maw, and then scurrying over to the nest. There to gently rub the newborn free of their soft shell. She gently transferred the hatchling to a sheepskin, and made sure the little one ate their shell. Their stomach was showing some yolk, but a mouthful of mashed meat mix would help them thrive.
Slaine carefully squeezed a handful of mash into the little one's maw, and then laid a wrapped, hot rock near the baby.
When all was done, and she was certain that all patients were well on their roads to recovery, Slaine would scrub herself raw to rid herself of stains both real and imaginary.
In the meantime... the patients came first.
[Photo by Liuda Brogiene on Unsplash]
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