Despite your aversions, you did this... for me?
"All life is precious, but, I knew you could not survive on plants."
And for my children.
"You were ill, I'm just glad my poor skills were enough."
Thank you. You're the first human I've ever met that has ever been this kind.
"You're welcome, my friend."
@internutter/challenge-04162-k144-help-to-all-in-need -- Lessons
Many omnivores who choose a herbivorous diet seem to believe that everything can subsist on a herbivorous diet. Those without the biology to do so merely lack determination and conviction of spirit. This philosophy is similar to those who believe that eating is merely a bad habit[1]. Though the latter example have resorted to experimenting on themselves, let us all be grateful on that count.
It was very rare to encounter such a voluntary herbivore willing to touch meat for other creatures, let alone prepare it for ease of digestion.
The last infant hatched just as Grirvess' fever broke, and Slaine just let a small fortune in Dragon's sweat pour into the earth. That was less important than her patients. One grown Dragon and a half-dozen meeping little blind Dragonlings.
Slaine was making her best plausible Dragon noises for the nestlings, piping mashed meat mixture into each hungry little maw. "Be with you in a moment," she said. "The little ones are needing me."
Grirvess only moved her head, and then only to take a closer look at Slaine. "People like you are more wont to steal babies like those. People like you are more wont to slay Dragons like me."
"I'm glad I'm not those people," said Slaine. "I believe life is precious and must be treasured. I believe in doing the least harm."
"Even when that includes loosing more Dragons on your world?"
"It isn't my world, it's our world. All things being equal, I'm the one who's an invasive species." A smile that was hovering on the edge between bravery and hopefulness, "I am very glad you're still in it."
"You expect a boon? A blessing? A wish?"
"I expect to remain a month or two longer to help with the babies so they don't catch what you're recovering from. After that, I can only hope to be on my way. Boon or no boon, I got to see a Dragon hatching. That's miracle enough for me."
"You are wise, for a blunt-ear shortspan[2]. Very well. When you are done, I shall gift you something. But only when you decide you are done. And... you have my thanks. I thought both I and my young would perish."
"I'm just glad I saved some lives," said Slaine honestly.
[1] Charles Dickens once covered this in a tangent regarding the economical feeding of orphans and work animals. The experiment was conducted by giving a horse less and less hay for each feeding. They were just about to declare the victory of creating a breatharian horse when the selfish beast died on them.
[2] Dragons can live for millennia, and only the Elves come close to matching their lifespans. Compared to them, Humans are weird, aggressive little mayflies.
[Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash]
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