Clear water now runs beneath the quiet black mass, threading the ancient channels without disturbing the ward. The dragon keeps its injured left wing folded close.
Among the refugees’ returned supplies, a fragrant mountain herb releases a sharp, resinous scent. The dragon lifts its head, ember-bright eyes fixed upon the bundle.
the Woodland courier
That is mountain woundleaf. The Woodmen steep it for torn flesh and strained sinew. It may ease the dragon’s injury without drawing strength from the ward.
The courier kneels beside the supplies but does not touch them, keeping the herb separate from the clean watercourse. The dragon watches, alert yet still.
The Dragon
Its scent is known to me. If it will not weaken the spring, I will endure its touch.
The dragon lowers its head beside the basin and extends the injured side a little, exposing the ragged copper membrane without unfolding the wing. The herb waits between Tuiwen and the wound.
“"I am not famous as a healer, but I will do what I can."”
SUCCESS (Fair Healing, rolled +3)
Tuiwen takes the mountain woundleaf from the refugees’ returned supplies, keeping its dry leaves separate from the clean spring. She crushes them between her palms until resin beads across the fibers.
Her oath-bound caution keeps the herb from touching the flowing channel or the sealed mass. Protector of the Kin guides her hands toward the dragon’s torn membrane, while Sovereign Heritage steadies the wary guardian’s trust.
Tuiwen lays the resinous leaf across the injured wing and binds it gently with a clean strip from the bundle. She works around each strained edge, easing the membrane without forcing it open.
The Dragon
The pain recedes. Your hands do not command the wound; they listen to it.
The mountain woundleaf draws heat from the torn membrane, and the dragon’s breathing settles. Under Tuiwen’s careful treatment, the edges close cleanly enough for the wing to rest without trembling.
the Woodland courier
A successful healing, Princess. More than that, the wing can now bear gentle movement without reopening the tear.
The dragon flexes the treated wing once, only slightly, and reveals a narrow line of silver beneath the copper membrane: an old ward-mark showing that its injury came from the sealed burden, not from any living attacker.
“"I do not demand any payment, but I think you owe me an explanation for all this."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +2)
Tuiwen
I do not demand payment, but I think you owe me an explanation for all this. What is the burden, and how did it injure you?
Tuiwen’s Sovereign Heritage gives the request the weight of rightful authority, while Protector of the Kin keeps it concerned rather than coercive. Her oath-bound caution refuses to demand more than the truth owed.
The Dragon
The black mass is a heartstone from beneath the mountain, hollowed by a hunger that drinks living springs. It was bound here before my kind kept these peaks.
The dragon lowers its head beside the clear channel. Silver ward-light moves beneath its scales, answering the explanation without opening the sealed burden or disturbing the ancient restraint.
The Dragon
My forebears guarded it, and I inherited the watch. When the binding weakened, the heartstone reached through the spring and seized my wing. I carried it here to keep its thirst from spreading.
The dragon flexes the healed wing with careful strength. Its account establishes the burden’s origin, its spring-draining nature, and the cause of the injury, while the clean water now runs beyond its reach.
Quest Complete
Determine the dragon’s origin and purpose
Skill Upgrade: Crafting Superb→Legendary