Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

[30.7] KING EDWARD VII
some ways, Mats says, and he hadn't been free very long. I could see well enough, and I could
tell by sound exactly where Moraelyn was, but the shot was clean out of my range."
"The dragon goes on, 'But there is something you can do for me, elf, and prolong your life a
few more minutes.'"
"'A few more minutes sound pretty good just now, dragon. What would you ask of me?'
Moraelyn's voice sounded as calm and easy as if he was asking if there would be rain
tomorrow. "He can keep his head in a tight spot, I'll give him that."
"'I have a toothache. It's too far back for me to reach it with my claws. Canst see it, elf?' The
dragon gapes his jaws to bare his teeth."
"Moraelyn's invisiblity spell wore off about then, and I could see him standing there staring
up into that cavern of a mouth. 'Lower your head a bit so I can get a good look.' He puts out
his hand and pulls the upper lip aside, cool as you please, and examines the inner gum
carefully. Damndest thing I ever saw."
"'It's abcessed. Thy gum wants lancing, and the tooth should come out. I can lance it if you
trust me in there with a sword.'"
"'And why should I trust you, dark elf? I hear no good of your kind.'"
"'You must be spending too much time with Nords, then. I wouldn't be able to kill you before
you killed me. Why should I even try? Listen, I have some friends up above. Suppose they
hunt you up a nice fat deer. I'll lance your gum and you can let me go and eat the deer. Else
you can just eat me now, toothache and all.'"
"'Hssssssss. What makes you think your friends will return once they're away?'"
"'They're not very smart. I think for them. They'd be lost without me. Good hunting, guys!
Uh, if they can't find a deer, is there anything else you'd like? Pig, maybe? A few rabbits?
Nuts? Berries? Hurry up, will you?' But we had hand signals and his hands said to get out of
there and stay out! I'd a been glad to; I mean I'm fond of Moraelyn but I didn't see my dying
alongside would bring him any comfort. I'd a been glad to see him clear if it was me that was
on the menu, and I figured he felt the same way. But that thick-skulled Nord wouldn't listen to
me! Said if dying beside him was all we could do, then that's what we'd do. Nord nonsense.
Sounds good in a song, though."
"So we took a couple hours getting a deer and headed back with it. I figured Moraelyn was
filling the dragon's belly by now, and the dragon would be happy to add a deer, another Dark
Elf and a Nord to round out his day's rations. But Moraelyn was still sitting there, chatting
with the dragon. He didn't look that pleased to see us, either. Told us to leave the deer and go
and he'd lance the abcess once we're away. But Mats says he's been thinking. Oh, brother, I
thought. Mats doesn't think too often, and that's a good thing, really. He's decided he can get a
chain round that bad tooth, fasten down the end to the floor, and then the dragon can give it a
good yank himself."
"The dragon likes the idea, so Moraelyn lances that abcess to take the swelling down to where
the dragon can gulp the deer with some comfort. And then they rig up a chain and get that
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