Hana and I stood in front of a wrought iron gate set in a stone wall higher than our heads. On the other side was a flower garden separated into quarters by a path. The garden had plum trees just about to blossom, and small green plants sprouting from chalice-shaped flower pots. At the center of the quarters, surrounded by the path, was a clover covered mound on which rested the statue of a sleeping griffin, about the size of a large dog.
The house on the other side was two floors, and a third floor at the roof, with gabled windows. The second floor hung slightly further out over the bottom floor, and the roof also extended out an extra foot or two. The house was a pale yellow, while the trim and supporting beams were a dark brown.
“Dain lives here?” Hana asked.
“No. Well, yes. He’s a houscarl for the merchant, Rhoal. Better money guarding travellers than guarding cities.”
“Apparently. I wonder if he needs bread delivered. Or pies.”
I turned the gate handle and began to open the gate. It creaked. The griffin statue lifted its head, opened its beak, and shrieked. Suddenly, a large wolf came running, as if from nowhere. I closed the gate and took a few steps back. The wolf pushed it's head between the bars, growling and snapping at us. I turned to Hana and shrugged.
“I think they know we're here,” I said.
“Good eye you have, and good ear,” she answered.
A moment later, Dain emerged from the house, holding a shield and a sword. He whistled, and both the griffin and the wolf stopped their noise and sat quietly on either side of the gate, keeping their eyes on us. As he approached us, he broke into a grin. He sheathed his sword, but kept his shield ready.
“Zed! It’s been a while. And Hana, right? What brings the two of you this way?”
“Dragon,” I said.
“Well, I assume you didn’t ride it here. And I’m afraid I don’t know anything about it.”
“Are you interested in fighting it?” I asked.
“Fight a dragon? That would be the adventure of a lifetime. I’d like nothing more, except maybe actually defeating it.”
I could feel my muscles relax. “So you’ll join us?”
He turned his eyes down slightly, and looked back up at me. “I have obligations - an agreement with Rhoan here. I’m afraid I can’t just up and leave. There’s always Sal, though. He loves a good fight.”
Hana and I both laughed. He looked from one of us to the other.
“It seems a dragon is not a good fight,” Hana answered.
“Perhaps he’s smarter than I thought,” Dain frowned.
“Hey now, didn’t you say ‘adventure of a lifetime’?” Hana asked.
Dain laughed now. “No one ever said adventures were a smart idea. You should go. You’ve got a long road ready.”
He turned around and headed back to the house. He whistled after the two animals. The griffin went back to its mound but kept its eyes open, watching us. The wolf followed him in.
“Those are loyal friends you have,” Hana said.
“Oh, shut up,” I mumbled.
We stood there a few moments, then turned and walked away.
-----
“You are the most stubborn boar I’ve ever known,” Hana said.
I tried to ignore her. I had been hoping for someone up close, to help me keep the dragon confused and off-guard. I still hoped Grem might be able to help, though I don’t think arrows would deal much damage, or be distracting enough.
“You listen to me, now! There’s no soldier’s following you, there’s nobody needs to see me respecting you, and I have something to say.
I stopped and glanced around. My mind had been travelling faster than we were; we hadn’t gotten far from Rhoal’s.
“That’s better. Zed, your mission is insane. The gods know you’re going to die, and the people you looked to for help have turned away. You can’t win this.”
“I have a strong sister with a weapon, a sword that came into my hands for a reason, hope for help from Grem and, as you hinted at, a blessing from the gods.”
“You’re not the first to have help like that when facing odds like this. And yet, most of them still wind up dead. You need to rethink this; you need a lot more help than you’ve got.”
“There have been people who killed dragons on their own.”
“Legends and stories, not even about dragons as big as you claim this one to be.”
“Either help,” I said and leaned in close to her, “Or go home. Your attitude is not helping. Doubt does not fight dragons. Swords and strength fights dragons. Occasionally, magic and alchemy fight dragons. If all you bring is doubt, go home.”
“Learn the difference between doubt and wisdom. Now...listen - ”
“No, you listen - ”
“No, I mean listen. Do you hear that?”
I closed my mouth and listened. There was a bark, and a growl. I looked around for the source. I saw stone fences and trees; I saw a cobblestone road. Then I saw the wolf, running for us. I stepped forward, blocking Hana with my arms. I looked it straight in the eye, and began to calmly untie my sword. The wolf stopped a few paces away, and flattened its ears against it head. It lowered its snout to shoulder-height and growled.
There was a whistling sound. The wolf and I both looked up. It was Dain.
“You traveled a little faster than I expected. Good thing I had Fang here to help follow. You might want to take you hands off your sword. He knows what weapons are, and he is a guard dog,” Dain said.
I let go of my sword, still half-bound, and spread my hands out to my side. He stopped growling, but kept his ears to the side.
“Fang, play nice.” Dain reached down and scratched behind Fang’s ears. Fang panted and looked up at him.
“Are you joining us?” I asked.
Dain smiled. “Maybe. Rhoal wants to meet you. He’s interested in your quest. You may get more help than you were asking for.”
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