To save young Prince Thomas

Knight of the Realm, Ser Louisa de Griffin surveyed the land that extended beyond the ridge. With her helm up she could clearly smell the sulfur and burning limestone.

The valley was pocketed with tiny pools of lava, what earth she could see was probably not stable.

“What are you thinking?” asked Michael, Ser Louisa’s loyal page.

He was fifteen, small for his age but strong. Ser Louisa knew if she asked him to Michael would happily carry whatever she thought she might need.

Walking in to a dragon’s den though it was not worth risking two lives, plus the life of the steed Kaos and the pack horse Michael rode.

“I shall go on alone,” replied Ser Louisa with a frown. “No point risking four lives when one is sufficient.

Michael nodded, knowing it best not to speak when the Knight was brooding. He busied himself with getting sword and shield ready.

The page considered whether a lance or spear would be required and then decided to await Ser Louisa’s orders.

“Good!” she announced. This was high praise her page knew.

She gracefully dismounted from her snow white steed and accepted the sheathed blade and medium sized rectangle of metal.

Michael assisted the Knight with strapping the scabbard to her hip and the shield firmly to her forearm.

As a left hander in a right handed world the strapping was awkward to do but Michael had been serving Ser Louisa and the Griffin house for all of his life.

Quite swiftly both weapon and protection were in place to the satisfaction of the page as well as his Knight.

Michael admired the rearing griffin emblem embossed in the shield’s center the color of crimson. Surrounding it were a field of the famous five leafed clover.

All this was printed upon a background of orange representing the genetic red hair and temper common to that family.

“Step aside, dreamer,” ordered Ser Louisa. “I believe I have a date with destiny.”

“Should you fail, I can keep your horse, right?” suggested Michael with a smile.

“As always, that is our agreement,” replied Ser Louisa. “Now wish me luck.”

“But I want your horse,” quipped Michael causing Louisa to laugh.

With a smile upon her face the Knight strode forward and began her approach.

It took Ser Louisa half an hour in her heavy mail to explore the safest path to the Dragon’s den.

Standing before the gaping hole in the mountainside the Knight flipped her helm down and drew forth her holy blade.

The length of the long sword dazzled like daylight, a useful magic when combating undead but of little benefit against an ancient lizard.

The Knight balanced the notion of surprise against an inability to see and decided the blade would remain drawn. A final glance

back toward the ridge and again Ser Louisa had to grin. Page Michael was playing with warhorse and pack horse both, seemingly not a care in the world.

“I wish I possessed your confidence, Michael,” muttered the Knight.

Life or death awaited, Ser Louisa hurried on.

It was in the Knight’s best interest to venture forth. It had been at least an eighth day that the young Prince Thomas had been taken from his chamber by the great Dragon Yoth.

The chromatic lizard with red, gold and orange scale pattern had been sighted by the Tower Guard for at least a month or two before the kidnapping occurred.

Once Prince Thomas had been taken it was easy to track him back to the creature’s lair.

Now that she was here Ser Louisa wondered if it were indeed worth blindly obeying King and country. She wondered would this Prince indeed be worth the risk?

Honor propelled the holy soldier onward to what fate had willed her.

The tunnel into the earth was straight and the markings on the walls, floor and roof demonstrated extremely large claws.

Ser Louisa guessed that the Dragon needed some wing space but regardless of such the tunnel’s size still proposed a fair sized beast.

“HALT! COME NONE FURTHER ELSE YOU FEEL THE STING OF MY BREATH!!” called the voice of the lizard bringing Ser Knight from her moment of reverie.

Readying her shield and praying the blessed metal would deflect the worst of the fiery scolding Ser Louisa answered the threat.

“Let your worst be set upon me!”

“AS YE HATH WISHED KNIGHT!!”

“In the name of King, Country and God I demand the release of young Prince Thomas!” announced the Knight.

Louisa’s demand was drowned out by a wall of bright flame that seemed to fill the tunnel as it sped toward the Knight. Shield up Ser Louisa

braced. Fire licked around the metal barrier eating away at the heraldic symbol. As the gush of flame became naught but a warm breeze the Knight discovered her prayer answered.

‘I am alive!’ she thought in disbelief.

With the sound of steel upon stone Ser Louisa raced toward where she could see the hulking form of the great lizard.

“Now the time to strike is MINE!!” announced the Knight.

With blade held high radiating righteousness the holy soldier bore down on Dragon Yoth; that is until she saw through the slits in her helm the figure of young Prince Thomas.

The fair boy with golden curls stood between Yoth’s forefeet, resting one hand lightly upon a blade sized claw. The other hand held the claw-like paw of a young lizard, a hatchling. This creature had the scales of Yoth but as a surprise to Ser Louisa the eyes distinctly resembled those of young Prince Thomas.

“No!” Ser Louisa whispered.

“I thank thee for mine rescue!” called young Prince Thomas. “Humorously it was unnecessary…”

“FOR WE ARE ONE AND TOGETHER… FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILD AS MUCH FOR OURSELVES…” continued the great Dragon Yoth.

Thus was the dilemma for Ser Louisa. To complete her quest and take a life, to ruin love and destroy a family. Or to turn about, leave what was and find adventure elsewhere.

Such a contest with stakes so high, may it be that the decision made by the Knight was the right one…