King Thomas led Eleanor into a more private area, where he shut the doors behind himself and had a guard posted outside. He gestured for her to sit as he sat in a leather chair.
"My dear, I have heard rumors about your accomplishments in my kingdom. My sources have told me about how you rescued the dressmaker's girl from a she-bear, tamed the Nightmare of Neiromeh, freed Gilligan Greenbriar from prison, and aided in the Merry Men's work by spreading gold to the poor. I also recall our encounter at a certain archery contest…"
Eleanor tensed at that, wondering what punishment she was going to receive for this. Her fears were assuaged when King Thomas smiled.
"...Which is why you are the perfect person to embark on a quest for me," he said with mock eloquence.
"A quest? What sort of quest did you have in mind?" Eleanor asked, her suspicions raising again.
The King grew silent, tears coming to his eyes. "You see my dear, my late brother King Jonathan, bless his soul, left an immense amount of treasure to me as an inheritance when he passed. The Kingdom had been terrorized by a fearsome dragon soon afterward, and the treasure was taken as well. I would certainly take back the treasure myself, but the dragon has slain and devoured every knight I have sent to conquer it. This is where you are needed, my dear," he said as he rose from his seat and walked to the other side of the room.
"If you would be so very kind as to, erm, dispose of the foul beast and bring back its head as proof, then a portion of the treasure shall be given to you as a handsome reward, and all of your crimes will be forgiven."
"And if I fail or fail to return? What then?" Eleanor asked, not liking the look he was giving her.
"Well, I am afraid that I would never have my treasure returned to me and you will not gain your reward or see the light of day ever again," he answered with a grim look, a hint of a smile in his eyes. The dragon would devour you before you even got close to it, you foolish child, he thought to himself. "Do you accept this quest? It could be far too dangerous for a young lady such as yourself to carry out, especially on your own."
"My friends will be right beside me, and as long as I have them with me, I will be perfectly safe. Where is this dragon of yours?" Eleanor replied, all friendliness drained from her tone.
King Thomas rummaged through his vast stacks of maps and charts, detailing the kingdom and the surrounding lands. A large cave was depicted with a warning scrawled across it in illegible handwriting.
"I will provide you with rations and suitable weaponry," King Thomas added.
As Eleanor pulled out her bow and dagger, he laughed heartily.
"Your sticks and knives will be no match against the armor of a dragon! You could become maimed, or worse," he snickered.
Before Eleanor could retort, Lambert entered the room, dragging a set of armor and a longsword behind him.
"You… you may need something stronger than a mere bow and dagger to defeat the beast," he intervened, getting his breath back. "Especially considering the size of it."
King Thomas nodded and pulled Lambert aside as Eleanor inspected the equipment.
"You fool! Why did you give her that armor? It will just barely protect her! What happens if she actually manages to slay the beast and demands her reward?"
"I promise to take good care of your armor, your majesty," Eleanor promised as she placed the armor aside and unsheathed the sword.
"Ah, careful! It is named Eagleclaw for a reason!" Lambert warned as Eleanor returned the sword and carried the pieces of armor to the door, which he held open for her. As Eleanor left in the direction of the dining hall, Lambert smirked. "A promise is a promise, sire, and I promise you that girl will be out of your hands soon enough."
Pulling out the map King Thomas had shown her, Eleanor cleared a table and placed it down. Finding an empty chamber, Eleanor quickly changed out of her fancy dress and jewelry, placing her second suit of clothes on, with the armor over them. The helmet was heavy, and the visor closed on her face, but she managed to keep it open long enough to speak. Taking the map again, Eleanor decided to carry the dress and jewelry with her. South, Gill, and Pine were just finishing their third helping when Eleanor approached them in the knight armor. Pine stood and drew his dagger before Eleanor stopped him. "No! Wait! It's me!" "Eleanor?" Pine asked, sheathing his dagger. "What's with the knight getup?" "I'll explain on our way out," Eleanor replied as they left the palace. Gill swiftly took four pairs of silverware with him in his pocket.
"Alright, the King showed me this map from his collection. It shows the whole kingdom, including the dragon's cave."
"It seems a little outdated, doesn't it? I suppose I could try modifying the coordinates to fit my map."
"And you believe yourself to be a cartographer?"
"Come on, Piney! Give him a chance to try at least."
The whole group had retreated to the stables, and Eleanor and her friends were a short distance away discussing the map and the quest.
"Yes, I am sure I can modify it," South replied as Pine gave a doubtful look. Gill, keeping his optimistic outlook, grabbed a cartography book and handed it to South to use as a reference. After South's additions were made, he presented the map to Pine, who read it over and gave it a thumbs-up.
"So, who's going to carry the map, then?" Eleanor asked.
"Well, since I have the best sense of direction, I should carry it," Pine replied. "Besides, I have experience with mountains."
"Now wait a minute. I drew the corrections to this map, so I should carry it," South disagreed, his face twisted a little.
The two of them bickered for a moment before Gill piped up.
"I'll carry it! You two work together and tell me where to go!"
South and Pine looked at each other before looking at him, then shrugged and rolled up the map, handing it to him.
"We don't have much daylight to go by, so we should leave now," Eleanor said as she mounted Spitfire.
Gill gave the stable boys a set of silverware each as payment before they left, earning a surprised glance from Pine. The others mounted their horses as well before the Merry Men and Rob O' parted ways with Eleanor and her company, returning to Sherwood Forest.
At the beginning of their quest, the mountainous terrain was different from what the horses were used to, so after a while, they had to leave the horses behind, tied to strong oak trees. Continuing on foot, Gill tried his best to keep everyone on the right path as Eleanor kept her balance. Pine's sense of direction and South's cartography made the journey easier as they walked. At a very steep cliffside, Eleanor suddenly lost her balance and started to fall. Pine quickly sprung into action and grabbed her arms, her weight starting to pull him down with her. South and Gill grabbed Pine's waist, and the three were able to life Eleanor back onto the cliffside.
"Are you alright, Eleanor?" Pine asked, letting go of her arms.
"Yes, I-I'm alright," Eleanor replied, a little shaken. "You saved my life again."
Pine blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, ahem, we should keep going."
"No need to," Gill piped up with a smile. "We're here!"
The cave looked unassuming from the outside, but as they drew closer to it, Eleanor could feel the heat emanating from the entrance. The scraggly branches nearby had been singed by the heat and broke in Eleanor's hands.
"Looks like this is where we need to be," she said as she lowered her helmet visor.
"Are you sure you're alright in doing this?" South asked.
"I have to try," she replied nervously. "I haven't used a sword before, but it shouldn't be too different from a dagger, right?"
"Right then! Let us slay the beast and bring back its head!"
Pine marched toward the cave, the others following.
"We have to be cautious," South warned as Gill found an old lantern.
Using a spark from his dagger, the lantern illuminated the entrance of the cave. Clutching Eagleclaw in her right hand, Eleanor crept forward, the others moving out of her way as she led them deeper inside. Gill's lantern was set aside as the cave had been illuminated by the fire from the dragon's breath. As she tried to find a place to strike, the massive form of the dragon came to light.
Crimson scales covered its back, as a cream underbelly heaved, long, obsidian claws curled around a bed of treasure. The dragon's head seemed to be adorned with a golden crown, its spines sharp. The rest of the cave was adorned with fine jewels and various tapestries, the dragon having nested amid it all. In the light of its breath, the dragon looked almost beautiful. Eleanor gripped her sword tightly, hesitating. Would it really be right to kill such a magnificent creature? Who knows if what the King said was true?
"What are you waiting for? Kill it!" Pine whispered harshly.
"We need to have the right spot," South whispered back.
"Eleanor, wait!" Gill whispered. "I think it's-"
Taking a deep breath, Pine swiftly took Eagleclaw from Eleanor, ran to the dragon, jumped into the air, and plunged the sword into its side.
Its amber eyes opened, and it roared in pain, the roar echoing throughout the cave walls.