"and then he shot it through the heart," said the Minstrel as he first pantomimed an archer drawing a bow and taking aim. He normally would have stretched out his tale, but his shoulder was acting up and he was hungry; best to wrap it up, collect his coins, and get a bit of supper before it got too late.
The crowd gathered in the town square was in shock. Mostly the children, but some of the old folks seemed disappointed with the end as well. A couple of the large labourer looking types simply snorted and walked away. The minstrel sighed, as he noted they left without paying.
"..but it couldn't have ended like that. Mina was clearly the dragon, Gerald should have saved her," exclaimed a particularly agitated young girl.
"Sometimes there's no happy endings," sighed the Minstrel as he held out his wide brimmed feather cap. A couple of the elders nodded in agreement and tossed some coins in.
"You can't end it here, " complained a short freckled kid. "What about the rest of them."
The Minstrel grumbled but relented. His supper would have to wait for the sake of his art. "Well , let's see. Armondo the half orc, I'm sure you've all heard of him even in this hamlet, he went on to claim great renown. Killing small ten footer dragons was one thing, but a red over twenty was quite another. Believe it or not, he went on to court Prince Aaron for a few years, before his multiple wives caught up to him. After that he fled the kingdom and went into hiding. I've been told he makes a living performing archery tricks. "
Some eyebrows were raised in the crowd, and the Minstrel made note of that. He would ask questions later.
"Besides being courted by Armondo, Prince Aaron, who despite her recently revealed identity still preferred to be known as a Prince, was proclaimed King of Westholding. The old King Gustav had gotten so daft, that he couldn't even remember his original deception and was sent away to the Great Sanitarium in Grom to seek aid in his madness."
"Speaking of the Great Sanitarium. Lady Tessa was sent there as well. Prince Aaron forgave her betrayal, but the death of her father, the bout of Dragon fear and the realization of her own failure to lead the town was too much of a strain for the young woman's mind. Sadly, she never made it there. It's said that she escaped before she could receive help, and is now running wild with adventurers."
"Let me see, what else. While Alak Dool was implicated in the failed invasion he was never brought to justice. Prince Aaron and several of the surrounding kingdoms massed an army to the Dool Lands. They succeeded in sacking a few keeps and fortresses and even took a fair chunk of territory, but the amount of humanoids were just too thick there. While they won most of their battles, none of the victories were decisive. After a few years they simply kept garrisons in their newly won holdings to keep the goblins and their ilk in check."
"My pa was in the great Crusade," interrupted one of the children. "He brought me back a gob..gobyn..goblin war drum."
The Minstrel nodded at the brat and continued.
"Lady Scarecrow was not able to revert back to Sir Thomas. Prince Aaron hired several wizards but none were able to break the curse. Also, it seems that her marriage was already on the rocks and this gender change was the last straw. Her wife divorced her, but I heard she lives happily now with Ed the Teamster."
"The town of Daggerhall was destroyed, but thankfully most of its people survived. They rebuilt the town with aid from the Kingdom, with a stone keep and walls this time. Also, a detachment of knights was assigned to the town to deter future incursions. A town can change a lot in ten years."
"As for Captain Tighyihha and Ceto. Well, I guess there's a happy ending for someone in this tale. While Armondo received most of the acclaim, the pair still got a cut of the reward. They decided to take some time off, and were eventually married. Yes, I know. A gnome and a half orc is an odd couple, but you don't choose love, love chooses you. The last I heard, the pair moved to North Darokin and bought a nice big hacienda there. They adopted a couple of kids, since gnomes and half orcs do not breed true, and are doing quite well for themselves. Ceto found great success as a masked pit fighter, Diablo Verde, while Tig focused her alchemy skills for less destructive purposes. Seems she opened up a distillery, and started brewing up some of the local liquor, a beverage known as Agave worm juice. Apparently she's quite good at it, and even won some awards for her Tiguila."
"I love Tiguila," commented a dwarf, much to the agreement of the crowd.
"Hmm…is there anyone else?" asked the Minstrel, playing up mostly to the small children. The adults had already left and tossed their coins, but he still had a crowd, regardless of how young.
"Gerald the bard!"
"Ahh, that scamp was devastated by the death of the dragon, the real dragon I mean. He had no proof it was Mina, but it haunted him ever since. He took up to drinking and gambling, and spent his portion of the reward money in just a few months. With his money and love gone, the bard finally left town never to be seen again. Some say he was the one the rescued Tess from the sanitarium, some say he joined Prince Aaron's crusade into the Dool Lands as a foot soldier, other's say he simply drunk himself into a ditch. A sad ending I know. As a fellow bard, I for one would like to think he got his life back together and pursued his career in the Empire of Grom. You might think of him as a failure, but how many people stood up to a goblin, a warg, a bugbear, a giant, a wizard, and even a dragon? And lived to tell about it,"
The children weren't sure what to make of the ending of the Minstrel's tale, but they eventually dispersed and chattered amongst themselves about it. The Minstrel was pleased, not only by the reaction of the crowd, but by his haul today. Mostly coppers, but a few silver were mixed into his hat. That should set up him up for a few days, he thought as he poured them into his coin purse.
As he gathered his loot and made his way to the inn through one of the darker streets. One of the larger labourers that had left before tipping stood in his path, with two lean dangerous men behind him.
"That was a good story Minstrel," said the red faced young man, as his cohorts surrounded the Minstrel and cut off his route of escape. "I think, my friends and I would like to think about it over a few drinks, on you of course."
The Minstrel's hand went for his mace, as the three came at him. He managed to clip one in the gut with his weapon, sending him reeling to the ground, but another grabbed him from behind as the big youth snatched his purse away.
As the battle was joined, a small fiery orb darted around them, causing them to pause in confusion.
"Release my treasure," said a soft but firm voice from out of nowhere.
Knowing that the odds had now changed, the big youth and the lean man who was hit in the stomach ran while the other one slipped a knife near the Minstrel's neck. "Stay back!" he threatened.
The Minstrel sighed, and simply transformed his travelling clothes into that of a bright suit of shiny plate armour. This caught his attacker by surprise, and his grip was released. Before the knife wielder could react however, a small cloaked woman stepped out of the shadows and tossed him aside with a single blow. The man crumpled to the ground with a groan.
"I could have handled that," grumbled Gerald. "And now all my busking money has fled."
"I said, release my treasure," snorted Mina as she hugged the bard as the fiery orb vanished back into her satchel. "Coins come and go, but I only have one Gerard."
Gerald would have preferred the coins right now, as he watched the larger youth speed down the street. There was no way he could catch him. Mina could, but not without making a commotion, wrecking the town, and sending half the population gibbering in fear. Just as the red faced young man was about to round a corner, an arrow pierced his hand causing him to drop the purse. The man looked in shock at his mutilated hand, he made a pathetic mewling noise before running out of sight.
"You should be more careful with all the thieves running around in this backwater town," said a big squat half orc as he walked out of the shadows. He turned to Mina and bowed deeply. "Once again, I'm eternally sorry for shooting you that day."
"There was no harm done," said Mina as she hugged Armondo.
Gerald shook his head as he trotted to scoop up his coins. "Why are you apologizing to her for. You hit me remember," he said as he rubbed his still wounded shoulder. While Armondo's aim was true, Gerald found speed he never knew he had. The bard had jumped in the path of the arrow, taking the shot in the shoulder meant for Mina's heart. Even with the best of magic, the Black arrow's wound had still not healed properly.
"So, what's a fine upstanding couple like you two doing in this no good thieves den," smiled Armondo. The half orc motioned to slap his shoulder, making Gerald involuntarily wince, but he quickly turn his slap into a handshake to everyone's amusement except the bard's.
"Well, as you can guess, we're looking for you," said Gerald.
"Eh?"
"Tig and your brother are finally coming out of retirement. They're thinking of expanding their distillery and need some serious gold," explained Mina.
"I could think of better ways to make gold that those that involve a ruffian like me," winked Armondo and then motioned her to continue.
"During the crusade into the Dool lands, a map was discovered indicating where Alak Dool had hidden an interesting artifact. Well, it was too deep into enemy territory for an army to trek, but well you know….a small team….a spot for an archer….you know any good ones?"
Armondo shook his head. "Count me out. It's taken me ten years to settle accounts with my ….bookies, loan sharks, and EX-WIVES. It cost me a lot you know, and not just in coins. I've learned my lesson about living 'the adventurer's life, and I just want a peaceful fresh start. I'm happy shooting crows and making an occasional coin on archery tricks at the bar. I've learned to be a more humble person over the last ten years, and learned never to start a relationship on a lie."
"Prince Aaron is coming," teased Mina.
"What really? Hmm….let me think about it."
After an uneventful trek to the inn, a few rounds of mead, and a few details about the expedition, it didn't take Armondo long to decide. He told Gerald and Mina to stay put as he grabbed his gear and made arrangements concerning his apartment.
As the pair waited at the bar, Mina slid close to Gerald. "You know, that's the first time I've heard that particular version of our first meeting," she purred. "So all this time, you initially thought I was a big nosed dwarf in disguise?"
"All this time you thought I could see through your alternate form?" retorted the Bard. The two stared at each other and then giggled.
"Well, I guess my judgement might have been a bit faulty back then," sighed Mina. "I was lonely you know, and the thought that there was someone that could see through my guise and not run away was just too much for me not to accept."
"It wouldn't have mattered if you were a dwarf or a dragon, though I would have drew the line if I found out you were that shapechanging codger Zerd. I'd take an arrow for you any day. "
Mina laughed. She arched her back and placed her hands over her chest in an exaggerated fashion as if someone had shot her. " You really know how to kill a dragon and win her love, Gerard. Your words go straight through my heart."
The end.