by Pam Lynne
simple farm boy Dray was the one to come to her rescue? Well let me tell you. From the time the wizard, knight, and prince arrived in town something just didn’t sit right with Dray. As said before, Dray was a simple farm boy but not unintelligent; he was much smarter than he gave himself credit for and if he appeared slow in discovering the true purpose and intent of the trio, perhaps it was because some things in life must be allowed to play out so that other events that need to happen, can.
The first thing that puzzled Dray was why the King would send an envoy of only three people and why a wizard, a knight, and a prince to search out a new highway? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have more people, one of which was at least an actual surveyor? And why a highway connecting Bluewater and Greentree when there was a road that already connected them to the south of Woodedge that went through more hospitable territory then what surrounded them? And why, when they finally did go exploring, they didn’t take any locals with them who were at least knowledgeable of immediate terrain? So if they weren’t here for the highway, what then? There was nothing else surrounding them but endless wilderness and uninhabitable lands.
Dray did not express his concerns to others as they seemed to not only accept the strangers' story of exploring a new highway, but welcomed it. He did however want to find out more and as he had already planned on taking a trip to Bluewater, thought it a good idea to make some enquires to see if there was rumour of a new Kings highway. He also wanted to see if anyone there had heard of the wizard Machvell, Sir Abscon, and Prince Timor.
Upon the first day of arriving in Bluewater, he went to the market and began asking questions there. At first he learned nothing; no one knew anything about a new highway and indeed all thought it a foolish idea as there was a much better highway already built! On the second day of his visit he did meet someone that knew of Machvell, Abscon, and Timor and what this stranger said confirmed some of his worse fears. They definitely were not in the service of the King and in fact were probably wanted by him for being outlaws. They were liars and thieves and would steal the bed from beneath a sleeping man just for the fun of it. Where they went, trouble always followed!
Upon hearing this Dray was filled with anxiety and left immediately for home riding as quickly as he possibly could all the while wondering at what horrific deeds these three rogues might be up to. He still did not know exactly why they had come to Woodedge but the stranger he talked to assured him in no uncertain terms that they were up to no good.
So it was that Dray finally arrived back to Woodedge just before dark on the same evening that May herself was in the dragons den picking through piles of treasures trying to figure out which was the most valuable in order to save her life. The first home he came to was that of the Fares and he naturally stopped there. Laydon and Mary Fare were happy to see him but knew it was May that he was most interested in seeing. They knew of his fondness for their daughter and hoped that someday she would see him that way too. They soon sent him on his way to the village explaining that May had already gone there and would be spending the night with Natty, the innkeeper’s daughter and her best friend. Upon hearing this Dray suddenly had a very strange premonition that May was in trouble and needed his help. He tried to ignore it and not wishing to alarm the Fare’s said nothing of what he learned while in Bluewater but quickly took leave and rode straight away to the inn. Upon arriving the first person he saw was the innkeepers wife and before he could ask after Maydon and her friend she said “Welcome home Dray!” she greeted knowing he had been gone for several days. “How was Bluewater? Did you by chance stop at the Fare Farm on your way in?” Dray nodded yes for that was all he could get in. “How are they? May was to spend the night but had to go back as she said they weren’t feeling well. I asked if she wanted one of us to come as well, but she said no, they would be fine she was sure.”
Dray’s heart sank at hearing this and his previous feeling of uneasiness was quickly turning to dread but being what others described as a quiet, thoughtful person, his immediate silence was not interpreted as to there being something wrong.
“Um, no, they are ok.” Not wishing to express his concerns until he could find out more. “I need to talk to your husband though, is he about?”
“Yes, he’s talking in the dining hall as usual” she laughed waving him away.
Dray walked into the dining room at just the precise moment that he needed to. He heard the innkeeper talking to three men sitting at the table closest to the door. “Yes, they left early this morning before anyone else was up. They said they wanted to get back to the city to start making arrangements for the new highway as soon as possible.” The three men responded positively to this bit of news. “It’s funny though, that wizard fellow had actually asked me the other day about a dragon!” which all four men laughed at being those that did not believe there was a dragon in their lands.
For just a moment Dray’s world stopped as all the bits and pieces fell into place for him. He did not hear any more of their conversation nor did he stay any longer for he now knew why the three men had come here and worse than that, he knew where May was. She was not spending the night with her best friend as she had told her parents and she was not tending her ailing parents as she told her best friend. He did not know how or why, but willing or not (he assumed not), May was with the three strangers and they were headed for the dragons den!
Dray immediately went home and grabbed what he could for weapons and protection which included a wood axe, a club, and a silver platter that he hoped would at least be able to turn away a knife blade. Though it was now dark, he was not willing to wait until daylight to pursue them and would not risk further delay by trying to convince others to come with him. Dray was as an excellent hunter and tracker, in fact considered one of the best in the village for his age and when he wasn’t tending the family farm he was exploring the surrounding lands. He knew the country well enough and he knew where the dragon lived.
Unlike the others, Dray knew there was a dragon that lived less than a day’s ride from the village for he had seen it himself several years ago while out hunting late one autumn evening. Just before dark he heard what he thought at first to be the wind blowing and then looking up, saw the dragon flying overhead just above the treetops. Either the dragon did not see him or ignored him as it continued its flight until he saw it land on a rocky hillside where it suddenly disappeared. Realizing there must be a cave up there he also realized that previous tales told by others about seeing a dragon where true. It was the most frightening experience he had and though at first he wanted to tell others he remembered that those that said they saw a dragon were laughed at and called delusional. He also remembered his grandfather telling him how he had seen the dragon when he was a boy and when Dray asked why he didn’t tell anyone, he simply replied “As far as I know that dragon had been there long before we came along and never bothered anyone so I thought it best to let sleeping dragons lie.”
All night Dray rode and it was slow going as he had to pick his way through the darkness but he followed familiar markings and trails whenever possible and though he would have made far better time had he waited until the morning, his heart would not let him.
And while he rode he remembered everything he was ever told about dragons including the supposed treasure they possessed and knew that was what the three rogues were after. This was fine with him for he had no doubt the dragon could easily fend for himself against those three and they would get what they deserved from him. But he also remembered the stories of how dragons had a penchant for fair maidens who were often used as sacrifices and he knew that was their plan for May. Going anywhere near where there was a dragon was terrifying for Dray but the thought of May in danger was absolutely worse and yes, he would fight the dragon barehanded to save his Maydon Fare!
It was of course a very good thing that he rode all night for he finally arrived at the bottom of the hill where the dragons den was just in time to see the four of them standing halfwa
y down the hill. He had no plan and no idea of what to do and in fact no hope of accomplishing anything, but seeing May and knowing her plight, he cried out. They all turned just as the sun shone from behind a cloud reflecting off his silver platter. He was truly stunned by what happened next for what he saw were three men suddenly running down the hill toward him and he braced himself thinking they were going to attack. Dray was an excellent farmer and hunter, but by no means a fighter. His only thought was that he must at least save May if nothing else. He did not realize what they saw as they looked at him and didn’t know what had just transpired so it was with confusion and relief when the three men actually ran straight past him and to their horses. They were gone so quickly that Dray had no time to do anything, even if he had an idea of what to do! Jumping down from his horse his next thought was getting to May and when she came running to him and threw her arms around him – well, that was the most wonderful moment of his life!
So May survived her encounter with a real live dragon and true to her word did not tell anyone about it with the exception of Dray of
