The knight awakens slowly. Little sleep did he get. He can see small patches of light beginning to shine through his window. Soon it will be sunrise. Still, I am not sure that the plan I told the king will work and how I should pursue it? he wonders. He hurriedly dresses and exits his room with his few possessions and a large parcel of food that was packaged from the tavern the night before. He leaves the inn and finds his horse ready for him at the stable. He pays the stable boy and rides toward the castle gate entrance. Along the way he notices farmers feeding their stock as they do every morning. Suddenly, a thought comes to him, the beginning of a way he so desperately needs to slay the dragon. At last, I now have a beginning of a plan, he thinks. It will fit in nicely with what I told the king. I pray the rest will come to me soon.
The captain and several guards are waiting for him at the entrance. The captain greets him.
"I hope you are ready, Sir Knight?"
"I am indeed," answers the knight.
As the guards start to attach a small cart to the knights horse, the captain says,
"I hope this cart will be of good use to you as it is for you to carry back the dragons head and present it to the king."
"It will," says the knight. "For I will use it even before we reach the dragon's lair." The captain looks puzzled and asks,
"And how so?"
"I will need it to carry a butchered animal; a sheep, a pig, or even a lamb. It is part of my plan to finish the dragon. This will make it easier for me. Surely there will be a farmer along the way whom I could purchase one from?" answers the knight.
"There will be many," replies the captain.
Just before they depart, the knight notices that there is no one there to see them off. Why should there be he thinks, for no one, he has seen so far, has had any interest in his quest except for the king. A sudden movement in the shadows behind the bars of the gate captures his attention. He can tell that it is a woman, for her face can be seen pressed hard against the bars of the gate. Even thought he can see little of her he sees there is something unique about her; something different. He stares at her for several moments feeling that she just doesn't belong here. Perhaps her eyes hold me? Thinks the knight. He notices that she is old and grey but her appearance is striking and he is somewhat mesmerized by her. She is like that of a woman of great beauty and nobility. Why is she here? She seems to not belong here, thinks the knight.
"Let us ride!" commands the captain. With these words the woman quickly moves and strongly pushes open the gate and runs to the knight screaming:
"Don't kill my love! Don't kill my love!" She then grabs the leg of the knight on his horse, surprising him and causing his horse to bolt slightly. She hangs on tightly and quickly slips something into the knight's leather bag strapped to his saddle. No one sees her do this. She continues her ranting, "Don't kill my love! Don't kill my love!" The captain then shouts an order to her.
"Florence, go back into the castle. How did you get out? You know you shouldn't be out here!" The gatekeeper grabs her and pulls her back. The knight does not know what to do. She continues to shout, "Don't kill my love!" The knight is moved by the aura of this woman. Who is she? he thinks.
"Let us ride!" repeats the captain, as she is pulled back into the castle gate.
"Who was that?" asks the knight, " And why does she ask me not to kill? And why does she call me her love? Why, she doesn't even know me! What does she mean by this request?"
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Don't Kill My Love
काल्पनिकA man is deeply in love with a beautiful woman, but a jealous king won't allow their marriage because he wants her for himself. The king plots a devilish scheme to turn the man into a dragon and use him as his pet.
