Don't Kill My Love

Doing It.

The sun rises and brightly shines through a large hole in the ceiling of the cave where the dragon enters and exits.  Both dragon and knight begin to stir as the cave slowly brightens.  Little sleep did either of them get.  They know what they must now do for they carefully planned each step the day before.   Few words are spoken as they rise and go about their duties.   The knight ventures outside to get his horse as the dragon lies down in the stream.     He then stretches out his arms and legs to locate the best place to be strapped down and tied by the knight.  The knight now brings in his horse which he has blindfolded.  He then selects the vines from the walls of the cave that he will need and attaches each one individually to his horse.   He now stretches them, except for the rotted vines, with his horse, and finds out that they cannot even even be broken by his horse.     The knight then moves to the stream and securely ties each of the vines to the dragon's arms and legs, and stretches them, with the help of his horse.    All the vines, that can be seen, are stretched tight to each of the dragon's appendages thus making them look very strong, as they surely are.  The knight finally carefully attaches the rotted vines which will hold down the tail. They are underwater and can hardly be seen.    Hopefully, these can be easily broken.    The dragon lets the knight know when the vines are tight enough.  By noon they are done. 

"I am now heavily bound ," states the dragon.  "I cannot move, even using all of my strength. and of course, I am not very sure of my tail.  I guess we will not know this until the time comes."

The knight, now resting on a rock in the cave, asks,

"What if the king does not fall for this plan?  What if he sends me back to slay you as he originally requested and then ask that I return with your head?"

"Then, I beg you, finish me off!" replies the dragon. For what good would I be without eyes.  It would be best if you were to do this and collect the gold you were promised.  But, there is one thing I beg you to do if you can?"

"And what is that?"  asks the knight.

"Please tell Flo, if you can, how this all came to be and how much I love her and how I have tried, so many times, to come back to her and even though I am gone, my love for her will never die," pleads the dragon.

The knight now remembers what was written in the locket and replies, "You are my friend, William, this I will definitely do as you ask."

 At this time there is only silence.    Only the sound of the trickling of water from the stream.  For some time, neither of them speak, for both know what is next to come.

Finally, the dragon speaks.  "You know what you must now do."

"Yes, I know,"  answers the knight.

"So do it, my friend!"  requests the dragon.

The knight takes a deep breath and slowly rises and grabs the two burlap sacks full of the pretty yellow flowers that he gathered the day before. He then gently wades into the stream where the dragon's head lies.  He grabs a bunch of the flowers and feeds them to the dragon.  In a few minutes, the dragon has eaten all of them. 

"Thank you, Anthony,"  says the dragon.  "I know this has been difficult for you."

"Not as difficult as what I will have to do to you next, William,"  replies the knight.

"I regard you highly, as I feel you are my, you are my, you are............"  With these last few words, the dragon falls asleep.   The knight stares at the dragon.    He then softly and slowly touches the dragon's face.  He runs his fingers over many scars caused by arrows and spears. He dreads what he has to do next.  He knows he must not falter.  He knows he must be strong.  He knows he cannot abandon his friend.  He puts all thoughts out of his head and draws his dagger from its sheath.  He makes himself think that all of this is not real and that he is in a maze and what he is about to do is just a dream of some sort and soon he will awaken from it.  He takes a moment to gather his strength and then jabs his dagger into one the dragon's eye sockets.  Blood squirts out turning the surrounding water red.  He carefully cuts around the eyeball and removes it intact.   The dragon does not bolt.    He then places it into one of the burlap sacks as blood continues to drain from the socket.   He then jabs his dagger into the other socket, cuts around the eyeball and removes it as even more blood drains into the water, and places it into the other sack.  He then retreats with the sacks, still in a maze as if in a dream, and walks out of the cave.  He places the burlap sacks into the cart which he earlier attached to his horse.  He then prepares to mount his horse and suddenly what he has just done now engulfs him.   He  now realizes this is all real and falls to his knees beside his horse and cries,