A Quiet Arrangement
After Brunhilde flew off — slightly more carefully, and only after circling the village twice to make sure her tail was working — Sir Marrek went home for lunch.
The mayor stopped him at the gate.
"Did you defeat the dragon?"
"There was no dragon to defeat. There was a dragon to assist."
The mayor looked confused.
"Sir Marrek," he said, "you are supposed to defeat dragons."
"I am supposed to keep the village safe," said Sir Marrek. "Today, the village was safe. The dragon was the one in trouble."
The mayor frowned. He was about to argue. Then he thought about it. Then he just sighed and said, "Fine. Don't tell the King."
Sir Marrek nodded gravely.
That evening, somebody knocked at the gate of Sir Marrek's small castle. He opened the door.
It was Brunhilde. She had a small basket in one claw.
"From my hoard," she said, very dignified. "A thank-you."
The basket contained a small gold coin, very old, and three apples. Apples were apparently part of a dragon's hoard. Sir Marrek did not ask.
"Thank you," he said. "Will you stay and have tea?"
"Yes," said Brunhilde. "I will sit outside, because I will not fit through the door. But I would like tea."
Sir Marrek made tea. Brunhilde sat in the courtyard. They had tea and the apples (Brunhilde ate two; Sir Marrek had one), and Brunhilde told him the long story of how she had once stolen a sheep, by accident, and given it