Be wery wery quiet.

So what manner of beastie is it this time Leeland? perhaps a goblin infestation?

Well, it's a bit more, err, more than that.

*groan* it's not another Minotaur again is it?  I hate those things, always living in mazes.  most of the trouble is getting in and out of the place.

So you want a head on challenge then, Gerald?

I always want a head on challenge, hitting things with my hammer is what I ~do~ you know.

Remember how you were admiring that one paladin's armor two towns back when we were clearing out the dark cultists from the abandoned church?

Okay, yeah, but what does this have to do with. . .wait, is it a giant fish?  You know I hate water. . .

No, the fish scale armor was some other time with a druid.  The paladin had thicker scales than that.

. . .it's a drake?

err, not quite.

You can't be serious.

Well, they said it was only as big as a wagon, that's practically a baby!

Baby or not, a dragon is way above what they're paying me.  What are we getting paid for this one?

Ummm, they said we could take the hoard if we could find it.

So nothing then?  No dragon in this squalid part of the world is going to have anything of value.  At least not a young one.

Well you never know, it could be inherited. . .

No it couldn't and you know it, it would have what it scavenged and stole from the countryside.  The last dragon to die and leave a hoard behind was hundreds of years ago, and it still wasn't until the past century that anything could even get past the magical traps that were set up around it.

Well, what about the scales?

What about them?

Well, if you kept them and sold them or. . .

But there's no market, and there is certainly no one around that I'd trust to actually work with them themself.  The last blacksmith I saw in these parts was using a wooden hammer of all things.

So we finish this one fast and go on to the next one?

No, we either drop it alltogether or we do this carefully.

But we can't back out, I already told the elders that we would take care of it for them!  If you hadn't been drunk in the tavern then. . .

Great, so now my honor is on the line and we can't back out.  where is this thing supposed to be again?

Somewhere up on the high reaches, these hills we're walking around in.

. . .

What?

. . .

No really, what?

And you were going to tell me we were within the dragon's territory when exactly?

It's daytime, wouldn't it be sleeping?

Yes, but it can hear and smell well enough, and if it's been active enough to be a problem that needs hunting odds are it already knows we're here.

Well I haven't seen anyth-DUCK!