With what strength she still had, Rachel placed Richard's body in the shallow grave. She crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Aside from the wounds and the paleness of his skin, he looked almost peaceful, like he was just sleeping and would awaken at any moment. This thought only brought more tears to Rachel's eyes. Blinking them away, she got to work filling in the grave.
Once she was done, Rachel tossed the shovel aside. An elevated mound of dirt lay at her feet. She was exhausted, her whole body ached, but she still had to do one last thing. Glittering in the dying sunlight, she saw the hilt of Richard's sword, Lion's Fang, still embedded in the dragon’s chest. Rachel grasped it with both hands and pulled with every ounce of strength she could muster. Slowly, the blade slipped away from the dragon’s corpse. Once freed, she brought it back to Richard’s burial mound and stabbed it into the ground as a grave marker.
Rachel mounted her horse again, dried her tears on her sleeve, and with a kick, signaled her horse back down the mountain. She stole a glance over her shoulder at the grave of the man she loved.
Her return to the village somehow seemed shorter than the journey to the mountain cave. She wished it hadn't, she wanted more time alone with her thoughts and emotions before coming back. Helga was there to greet her just as Rachel rode into the village.
“You're back, and you're safe. I'm grateful.” The elder woman said as she took the reins. Rachel didn't give a response. She solemnly stared at the ground and slowly lifted herself off the horse. “What is it?”
“You were right.” Rachel said, quietly. “He's dead.” Tears began to flow fiercely now, streaming down her face like miniature waterfalls. “I wanted... I wished... ” she said between her crying gasps for air, “that he might have lived. That we could live together.”
Helga took her handkerchief and dabbed it on Rachel's face. Even as the tears dried, new ones took their place. “But you found him, right? And you found the dragon?”
Rachel's lip quivered as she forced her tears back. She gave a swift nod. “Yes. He killed it, they killed each other.”
“Then he died to save us. To save you and everyone in this village.” Helga reassured her. “He died like a knight.”
Rachel took a deep breath. Her tears were drying now, and hearing Helga's words helped to clear her mind. “Yes, he was our knight.”
The Last Stand of the Dragon Page 14