By a stream is a cave,
a cave that is the home of a majestic creature.
He keeps to himself,
for he is the oldest and wisest.
He is the last one left.
He speaks in English tongue
as well as the tongue of dragon.
He is wise and powerful.
He speaks to those who want to listen.
He even sings to the hills
such enchanting songs that stir the soul.
They put pictures in my head of a time
when dragons and men worked and lived side by side.
Before men forgot how dragons helped them,
there was unity and peace throughout the world.
Then one devil of a dragon
started killing men for pleasure.
He was resented by dragons
and hated by men.
Because of his treachery,
men forgot their peaceful ways
and set out to exterminate the dragon race.
Tears fell from my eyes
as pictures of death, pain, and violence
filled my mind’s eye.
I swore to him that day I met him,
since I was an excellent marksman and swordsman,
that I would never let anyone harm him
I was an orphan,
I had no home
so I stayed with him.
With his help I made myself a home,
a cottage next to the stream, near his cave.
For dive glorious years,
the dragon named Tiernan
and I lived in peace and happiness.
But one day a traveler came upon our home.
Tiernan smelled him first,
and then I heard him.
As the traveler appeared,
Tiernan ducted into his cave
as I made ready my sword and bow.
It was a man not much older then I
who found us out that day.
Love was found with that young traveler
in Tiernan's and mine's heart.
We lived together in fellowship for a year.
One fateful day,
Tiernan was taken from me.
The King's son,
a spoiled bastard,
came to slay the dragon
and "save" the damsel.
I challenged him to a duel
to save my dear friend's life.
Tiernan watched from his cave in silence
waiting for the time when
the prince would turn his back to him.
The prince had nearly finished me;
he had me unarmed on the ground.
But Tiernan would not see me killed for his sake.
As Tiernan lunged toward the prince to save my life,
two hidden soldiers shot him down with spears and arrows.
As I saw my dearest friend
and the only father I had ever known struck down,
I took my sword in my hand
and impaled the prince upon it.
Then I ran to Tiernan's side
to be with him in his last moments.
He gave me a life in exchange for his.
The two warriors were about to kill me, too,
but the young traveler,
now my lover,
struck them first.
I whispered to Tiernan
before he took his last breath,
"I love you, father", in dragon tongue.
He spoke back in the same tongue,
"I love you too, daughter."
That night we burned his body
and looked to the stars,
knowing Tiernan had gained his place in the heavens.
