EIGHT
When George set out from his father's house, he had a fool-proof plan, or so he thought. Unless he was a fool for thinking it up, which was always possible.
Somewhere, there were other would-be heroes. Others who wished to slay dragons. He would journey to another town where no one had heard of his defeat, and make it known that he wished to engage an apprentice. An apprentice hero, if there were such a thing. Perhaps even several, if he could find enough suitable boys. He didn't dare hope for a girl like his fairy godmother, and yet...he'd seen dozens of men challenge the dragon, but he alone among them had survived by running away. And he'd managed that only because Zoraida battled the dragon alone, distracting the beast.
He'd take up residence in the best inn in town, and pay
