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Sir Ronald lay in a bloody heap on the ground, his face broken beyond recognition. Richard had continued beating the once proud noble long after it was clear that he was dead. Tobias had once tried to get the lieutenant to leave, but a look had sent the younger man away. When the tall man had finally spent himself, he departed wordlessly, blood dripping from his knuckles. He went to his horse and rode away. Others of the horsemen took their cue and rode out the main gates as well, but some remained curious as to what would happen now that the most powerful man in the village had been killed in plain sight by his own lieutenant and a dragon held the seat of power.

I leaned my neck down, to meet Tobias at eye level. I sighed, "It is done. I am now master of this land."

Tobias glanced at Sir Ronald's body, but quickly looked away. "You did it easily, M'lord. I'll make sure that everyone knows exactly how it happened."

I grunted in the affirmative. "The hard part now will be in keeping it. You will assist me in the task, Tobias." The lad only continued looking at me with open admiration. "Go now into the manor house and gather the staff from their hiding places. Organize them to begin emptying the place of anything valuable. I will begin dismantling the house tomorrow."

Tobias was excited, "Shall you build a grand palace in its place, M'lord?"

I rumbled noncommittally. I continued as if he had not asked the question. "Take fresh clothes from there, any you like, as well as anything you would like for yourself or your family. Get a horse as well, you will be traveling a lot tomorrow."

If Tobias was becoming overwhelmed with my list of orders, he gave no sign. He simply took everything I was telling him in even stride, repeating the list to himself. I was waving for him to be off on the tasks I'd assigned him, but he lingered. His eyes were a little watery as he asked, rubbing his hands together again, "Sir... is now the time to speak of my father?"

I growled softly, thinking of the man who had first put a bolt in my flesh the previous morning. I almost told him no. However, something in Tobias' pathetic expression and the way he rubbed his hands together inclined me to say, "...He cannot stay here. The man has too much incentive to kill me or seek revenge somehow." I leaned closer, my big amber eye close to Tobia's body. "Is he a sort that would accept banishment?"

Tobias swallowed, perhaps regretting bringing the matter up. "Not willingly, no. But he's spent a lot of time on the road before settling here in the village. I think he would do well enough, especially if he knew his family was safe behind him."

I hummed deep in my throat. My instincts still cried out against letting a man who had injured me walk away free, but this way, I ensured Tobias' continued loyalty. "Hmm... Then see to it he gets a good horse and some money. Tell him I shall not suffer his presence in the valley by next week."

Tobias' face was screwed up with emotions. He said in a voice so tight it squeaked, "T-thank you for your mercy, My Lord."

I puffed a bit of smoke from my nostrils. I was hungry for using up so much fire this morning. The smoke from where it still burned rose to the north, but the wind was blowing it away from here. "See about your errands, Tobias. And send someone out here to remove the bolts from my hide." I grumbled, turning my head away to let him know that the discussion was over. Tobias scurried away into the house.

Despite the ease of my victory, I was still weary for all the happenings this day. Not wanting to search for the runaway livestock. I took advantage of the carcass of a plump former nobleman while I waited for a surgeon to appear and tend to my wounds. It turned out that Sir Ronald was no different from his peers in this final regard.