The Knight stared dreamily at the thickets of briars.

“Sam, deal with that” he commanded waving a hand.

“Deal with what mi’lord?”

“Those briars. They look rather nasty. I paid a small fortune for this armour and I’ll not have it nicked and dented before I can present myself to Princess Analise as her hero.”

“Right you are mi’lord” Sam said unshouldering his heavy pack. It thumped to the floor, Sam glared at his master as he bent down to rummage through the pack trying to find something useful.

“Will this do?” Sam asked pulling a small saw out of the pack.

“I don’t care how you do it just get rid of those briars man!”

“Right you are mi’lord. I’ll be needing your magic ring then.”

“Whatever for?”

“Well you see mi’lord if I have to saw my way through these briars by myself then I reckon your Princess may die of old age before I get through them.”

“Fine. Remember its a family heirloom though so don’t scratch it.”

Sam placed the gold emerald ring on his finger and felt the shock of magic tingle up his arm. He gripped the saw and cut through one of the tangled, twisted branches. The rest of the briars curled aside to reveal a path straight through.

Sam gave the Knight his ring back and reshouldered his pack.

“Come on then before the magic wears off mi’lord.”

The Knight strode confidently behind the scurrying figure of Sam. The path through the briars closing after them.

“Now what mi’lord?”

“According to the stories theres should be a dragon, so i’ll go over here in this convenient stone little outbuilding whilst you deal with that.”

Sam watched his master stride purposefully into what looked like the castles old creamery. He sighed when he heard bolts being drawn, locking his master inside.

Sam once more unshouldered his pack, he retrieved a small glass bottle the the Knight had purchased from a witch in the last town. She had demanded a handful of rubies in payment. He read the instructions on the bottle

‘Bottled Ice. For use on fires, burns etc. One small drop for burns, 5 drops for catastrophic fires. Dose accordingly.’

Sam uncorked the bottle and carefully poured a little over one of his hunting arrows, standing back up and being careful not to slip on the now icy cobbles, he knocked an arrow to his bow and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long before he heard the dreadful beating of leathery wings and saw a stream of white hot flame come around the corner.

He looked directly at the dragon, seeing into its mouth, watching the pilot light of doom come flickering on ready for another bout of wildfire.

Sam released the arrow. It flew straight to the back of the dragons throat. The creature scrabbled furiously at its face and throat as it slowly turned to ice.

“Worked better than expected” Sam said giving the frozen dragon a flick on the nose. The dragon crumbled to ice cubes like a ice sculpture does when hit with a sledgehammer.

“Its safe now mi’lord. What’s next?”

He heard the bolts unlock and the Knight made his way slipping and sliding on the ice over to Sam.

“Now I just have to present myself to the Princess.”

The Knight grabbed the huge old door knocker and rapped it.

Thd door opened and the most beautiful woman Sam had ever seen appeared, smiling at him.

“I am Sir Leonard. I have battled long and hard to rescue you, Princess Analise. I ask for your hand in marriage “ the Knight declared.

“Well Sir Leonard, I’ve been watching your progress from the tower and it would seem my rescuer is that gentleman not you” she gestured towards Sam. “He has shown intelligence and great courage to rescue me. How can I ever repay you sir?”

“I’m no sir mi’lady, Just a commoner come along for a bit of adventuring as it were. Mainly here to hold the bags. Sir Leonard here is your rescuer, not me. I couldn’t have done it without his fancy trinkets and such.”

Sir Leonard stood dumbfounded. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He and the Princess should be riding off into the sunset by now ready to live happily ever after.

Princess Analise took Sams hand and said “That as may be but he never would have made it here without you. You are my hero. I will not live my life with a coward now matter how rich he is. I would rather marry a commoner like you who will always protect me.”

Sam blushed. He shoved his heavy pack at Sir Leonard causing him to stumble.

“Here you go mi’lord. You might be requiring this to get back out those nasty briars. Now don’t you go messing up your nice new armour. I’ll be staying here nice and cosy with this wonderful woman.”