The last of Lurgin 3/9

The Knight in question was plodding along the road to the village at Lurgin's Bridge. He was deep in thought and as usual, his horse was whinnying and neighing a lot. He didn't know the horse was actually talking to itself, which was probably just as well.

"Thick as two short planks, he is! A rumour about being able to cross Lurgin’s bridge and it’s in with the spurs, gee up and let's seek adventure. Who's going to do the actual walking on this bridge may I ask and if Lurgin does come out, who's he going to eat, the little one in a hard tin suit, or a large juicy horse?"

As they approached the village, the Knight noticed some activity outside the local inn. The inn sign had been taken down and a painter was altering the picture.

"Whoa! What are you doing my good man?" he asked.

"Mornin', Sir George," said the painter. "I'm just repainting this little old sign. ‘The George and Dragons’, it’s to be from now on."

Sir George leaned out of his saddle and looked at the sign more closely. There was Tornak the Terrible flying over the village, while the knight in armour astride his trusty horse brandished his sword to protect the village. Now another, smaller dragon was flying alongside Tornak and in the middle of the village green, a cart loaded with coal had been added.

"Is it true, then?" asked Sir George, "that Tornak the Terrible now eats coal and not peasants and that Lurgin no longer asks riddles but stays under his bridge?"

"Aye sir, gospel truth. Times is a'changin'."

"All because of one apprentice from the gate; truly I must seek her out. Walk on."
"Here we go again: everything nice and peaceful, so what do we do? Walk on, he says, without even stopping for a drink or a bag of hay. Thick he is, thick as two short planks..."

The painter watched them go, then with a smile on his face, he picked up his brush and painted out the knight's sword.

----O----

Jennifer Jane and Megan followed Tasmin along the twisty forest paths while she talked all the time about the benefits of a good walk. "Too much flying makes you lazy. A good brisk walk in the fresh air, followed by a flight home to stretch the wings, never did a dragon any harm. Ah, here we are now."

The little group came out of the woods just by Lurgin's Bridge. An empty coal cart was clattering back to the village and riding towards them was Sir George. Some small children were jumping up and down on the bridge and shouting riddles to each other to try and make Lurgin say something.

Sir George crossed over the bridge at a gallop. Jennifer Jane could hear the horse: "The quicker this bit's over with the better. It'll be 'Whoa' next and then something about fair maids!"

"Whoa!" cried Sir George "and you fair maid who walks with dragons, are you the 'prentice from the Gate who brought all this about?"

"Er, well yes, I suppose so," said Jennifer Jane shyly.

There was a roar from under the bridge. "That's the one," shouted Lurgin in his most terrifying manner. "Everyone stand aside: I'm coming out for breakfast."

The horse turned and bolted back over the bridge, with Sir George swaying in the saddle. The children screamed and ran for the coal cart, which rattled back towards the village as quickly as possible. Before you could say 'Lurgin the Troll', there was no one to be seen except Jennifer Jane and her dragon friends. Then Lurgin came out into the open.