This one is a little different and I make no claims that it is at all factual 🙂 It is part of a real epic that follows the exploits of marcher baron Fouke Fitz Waryn. But in the periods when he wasn’t doing anything particularly interesting the author was forced to make stuff up, hence the dragon. Enjoy.

 

“Fouke took the damsel by the hand and entrusted her to Sir Audulph for her protection as they left the rock cave. They had scarcely come out into the open air when they saw the dragon flying in the sky above and heading straight towards them. From its hot mouth the beast belched forth smoke and horrible flames. It was a very ugly creature, with a large head, square teeth, cruel claws and a long tail. As soon as the dragon spotted Fouke it swooped down and struck at him with its claws, delivering such a blow on the shield that it tore it in two. Fouke raised his sword and, with all his strength, struck at the dragon’s head. Given the hardness of the creature’s outer shell and the horny matter on the front side of its body, the sword did no harm whatever to the beast, nor did it even cause it to waver in its flight. The dragon began its flight from afar in order to strike harder. Fouke, who could not stand the blow, dodged behind the tree which was beyond the fountain. He saw that he could not harm the dragon from the front side, so he waited until it made a turn. Then Fouke struck a convincing blow to the body near the tail, thereby cutting the beast in two. The dragon began to scream and yell. It rushed for the damsel with the intention of seizing her and carrying her away, but Sir Audulph defended her. The dragon clasped Sir Audulph so tightly in its claws, that he would have been crushed if Fouke had not come so quickly. After cutting of the beast’s paw, Fouke was able to free Sir Audulph with great difficulty. Its sharp talons had already cut through the hauberk. Fouke struck the dragon squarely in the mouth with his sword and in this way he finally killed it. Fouke was very weary, and rested awhile before going to the dragon’s lair. He took all the gold her found there, and carried it to his galley. John de Rampaigne examined Sir Audulph’s wound and dressed it, for he knew a lot about medicine.”

 

From Fouke Fitz Waryn trans and ed Thomas E Kelly in A Book of Medieval Outlaws. Pgs 153-154. ISBN: 9780750924931