The Swordsmith and the Dragon

Back when the world was younger and dragons still prevailed, there was a peaceful village and in the village lived a swordsmith with his wife, Constance, and their little daughter, Olivia. The young family lived in a small cottage and although they were poor, they were very happy together.
This had been a tough year for the entire village. The harvest had been meager and there had not been as many travelers through the village as there had been in previous years. The King’s men had even lowered the taxes they collected which came as a welcome relief to all.
Still, the people were very worried. Kliban the dragon was due to appear and he never reduced the fealty tax he required from the villagers. They knew that if they paid the dragon what he expected, they would starve through the winter.